It works!
I used about four pounds of apples that we happened to have in the fridge, and it rendered two cups of beautiful golden sweet cider! It gave me such a kick to see the juice just flowing out of the colander into the measuring cup!
It was just as good as what you can get in the store. And it will be even better when I pick varieties of apples grown specifically for cider! There was a barely-detectable bit of pine taste from the boards, but I am hoping that will disappear. I really don’t want to varnish the boards, as apple juice is acidic and I don’t want to infuse my cider with chemicals.
When I took the press apart the pomace was well-packed and fairly dry, but not completely. I wonder if I’m just not going to be able to get it as dry as I could with a regular press – if potential-juice-loss is is just something I’ll have to accept.
I’m thinking this weekend looks auspicious for apple picking!