Hello,
I just purchased a #3, 0.3hp tomato squeezer from Reber, and not sure if it was a right purchase.
I don't really see any review on this product other than it being noisy...and it is. (80-85db measured with a phone app).
Here are my concerns.
1. Reber offers 0.3hp, 0.4hp, 0.8hp, and higher... did I go too low? Maybe go for 0.4HP?
2. How is this brand? Should I have gone with OMRA, Fabio, etc..?
My wife got sick of me always talking food and the restaurant biz. So here I am taking to the web to talk a little more! Lol
I think you did good buying this machine. I have two Reber tomato squeezer mills. A #3 for home and a #5 used by BOH staff at my restaurant. They're great machines. They are as loud as any of the other tomato mills I've used. I think it's the high torque gearing ratio.
I bought them both from Raw Rutes, which is a catalog/web company that sells high end stuff. I think they are the only US company selling them. Their employees were very helpful - I called twice!
As far as your concern with HP, only you know your needs. But don't abuse the machine and take your time and any size should be fine. It just will take a bit longer.
Here's a couple benefits I see to the Reber brand:
1. Resin spiral. I like metal as much as anyone, but I recall the tomato acid eating right through the chrome/tin plating on the metal spirals and making a real mess of things. That's when rust enters the picture too. Plus the metal spirals sometimes make metal shavings.
2. Support. I needed a replacement cone for one of mine after the original got bent up after dropping. The Raw Rutes company had them in stock and I had it in two days.
3. The motor. The motors on these are larger and heavier duty than a lot of the others. Mine barely heats up. Stay away from the ones with the square housing. It's probably hiding a tiny motor inside.
