These Are The Best Honey Extractors for 2024

Last Updated on September 13, 2024 by Anthony

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The basic principle behind the honey extractor has remained unchanged for as long as they have existed. For sure, some new high-tech models might have been released down the years – and within the field of industrial beekeeping, different honey extractors suited for industrial quantities are used – but for beekeepers like you and I, the honey extractor is a beautifully simple piece of equipment.

A honey extractor is a simple mechanical device that utilizes the power of centrifugal force to extract honey from the intricate hexagonal lattice of the honeycomb. Inside a honey extractor – which is either a drum or some other container – are found the frame baskets. The honeycomb is simply placed here, the handles are cranked – or the motor is switched on – and the frame baskets are spun around, expelling the honey as it goes.

Harvesting honey is perhaps the most rewarding part of the whole beekeeping process, and even more so for those new to the game. Harvesting is when you finally collect the fruits of all your hard work over the last year. And for those newbie beekeepers, it might have been several years before a reasonable honey harvest is finally available, meaning that harvesting time is even more special! Regardless of how long it has been since you cranked that handle and collected your honey, the moment is an important one and you don’t want to have it ruined by shoddy equipment.

The Best Honey Extractors

The Importance of a Good Honey Extractor

And sometimes, honey extractors can be downright shoddy. The mechanical principle behind them might be as old as the hills, but craftsmanship goes a long way, and you will want a well-built honey extractor that collects as much honey as possible without also contaminating it with little bits of comb. If the honey extractor is a little rough and forceful, then this is what will happen. Nevertheless, if it isn’t strong enough, you’ll end up collecting far less honey than is actually available. Therefore, the value of a good honey extractor lies in successfully striking the balance between craftsmanship and fine-tuning.

Another great advantage of a good honey extractor is that the alternative – extracting the honey without one – is nearly always something you would prefer to avoid. It is indeed possible to reap your honey harvest by means of crushing the combs and sieving out the comb material, but that wastes a great deal of useful material – besides honey – that your bees produce.

Worse even than this though is that destroying the combs to extract honey at harvest time could very well jeopardize future harvests. A healthy colony of bees will usually have enough energy reserves built in enough comb for the next year but leaving last year’s comb intact saves them a great deal of work. And saving them work means saving them energy and remember, there are many things that can go wrong in the world of beekeeping – from hive infections such as varroa mite to insufficient local bloom leading to weakened bees. In such circumstances, last year’s comb could literally mean the difference between life and death.

How do Modern Honey Extractors Work?

I have already mentioned that honey extractors are based on a very simple mechanical principle but require some fairly expert fine-tuning in order to work properly and expel the honey with the correct amount of force. This is something that will likely never change, but that’s not to say that modern honey extractors don’t come with a range of useful features, many of which having now become standard. When deciding what kind of honey extractor is right for you, it is important to consider the diversity of these extra features and the different kinds of each that are available.

All modern models, for example, will have a pumping extractor at the bottom. After the honey has been pulled out via centrifugal forces, it tends to then drip down the side of the comb and collect at the bottom. It is from here that it is extracted, and there are both manual and electric extractors that do this. You can have as little as two frames in your honey extractor, or you can many more; the drum itself can be made of various materials, which have different qualities optimal for different uses.

Honey extractors also need to be assembled and cleaned regularly. As everybody knows, honey is a viscous, sticky liquid – and there are all sorts of other debris that can build up inside it. Knowledge of how to assemble and clean is essential, and this can be a slightly different process depending on what type of honey extractor you have.

What Type of Honey Extractor is Right for Me?

Before choosing the right honey extractor, there are several things to consider and options to weigh up. These can be obvious and general or much more specific to the type of beekeeping you want to do. Here then are some of the most important things to consider:

Capacity and Size

When it comes to deciding what honey extractor is right for you, the first and most simple consideration is what capacity of honey extractor you will need. Naturally, this is all dependent on how much honey you can expect to be harvesting at the end of the year. As mentioned, honey extractors can hold as little as two honey frames but also be large enough to hold many.

It should be pretty obvious what size meets your needs. However, bear in mind that you can spin your honey extractor as many times as is needed. Accordingly, it might make more sense to get a two-frame extractor and reload/spin it a couple of times, rather than getting a bigger model when you only have a few frames to harvest. This is not a great deal of extra time and work, and it will also save you money.

Manual or Electric?

Honey extractors come in both manual and electric models – the difference is pretty obvious. A manual extractor has a hand crank which is used to spin the frames inside the drum. Naturally, manual models require a little more elbow grease on your part. Their main advantages though are that they are cheaper, and you will not require a power source to operate them (which means you can place them anywhere).

The best electric honey extractors naturally cost a bit more. They use an electric motor to spin the frames. With electric honey extractors, you can extract the honey faster and they are usually larger models for working with a lot of frames. Of course, as mentioned, they cost a bit more (because of the motor and because they are typically larger) and you will need to plug them in somewhere.

Radial or Tangential?

The difference between a radial and a tangential honey extractor is the direction in which the honey is extracted. A tangential extractor is the most common for lower capacities and will pull the honey outward towards the edges of the drum. Because the honey is only pulled in one direction, you will need to flip the flames after the honey has been extracted from one side.

Radial honey extractors, on the other hand, have a drum basket which positions the frames with the top bar facing outwards. The frames are then perpendicular to the outside wall and so the honey is extracted from both sides at once. Naturally, these are more time efficient and are more common with honey extractors designed for higher capacities.

How to Operate a Honey Extractor

The exact way in which you operate a honey extractor will naturally depend on whether you have a manual or electric model and a tangential or a radial. Between electric and manual extractors, the difference lies only at the spinning stage and is, of course, only the difference between manually turning the crank or switching on the motor. Between a tangential and radial extractor, the difference of operation lies in how you position the frames. However, the frame holders show you precisely where to place them. Just remember to flip the frames if you are using a tangential extractor.

Apart from these differences, the operation of honey extractors is the same across the board. Firstly, you need to prepare the frames. To do this, you need to remove the wax caps by scraping them off with an uncapping knife. After this, it is time to place the frames in their holders and close over the lid. Then simply switch on the motor or start turning the crank. You should do this for about ten minutes to extract all the honey from the frames, remembering to flip the frames and repeat in the case of tangential extractors.

Afterwards, honey can be removed from the extractor by simply turning the tap. You will notice that the honey at this point contains a few debris, so it will need to be strained.

Best Honey Extractors – Conclusion

Hopefully, this run down of the best extractors on the market right now will give you a clear idea of the range of models available for sub-industrial beekeeping enterprises, as well as the range of benefits and drawbacks that inevitably need to be balanced when you pick out the best extractor for you. Honey extractors work via an ancient and simple mechanism, but modern engineering has made them truly formidable pieces of kit. Every beekeeper should have one.

Beekeeping Disclaimer:

Beekeeping, like any agricultural activity, involves inherent risks. It is important to understand these risks and take appropriate measures to mitigate them.

Potential risks associated with beekeeping include:

1. Bee stings: Honey bees are generally not aggressive but can become defensive if they feel threatened or their hive is disturbed. Bee stings can cause allergic reactions or even anaphylaxis in some individuals, which can be life-threatening. It is important to wear protective clothing and follow best practices when handling bees to minimize the risk of stings.
2. Diseases and pests: Bees can be vulnerable to various diseases and pests, including mites, viruses, and bacterial infections. These can have significant impacts on bee colonies, leading to reduced honey production or even colony collapse. It is important to monitor hives regularly and take appropriate measures to prevent and treat diseases and pests.
3. Weather conditions: Extreme weather conditions, such as drought or cold temperatures, can affect the health and productivity of bee colonies. It is important to ensure that hives are appropriately sheltered and provided with adequate food and water.
4. Environmental hazards: Bees can be affected by environmental hazards such as pesticide exposure, pollution, and habitat loss. It is important to be aware of these hazards and take appropriate measures to protect bee colonies and promote healthy environments for bees.
5. Legal requirements: Beekeeping may be subject to local, state, or national regulations, such as registration or inspection requirements. It is important to be aware of these requirements and comply with them.

While beekeeping can be a rewarding and enjoyable activity, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and take appropriate measures to mitigate them. By following best practices and staying informed about the latest developments in beekeeping, beekeepers can help ensure the health and productivity of their hives and contribute to the well-being of bee populations worldwide.