If you are starting a cold press oil business in India, one of the first questions you will face is: wooden chekku or rotary chekku? Both produce naturally extracted oil without chemical solvents or heat, but they work differently and suit different scales of operation.
What is a wooden chekku (marachekku)?
A wooden chekku — also called marachekku, ghani, kolhu or wooden ghani — is the traditional method of cold pressing oil. The seed is placed between a wooden pestle and a stone or wooden base, and a rotating wooden arm grinds the seed slowly to release oil. The low speed and absence of heat preserve the natural flavour, aroma and nutritional value of the oil.
Modern automatic wooden chekku machines from Devi Industries retain the same slow-press principle but are motor-driven, available in 10 kg, 20 kg and 30 kg per hour models.
What is a rotary chekku (ulakai)?
A rotary chekku machine uses a rotating stainless steel or cast iron crushing set (the ulakai) instead of wood. It processes oil in lots — the 15 kg model handles 15 kg per batch (with a throughput of around 30 kg/hr) and the 25 kg model handles 25 kg per batch (50–60 kg/hr). The rotary design is faster and easier to clean, and the oil yield is comparable to the wooden type for most seeds.
Wooden chekku vs rotary — key differences
| Feature | Wooden chekku | Rotary chekku |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Traditional taste, premium positioning | Higher volume, faster turnover |
| Capacity | 10, 20 or 30 kg/hr | 15 or 25 kg per lot |
| Motor | 2 HP (10 kg), 3 HP (20 kg), 5 HP (30 kg) | 3 HP (15 kg), 7.5 HP (25 kg) |
| Crushing parts | Vaagai wood + stone/wood base | SS304 or mild steel or cast iron ural |
| Spare part life (20 kg model) | Ural: 15–30 tonnes approx. | Ulakai: 5–10 tonnes approx. |
| Spare part cost | Approx. ₹7,000 + GST | Approx. ₹6,000 + GST |
| Oil character | Traditional aroma, slightly higher temperature | Clean, consistent output |
Which seeds can you process?
Both wooden and rotary chekku machines handle the same range of oilseeds:
- Groundnut / peanut (35–45% yield)
- Sesame / gingelly (35–45%)
- Copra / dry coconut (50–65%)
- Mustard (25–35%)
- Moringa (25–35%)
- Niger seed (30–35%)
- Sunflower (25–35%)
- Safflower (20–25%)
- Flax / linseed (25–35%)
- Castor (30–35%)
Which machine should you choose?
Choose a wooden chekku if your customers specifically want traditional marachekku oil and you are selling at a premium. The wooden press is the stronger selling point in retail and direct-to-consumer channels.
Choose a rotary chekku if you need faster throughput, simpler cleaning or are processing multiple seed types through the day. It is also a better fit if you are supplying to stores or restaurants where volume matters more than the traditional label.
Both machines are manufactured at our Coimbatore factory to ISO 9001:2015 standards and can be configured in full stainless steel, semi stainless steel or mild steel depending on your budget and application.
Get a quotation
Share your seed type, target daily volume and available power supply (single phase or three phase) through our contact page and our team will recommend the right model and configuration. You can also visit our wooden chekku page and rotary chekku page to compare specifications.