What is the difference between a Continuous Olive Oil Mill and a Non-Continuous (Batch Type) Olive Oil Mill?

The main difference between batch-type and continuous olive oil mills is how olives are processed through the oil extraction system.

Continuous olive oil mills use modern centrifugation for high-efficiency, automated, and continuous production of high-quality olive oil with minimal oxidation. Non-continuous (traditional/batch) mills use presses and mats which are more labor intensive, but is a significantly more affordable way to begin an an operation for producing olive oil. 

Batch-Type Mills

Traditional batch systems often use:

• Stone mills or hammer mills for crushing
• Malaxation (mixing) in individual tanks or containers
• Hydraulic presses or small extraction units

Advantages

• Good for processing small lots separately.
• Useful when producers want to keep oils from different olive varieties or orchards distinct.
• Lower equipment cost.

Disadvantages

• Slower production
• Higher labor costs
• More variability between batches

Continuous Mills

Modern olive mills typically use:

• Crusher
• Continuous Malaxers
• Horizontal decanter centrifuges
• Vertical separators

Olives move continuously from one stage to the next.

Advantages

• Much higher capacity
• Better process control
• Lower labor cost per ton of olives
• Faster processing after harvest, which can help preserve quality

Disadvantages

• Higher capital cost
• Less practical for very small production volumes
• Cleaning between different lots may take longer

Which Produces Better Oil?

Neither system automatically produces better olive oil. Oil quality depends on factors such as:

• Olive freshness
• Harvest timing
• Malaxation temperature and duration
• Sanitation
• Oxygen exposure

Today, most high-quality extra virgin olive oil is produced using modern continuous centrifuge systems because they allow rapid processing and precise control. However, some small artisanal producers still prefer batch systems for flexibility, lot separation, and reduced startup cost.

If you're evaluating a mill for a specific production volume (for example, 50kg to 100 kg/hour,) we can compare the economics and equipment requirements in more detail.  For mills over 100kg we have several options but they are all continuous mills utilizing a centrifuge for separating out the oil from the paste.