Five years ago, I wrote about the Roma by Weston Brands. It was the first electric tomato strainer I’d ever encountered and it totally changed how I preserved tomatoes. I went from someone who did mostly whole, peeled tomatoes to someone who did 30 or 40 quarts of puree each season.
As much as I loved it, that original model did have some issues. The body was so light that when you pushed the tomatoes through, it would tilt precariously (a problem I remedied by perching my elbow on the body to keep it level). It also splattered badly when you pushed the tomatoes through, because there was nothing covering the screen.
I am delighted to say that Weston Brands has thoroughly redesigned their electric tomato press and this new model (the Weston Deluxe Electric Tomato Strainer) is terrific. The body is heavier and less prone to tipping. There’s a screen cover to prevent splatter. It has a 250 watt motor which flies through food. It can go in reverse if something gets stuck. And it assembles so easily.
For my unit’s maiden voyage, I used it to quickly puree applesauce (it’s still a little early to be doing tomato sauce around here). I quartered every apple in the house, heaped them in a big pot (peels and cores included), and cooked them until soft. Once I started, it took all of five minutes to mill all those apples.
If you’re looking for something to make your tomato preservation easier, I definitely recommend it! This week, I’m giving away one Weston Deluxe Electric Tomato Strainer to a lucky Food in Jars reader. I hope it transforms your tomato process as much as it did mine. The giveaway is open to US residents only. Please use the widget below to enter.
Disclosure: Weston Brands provided the review unit you see pictured here at no cost to me and are also providing a second giveaway unit. All opinions are my own.
Salsa, salsa, salsa and more salsa (my daughter’s favorite)! I also love preserving pasta sauce for the winter!
Pasta and Pizza Sauce…so great in the winter!!!!
Where have I been that I didn’t even know this machine existed? I mostly just freeze oven
roasted tomatoes with onion, garlic, and basil. This would definitely change my game!
I like to roast tomatoes with garlic, onion, basil etc then purée and freeze. Never seen this machine before- looks like it would be amazing!
I would love to win! It would make it so much easier to can so, so many things. Tomatoes would just be a start.
My favorite way to preserve tomatoes is simply crushed tomatoes. They’re so much more versatile, I can use them to make sauce, soups, chili, etc. Salsa is a close runner up though!
I have only pickled tomatoes, but I want to make sauce and soup.
This would be so helpful for tomato sauce. Would love to win it.
I make tomato jam the most, which wouldn’t require this machine. My kid, however, adores applesauce which would be a great use of this thing for me.
wow, i’ve never heard of one of these — i still use a food mill like my grandmother did. maybe it’s time i joined the 21st century? haha
This looks fantastic. My favorite way to preserve tomatoes is making quarts and quarts of shelf stable, delicious tomato vegetable juice!!
Canned tomatoes of any type are the best in the winter, but homemade sauce is my favorite! Not long till they’ll be ready to go!
Nothing better than fresh tomato puree!
Preserving tomatoes come fall – getting ready for a cozy, yummy winter!
I make salsa, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes/tomato puree, chili base… ALL THE TOMATOES! 😀
I have a friend with a similar tool and she makes the most delicious homemade ketchup! I don’t ever can tomatoes or puree (I do make salsa), but I sure would with this! Thank you!
Salsa or diced tomatoes.
Would love for pizza sauce
My fave way to preserve tomatoes is SALSA!
This looks amazing! We love to make pasta sauce and rotel for cheese dip 😉
Whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, tomato jam. This appliance would be amazing! And for applesauce – fantastic!!
Seeds too? with the apples?? just wondering… I like making plain ol tomato juice with a dash of salt….That’s all 😉
Yep, seeds too.
As crushed tomatoes with basil – a base for soup, spaghetti sauce – just about ANYTHING!
I’ve been using a manual tomato strainer for years to make the 40+ quarts of sauce my family goes through. Even doing only a portion of tomatoes at a time, it’s an all-day process. An electric strainer would make things so much easier.
My favorite way to can tomatoes is diced, since I use most of mine that way. I have used a food strainer in the past and really loved it, but mine developed so many leaks and was such a mess to use, I stopped using it. I would love to try this new unit!
I have only ever canned whole tomatoes, but this looks amazing! I can only imagine how much fast my applesauce freezing would go with this instead of using my hand crank food mill. 🙂 Maybe even to make other fruit purees for fruit butter and fruit leather?
Mmmmm, tomatoes. Is there really anything else to eat? (well, OK, corn too!)
Salsa and tomato sauce – though I’d do more sauce with this handy machine!
My electric mandolin. It makes short work of slicing cucumbers for pickles.
I eat a lot of pizza, so I can tons of pizza sauce every summer. It gets me through the winter!
Wow! I had no idea such an item even existed! Sounds like it makes the work so much easier… Would be nice to have one. I’d better see how much room I have in the pantry to store one! (Would be awesome to win one… 😉
Due to dietary restrictions, I cannot eat tomatoes but I would use this for making fruit purees for jams. I would also possibly use this for making super smooth pumpkin puree.
I love to dehydrate cherry tomatoes sprinkled with Italian seasoning.
My current favorite way is whole or some version of chopped for preserving tomatoes. If I had this my favorite way would be tomato sauce/puree. It would be a real game changer in my kitchen for sure. Thank you for the opportunity to win such an awesome and useful kitchen gadget!
salsa is our family favorite
My favorite way to preserve tomatoes is to purée them for spaghetti sauce. There’s nothing quite like home-preserved tomatoes, fresh out of the garden, especially during the winter months! I also LOVE homemade tomato ketchup!
Around here its a tie between salsa and just plain diced tomatoes. For ease, of course, its the plain tomatoes but we sure love salsa in our house. 🙂
Between tomatoes and apples, oMG! Applesauce and Spaghettisauce in my future! This would make my world so much easier!
I haven’t canned tomatoes yet, this year is the year! I was planning on doing some whole and some crushed. The peels and seeds are intimidating, this gadget would be amazing!
Would love to use this for applesauce!
Everyone that cans tomatoes could use this. Wow.
I simply dice fresh tomatoes and can those – so versatile!
This would make ketchup and apple butter so much easier!
I can whole plum tomatoes and purée! Can’t wait for that time of year.
Whole tomatoes or chunky sauce – no spices so I can use it for anything!
Marinara!
Made the spicy tomato jam yesterday, it is delicious! I hope to make spaghetti sauce, and this strainer should be speed up that process.
Freezing roasted tomatoes is so easy, I’ve most often done that.
I love to make Marinara sauce! But, I’m itching to try tomato jam…
Marisa’s tomato jam is amazing!
Homemade canned Rotel with fire roasted poblanos!