Cream separator

A cream separator is a machine that separates cream from milk by rapid rotation. Such machines were used in dairies and on a smaller scale on farms.

Operation and construction

Inside the rotating separator bowl, denser skim milk moves outward while the lighter, fat-rich portion collects nearer the centre. The streams leave through separate outlets. Older examples may have a hand crank, milk reservoir, separator bowl and two discharge spouts. The Nederlands Openluchtmuseum documents a hand-driven Diabolo 107; Powerhouse holds a De Laval Junior No. 2 from around 1900.

Identification and condition

Distinguish a separator from a churn, which turns cream into butter, and a milk strainer, which filters. Photograph the nameplate, crank, containers and loose inserts. Describe missing components, rust, cracks and later paint. A machine preserved as decoration cannot automatically be regarded as operational or suitable for food contact.

Sources: Nederlands Openluchtmuseum: Diabolo 107; Powerhouse: De Laval Junior No. 2, objekt 85/563; Tetra Pak: dokumentert separasjonsprinsipp.