(770) 999-0587ES
Steam Peeler Replacement Program

Replace Your Aging Steam Peeler

Many potato and vegetable plants in North America still peel on steam peelers installed decades ago. Bigtem USA replaces aging steam peelers from any manufacturer with a new DORUK or Gentle steam peeler, fitted to your footprint, your utilities and your shutdown window.

Request a replacement assessmentCall (770) 999-0587
  • Any manufacturer’s peeler
  • US & Canadian vessel certificates
  • Any voltage
  • Support from Atlanta

Signs your steam peeler is due for replacement

An old peeler rarely fails all at once. It costs more every season in steam, flesh loss and downtime. If several of these sound familiar, it’s worth an assessment:

  • Steam use per ton keeps climbing, or the boiler struggles to keep up during peak runs
  • Peel quality varies batch to batch, so trim tables and rework absorb the difference
  • More good flesh leaves with the peel than it used to
  • Seals, valves, bearings and drives wear faster, and unplanned stops are more frequent
  • Parts are hard to source or have to be made to order
  • Controls are obsolete, and recipes can’t be stored or changed quickly
  • Inspections raise questions about the vessel
  • The line needs more peeling capacity than the old vessel can deliver
Stainless steel steam peeler pressure vessel with rotating drive flange
DORUK pressure vessel: stainless steel construction, rated to 15 bar (218 psi).
How the program works

Six steps from assessment to start-up

Steam peeler replacement programSix steps: assess your line and data, survey footprint and utilities, configure model and options, build the certified vessel, swap during your shutdown, then start-up, training and parts support.1Assessyour line & data2Surveyfootprint & utilities3Configuremodel & options4Buildcertified vessel5Swapin your shutdown6Supportstart-up & partsSteam peeler replacement program1Assessyour line & data2Surveyfootprint & utilities3Configuremodel & options4Buildcertified vessel5Swapin your shutdown6Supportstart-up & parts

  1. Assess your line

    We start with your crop, tonnage, peel target, current cycle and the steam pressure available at the peeler. Photos and drawings of the area help.

  2. Survey footprint & utilities

    We check floor space, feed and discharge heights, the steam header, exhaust and condensate routes, power and the platform, so the new peeler fits what you have.

  3. Configure

    We size the vessel to your tonnage, then choose DORUK or Gentle, voltage, controls, platform and finisher. You see the layout before you order.

  4. Build & document

    The pressure vessel ships with US and Canadian certificates. Panels are built to the European equivalent standard, with UL available on request, and wired for the voltage you specify.

  5. Planned swap

    Connections, platform and controls are prepared before the shutdown, so removing the old unit and setting the new one is one planned job, scheduled around your season.

  6. Start-up & support

    Commissioning, recipe setup and operator and maintenance training, with parts and service coordinated from Atlanta.
Why DORUK and Gentle

What a new Bigtem steam peeler changes

Right-sized vesselsSix DORUK sizes from 125 to 1,250 L, about 1.5 to 28 t/h of potatoes on the spec sheet, so you size to your line instead of oversizing.
Even, repeatable peelThe vessel rotates during steaming for all-round exposure, and condensate removal keeps a water layer from insulating the product.
Recipe controlPLC-controlled cycles: steam time, pressure and release stored as recipes per crop and variety.
Fruit without chemicalsThe Gentle steam peeler runs fruit at lower pressure (8 bar on the spec sheet) for peaches, tomatoes and peppers.
Built for North AmericaUS and Canadian certificates for pressure vessels, any voltage you specify, and UL panels on request.
One supplier around the peelerWashers, finishers, hydrocutters and blanchers from the same manufacturer, sized to the same throughput.

How batch steam peeling works

Steam heats only the outer layer. A sudden pressure drop flashes the moisture under the skin to vapor and lifts the skin off, then a finisher removes it.

Steam peeling cycleSix repeating stages of a batch steam peeling cycle: weigh and fill, seal and inject steam, rotate the vessel, remove condensate, release pressure so the skin flashes off, then discharge to the peel finisher.Batch steampeeling cycle1Weigh & fillBatch weighed into vessel2Seal & steamHigh-pressure steam injected3RotateVessel turns for even exposure4Drain condensateWater layer removed5Flash releasePressure drop lifts the skin6Discharge & finishTo brush or dry-peel finisher
Animation and footage of the DORUK steam peeling cycle: filling, pressurized steaming in a rotating vessel, flash release and discharge. Video has no audio.
Carrots and red beets fed to a Bigtem steam peeler and discharged with the skin lifted. Video has no audio.

DORUK models at a glance

DORUK steam peeler sizes (potatoes)
ModelVessel volumePotato capacity, approx.Steam use
DORUK 125125 L (33 gal)1.5–2 t/h (3,300–4,400 lb/h)200 kg/h (441 lb/h)
DORUK 250250 L (66 gal)3–5 t/h (6,600–11,000 lb/h)350 kg/h (772 lb/h)
DORUK 400400 L (106 gal)6–8 t/h (13,200–17,600 lb/h)550 kg/h (1,213 lb/h)
DORUK 700700 L (185 gal)9–14 t/h (19,800–30,900 lb/h)900 kg/h (1,984 lb/h)
DORUK 1000On request14–20 t/h (30,900–44,100 lb/h)1,200 kg/h (2,646 lb/h)
DORUK 12501,250 L (330 gal)21–28 t/h (46,300–61,700 lb/h)1,500 kg/h (3,307 lb/h)

Source: Bigtem Ordinary & Gentle Steam Peelers technical specifications. t/h = metric tonnes per hour. Capacities are approximate and depend on variety, tuber size and condition. Full DORUK specifications · Gentle models

Replace or rebuild?

Rebuilding can make sense when the vessel is sound, parts are still available and the peeler matches your tonnage. Replacement usually wins when:

  • The vessel needs repairs or its documentation is in question
  • Parts and controls are obsolete
  • You need more, or less, capacity than the old vessel delivers
  • Steam cost and flesh loss matter more than the up-front price

We’ll give you a straight answer after the assessment, even if the answer is to keep running what you have.

Build your replacement ROI case with the free ProcessorROI calculator. A free online tool for rough labor, yield, energy and payback estimates you can bring to a capex meeting. Enter your own plant numbers.

Open the ProcessorROI calculator (external site, opens in a new tab) ↗

What to send for an assessment

  • Crop(s), varieties and tonnage per hour
  • Current vessel size, cycle time and peel target
  • Steam pressure available at the peeler, and boiler capacity
  • Plant voltage (for example 480V/60Hz or 575V/60Hz)
  • Photos or drawings of the peeler area, platform and discharge
  • Your next shutdown windows

Start an assessment

Questions about steam peeler replacement

Do you replace steam peelers from any manufacturer?

Yes. The program is built for aging steam peelers from any manufacturer. We assess what you run today, then configure a DORUK or Gentle steam peeler to fit your line.

Will a new peeler fit our existing footprint?

In most projects we work from the existing footprint. We survey the floor space, feed and discharge heights, steam header, exhaust route and platform, then configure the vessel size, platform and conveyors to fit. If something must change, you see it in the layout before you order.

How long will our line be down?

It depends on the site, but we plan the swap around your shutdown window. Platform, utility connections and controls are prepared ahead so the old unit comes out and the new one goes in as one planned job.

Are the pressure vessels certified for the US and Canada?

Yes. Bigtem steam peeler pressure vessels have US and Canadian certificates. Tell us the state or province of your plant and we confirm the documents that go with your machine.

Can you build to 480V/60Hz or 575V/60Hz?

Yes. Bigtem builds to any voltage the customer specifies, for example 480V/60Hz in the US or 575V/60Hz in Canada.

Are the control panels UL listed?

Control panels are built to the European equivalent standard. If your plant or insurer requires UL, a UL panel is available on request.

Do we need a new boiler?

Not always. We compare the model’s steam demand with what your boiler and header deliver at the peeler today, and tell you early if anything has to change.

Can we keep our existing washer, finisher and conveyors?

Often, yes. The new peeler can be matched to the equipment you keep. Where an older finisher or conveyor limits the line, we can supply that module too.

Market context

North American potato processing keeps growing

Processors are adding and modernizing lines, and the equipment behind that tonnage has to keep up.

286.1 million cwtUS potatoes used by processors from the 2025 crop, up from 2024.
159.7 million cwtof that went to frozen French fries, the largest single use.
58.3 million cwtwent to chips and shoestrings, and 42.1 million cwt to dehydrated products.
125.8 million cwtCanada’s 2025 crop. Alberta planted more potatoes “on account of increased processing capacity.”

Sources: USDA NASS, Potatoes 2025 Summary (US figures); Statistics Canada, December 2025 release (Canadian figures and quote). 1 cwt = 100 lb.

Plan your steam peeler replacement

Send us your crop, tonnage, steam pressure, voltage and a few photos of the peeler area. A Bigtem USA engineer will follow up with a recommended model and a swap plan.

Request a replacement assessmentCall (770) 999-0587