When one grows the cannabis plant, not everyone is aiming for the same thing. While most growers grow their weed in order to smoke the buds, there are also a significant number of growers who grow their weed to prepare extracts out of them. ‘Shatter’ happens to be among one of the most common and popular marijuana concentrates that stoners love. Shatter, when prepared under normal circumstances also has a solvent byproduct along with it due to the use of hydrocarbons to prepare it. However, there’s a way to prepare shatter without actually getting that solvent residue – and that is where a Rosin Press comes in.
Shatter is a translucent byproduct that you can derive from cannabis plants. It is generally a little yellow in color. Shatter that is rich in THC is usually quite viscous and oily in comparison to the ones which are not. Let us now cut straight to our topic at hand here – Rosin Press. Rosin Press is a method of extracting shatter in the form of ‘rosin’ using heat and pressure in such a way that there is no solvent involved.
Over the course of this article, we shall be examining in detail several aspects about Rosins and Rosin Presses – we shall look at what Rosin is, what is the difference between Rosin and Resin, as well as what a Rosin Press is before we head into the actual topics at hand – which are some of the best Rosin Press machines that you can buy online, as well as some of the best DIY rosin press machines that you can make at home.
Let us begin by answering some basic questions about Rosin:
What is Rosin?
Rosin in itself is a form of shatter minus the solvent. This is generally composed of the cannabis flower, kief, and even some hash. Eventually, if the process is done correctly, rosin can even be converted into hash oil. In terms of the look and feel, rosin and shatter are pretty similar as both of them are yellowish and translucent.
The three major benefits of consuming rosin are that it gives you a better purity, potency, and production quality than compared to resins. Many people often tend to confuse rosin with resin given how similar they sound. The only major difference here is that while resins retain the entire terpene profile of the cannabis plant, rosins might lack a few of these terpenes. Let us look at these differences in a greater detail:
Difference Between Resin vs Rosin:
While resin has been around for a while and is very popular, a new trend is being observed around the world lately – a sudden rise in the popularity of rosin. A large number of stoners are suddenly smoking up rosin because it’s extraction does not involve the use of any foreign solvents and uses just heat and pressure to get the extract.
Extracting other forms of weed extracts usually involves the use of butane or some other similar hydrocarbon being involved. Besides, when you get these other extracts ready, you then need to clean them in a special way to get rid of all the hydrocarbon traces on them. No such thing is required on Rosin as it is a cleaner method.
Preparing rosin is also quite faster compared to preparing resin, simply because of the fact that once it is pressed it is ready to consume – unlike rosin which needs to be cleaned. When you compare rosin with Butane Hash Oil, you will notice that these two products look and feel exactly the same – they even have the same taste and smell and chances are that if we don’t tell you which is which, you won’t even be able to tell the difference. When you examine them in a chemical lab, however, you will notice that rosin caries zero parts per million (PPM) of hydrocarbon traces, while they are present in the BHO.
Besides, there’s another factor that is adding to Rosin’s increasing popularity over Resin. This is the fact that you do not need any technical knowledge when preparing it. When you are preparing Resin, you need to know what you are doing because you are dealing with complex chemicals and hydrocarbons and there’s a lot of science at work. Rosin is a much simpler process and practically anyone can get it extracted. When you reach our section of the best DIY rosin press at home, you’ll find out exactly what we mean!
Lastly, rosin is also easily available these days as many legal dispensaries are actually keeping it on display and are selling it to their buyers. 2021 is indeed the year that rosin goes mainstream! Read more to find out how to prepare rosin at home using some of the best rosin press machines that you can buy online in just a few clicks.
Different Ways to Press Rosin
There are a number of different ways in which you can press rosin, here’s a collective look at all of them. This includes some basic DIY techniques, and goes all the way to complex machines that are used by growers and stoners to press their rosin mechanically –
- Using Hair Straighteners
One of the simplest DIY techniques in which rosin can be prepared at home is via making use of hair straighteners – you’ll need something that is very durable, as well as one which can operate at low temperatures. You need to apply a lot of pressure on these straighteners in order to press rosin using them so better use them with great care while you have them. More on this in the DIY section below.
- Manual Rosin Press
These are presses which work on pretty much the same logic as as a car jack does. Here, all the pressure that is applied has to be done manually and it will be quite physically exerting. However, the stuff that you get at the end of the process will be much better in quality when compared to what you’d get out of using a DIY solution such as a hair straightener so that’s a major advantage of using a professional press.
- Hand Crank Rosin Press
These are also manual rosin press machines but slightly different in operation when compared to the ones above. While the ones above work much like a car jack and come with a lever, these ones have a large wheel on top, rotating which would apply the pressure on the heated press plates that would cause the rosin to be extracted. Something that offers about 10 tons of pressure here would be great for the growers.
- Hydraulic Rosin Press
A hydraulic rosin press basically functions on the principles that most other hydraulic devices do. There’s a pump that needs to be pressed and the hydraulic pressure helps extract the rosin using the press. As a pro-tip that we have come across while going through a lot of hydraulic presses, it is best suited that you go for a hydraulic rosin press which offers at least 10 tons of pressure.
- Pneumatic Rosin Press Machines
These are among the best options that growers have when it comes to extracting rosin. While the cost of these machines tends to be a little higher than most others, they are also very easy to operate as they function without any physical effort on your part and can last for a long time. People who wish to extract rosin over a longer period of time should certainly look forward to buying these machines as they are highly beneficial for the growers. They provide quick and instant results with no manual effort involved – there’s only a button that needs to be pushed. However, you will require an air compressor to function along with this rosin press machine.
- Electric Rosin Press
Lastly, these electric rosin press machines are hybrid devices which function on hydraulics but make use of electricity to power up the system. Unlike the hydraulic machines we’ve seen above, you do not need to put any physical effort in moving the press but you’d instead just press a button and things will then happen on their own. One drawback here is that these generally tend to be quite expensive, and can set you back by at least a thousand dollars. These are industrial grade equipment and are suited well for large-scale producers of rosin who would perhaps work at a dispensary or sell this rosin to a dispensary or any other commercial organization.
7 Best Rosin Press Machines Reviewed!
Now that you know which are all the different kinds of machines that you could purchase in order to press the rosin extract out of the marijuana flowers, here’s a list of the seven best rosin press machines that you can buy off just a few clicks from Amazon. The delivery is safe and trusted, as well as quick – as Amazon has quite a reputation for that. Do go through each review carefully to know about all the machines and their features, as well as their advantages, disadvantages and some pro-tips of how to use them.
1. MyPress Gen 2, Portable Heat Press Machine, Digital Display, Stainless Steel Plates, Automatic Timer
MyPress Gen 2, Portable Heat Press Machine, Digital Display, Stainless Steel Plates, Automatic Timer
- Simple, 3-step process
- Operates between 100℉-250℉ – ideal for rosin extracts
- Comes with an automatic timer and digital display
When it comes to extracting rosin by pressing cannabis flowers, this heat press machine from MyPress is one of the best options out there. It makes use of 2 steel plates, measuring 3×3 inches in size. You also get a very accurate temperature measurement as the temperature is measured at the surface of the plates. There’s a digital display on this heat press which gives you all the required details about the functioning of the press.
One more thing that really stands out about these rosin press machines is the fact that they are quite portable and are comfortable to carry, compared to other similar machines which are quite bulky. The machine is very simple and easy to operate, as the manufacturer stresses on the fact that it’s a simple, three-step operation process! Lastly, it operates between 100F-250F (37C-121C) which is best suited for extracting rosin.
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2. 10 Ton Hydraulic Cylinder Heat Press Machine – Dual 3×5 Inches Heated Plates
10 Ton Hydraulic Cylinder Heat Press Machine – Dual 3×5 Inches Heated Plates
- 10 ton hydraulic press
- Operates with 2 3×5 inch heat plates
- Functions between 0-399F of temperature
A machine more powerful than what we have see above, this one is not a manual device per say, but is actually a hydraulic press. A hydraulic press can punch through your cannabis flowers at a much stronger rate than compared to regular heat press machines. There are two plates here, each measuring 3×5 inches in size. This hydraulic press consumes about 500W of power and weighs 32lbs.
At $469 this might be a little expensive considering the air coupler reducer kits need to be purchased separately. Operating at temperatures up to 399F give it a strong advantage when it comes to extracting rosin. This is a 10 ton hydraulic press, which exerts just the perfect amount of pressure on your flowers to get the extract.
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3. 8″ x 6″ Pneumatic Heat Press Dual Element Heating Machine
8″ x 6″ Pneumatic Heat Press Dual Element Heating Machine
- Fully automatic machine
- Makes use of 8×6” plates
- Can operate at a pressure of 5000PSI
A very strong and commercial-grade machine which operates at really high pressures! A pressure of 5000PSI is very strong and can generate rosin extracts from a large quantity of cannabis flowers. There’s also enough space as an 8×6” plate is big enough to support a lot of weed (almost twice that of some products that we’ve seen here).
It can operate between room temperature to 500F and is a very powerful device which needs to be operated with extreme care else you might end up hurting or burning your hand. This, however, is something that is suitable more for people who want to do it at a commercial scale than for those who are just extracting rosin at home for personal consumption. The cost here is also quite high.
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4. YaeTek Heat Press Machine Hand Crank Duel Heated Plates Manual Heat Transfer – eDual Element Heating Plates 110V 2.4″X4.7″ (6X12CM)
YaeTek Heat Press Machine Hand Crank Duel Heated Plates Manual Heat Transfer
- 2.4×4.7” plates
- Twist the wheel to apply pressure
- Functions between 0-255C
The perfect example of a hand crank heat press would be this one from YaeTek! The heat press machine is great for those who wish to create rosin at home using a device that is convenient and more effective than a small heat press but yet not something that’s commercial grade. Operating between 0-255C, the temperature here is almost twice as you’d need so this is something that you must consider before going in.
The plates here measure about 6cm x 12cm in size and are good enough for a personal-scale stoner. Since this is a hand-crank device, you need to move the wheel in order to get the pressure to increase or decrease depending on your need. Again, something that is not as suitable for someone who might have muscular or bone-related ailments, but other than that this is a great product if you are looking to buy the best rosin press machines this is something you must consider!
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5. 5 Ton Heat Press Machine 3×5 inch Dual Dab Heated Plates Hydraulic Sublimation Extracting Machine
5 Ton Heat Press Machine 3×5 inch Dual Dab Heated Plates Hydraulic Sublimation Extracting Machine
- Pressure upto 5tons
- 3×5 inch plates
- Temperature ranges between 0-250C
Another hydraulic rosin press machine, which is among the best rosin press machines that you can find on Amazon. Priced in at a little above $400, this press operates at 5 tons, which on paper might be lesser than some other names here, but make no mistakes – it is more than enough to squeeze the extract out of the marijuana flowers. With temperatures ranging between 0-450 fahrenheit, and pressure up to 72500 PSI, this is just the optimal solution to get rosin from your weed.
The plates here are 6×12 cm in size, and there’s an LCD screen too, where the temperature and the pressure can be seen. The manufacturer also claims that you actually save half the manual effort when you use this as the plates of the press rise up on their own once the pressure valve is released. All in all a good option for stoners who are looking forward to getting their own rosin press machine.
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6. Heat Press Machine, Portable Heating Press Machine with 2.3 x 5.1inch Dual Heating Plates
Heat Press Machine, Portable Heating Press Machine with 2.3 x 5.1inch Dual Heating Plates
- Can generate a pressure up to 1.5 Tons
- Heat ranges between 32F-482F
- The portable device, easy to carry around
Given how expensive most rosin press machines can generally be, this one comes in as quite a relief. There’s a knob which allows you to adjust the pressure on this machine – with a maximum limit of 1.5 tons. The plates here measure 2.3×5.1 inches in size and the temperatures range between 32 to 482F, which are suitable for easily extracting rosin from cannabis flowers.
There’s an adjustable temperature and timing control function as well, which is really comfortable for those pressing their rosin in this machine. Lastly, at just 7.5kgs, this is very comfortable to carry around and is a portable machine, unlike the bulky ones that we’ve gotten used to seeing when it comes to a heat press.
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7. 12 Ton Hydraulic Cylinder Heat Press Machine – Dual 4×7 Inch Heated Platens
12 Ton Hydraulic Cylinder Heat Press Machine – Dual 4×7 Inch Heated Platens
- Pressure up to 12 tons
- Functions between 0-399F
- 4×7” plates
Weighing in at 45.8 lbs, this is not the lightest heat press machines that you would find on Amazon. However, this is certainly one of the best rosin press machines that you can buy off the web! A hydraulic press, this ensures that manual effort that you exert is minimal and the 4×7” plates ensure that you have quite a bit of weed there to press. The temperatures that it operates at range between 0-399F, which are ideal for extraction of rosin. You would, however need a Coupler Reducer Kit in addition to this press. The press itself costs $599 so its not an easy purchase and is something that large scale or industrial buyers might want to consider but personal scale buyers might want to look for a cheaper option.
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DIY Rosin Press: How to Make Rosin At Home
Now that you have a fair idea about which are some of the best options that you have when it comes to buying rosin press machines, you might also have noticed that they tend to cost quite a bit! Hence, many people actually prefer to make their own rosin press machines at home. DIY Rosin Press is getting increasingly common with amature stoners who prefer to get stuff done at home – and for a cheaper price point. Those who know the price point at which a rosin press machine comes in would know that it can set you back by a couple of hundred bucks with great ease. Most stoners don’t want to invest that much. If you fall in that category, we have something amazing for you ahead:
First up, here’s everything that you would need
- A hair straightener, preferably one which could operate at lower temperatures of about 300F at the most (going beyond this would cause terpenes to evaporate)
- Cannabis Flowers (which are to be pressed)
- Unbleached parchment paper on which the rosin would be collected
- A collection tool – usually a dabber tool would fit in perfectly here
- Heat-resistant gloves to ensure safety during the process of extracting rosin.
This is all you need! Let us now get straight into the action and see how to make DIY rosin press at home to extract rosin from cannabis flowers:
Turn the hair straightener on and set it at the lowest possible setting. On most standard American hair pressers this would be around 280F. Post that, use the unbleached parchment paper to cut a square of about 4 inches x 4 inches in size. Proceed to fold it in half. Put the cannabis flower that you have at the center inside this folded piece of parchment. Make sure that the entire bud is properly placed inside the parchment and nothing is coming out of it. Give it a gentle press with your fingers to ensure the weed being pressed does not come out of the corners.
Next comes the actual pressing – keep this folded piece of parchment with weed in it in the center of the hair presser and then put a firm pressure on it, often pressing quite hard (but make sure that you’re wearing protective gloves while you do it). Keep it pressed for about 5 to 7 seconds during which you will hear a slight sizzling sound. This is the sound of the ‘press’ having happened. Post this you need to remove the pressure and open up the hair press.
Carefully open up the parchment and use the collection tool to slowly scrape away the extract from the paper onto the place where you want to store it. We say slowly because this can be quite sticky and you need to have a lot of patience while doing so. In case you can still see some plant remains (which are bound to be there), remove them using a thin, sharp object. Your rosin extract is now ready!
Pros and Cons of Smoking Rosin
Rosin is rising in popularity and a lot of people prefer to consume this extract of weed these days. So let us take a very quick look at some pros and cons of rosin:
Pros
- Rosin does not carry any solvent such as butane or propane in it. It makes it purer and safer than shatter or other forms of extracts.
- Rosin can be prepared really fast. It can be prepared in under 15 minutes if done the right way.
- Compared to other forms of consuming cannabis extracts, rosin extracts can provide you with a better ‘high’ given the rich terpene profile it has. It can also be extracted faster as the process takes roughly 20-30 seconds.
- Since rosin is prepared by getting pressed in a low heat environment of about 280-330F, it retains a lot of the original taste and flavour compared to high-heat high-pressure extracts.
Cons
- Operating certain high-pressure presses can be physically exerting, particularly if you suffer from muscular ailments
- The plates that press the rosin tend to be quite hot, you do not want them anywhere near your skin!
- You need to time it just right – a little less and the extraction won’t happen, a little more and it will get burnt.
- Rosin press machines can cost quite a bit!
How to Choose the Best Rosin Press Machine?
In order to choose the best rosin press machines, you need to take a look at a number of factors. First off, you need to know what kind of machine you are buying – this also depends on your budget as these machines come at about $150-200 at the lower end and go north of $1000 at the higher end. You need to make sure you are using the right kind of machine. Besides that, you also need to know the pressure limits of each of these machines.
Generally speaking, something that can offer about 10-12 tons of pressure would be enough to extract the rosin out of the cannabis flowers. You also need to know if you have the physical capability of applying the pressure needed to extract the rosin – people with arthritis or other muscular/bone-related ailments might want to go for an electronic press. These are the general considerations that need to be kept in mind before you buy a rosin press machine.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rosin Press
Here are the answers to some of the most common and frequently asked questions that people have about rosin press machines.
1. Is it legal to make rosin?
The exact answer to this would vary from state to state and region to region. There are some states in which it is completely OK to create marijuana extracts at home. Then there are states which allow you to grow weed but have restrictions in the form in which it could be consumed. Thirdly, there are some states where every weed related product is outright illegal. Hence you will need to check with your local legislation as to whether or not you can create your rosin press extracts there. However, in most states it is legal and even available in dispensaries!
2. Is it possible to buy rosin instead of pressing it myself?
Yes, you can buy rosin extracts straight away from a dispensary or from any legal establishment which sells marijuana extracts. Of late, there has been a significant rise in the popularity of rosin, and people are also creating DIY rosin press at home to get hold of this extract without having to shop it from a store.
3. What is better – rosin or resin?
The answer to this depends upon your personal tastes and preferences. While rosin is completely devoid of any hydrocarbon elements such as propane or butane, it also contains lesser terpenes and compounds compared to resin. In the end this is a matter of personal preference and can vary from person to person.
4. Is it safe to make rosin at home?
You need to be careful while operating rosin press machines as they are equipment which work at a high pressure and exert a lot of force. Also when using DIY methods too, you need to be careful as there’s always the risk of burning yourself while using a hair straightener if you accidentally touch the plates. Similarly, even in the larger rosin press machines, you do not want to touch the plates because they can be extremely hot.
Conclusion
Rosin is amazing, but getting a rosin press at home can be quite expensive. Extremely expensive for most stoners. Hence, making a DIY rosin press at home is a much more affordable way of pressing your rosin and one that most growers are quite comfortable with too as it requires minimal effort and knowledge. In case you have any more doubts on how to make a rosin press at home, or know about any other good rosin press machines that we might have missed out, feel free to drop us a mail or let us know in the comments section and we shall get back to you soon! Till then…
…Happy Smoking! 🙂
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