Rosin has officially made its way into the mainstream cannabis culture and now almost anyone can press rosin in the comfort of their own homes. We’re giving you the sticky icky on everything you want to know about rosin presses for making your own concentrates and dabs.
First off, in case you’re new to the world of concentrates and dabbing, welcome. It might seem like a lot to take in at once, so don’t. Take it in little by little. Start small.
Dabdayz has tons of content that can help you navigate the world of dabbing. Today we’re taking some rips of rosin and giving you the rundown on pressing your own at home.
What is Rosin?
Rosin is becoming increasingly popular in the dabbing community because it is a solvent-free form of extract that provides a high quality, flavorful concentrate. Recent advancements in cannabis tech have brought rosin and rosin pressing into the forefront of concentrate culture.
Now, nearly anyone can press rosin in small batches using simple machines in the comfort of their own home. Rosin is basically the essential oils and resins extracted from raw cannabis flowers. If the cannabis is fresh and not dried, the extract is called live rosin.
It’s easy to confuse rosin with the term resin, but they do mean two different things. Resin essentially refers to the residual concentrations that result from the exposure to cannabis resins, such as the tar in a pipe, or on your hands when you touch the plant. Rosin refers to the cannabinoid-rich extracted oils refined from the plant’s resinous flowers.
Why Rosin
When it comes to Rosin, there’s nothing in between the final concentration and the original cannabis product except for heat and pressure. Other types of concentrates rely on chemical solvents to extract the essential cannabinoid and terpenes from the plant. Those that don’t often aren’t suited for dabbing, such as hash, which is better reserved for smoking.
CO2 is generally considered the safest form of solvent-based extraction, but it can still leave behind valuable terpenes and flavonoids that rosin presses preserve. Non-solvent based extracts such as full-melt bubble hash do a great job of preserving the original cannabis profile but are tedious to make.
Rosin presses make it easy to produce small or large batches of concentrate, without chemicals, in a straightforward and easy process. Rosin, and especially live rosin, is pretty much an exact replica of the flavor and potency profile of the original cannabis. So if you started with high-quality cannabis, you’ll have high-quality rosin for sure, and no chemical solvents to purge means pure all natural concentrate for dabbing.
Using A Hair Straightener To Make Rosin Dabs
Although not exactly the most efficient method of producing rosin, this is a thing. I just thought that I should bring it up, in case you hadn’t heard of this method. It’s kind of the low-tech method, but I guess if you’re in desperate need of rosin, this is always an option.
The idea is simple and implements the basic mechanisms of rosin extraction, which basically just squishes flowers between two heated metal plates to press out the cannabinoid-rich essential oils onto parchment paper
Basically, you’ll want to find a hair straightener that has ample heating plates and sufficient temperature control. You place a gram or two of nugs into parchment paper and squeeze it as hard as you can, possibly even stepping on it, for about 3-7 seconds. You should hear a little sizzle noise, which indicates the presence of freshly extracted rosin.
Just let everything cool and store your freshly extracted rosin in a silicone dab dish. Congrats, you just made rosin with a hair straightener.
Types of Rosin Presses
There are a few types of presses used to make rosin extract for dabbing. We’re going to focus mainly on only manual presses here, but other types include,
- Hydraulic Rosin Presses
- Pneumatic Rosin Presses
- Electric Rosin Presses
- Hybrid Rosin Presses
A manual rosin press involves manually pressing the rosin from the flowers. Hydraulic presses use hydraulic pumps, pneumatic presses use compressed air, electric presses uses electricity, and a hybrid press is typically reserved for industrial rosin processing.
Regardless of the kind of rosin press most of the aspects of the process remain the same. Some presses come with extra features that are great, and others are more basic. Here are some key features to compare when shopping for a home rosin press.
- Type of press: manual, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric
- Temperature and time control capabilities
- Bag size
- Plate size and type
- Pressure capacity
- Size and weight
Manuel Rosin Presses Under $500
Manual rosin presses are a great way to make your own rosin dabs at home without having to worry about too much heavy and complicated equipment. They use electricity to heat plates that are used to press the rosin from cannabis.
The only drawback is that you have to manually press the rosin, which can get to be a workload if you’re pressing a lot. If you’re just making small batches of rosin dabs for personal use, a manual press is probably the most practical way to go. Let’s check out some of the best manual rosin presses on the market right now in 2018!
My Rosin Press $449
Hands down one of the most efficient rosin presses on the market, this little guy has been making the top rosin press lists since it came out. My Rosin Press is sleek, portable, and inconspicuous.
You wouldn’t expect it to have up to 6 tons of available pressure, but it does, and that might be this presses claim to fame. My Rosin Press features –
- Stainless steel plates 3.07” x 3.07”
- 100-250 degrees Fahrenheit controllable temperature range
- 6 tons of potential pressure
According to the manufacturer’s, My Rosin Press is smaller than most home coffee machines and is quieter than most other rosin presses. It takes minimal manual force to operate, locks in place easily, and will press for up to 9999 seconds.
My Rosin Press is a portable lightweight personal rosin press and is a great entry to rosin pressing in general. Its only downfall is that it loses efficiency after about 1.5 grams of raw flower. Any more and heat transfer becomes inefficient for the size of the device, but you could press the same material a couple times if needed.
Rosin Tech Go $320
The Rosin Tech Go is the description of portable and affordable rosin pressing. It’s designed to sit beautifully on a desktop space and fits easily within a backpack for portability. With an astounding 700 pounds of pressure capabilities, which is surprising for such a lightweight press. The rectangular plates designed for even heat distribution and pressure. Its features include,
- 700 lbs. pressure
- 1 ½” x 3” Solid Aluminum Dual Heat Plates
- Even heat distribution with microprocessor precision temperature gauge.
- Temperature range of 0-415 degrees Fahrenheit
- Reliable digital temperature and automatic timer control
- 1-year warranty
All in all, the Rosin Tech-Go is a solid personal rosin press that can handle up to
The Trippy Hippy Start Series $385
Another sweet find on our list is the TTH Start Series Manual Rosin Press. It’s got a little more of a scientific vibe to it than the other presses on our list, but it’s a quality press with microprocessor precision of heating and pressure.
Its features include,
- 5” x 5” non-stick coated heat plates
- Up to 800 lbs. of force
- Digital temperature control
- Automatic digital timer
- Temperature range of 0-415 degrees Fahrenheit
- 6-month warranty
The MINI Heat Press by NugSmasher $496
The NugSmasher Mini is an incredibly compact powerhouse for pressing out small-batch rosin. Ideally suited for pressing 4 grams of material or less, it can exert up to 2 tons of pressure in its 2.5” diameter pressing plates. All in all, the machine is built to last and built to press great rosin. Coming in at just under $500, its features include,
- Solid steel construction
- Portable & compact
- Heats up fast
- Large 2.5” Smash Plates Dual Heating elements
- Accurate temperature control
- Circuit protection Fast Retract Plate Release Manual Pump Arm
- Lifetime guarantee
Its plates are a little smaller than most and it doesn’t come with an automatic timer, which is it’s the biggest drawback. Anyone looking for a solid personal mini rosin press, then The NugSmasher MINI Heat Press is guaranteed to produce quality rosin on demand.
Dulytek DM1005 $400
The Dulytek DM1005 is a little bigger, bulkier, and heavier than some of the other presses on this list, but what it lacks in ornateness, it makes up for in high-quality precision heating and pressing. The press is designed for small operations and personal use and is set up with features for optimum control. It includes –
- An adjustable pressure of up to 1,000 lbs.
- 3” x 5” rectangular Dual Heating Plates
- Touch Screen Temperature Controls & Press timer
- No other equipment needed to start pressing
- Temperature range of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit
- Timer range of up to 999 seconds
- 6-month limited warranty for major components, 3-year warranty for other parts
- Discreet packaging
Rosineer RNR-MV1 $299
The Rosineer is a professional manual rosin press that is easy and straightforward to use. It feels a bit analog and boxy, but it lacks nothing in terms of quality for pressing rosin. It’s got dually heated plates that can have different customizable temperatures. It packs in 150 psi into a 3” x 4” plates for optimum pressing. Its features include –
- Temperature range of 32 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit
- Maximum pressure of 1MPa/ 150 psi
- Dual 3” x 4” heating plates
- 6 month / 3 year limited warranty
The Rosineer is a little cheaper than the other presses on this list, but it was able to make the cut thanks to its design and power. Its rectangular plates make for a great surface area to press, and temperature controls calibrate perfectly with the psi.
Reviews show there may be some issues with specs as some customers have complained about a slipping press arm, but all in all this manual personal rosin press is a great entry press that’s more affordable than others.
Rosin Tech Twist $495
The Rosin Tech Twist is a step up for the Rosin Tech Go, but it’s still within reach at just under $500. The Twist is this company’s signature manual rosin press for home users and comes with two bolts for attaching it a workbench or table.
The Twist doesn’t get too hot, so you don’t have to worry too much about burning your rosin up or destroying the flavor. Its features include –
- Maximum pressure of 2-2.5 tons
- Solid aluminum dual 2 3/8” x 4 ¾” heat platens
- Temperature range of up to 415 degrees Fahrenheit
- Digital automatic timer
- Microprocessor precision heat distribution and temperature gauge
The twist is definitely a unique rosin press that incorporates a swing arm that tightens the clamps of the press, as opposed to stationary arm. With low heat, and automatic timer, and up to two and a half tons of pressure potential, the twist is a great investment for any DIY home rosin pressing for dabs.
Conclusion
Rosin is where it’s at, in terms of expressing the original flavor and medicinal efficacy of the original material used. In general, it’s a little pricier at the dispensaries, and that’s mainly due to the fact that it’s a higher quality product than most solvent-based concentrates for dabbing.
Advancing rosin press tech will only improve the quality and efficiency of these machines in the near future, but investing in a quality rosin press now is always a good idea, especially if you want to make your rosin dabs.
If you’re interested in making your own rosin for dabs at home then these are definitely your best manual presses under $500. Several of these are frequently out of stock due to demand, so make sure you get yours soon.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this rundown of manual rosin presses. If you did, then please share this article with friends who may also like it. Be sure to stay tuned to Dabdayz for your daily dose of concentrated dab content.
The MINI Heat Press by NugSmasher is a beast and recommend it anyone looking for some quality rosin extract.