This article is brought to you by MagicalButter.
Many cannabis consumers love edibles because they offer a healthier alternative to smoking. But the cost of buying cannabis-infused foods can leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Business trends indicate that while the cost of cannabis flower has dropped in the past few years in states like Colorado, the price of edibles has remained high because the process of producing cannabis-infused foods is more complicated and costly than selling flower. That same problem will likely develop in Canada as well when the country legalizes the sale of edibles this October.
The simple solution to that problem is to stop buying pre-packaged edibles and start making your own at home. Still, even the most seasoned cannabis consumer can feel intimidated by the prospect of whipping up edibles from scratch. Infusing cannabis into oil or butter on the stove is a long, finicky process. And one mistake can waste a hefty amount of cannabis flower.
You can avoid those problems by picking up an automated infuser like the MB2e from MagicalButter. The MB2e is a dream come true for cannabis connoisseurs because it tackles the tricky, time-consuming process of making edibles in your own home, while bringing greater savings and a massive return on supply.
Here’s how it works.
Step 1: Decarb Your Cannabis
Before using the MagicalButter Machine, you need to prepare your flower through a process called decarboxylation, which occurs when you heat cannabis to a certain temperature in order to activate the THC. Without decarbing, your edibles won’t give you the euphoric feeling you’re looking for.
Decarboxylation can be a bit daunting on one’s own, but MagicalButter offers an accessory called the "DecarBox Thermometer Combo Pack" (found here), which makes the process foolproof. All I had to do was put the flower in the DecarBox, heat my oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, then let the flower cook for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Start the Infusion Process
After decarbing, I was ready to start the infusion process. Using the MB2e machine is about as simple and intuitive as operating any other countertop appliance. In fact, I was a little taken aback by how easy it was to create a batch of infused coconut oil.
All I had to do was lift up the machine’s lid and insert the oil as well as my cannabis and some lecithin — a thickening agent that can be purchased inexpensively at a health food or vitamin store. Then I closed the lid and hit the temperature button first, and chose 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Then I pressed the ‘1 hour/oil’ button to program the machine for infusing oil.
That’s it. With the push of two buttons, the process was underway. It’s that easy.
Step 3: Do Something Else
The infusion took an hour, and I could walk away without worrying about the batch of oil burning because the machine did the work for me.
You’ll know the machine is working because the colorful LED bulbs along the rim will light up when your infusion is in progress. The MB2e manages the temperature settings, so you don’t have to tinker with the heat. It also has a built-in blade to grind up the flower.
Step 4: Strain Your Infusion
When the coconut oil is done, the machine beeps repeatedly to let you know it’s time to remove the coconut oil and pour it through the MagicalButter Purify Filter (included). The purify filter is a nylon micron bag that separates the infusion from any flower extracts left over.
One hour after starting the process, I had a large batch of infused coconut oil, which I immediately spread on a piece of toast to enjoy.
Step 5: Let the Machine Clean Up
One of the best features of the MB2e is that it has a clean cycle. Fill with water halfway, add a dash of dish soap (roughly the size of a coin) and press the clean cycle to let the machine take it from there.
Storing the machine is easy because you can just leave it on the counter. The MB2e looks like the other appliances in my kitchen. It’s only slightly larger than my electric kettle, and has a sleek, metallic appearance that makes it fit in well next to the blender and the coffee maker.
Final Thoughts: Dose Control, Consistency and Versatility
One of the biggest benefits of the DIY approach to edibles: you can tweak the measurements of the key ingredients depending on your personal preferences. The recipe for coconut oil in the MagicalButter owner’s manual recommends using 1/4 ounce to 1/2 ounce of flower per cup of oil. But I made my batch with just a 1/4 ounce of flower and two cups of oil to get the potency I was looking for.
Once you figure out the right potency, you can rely on the MB2e’s automated process to produce consistent doses every time you use it. That’s a huge advantage over store-bought edibles, which might be too weak or too strong depending on how much THC or CBD you prefer.
If you’re not into edibles, the MB2e can also make infused butters, topicals, and tinctures. And while MB2e is famous for infusing cannabis, you can also use the machine to add other botanicals to oils, butter, lotions or tinctures. So with one countertop appliance, you can make hundreds of products to boost your health and wellness.
The MB2e costs $174.95 USD and be purchased by clicking here.
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