Forgive yourself if you’re unfamiliar with rosin presses — they’ve only been on the cannabis concentrate market for approximately five years. Rosin is much easier to extract from the cannabis plant than other forms of cannabis concentrate like butane hash oil (BHO). All you really need is heat and pressure.

The rosin press has emerged on the market to produce a consumable product in seconds. Prior to the rosin press, the tried and true DIY method for producing rosin was using hair straighteners. However, this method comes with several flaws.

To make rosin, you need to apply a specific amount of heat to preserve the terpenes and cannabinoids. High temperatures can rapidly deteriorate these important molecules, guaranteeing a bland final product. As odd as it sounds, you will want to use the lowest possible temperature for an optimal rosin yield.

Not only do you need to reduce heat, you will also need to increase the pressure. This is where the flaws of the hair straightener method are exposed. A common misconception when making rosin is how pressure should be delivered. The pressure delivered is in direct relation to the surface area it's applied to. When using a hair straightener, the total surface area of the plates is generally 6-12 square inches.

Some DIY rosin users have begun using clamps to solve the problem. However, this is still not enough pressure. In fact, applying too much pressure with the use of a clamp will likely cause the hair straightener to break.

Hair straighteners also do not have precise temperature ratings. Even on the lowest settings, hair straighteners tend to run too hot. If you do not have full control over the temperature, you have no control over the quality of your yields. Consistency is incredibly important when it comes to rosin production, so this is a big issue.

A good rosin press provides the perfect dimensions necessary to increase pressure reliably, thus reducing the need for higher heat. The handheld Ju1ceBox plates were designed specifically for this application, 1.5 square inches to be exact. A hair straightener would have to deliver 4 to 8 times the pressure compared to the Ju1ceBox.

Moreover, the handheld rosin press’s unique sloped design prevents the terpenes from burning, directing the flow of the rosin for a quicker collection process. The gradual heating process guarantees maximum achievable yields, which means that you no longer need to press your cannabis a second or third time.

A common reason for using the hair straightener is for the simple reason that you already have one. Therefore, it’s free - isn’t it? A rosin press, even at its modest price, is deemed an expensive cannabis accessory.

However, when you consider that you’re only getting a small portion of the potential yield, it’s easy to see how quickly your savings can add up. Getting the most out of each press gives you savings over the hair straightener each time. Portable presses in particular give you the opportunity to make high-quality rosin with maximum yield even while you’re on the road.

Start making your own rosin at home with our Ju1ceBox Rosin Press Starter Kit. If you are looking for a larger press check out our lever action rosin press, twist top rosin press and our small 2 ton bottle jack press.