10 Simple Products to Make Cannabutter Easier

For ages, cannabis use has been intertwined with smoking.  But a new era is here, along with a generation of those looking to consume the plant for its various benefits in healthier manners.  The top of this list is through the ingestion of an ‘edible.’  While smoking delivers a rapid onset of effects, it can be harsh on the lungs and difficult to dose precisely.  Enter cannabutter – a versatile and increasingly popular alternative that unlocks a world of culinary possibilities and offers a unique set of advantages over traditional smoking.

Ingestion of cannabis offers a more controlled experience when compared to inhalation.  When cannabis is infused into butter, the cannabinoids are absorbed through the digestive system, leading to a longer-lasting and often more intense effect.  This makes it ideal for managing chronic pain, anxiety, or insomnia, where consistent relief is desired.

Furthermore, cannabutter opens the door to a delicious landscape of edible creations, from savory dishes to delectable desserts, allowing users to customize their cannabis experience in countless ways.  While making cannabutter can seem daunting, with the right tools and techniques, it becomes a surprisingly straightforward process.

It should be noted that there are many ways to approach making cannabutter.  The following are simply a few items that can make the process quicker, cleaner, and more effective.

Must-Have Tools for and Effortless and Effective Infusion

Making cannabutter can be a messy, time-consuming process, but the right tools can streamline the experience, reduce waste, and improve potency. Here are ten essential items that will make infusing butter with cannabis easier and more effective.

1. Pressure Cooker

A pressure cooker significantly speeds up the infusion process, often reducing it to a fraction of the time required with traditional methods.  Beyond speed, it excels at containing odors, a crucial consideration for many.

Rendering of a pressure cooker and a butter-based infusion.

The even heating within a pressure cooker ensures optimal cannabinoid extraction without the risk of scorching, which can degrade the potency of your cannabutter. Modern pressure cookers also offer precise temperature control, further enhancing the process.

2. Ghee

Ghee, or clarified butter with milk solids already removed, is a much superior choice for cannabutter than regular butter.  Aside from saving you the completing the clarification process yourself, its higher fat content compared to regular butter allows it to bind more effectively with cannabinoids, resulting in a more potent final product.

Rendering of a baker clarifying butter by removing milk solids.

Additionally, the absence of milk solids makes ghee more shelf-stable, preventing it from spoiling as quickly as regular butter. Ghee also imparts a rich, nutty flavor to your cannabutter.

3. Mason Jars

Mason jars are incredibly versatile in the cannabutter-making process.  They can be used across each step:

1. Hold cannabis for decarboxylation in pressure cooker water bath
2. Hold decarboxylated cannabis and butter/emulsifier mixture for infusion in pressure cooker water bath
3. Hold final infused cannabutter for storage upon completion.

Rendering of stacked mason jars for use in baking.

Notably, mason jars are not only cheap and accessible, they can provide an airtight seal to help minimize any aromas during the baking process, and ensure lasting freshness of your finished product.

4. Heated Magnetic Stirrer

Sunflower lecithin, often used as an emulsifier in cannabutter, helps improve the absorption of cannabinoids, along with ensuring their even distribution.  A heated magnetic stirrer is invaluable in the cannabutter process, as it allow for one to gently heat/melt their Ghee, or butter for easy clarification, and allows for even distribution of lecithin powder into the melted product.

Topline Magnetic Stirrer SH-2

Also, a heated magnetic stirrer ensures even mixing and prevents clumping, which is crucial for maximizing cannabinoid absorption and achieving a smooth, homogenous, and potent infusion.  The gentle heat also aids in the emulsification process.  While typically associated with a laboratory setting, these stirrers are now common place, and can be purchase cheaply through outlets like amazon (AMZN ).

5. Kitchen Scale

Precision is key when making cannabutter, and a kitchen scale is essential for accurate measurements.  When choosing a scale, make sure that it has a ‘zeroing’ function and supports between 1 and 1000 grams.

Rendering of a kitchen scale used to weigh cannabis in a mason jar.

Accurately measuring both cannabis and butter allows you to calculate the potency of your final product, ensuring consistent dosing in your edibles.  This is especially important for those using cannabutter for medicinal purposes.

6. Cheesecloth

Straining plant material from infused butter is a critical step, and cheesecloth is the perfect tool for the job.  It is cheap, accessible, and provides a fine weave that effectively filters out any unwanted plant matter.

Rendering of cheesecloth being used to filter a cannabutter of plant matter.

The end result should leave you with a clean, smooth, and pure cannabutter.  Depending on how fine the weave is, you may need to repeat the process, or use multiple layers of cheesecloth to ensure a perfect end product.  Once all of the plant matter has been removed, don’t forget to twise your cheesecloth with it inside, as is will retain a fair amount of product like a sponge.

7. Medical Gloves

This one is a simple, but often overlooked tip.  When working with hot butter and sticky plant material, the process can get quite messy.  The solution? Unpowered medical gloves that protect your hands from the heat and prevent them from becoming coated in residue.

Rendering of medical gloves being used to squeeze cannabutter from cheesecloth.

They also make the straining process, particularly squeezing the cheesecloth to extract every last bit of infused butter, much easier and more hygienic.

8. Beaker Set

A beaker set, with clearly marked measurements and convenient spouts, is ideal for precise liquid measurements.  This allows for you to perfectly divvy up your end product into appropriate container sizes.  While one can make do with measuring cups, beakers are cheap, accessible, and more accurate.

Rendering of a beaker being used to measure cannabutter before pouring.

It simplifies the process of calculating potency per serving and makes pouring the finished cannabutter into molds or storage containers a breeze. The spout minimizes spills and ensures a clean transfer.

9. Grinder

A good grinder is essential for preparing your cannabis before decarboxylation.  While this is not a fully necessary step, grinding the cannabis into an even consistency ensures uniform heating during decarboxylation, which is crucial for activating the cannabinoids.

Rendering of a grinder being used for cannabis.

A consistent grind also leads to more efficient extraction during the infusion process.  Keep in mind that if you are planning on making a large batch of cannabutter, you will want a larger grinder. Otherwise, the process may become tedious if you are doing multiple ounces at a time.

10. Silicone Butter Molds

Once your cannabutter is ready, silicone butter molds make portioning and storage a breeze. They allow you to easily create individual sticks or blocks of cannabutter, simplifying dosing and making it convenient to use in your recipes.

Rendering of filtered cannabutter being poured into a silicone mold.

Silicone molds also make it easy to remove the cannabutter once it has solidified.  Just make sure that you choose appropriately sized molds to complement the butter requirements of your favorite recipes!