I’m a professional cosmetic formulator always searching for new ways to use my favourite herbs. I was excited to try the POT by NOIDS Herbal Infuser, a product that makes infusing herbs at home easier and more efficient. The POT by NOIDS (PBN) was specifically designed for the decarboxylating and infusing cannabis. As a cannabis user, I was thrilled to have one device for both functions.
The POT by NOIDS is a compact and elegant tool that simplifies the process of infusing herbs into oils, butters, and other ingredients. Its simple and intuitive design makes it easy to use, even for those who are new to herbal infusing. Whether you’re looking to make your own herbal salves, balms, or edibles, the POT by NOIDS is a great tool to have in your arsenal. In this post I will go through all you need to know, so that you can make an informed purchase – with a link to where to buy it from as well.
Table of Contents
Let’s get something clear right from the start: NOIDS is pronounced just the same way it is said at the end of the word “cannabinoids”, so yes, the PBN works with cannabis. In fact, that was what it was specifically designed for, but it can work with so much more than just cannabis.
What Is A POT by NOIDS Infuser?
The POT by NOIDS infuser (PBN) is a portable device for making infused oils and herbal concoctions. It’s an incredibly simple concept: Pour your herbs into the pot, pour oil over them, and let it sit for a few hours. The result is a herbal-infused oil that you can use in cooking or to make salves and ointments.
One key thing I noted when I first got my PBN was how quickly it arrived. I have an Ardent FX cannabis machine, and it was held at customs for 3 weeks because the invoice in the box stated the word “cannabis”. I finally received it, but I had to pay an extra $60 in import taxes, in addition to the shipping fees I had already paid.
There are no such issues with the POT by NOIDS. Firstly, it is called a herbal infuser on the box and that is legally correct – after all, cannabis IS a herb. It was delivered by Amazon logistics, and Amazon is known for their fast and efficient delivery.
The price listed is the finished price – no extra shipping or import taxes charged.
Key Features Of The POT by NOIDS
- The unique feature of the PBN is the heating mechanism. It is unique to the PBN as it monitors and adjusts the temperature in real time. This device’s precision heat adjustments ensure a consistently ideal temperature, unlocking the full potential of your herb. Now, compare this to using your oven or a crock pot? Decarbing cannabis in the house makes a strong smell, and you can lose up to 30% of the potency of your cannabis.
- The algorithm for the heating software has been specifically designed by PBN. Regardless of the amount of herbs or oil you use, as long as it’s within the recommended limit, the desired temperature will be reached and maintained for the required time.
- Sometimes, the heating process doesn’t reach the target temperature because the PBN algorithm needs to make adjustments. The algorithm in the PBN doesn’t count those moments into the total cooking time. When processing a small amount of herbs (less than 5 grams), more heat adjustments are needed, and therefore a longer cooking time is needed. That is why the PBN gives a spectrum of time for a full decarb and infusion, because it can vary.
- This guarantees the maximum decarboxylation and infusion rate. Read that again, because that is so important and is such a game changer. Perfection takes a little longer – I’m happy to wait.
- Other machines on the market have fixed time and temperature settings. Regardless of how much the temperature fluctuates, the machine will turn off after that set time. This gives you a less than ideal result – but even that is better than using your oven or a slow cooker. The PBN algorithm, and its ability to compensate, gives you the maximum decarboxylation and infusion rate. That is why it is now the best machine available.
Different Types of Infusions
There are several types of infusions you can make, depending on your preferences and needs. Some of the most popular include:
OIL: Most people suggest using Coconut oil or Olive oil as they can be used in a variety of recipes. However, there are so many other oils that could be used for cooking – as well as for therapeutic use. MCT oil is a very good example of an oil that can be used both in skincare and edibles.
The one thing to ensure is that the oil is heat stable, such as Rice Bran Oil. Excellent for cooking as it has a neutral flavour, but is loaded with powerful antioxidants, making it ideal to use in skincare products as well. Thistle oil (Safflower), Hazelnut oil, Jojoba oil, Camellia Seed oil and many, many more!
BUTTER OR GHEE: This is a classic infusion that can be used in a variety of recipes, from brownies to pasta sauce. You can make it with either cannabis or other herbs. Ghee is butter that has been melted, and the milk solids have been removed, so it is more like an oil. Both add a great flavour to food, but I’d not use them for cosmetic use.
TINCTURE: This is a concentrated liquid that is made by infusing cannabis herbs in alcohol. Glycerin won’t work for cannabis extraction because it is water-soluble, while cannabis is fat-soluble.
It needs to be high strength ethanol, at least 95% ABV (alcohol by volume). Better still would be 98% ABV. Regular vodka has too much water in it, so is not strong enough. The Polish brand Spyritus is a suitable vodka and Everclear is the most common alternative.
If you find it hard to get in your country, search for perfumers alcohol, or alcohol for tinctures. Make absolutely sure that you are NOT using Isopropyl Alcohol. This is intended for hand sanitisers and can be poisonous if taken internally. The advantage of making your cannabis into a tincture is that it has a really long shelf life. It can easily be added to food or edibles.
If you take it sublingually (under the tongue), it acts really quickly – much faster than eating edibles. However, that strength of alcohol is really gross, so I recommend diluting the tincture 50:50 with glycerin. This makes it much more pleasant to use under the tongue, but also remember that you have halved the working dose.
You can read more about using the POT by NOIDS to Make Cannabis Tincture here.
CONCENTRATE: This is a highly potent form of infusion that is made by reducing the tincture by removing the ethanol. The POT by NOIDS is unique because it has a low heat option that gently heats the ethanol into a condenser tube, allowing you to reuse the alcohol. The Ethanol Evaporation is a maximum temperature of 102ºC / 215.6°F
At a certain point, your concentrate will have just a little ethanol left in it. The lid of the PBN is made from food grade silicon, so you pour the little that is left into the lid. It’s much easier than trying to scrape out the glass container. Leave the lid on the side and the remaining alcohol will evaporate, leaving you with FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil). Use the back of a teaspoon to scrape the FECO from the lid. Usually, a small amount of FECO, about the size of a grain of rice, is enough for a good session.
What Are The Ideal Settings?
This is what the PBN will achieve to give you perfect results.
- The CBD Decarboxylation will be between 120 – 140 min / 110ºC / 230°F
- The CBD Oil Infusion will be 180 – 200 min / 100ºC / 212ºF.
- The THC Decarboxylation will be between 100 – 270 min / 115ºC / 239°F
- The THC Oil Infusion will be between 160 – 180 min / 100ºC / 212ºF
You will have noticed that the PBN has strain specific settings for CBD dominant varieties and THC dominant varieties. That is simply because the optimal conditions for each strain are different from each other.
Don’t forget that butter is treated the same as an oil, so it is used on this setting as well. Butter burns 150ºC / 300°F, so you can see that it will be perfectly safe in the PBN.
Here is something that just made me smile so much because of the thought the makers have put into it; because of the unique heating mechanism of the PBN, there is no need to pre dry your cannabis before you decarb it. The PBN automatically calculates the optimal processing time needed, because fresh cannabis needs a longer cooking time.
There is something else that makes the PBN such a versatile machine: after you have soaked your decarbed weed in pure alcohol to make a tincture, you can SAFELY evaporate off the alcohol to super concentrate the result.
How Good Is The Filter In The POT by NOIDS?
This is a stroke of genius! You press the filter mesh down to the infused herb and then pour the oil through the stainless steel tube directly into your bottle or container. No mess, no bits of herb, just clean and potent oil. Even if you have infused very fine kief, the filter will ensure you get clean, potent oil.
Of course, the dried herb has soaked up some oil, so even that can be saved. To simplify extracting the content, remove the mesh and add a very small amount of warm water to the container. Oil and water don’t mix, so the oil floats to the surface. Press the mesh down again to remove any extra oil. Use the enclosed glass tube to pour the oil into your bottle, making sure not to waste any of it.
What Else Can You Put In A PBN?
Medicinal and Therapeutic Herbs
Even more medicinal herbs! I hope you have already explored my website and seen that I am passionate about formulating skincare. I have been doing this professionally for many years and adding cannabis to my products is a natural and effective use of herbs.
Oil Infusions for Eczema and Psoriasis
However, other herbs can be even more specific for different skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. With the PBN, you can now do oil infusions using
- Calendula (Calendula Officinalis)
- Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense)
- Plantain (Plantago Lanceolata)
- Wild Pansy (Viola Tricolor)
- Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla Vulgaris)
- Ribwort (Plantago Lanceolata)
This is a perfect blend of natural herbs to incorporate into oil infusions for both eczema and psoriasis. They can be used as they are, or you can add their beneficial properties to face creams, hand creams, and body lotions.
These therapeutic herbs (and many more) do not need decarboxylation like cannabis does. If you have got the dried form of the herbs, go straight to using the PBN on the THC infusion setting. This will give a time and temperature of between 160 – 180 min / 100ºC / 212ºF.
If you are using fresh herbs, then use either of the decarb settings (the CBD decarb setting mostly or the THC decarb setting if the herb is very fleshy and more moist). Cover the beaker with the filter set to give better escape of moisture. As stated earlier, they do not need to be decarbed in the same way as cannabis does; it is simply to dry them out a little more so that water does not mix with the oil.
After straining and infusing the oil, you can reuse it with a new batch of herbs to enhance the flavour or potency, which also applies to cannabis as well – super strength oil!
The selected oil must be able to tolerate heat and be suitable for the specific purpose. I will provide guidance on which oils to use in other sections of my website.
Culinary Herb Infusions
There is a slight cross over here, as I would use Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) as a herb for therapeutic use in skin care products as well as in an oil dressing for my salads and cooking. You might have already considered using chilli and garlic, but have you thought about adding ginger and lime? Cardamom and Rosemary? The potential is endless!
How Do You Clean The PBN?
Oh, that is simplicity itself. The glass container, filter, and tube are all dishwasher-safe. To be honest, I find it is so easy to use a quick wash in the sink with dish soap and water, so I don’t bother with the dishwasher. Don’t wash the main machine. Even though it rarely gets dirty, if anything spills on it, simply use a damp, soapy cloth to effortlessly remove it and then dry it thoroughly.
Comparative Analysis
POT by NOIDS vs. Other Infusers
I have used many herbal infusers, and the POT by NOIDS Herbal Infuser stands out from the rest. In comparison to other well-known infusers like the Ardent FX, Levo II, Magical Butter Machine, and sous vide machines, the PBN provides a distinctive and highly effective method for extracting THC and other cannabinoids from herbs.
Pro’s Of The POT by NOIDS
- Separate CBD and THC decarboxylation heat and time levels.
- Separate CBD and THC oil infusion.
- Ability to make therapeutic non-cannabis herbal infusions from fresh or dried herbs.
- Ability to make culinary oil infusions from fresh or dried herbs.
- The customer service is excellent. That is so important and something that has been lacking with other companies I have dealt with.
- Delivery to the UK, The Netherlands, Germany, France, & Belgium takes 2 days and has free postage with no import taxes.
- Delivery to the rest of Europe is up 2 to 6 days, but again, free shipping and no taxes.
- Shipping to the US, Australia, Israel, and Switzerland takes 3 to 8 days with free shipping and no import taxes or VAT. Just that knocks the “competitors” into the side of the road.
- When you order, remember to choose the right plug for your country. The machine works with both 110V and 240V.
- They even have a free potency calculator on their website that is there for anyone to use. Some cannabis “gurus” charge for their app that does just the same job!
Con’s Of The POT by NOIDS
Well, I struggled with this one, because I can’t really think of any. The machine itself is metal and very strong. The glass container is shock-resistant borosilicate glass to be heat safe. It’s safe to use between -40 °C and 180 °C, so you’d have to throw it very hard against the wall to break it. Even then, it is easy to order a replacement (just don’t go throwing it at the wall again!)
Service and Support
When it came to customer service, I found NOIDS to be knowledgeable and responsive. They answered all my questions about the PBN and its capabilities, helping me decide what to buy.
Additional Resources
NOIDS provided a helpful guide with the PBN, which gave me detailed instructions on how to use the device. This guide was easy to follow and made the process of infusing herbs much simpler. Here is a link to the manual if you want to read through it first.
Where To Buy A POT by NOIDS?
This button below is an affiliate link to the manufacturer’s website. I earn a small amount for this, but at no extra cost to you.
Conclusion
The POT by NOIDS Herbal Infuser is made for infusing cannabis. It has a special feature that controls the temperature in real-time, ensuring accurate decarboxylation and infusion. It can make different infusions using oils and butter, as well as tinctures and concentrates with specific CBD and THC levels for different types of cannabis.
The really efficient filter system ensures clean extraction, while easy cleaning with dishwasher-safe components enhances durability. It stands out with separate CBD/THC settings, efficient extraction, and excellent customer service in comparison to other herbal infusers.
This cannabis oil machine is highly recommended as the best choice. It offers many features and benefits, including free shipping, no customs taxes or import duties, and even a free potency calculator.
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