So, I received the Pot by Friday, and made a tiny test yesterday. I realized I am running dry, so I made a very small batch, with 1g of random weed, and 1g of high CBD flower, and 100 ml of olive oil.
I think I will really like that thing!
I have no comparaison with other machines, but I have had a few experiences with oven decarb' and double boiler butter, that will very soon be forgotten as prehistoric and tedious methods. The Pot makes it soooo easy… I initially hesitated between a dedicated weed machine and a sous-vide set up. The sous-vide would certainly have been more versatile in the kitchen, but in the end, I have decided I did not want to mess with bags, plus the alcohol tincture set up in addition of decarb/infusion really won me over.
Quality and build seem really good. Design is good. Really not a fan of the huge logo on the silicone sleeve, but that is my usual pet peeve… No buttons, to select between settings you rotate the whole device on its base.
The process is as simple as it could be. Apparently, the Pot analyzes the weight and humidity of the herbs, and adjust the temperature and the duration to optimize the decarb and infusion processes, and maximise conversion/extraction rates.
Grind flowers, put them in the glass beaker, select CBD/THC decarb setting.
Ding-Dong-Ding, little chime, green glow, fan noise… and all you have to do is to do something else and wait.
Dong-Ding-Dong, little chime. and it's done. Add oil. Select infusion setting.
Ding-Dong-Ding. Wait. Filter. Done.
Smell… is present during the process. Certainly not as loud as oven/boiler, but definitely noticeable.
I was a bit surprised, but I think it is to be expected, fan noise is also quite present. I was cooking supper at the same time, so smell and noise were not a concern, but I would rethink my plan to run a batch during the night.
The "french press" style filter is brilliant. it comes with an additional glass dropper to water separate further the plant matter and the last of oil, but I did not bother for such a small test batch; I filtered what I could in a small bottle, and simply dumped the rest over a mesh strainer in another container.
The whole thing is really simple and easy to use, and all the parts that will get dirty/oily go in the dishwasher. I would say the whole process took maybe 4 hours.
I estimated my batch at ~ 1.35 mg of THC per ml. Not sure about that, but I tried 4ml, and the effect were "relatively" similar to 5 mg gummies I have.
So, all in all, really great, I am really looking forward to make a "real" batch, and particularly the FECO process.