Although rosin is a relatively new product in the concentrate world, it is progressing at a rapid pace when it comes to quality and popularity. This is undoubtedly due to advancements made in rosin press technology and the evolving techniques surrounding its production. Once a product created from hair straighteners and tortilla presses, rosin has come a long way, now created commercially using refined processes and precisely crafted pneumatic and hydraulic presses.

If you’re unfamiliar, a rosin press is essentially anything used to extract cannabinoids through heat and pressure. Typically speaking, a rosin press has two heated plates that are pressed down onto each other to create enough force to facilitate an extraction. There’s much more that goes into a quality rosin press though. And with more and more innovation in rosin press engineering, the quality of a rosin press has never been more important.

Advancements in rosin press technology have allowed for new and exciting non-solvent products to enter the market, peaking consumer interest in rosin. With rosin now rivaling hydrocarbon extracts in terpene content and potency, it’s no wonder why more and more people are making the investment in a quality rosin press.

While there is some speculation surrounding the origin of the rosin press, many people agree that the technique was first pioneered by Jamaicans in the 1970s. Supposedly, they used nylon pantyhose as a filter, in conjunction with heat and pressure, to make a rosin-like product to consume with their dried flower. While this process is pretty far from current industry standards, it is important to note the basic principle of rosin extraction and how it has remained similar throughout its rapid evolution.

The next big step in the evolutionary journey of rosin presses was the hair straightener. Hair straighteners are probably the most common form of rosin press used by at-home extractors and can actually produce some decent rosin when done correctly. However, due to lack of precision temperature and pressure control, consistent results are difficult to come by.

Hair straighteners are a great introductory option, but lack in yield, consistency and also the amount of product you can press at a time.

Soon, the demand for a press that could hold more starting material became forthright, leading to the first generation of actual rosin presses. Although these presses were used for rosin, most first generation presses lacked in stature and were not purpose-built specifically for rosin. Some of the first rosin presses were actually just repurposed T-shirt presses sold at a premium. In fact, the rosin industry almost failed to take off due to the instability of early rosin presses.

Quite frankly, first generation rosin presses were shoddy at best with poor heating elements and weak pressure distribution. Again, you could make some pretty great rosin from these presses if done correctly, but generally they do not perform very well – especially in comparison to some of the Colorking Rosin Heat Press on the market today.

If you’re looking to buy a rosin press, consider making an investment into a quality product. There are many options out there for rosin presses, but not all of them are created equal.