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PL An herbal infuser is a countertop machine that heats plant material in a fat, such as butter or oil, at a controlled temperature so the plant's compounds move into the fat. People searching for a cannabutter machine mean the same appliance. Every herbal infuser infuses; some also decarboxylate first, and one in this comparison also evaporates ethanol and collects it again. Before buying, check three things: which of the three steps the machine does, how it mixes, and the batch range it is built for.
The three steps an herbal infuser can do
1. Decarboxylation
Raw plant material holds its cannabinoids mostly as acids. Heat converts them, and the conversion depends on time and temperature together. A literature survey by the nova-Institut for the EIHA (Iffland, Carus and Grotenhermen, 2016) plots the published studies on one curve: roughly 3 hours at 100 C, 2 hours at 110 C, or 1 hour at 124 C. Below about 90 C the reaction barely starts, and THC begins to evaporate from about 157 C, which is why machines hold a set point rather than simply getting hot. Our decarboxylation temperature and time chart covers the numbers in detail.
2. Infusion
Infusion holds the decarboxylated material in butter or oil, usually around 100 C, so the fat takes up the cannabinoids and terpenes. This is the one step every herbal infuser does. Which fat to use is covered in best oils for cannabis infusion.
3. Ethanol extraction
For a tincture, plant material soaks in high-proof food-grade ethanol, and the ethanol is then evaporated off to concentrate the result. A machine with a condenser can collect that ethanol again instead of releasing it into the room. Among the five machines compared here, the NOIDS Herb Lab does this, with evaporation capped at 102 C.
Which machines do which step
| Decarboxylation | Infusion | Ethanol extraction with solvent recovery | How it mixes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOIDS Herb Lab | Yes, built in | Yes, built in | Yes, condenser included | Heat only, no blade |
| MagicalButter MB2e | No; DecarBox sold separately | Yes | Not described | Immersion blender |
| LĒVO II+ | Yes, Activate mode | Yes | Not described | Magnetic stirrer |
| Ardent FX | Yes, A1 and A2 | Yes | Not described | No blade described |
| ONGROK Large | No; separate Decarboxylator Machine | Yes | Not described | Blade, 16,000 to 19,000 rpm |
Sources are listed at the end of the page. For batch sizes, power and prices of the same five machines, see the best herbal infuser comparison.
Blade or no blade
Herbal infusers mix in one of three ways. A blade grinds the plant material as it heats, as in the MagicalButter MB2e and the ONGROK Large. That breaks the material down finely, so the straining step matters: ONGROK ships two nylon bags, 190 and 73 micron, and MagicalButter ships a 190 micron PurifyFilter. A magnetic stirrer, as in the LĒVO II+, moves the liquid without cutting the plant. The NOIDS Herb Lab uses heat alone, with no blade or stirrer, and a 250 micron stainless steel filter set.
Cycle times, step by step
Makers state cycle times per step, so they are shown per step here and never added together.
| Machine | Decarboxylation | Infusion |
|---|---|---|
| NOIDS Herb Lab | Roughly 100 to 180 min at 110 C or 115 C | Roughly 120 to 180 min at 100 C; cycle time calculated automatically from what is in the beaker |
| MagicalButter MB2e | Separate step | Oils about 1 h, butter about 2 h, tinctures about 4 h |
| LĒVO II+ | Activate mode, time and temperature set by the user | Maker claims it "decarbs, infuses and dispenses in 30 minutes" |
| ONGROK | Decarboxylator Machine holds 250 F (121 C) for 50 minutes inside a 90 minute cycle | Cycles of 1 to 8 h; "Oil can be done in an hour" |
What a separate decarboxylator adds
If a machine does not decarboxylate, that step happens in an oven or in a second appliance. ONGROK sells its Large Botanical Infuser at $179.99 and its Small at $89.99, and its Decarboxylator Machine at $129.99. Bought together, that is $309.98 for the Large pair or $219.98 for the Small pair, which is our arithmetic on ONGROK's own prices. MagicalButter sells its DecarBox separately as well. Machines with a built-in decarb cycle, such as the LĒVO II+, the Ardent FX and the NOIDS Herb Lab, do both steps in one unit.
For a head-to-head of the two best-known brands, see Magical Butter vs LEVO.
Questions people ask
What does an herbal infuser do?
It heats plant material in butter or oil at a controlled temperature so the plant's compounds move into the fat. Some models also decarboxylate the material first, and some can evaporate ethanol for tinctures.
Do you need to decarb before using an herbal infuser?
Yes, if you want the cannabinoids in their active form. Machines with a built-in decarb cycle, such as the NOIDS Herb Lab, the LĒVO II+ and the Ardent FX, do it for you. With the MagicalButter MB2e or the ONGROK infusers, decarboxylate first in an oven or a separate decarboxylator.
Does cannabutter get stronger the longer you infuse it?
Not indefinitely. Past the cycle a machine was designed around, extra time mostly draws out more chlorophyll and plant flavour rather than more cannabinoid. Follow the cycle your machine sets rather than extending it.
How long does a cannabutter machine take?
It depends on the machine and the step. MagicalButter states about 2 hours for butter in the MB2e. ONGROK offers cycles from 1 to 8 hours. The NOIDS Herb Lab infusion cycle runs roughly 120 to 180 minutes and its decarboxylation cycle roughly 100 to 180 minutes, each calculated automatically from what is in the beaker.
Decarboxylation figures: Iffland K, Carus M, Grotenhermen F. Decarboxylation of Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) to active THC. nova-Institut for the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), 2016.
Sources
Every competitor figure on this page is quoted from that maker's own page, read on 26 September 2026. Where a maker does not state a figure, the table says so rather than filling it from elsewhere. Makers change their pages, so check the source before you buy.
- NOIDS Herb Lab user manual, Technical data, summarised on noids.wiki: https://noids.wiki/noids-herb-lab/
- magicalbutter.com, MB2e product page: https://magicalbutter.com/products/magicalbutter
- magicalbutter.com, cleaning FAQ: https://magicalbutter.com/blogs/faq/how-do-i-clean-my-machine
- levooil.com, LĒVO II+ product page: https://levooil.com/products/levo-ii
- ardentcannabis.com, Nova vs FX: https://ardentcannabis.com/2020/12/02/nova-vs-fx/
- ongrok.com, Large Botanical Infuser product page: https://ongrok.com/products/butter-maker
- ongrok.com, Decarboxylator Machine product page: https://ongrok.com/products/decarboxylator-machine
Last reviewed: October 2026. Specifications read from each maker's own pages on 26 September 2026.
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