The Levo II oil infuser does so much more than just make weed butter
You can make weed oil too!
When I was initially pitched on the Levo II oil infuser, my first reaction was, "Oh ok, a weed butter maker that doesn't sound like a swarm of angry meth-addled bees smashing cement trucks into a tornado," (looking at you, Magic Butter Maker). But after trying it out over the past couple weeks, the Levo has proven to be much more useful than I had expected. It makes a decent batch of budder, sure, but is also versatile and convenient enough to earn a permanent spot on the kitchen counter.
Standing over 14 inches tall on a 10-by-8-inch mirror-finish base, the Levo comes in a variety of colors and offers a modern, minimalist aesthetic that blends into a contemporary kitchen. The top lid flips up to reveal a modestly-sized infusion chamber while the front face includes an LED display. The machine's functions are controlled by the six buttons located under that screen, though you can also use the associated app on your phone to change modes.
The Levo has three primary settings, one for drying herbs (which extends the shelf life of the finished product beyond two weeks) and another to activate cannabis before cooking with it (which enhances the psychoactive effects), in addition to the standard infusion function. The unit can heat materials from 150 degrees F to over 200 using its internal hotplate and keep them simmering for up to 10 hours, depending on the types of infusion materials and oils you're using. And though it's handy that the heating mechanism and electronics are sealed within the unit itself (which prevents spilled oil from fouling the inner workings of the machine) actually getting the Levo to the proper operating temperature takes forever. Be sure to add an extra 15 to 30 minutes of waiting around time to each of your cooking sessions.
Cleanup, thankfully, takes nearly no time at all. At most, there are only three things to wash at the end of each session: the removable oil tub where the infusing takes place, the stainless steel basket that holds your infusion material and a small mixer paddle that affixes to the bottom of the tub and spins via magnets. A quick wash with standard dish soap and warm water is typically sufficient. Even if you manage to spill oil into the machine itself, everything important is sealed so you can just wipe up the mess with a paper towel and go about your day.
But don't expect to go making pounds of budder at a time with this machine. For one, the infusion chamber holds between 5 and 16 ounces of liquid, but between the herb basket and stirring widget, you'll be lucky to cram a trio of four-ounce butter sticks in there and still be able to close the lid. What's more, the basket itself only holds between 3 and 7 grams of ground cannabis, so it's not like you're going to be producing kryptonite-green blocks of budder either. Plus, the entire infusion process, if you include the THC activation step, clocks in at around four hours. Still, unless you're planning on getting the entire neighborhood wrecked on magic brownies at the next block party, the Levo should be sufficient for your personal THC-infusion needs.
This convenience, as does everything in the connected modern world, comes at a price. You'll spend $350 for the oil infuser itself, though it does come with everything you need to get started. The company sells a number of accessories as well, including a $14 silicone herb block (which is literally just an ice cube tray) and a $10 herb press, neither of which you'll actually use if you've got an ice cube tray and a set of thumbs at your disposal. And sure, you could in theory accomplish the same task using a double boiler, cooking thermometer and some cheese cloth, but this does all the heavy lifting for you while minimizing the amount of mess you'll have to clean up at the end.
Luckily, the Levo does more than make weed butter. I've infused olive oil with garlic for sauces, avocado oil with citrus and habanero for marinades, and Italian seasonings with vegetable oil for a particulate-free salad dressing (just add vinegar and a splash of water). The Levo can accommodate a wide range of materials in addition to cannabis, including root vegetables like garlic and ginger; herbs like rosemary, thyme and basil; even delicate plant matter like mustard seed, vanilla and lavender. It handles a number of oils as well — everything from olive, almond and grapeseed oils to more exotic bases like ghee, glycerine and MCT oil. I really wish it worked with propylene glycol, so I could homebrew some THC-infused vape juice as well.
This was great and all, but at some point you need to stop and ask yourself just why exactly you're spending three hours making ginger-mint infused sunflower oil. I'm assuming it's to help cover the smell of the weed.
