IMPORTANT NOTE: The Ardent Nova is Retiring
Update: The Ardent Is No Longer Available
Ardent was my go-to recommendation for years, but their machines are no longer available. The good news is that I think the machine I use now is even better.
The POT by NOIDS decarbs and makes cannabutter and oil just like the Ardent did. But it ALSO makes FECO, tinctures, and wax, and it even reclaims your alcohol so you can reuse it.
Yes, it costs more. It ships from the Netherlands (about $47 to the U.S.), but taxes and duties are included, so there are no surprise fees at your door. With my code CHERISICARD, the Basic Bundle comes to about $380 delivered.
Cheri Loves Her Pot by Noids
For 5% off any order from Noids use coupon code CHERISICARD at checkout.
Ardent Nova Decarboxylator review
A lot of people have a lot of confusion about decarboxylation. Yet this is an essential step if you ever hope to make potent marijuana edibles. Even though it’s a big scientific word, the process sounds simple enough. Heat the cannabis or cannabis concentrate in order to cause the chemical reaction that converts non-psychoactive THC-A into psychoactive THC.
But heat for how long? And at what temperature? There is massive disagreement among the lexicon of cannabis information out there. Of course people have been successfully making edibles without a decarbing gadget for centuries, but do it wrong and you may have medicinal edibles that lack the high most people are seeking. And I get a lot of emails from a lot of home cook having just this problem.
Shanel Lindsay, inventor of the Ardent Nova Decarboxylator put in the research and found a way to achieve 100% decarboxylation. Of course this is proprietary company information, but Ardent has lab tests to show their decarboxylator actually can convert 100% of the THC-A in cannabis to THC.
About the size of a portable coffee grinder, the Ardent Nova Decarboxylator takes away all the guesswork of decarbing cannabis.
Place plant material or hash, kief, or hash oils (in a silicon container for the latter) in, place the inner and outer lids on, press a button, and in a little under 2 hours your cannabis will be perfectly, 100% decarboxylized. The product could not be easier or more convenient to use.
If I had any critique -- and my audience immediately echoed this the first time I posted an Instagram pic of the Ardent Nova Decarboxylator -- it’s size.
The Nova holds just under an ounce of cannabis. Now for the average home consumer who does not grow their own, this is fine, but those who do grow their own will probably want to decarb more volume at once. (Update, since this Ardent Nova review was released, the folks at Ardent fixed this issue with the release of the Ardent FX.)
Size constrictions aside, this gadget is a workhorse! I put it to the test by decarbing in back-to-back small batches, about 2 1/2 pounds of cannabis (a grower friend gifted me with leftover trim). No problem.
Dosing and the Ardent Nova Decarboxylator
Besides increased potency, there is another advantage to knowing you have perfectly activated 100% of your THC and that’s dosing. For those who have taken my free online Edibles Dosing Class and use my edibles dosage calculator tool, proper marijuana decarboxylation is important in order to get accurate dosing estimates. If you fail to convert a majority of the THC-A to THC, your dosing estimates will be high and you may be disappointed in the potency of the finished edible. The Ardent Decarboxylator eliminates those discrepancies.
Infusing in the Ardent Nova Decarboxylator
That's not all. You can also make small batches of infusions using the Lift. There no easier or neater way to make a small amount of marijuana butter or cannabis oil, or cream, or...
Making Infusions in the Ardent Nova
You can actually infuse directly in the Ardent Nova! That's right you can make cannabutter, cannaoil and infused honey, cream, etc. right in the Ardent Nova. It couldn’t be easier or neater as I show in the video above.
To be sure the Ardent Nova is small. Likewise this a great infusion technique those who like to make small batch of infusions, like say 1/2 cup or less of cannabutter or cannaoil at a time.
I know from my emails that a lot of my readers usually make just enough for the recipe they intend to make at that time, and if that is your style of cannabis cooking, you are going to LOVE the Ardent Nova!
I’ll admit that usually isn’t me, but infusing in the Lift it is so easy I am starting to rethink how I cook. And with its ability to decarb at 100%, you can make some mighty potent small batch infusions.
I also love infusing in the Ardent Nova when making small batches of topicals, such as my infused wrinkle serum and eye serums (recipes are in my online DIY Cannabis Topicals course). As homemade topicals do not contain the chemicals and preservatives lie commercial ones, they don't keep as long and it's likewise important to make them in small batches that you will use in a month or so.
Small But Potent Cannabis Infusions Using the Ardent Nova Decarboxylator
Just because the Ardent Nova infuses a small amount, does not mean you can’t make strong cannabis infusions!
For instance, I used a 1/4 ounce of cannabis to make a 1/2 cup of butter. Even using “average” cannabis with 10% THC, this comes out to about 25 mgs THC per teaspoon. Increase that to 20% THC cannabis and you will have about 50 mgs THC per teaspoon!
For lower doses, use less cannabis or weaker cannabis. For higher doses infuse more cannabis into smaller amounts, or use decarboxylated hash, kief, or hash oil, either alone or in conjunction with cannabis flowers.
Remember it is the per serving individual dose that is most important, although to calculate this you will need to know how much is in the entire batch of infused butter, oil, etc. My FREE online dosing class and dosage calculator tool will help you customize any recipe in order to get the exact dosage you need.
The Most Discreet Way to Make Marijuana Infusions
Since the Ardent Nova is only about the size of a portable coffee grinder, it's handy to tuck in a bag when traveling to make edibles on the go. Even if you don't use the Nova to bake edibles (yes, you can do that), you can at minimum crate a potent infused oil you can use as a sublingual tincture. And since there is virtually no odor while decarbing or while infusing in the Ardent Nova, this method makes a discreet way to make marijuana butter, marijuana oil, and other infusions just about anywhere there is an electrical outlet. Even in your hotel room, dorm room, or with roommates who might otherwise disapprove in the house.
Do I Need a Silicone Sleeve for the Ardent Nova Lift Decarboxylator?
Dear Cheri,
I ordered an infusion sleeve for my Ardent Nova Lift Decarboxylator and am waiting for it to arrive. However, while watching the video made by Ardent, it shows Shanel putting a glass bottle of oil with the herb right into the Ardent decarboxylator without a sleeve. So my question is, why wouldn't I do this? Why do I need the sleeve? I am thinking it would need to be a heat proof glass like a mini canning jar right?
You can infuse in the Nova either way, with a glass jar or in the optional silicone sleeve. I demonstrate both methods in the video above on this page.
The advantage of the sleeve is that it will hold more volume (about ¾ cup), so more often than not, I will use the sleeve.
The sleeve is also made of a great material to use when decarbing concentrates like waxes, FECO or hash oils.
That said, when you only want to infuse a very small amount, the glass jars are handy. For instance, this works well when making small batches of infusions for wrinkle serums, like I do in my DIY Marijuana Topicals and Skincare course.
Yes the glass needs to be heatproof. In the video demo on this page I am using a small jar from gourmet yogurt sold at my health food store. Small baby food jars work well too. And if you happen to buy any of Ardent’s infusion kits, be sure to save the small bottles or jars that come with them to reuse for future infusions.
(This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I get a commission, which in turn, helps me keep this site running. However, know that I NEVER endorse products I don't personally use and like.)
I ordered an Ardent NOVA and was sent an Ardent LIFT. I cant get a truthful answer from Ardent as to why….
The Nova and the Lift are the same product.
Hello,
Does this Nova contain the smell or is there a smell. I live in a small flat/apartment and if you smoke or even cook spicy food you can smell it through the walls and complaints to landlord ensue, so I am looking, for health reasons, to be able to make something like rick simpson oil and wondered if this equipment creates that type of oil and if there is any smell whilst the plant is in the decarbonator as I need something smell free.
Thank you in advance.
Sers
There is very little smell. However it is not for making RSO type oil. You can infuse cooking oil, butter etc. in it, but you should not use alcohol in it.