Rosin is one of the oldest plant materials we still use. It's the resin pressed or tapped from a plant, and it has been on violin bows, in varnishes and under gymnasts' hands for centuries. What has changed is the equipment. A modern rosin press applies controlled heat and pressure to plant material and produces that same resin in minutes, with nothing added.
No solvents, so no purging and no residual solvent testing. If you work with aromatic or resinous botanicals and have been put off extraction by the cost, the chemistry or the fire risk, rosin pressing is the method to know about.
How rosin pressing works
Material goes into a rosin filter bag, and the bag sits between the two heated plates of the press. Pressure comes from a hand-worked lever driving a hydraulic cylinder, or from an electric pump on automatic models. The heat lowers the viscosity of the resins until they flow.
Under pressure, the resins are forced out through the mesh, leaving the plant fibre behind. The rosin collects on release film on either side of the bag, and you scrape it off once it has cooled.
That's all a rosin press does. The skill is in the variables.
The four variables that decide your rosin
Temperature. The biggest lever on any rosin press. Around 70–90°C gives thicker, lighter rosin that keeps more of its volatile aromatics, since those are the first compounds lost to heat. Going up to around 120°C gives looser, darker rosin and a higher yield. There's no single right answer, just a trade-off between aroma and quantity.
Pressure. More isn't automatically better. Too much ruptures the bag or forces fibre through the mesh and into the rosin. Build pressure gradually and watch for the point where the flow slows.
Time. Most presses run 60 to 180 seconds. Longer at a lower temperature is generally kinder to aromatics than shorter at a high one.
Material preparation. Moisture content matters enormously. Too wet gives watery, unstable rosin; too dry and the resins won't flow. Around 10–12% is the usual target, and a moisture analyser takes out the guesswork.
Plate area beats tonnage
This is the specification most people get wrong when buying a rosin press. A 20-tonne press isn't twice as good as a 10-tonne one. What matters is the pressure on the material, which is the force divided by the plate area.
A 10-tonne cylinder on small plates can press harder, per square inch, than a 20-tonne cylinder spread across large ones. The bigger press isn't pressing harder; it's pressing more at once.
So don't start by asking how many tonnes you need. Ask how much material you want to press per cycle. Answer that, pick the plate size, and the tonnage follows.
Manual, hydraulic, electric or automatic?
|
Type |
How pressure is applied |
Good for |
|---|---|---|
|
Manual |
A lever or screw, worked by hand |
Small batches, low cost, no power needed for pressure |
|
Hydraulic |
A hand-pumped hydraulic cylinder |
More force for less effort, and the most popular type |
|
Electric |
A motor applies the pressure |
Consistent, repeatable presses with less physical effort |
|
Automatic |
Programmed pressure cycles |
Hands-off, repeatable production pressing |
Whatever the type, every press here uses heated plates. What changes is how the force is applied and how much of it you get.
The brands we stock
Graveda is a German manufacturer that specialises in rosin presses. It shows in the things that fail on cheaper presses: plates that heat evenly across the whole surface, cylinders that hold pressure without creeping, and frames that don't flex. The Graspresso range grows plate area along with force, so the working pressure stays in the same useful window from the smallest press to the largest.
LowTemp Industries makes premium press plates in 3 × 5" and 4 × 7" sizes. Choose a complete V2 press bundled with the LT3 controller and sensor, or the Tall V2 frame without hydraulics if you want to fit your own jack.
Nectar covers everything from the compact 1-ton manual Pincher to the 20-ton hydraulic NP20, including the electric Hex press.
Qnubu runs from the compact Kompact and Bolt manual presses up to the 20-ton Pro Lion hydraulic and the fully automatic Auto Lion.
Devil Press presses are engineered in the UK, as part of the Swizzex Group, in manual, hydraulic and electric versions up to 20 tons.
Where to start
- Your first press, or very small batches: Graveda GP2, Nectar Pincher, Qnubu Kompact 2.0 or Devil Press DP11
- Regular small-scale pressing: Graspresso GP6003, GP30-5, Nectar NP5 or Devil Press DS300
- Repeatable recipes, with a gauge: Graspresso GP50-5-7, Graveda GMP 20T or Devil Press DP500 with gauge
- Less effort per press: the electric Devil Press DP4000 and DP250S, or the automatic Qnubu Auto Lion
- Production volumes: Graspresso EPIC 15, Qnubu Pro Lion 20T, Devil Press DP500 Electric or Devil Press S10
- Premium plates and precise temperature control: a LowTemp V2 bundle with the LT3 controller
A gauge matters more than it sounds: without one you can't record what you did, and if you can't record it you can't repeat it.
Every press we stock
Some models sell out between deliveries. Call us for current availability.
Graveda Graspresso
|
Press |
Force |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
700 kg |
Hydraulic, 7.5 × 5 cm plates |
|
|
3 tons |
Hydraulic, the best first hydraulic press |
|
|
5 tons |
Hydraulic, 12 × 6 cm plates |
|
|
7 tons |
Hydraulic, 12 × 6 cm plates, pressure indicator |
|
|
15 tons |
Hydraulic, production pressing |
|
|
20 tons |
Hydraulic, 21 × 13.5 cm plates, built-in gauge |
LowTemp Industries
|
Press |
Plates |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
3 × 5" |
Complete press with LT3 controller and sensor |
|
|
4 × 7" |
Complete press with LT3 controller and sensor |
|
|
3 × 5" |
Supplied without hydraulics, to fit your own jack |
|
|
4 × 7" |
Supplied without hydraulics, to fit your own jack |
Nectar
|
Press |
Force |
Type |
|---|---|---|
|
1 ton |
Manual |
|
|
1 ton |
Manual |
|
|
1.5 tons |
Electric |
|
|
5 tons |
Hydraulic |
|
|
5 tons |
Hydraulic |
|
|
8 tons |
Hydraulic |
|
|
10 tons |
Hydraulic |
|
|
20 tons |
Hydraulic |
Qnubu
|
Press |
Force |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
600 kg |
Manual, 6 × 12 cm plates |
|
|
1 ton |
Manual, 6 × 12 cm plates |
|
|
2 tons |
Compact press |
|
|
6 tons |
Hydraulic, 12 × 12 cm plates |
|
|
10 tons |
Hydraulic, 12 × 12 cm plates |
|
|
20 tons |
Hydraulic |
|
|
20 tons |
Automatic |
Devil Press
|
Press |
Force |
Type |
|---|---|---|
|
2 tons |
Manual |
|
|
5 tons |
Manual |
|
|
5 tons |
Electric |
|
|
8 tons |
Manual |
|
|
10 tons |
Hydraulic, dual heated plates |
|
|
10 tons |
Electric |
|
|
15 tons |
With pressure gauge |
|
|
15 tons |
Electric |
|
|
20 tons |
Production pressing |
Rosin bags and press film
Graveda rosin press filter bags run from 5 to 220 micron across eleven ratings, in two sizes and ten to a pack. They're made to fit Graveda's own plates, so nothing needs improvising.
Coarser mesh at 120–220 micron flows faster but lets more fibre through. Finer mesh at 5–45 micron gives cleaner rosin at the cost of yield. Start around 90 micron and adjust from there. Our filtration and micron guide explains micron sizes in more detail.
For the release layer there are two sensible options, and the choice is about how you work rather than which is better.
HiVEX Silicone Ultra parchment is the disposable route: genuine parchment with silicone on both faces, pre-cut to 4 × 4", 500 to a box. A fresh sheet every press means no cleaning and no carryover, for pennies a go. It doubles as collection and storage paper, which is why most people get through a box faster than they expect.
Honey Slick PTFE roll is the reusable route: a solid non-stick film, 0.12 mm thick and rated to 260°C, cut from the roll to whatever plate size you run. It costs more up front, then it lasts.
What doesn't work is supermarket baking paper. It tears under hydraulic pressure, sheds fibre into warm rosin and holds aroma from whatever you baked last.
Storing your rosin
Collect while warm and store cold. Rosin scrapes off far more easily at around 30–40°C, and once collected, cold storage in an airtight container keeps the volatile compounds you worked to preserve. Light, air and heat are what degrade finished rosin.
Glass is the right material. It's non-reactive, it seals properly and it doesn't hold odour between batches, which matters if you press more than one botanical.
- UV Miron violet glass jars are the best storage for anything you're keeping more than a few weeks. The violet glass blocks the visible light that degrades delicate aromatics. Sizes run from 5 ml cosmetic jars up to 150, 250 and 500 ml wide-neck jars, and wide necks matter when you're filling with something as thick as fresh rosin.
- Childproof storage jars are the sensible default for any concentrated botanical kept in a household. We stock round and square 5 ml and 9 ml jars with push-and-turn closures.
- Boveda humidity packs are worth adding if you're storing source material rather than finished rosin. Holding a steady moisture level is half the battle before you press anything.
The full storage and packaging range also covers vacuum jars, curing bags and heat sealing.
Getting better rosin
- Pre-press first. Forming material into a dense puck that fits your bag removes air, spreads the pressure evenly and reduces blowouts.
- Fold the bag properly. Fold the open end over rather than leaving it loose, and point the fold away from your collection side.
- Look after your PTFE. Wipe it down while warm and store it flat. Keep a separate piece for each botanical if you press more than one, since that's the only real carryover risk. Replace it once it's badly creased or scratched.
- Keep a rosin log. Record temperature, pressure, time, micron, material weight and yield. Six entries in, you'll have a repeatable recipe.
- Look after the plates. With reasonable care, press plates last indefinitely. Always use release film, never scrape the plates with metal tools, and wipe them down while warm.
What people press rosin from
Rosin pressing is used across a genuinely wide range of trades:
- Pine and conifer resin: colophony, the original rosin, still used on violin and cello bows, for gymnastics and climbing grip, and in soldering flux, varnishes and traditional sealing wax
- Craft brewing: hop rosin for late additions and dry hopping, giving concentrated aroma without plant matter or the volume loss of whole-cone hops
- Herbalism and balm making: oleoresins from rosemary, calendula, lavender, arnica and St John's wort, with no solvent residues to account for
- Incense and perfumery: frankincense, myrrh, benzoin and pine resins pressed into refined concentrates for burning or blending
- Culinary work: citrus peel, vanilla and spice oleoresins for intense natural flavouring
- Beekeeping: propolis processed into a usable, workable form
- Cosmetics and soap making: botanical concentrates for natural scents and active ingredients
The equipment is the same in every case. Only the temperature, micron and timing change.
Rosin press FAQs
Is rosin really solvent-free? Yes. The only inputs are heat and mechanical pressure. Nothing is added and nothing needs purging afterwards, which is why rosin suits anyone making products for skin, burning or consumption.
What temperature should I press at? Around 90°C is a sensible first attempt for most resinous botanicals. Go lower for aroma and higher for yield, and change one variable at a time.
Will an unheated press make rosin? No. Without heat the resins stay too thick to flow, and you'll just compress the material. Heated plates are essential.
Which micron bag should I start with? Around 90 micron suits most material. Go coarser for faster flow and higher yield, finer for cleaner rosin.
Can I use supermarket baking paper? It's a false economy. It tears under load and sheds fibre into warm rosin. Use proper rosin parchment or PTFE film instead.
How much material per press? The plate size decides it. Overfilling is the most common beginner mistake and the usual cause of bag failures.
Manual or automatic? A manual press gives tactile feedback: you feel the resistance change as the rosin flows, which tells you a lot. An automatic press gives consistency and saves your shoulders.
Buy a rosin press in the UK
Our full rosin press range covers Graveda, LowTemp, Nectar, Qnubu and Devil Press, with free UK shipping over £50. Add press bags, press film and storage to go with them. Not sure which press suits your volume? Call the Barnsley showroom on 0114 229 1807.
All rosin presses are supplied for lawful horticultural, culinary and craft applications only.
Related guides: Filtration & Micron Ratings Explained · Particle Separators Explained
