Review: Ardent FX – an easy bake oven for edibles

We’ve all been there: grinding ounces of flower, carefully tweaking oven temperatures, constantly stirring butter on a stovetop for hours — taking every precaution you can to ensure your infused treats deliver the biggest bang for their buck. 

Well, good news, edible fans: Ardent has taken everything frustrating about making edibles, dropped them in a trash incinerator, and sent them straight to hell where they belong. 

The Ardent FX is, according to the manufacturer, is an “all-in-one, portable canna-kitchen” that is suitable for both the amateur and gourmet canna-chef.

It is a slick, discrete device that seamlessly fits into your kitchen, without raising suspicion from any less enlightened guests who may come along — all while making the best cannabutter you’ve ever tasted. 

Here’s what we’ll be covering in this Ardent FX review:

How does the Ardent FX work? 

The Ardent FX is, simply, a beast that can precisely decarboxylate, simmer, and strain your cannabutter with industrial precision, accommodating up to four ounces of product in a single cook. 

The process has never been easier: the manual boasts that you can throw whole nugs into the chamber (“stems and all”!) without wasting time grinding up large quantities of flower — pretty impressive. 

At the push of a button, you can choose whether to decarboxylate for CBD or THC activation, and the Ardent FX will do the rest: employing its advanced temperature analysis to keep your buds at the exact, consistent heat necessary to reach their fullest, stoniest potential. 

READ MORE: Ardent Lift Decarb Review

Once that process is complete, throw in an appropriate amount of fat, hit another button, and let the Ardent FX go to work simmering your buds at their ideal infusion temperature.

Once complete, you can whip out the included French Press-esqe strainer to easily remove the plant material from your newly infused creation.

Helpfully, the kit also comes with pre-measured ice cube boxes you can use to store your cannabutter for the long term. 

Ardent FX: Does it get the job done? 

One Elden Ring-filled Saturday afternoon, I decided to give the Ardent FX a whirl. I plopped about two grams of flower into the device (without grinding), pushed the “decarb” button, and went back to gaming. 

About an hour into the process, I went back into the kitchen for a progress check. Still cooking, but the only thing I could smell was some soap from a recent dishwashing session — which is definitely not the case when I “decarb” in my oven.

In fairness, I was only cooking a small amount — your mileage may vary — but the lack of a tell-tale smell was a big plus. 

Once the device has determined you’ve reached the optimal temperature and cooking time (it took a little under two hours for me), it will alert you to start the second phase: infusion.

I opened the container and found some great-smelling weed that only looked lightly toasted. I added three tablespoons of butter, closed the top, and pressed the “infuse” button. 

About three hours later, the Ardent FX was full of lovely green cannabutter. I’ve always found straining cannabutter to be a bit more of a hassle than it is worth, but with the strainer, it was an absolute breeze. 

Moment of truth

I took a little cornbread I keep around for this very purpose (don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it), soaked up a generous portion of cannabutter, and chowed down.

Sparing you some of the more embarrassing details of the rest of my evening, suffice to say: the Ardent FX works. And it works well. 

Two grams of unground bud achieved a potency level that surprised me. I also enjoyed not having any plant matter stuck in my teeth.

Furthermore, speaking as a guy who really enjoys his edibles, it was pretty remarkable how Ardent automated a usually tedious and time-consuming process while still producing an absolutely killer product in the end. 

One minor complaint: despite what the manual says, I should’ve trusted my gut and ground the weed before placing it in the device. When the fat actually melted down, the larger buds were only partially immersed in it.

I could see how whole nugs might work well when infusing large volumes, but a quick bit of grinding might be worth the effort if you’re only doing a gram or two. 

By the way: If dipping cornbread in butter isn’t your bag, the Ardent FX also provides a “baking” functionality that allows you to prepare infused muffins, etc. right inside the device. Very cool!

Is Ardent FX right for you? 

I recommend the Ardent FX to any infused cookers in your life and I think I’ll be using mine for a long time. Some issues to consider when deciding whether to make your a purchase include: 

• Price: Unfortunately, the Ardent FX retails for $299, which can be a steep ask for some weed consumers. However, with its ease of use and enhanced functionality, it does feel like you’re getting a good value with your purchase. 
• Could use better indicators: I was a little surprised that the device, for all its bells and whistles, didn’t include an audio cue to indicate when a step in the cooking process was complete.

Time frame varies based on the amount of flower in the device. Predicting when it’s finished with a job isn’t easy. Meaning, that I had to keep returning to the kitchen to check on the device throughout the day.

Also, while a minor issue, the indicator lights sometimes bleed together, making it hard to tell which option is actually selected on the device (try looking at it directly at table level for clarity). 

• Takes a long time: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and carefully constructing the most potent cannabutter possible is also a precise, time-consuming process.

However, expect the full infusion to take anywhere from 5-6 hours, which might be a big ask for some folks. On the other hand, if you plan ahead, the wait seems to be very much worth it.

Final verdict

If you’re an edible fan who can spare the $300, the Ardent FX is a stunning device that will impress even the most cynical weed consumers.

The Ardent FX is a great addition to any home with a growing collection of “already been vaped” (ABV) weed, or folks who like experimenting with potency.Ultimately, it is the easiest (yet most rewarding) experience I’ve ever had making my edibles.

The Ardent FX is available via the company’s website, Amazon and eBay.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: Stündenglass gravity infuser – the Rolls Royce of gravity bongs
• This website lets you try out a weed vape, and return it if you don’t like it
• Review: The New Puffco Peak Pro is a premium vape with premium features
• Uber says it might get into the weed delivery game

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