The Essential Oil Maker's Handbook by Bettina Malle (2015-09-01)

I found a lot of excellent information in this book. I've been distilling my own hydrosols and some essential oils for a few years now, but was looking for a book that could help with the little details, like how much oil is yielded from which plant, how much plant material, the best way to prepare the material, how long each plant needs for a complete distillation, etc. This book is crammed with the info I wanted! I do wish there was a tad more information on the distillation of resins, but what is there was very helpful. The reason I took a star away, is because I was really annoyed that the chapter where the authors describe different stills, they only go into detail about the still that they sell! So that chapter is basically a big advertisement for the still that they sell! Not even a mention of an alembic still either, which in my opinion is probably one of the most used by the home/hobbyist distiller. Other than that the book is good, and also goes into detail on other extraction methods, for example, cold pressing, solvent extraction, etc. This book is not only for the home/hobbyist distiller, but for anyone that uses essential oils. I say this because if you're using essential oils, you're going to want to learn everything you can, even how they're made. Had the authors not tried to heavily sell their still to me in this book, I'd have given 5 stars.

This book contains so much information! I didn't expect producing essential oils and hydrosols via steam distillation is so easy. The best of all, you don't need much. Between 10 and 20 ounces of plant material is enough for 2 to 20 milliliters of essential oil and 500 milliliters of hydrosol, depending on the used plant species. The authors describe in detail all issues to maximize oil yield and to receive the most intense hydrosol, whether it is still shape, amount of water, distillation process, plant preparation, harvest time, etc. Finally I've found a sensible application of unused or surplus material from my herb bed which I composted all the years before. It's even possible to use dried plant materials.Assembling your own still with equipment found in every kitchen is simple, no need to weld or solder. Nearly every imaginable essential-oil-plant is accurately described: which part to use, when to harvest, specific preparation, oil yield, and other special characteristics. The last part of the book contains step-by-step instructions for all kind of essential oil and hydrosol applications.An outstanding handbook for everyone who intends to produce his own essential oils and hydrosols.

Most of the information in this book is already online available for free via google. There are already lots of sources of information online for this sort of thing, they all seemed to reference this book and now I'm fairly disappointed that there isn't more to it - I assumed it went in-depth. It does have some pretty pictures, and a useful plant guide in the back where they discuss some specifics of dealing with particular plants. The book would've been worth it, if they've fleshed this out quite a bit more. However considering what I paid for, definitely don't think that I got my money's worth.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I bought other books on essential oil making on Amazon but they were no where near as thorough or as informative as this one I highly recommend this book to anyone that's serious about making pure essential oils for cosmetic or medicinal use. This book breaks down the science and the art of it & is wonderfully written it's all I will ever need!

I haven't had time yet to collect the materials or equipment to produce my own oils, but I've read the book almost cover to cover already. It is very comprehensive, with excellent descriptions of the right way to get the most oil and best quality from many ingredients. There is good detail on many types of equipment, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each, as well as common mistakes that could potentially ruin the batch of oil. I am looking forward to setting up my own "still room" and producing my own small batches of essential oils and hydrosols. I've made herbal tincures and salves from wild crafted herbs - it's time to take the next step!Edited to add: It should be noted that the authors sell stills and some of the information is focused on selling the two models they've developed. (All the other info can be applied to any distillation method.)

This book is FANTASTIC and you should buy it if your interested in the hobby BEFORE you purchase anything else. This book will become a valuable resource to you. I do wish there was more information on resin oil solvent extraction ie Myrrh (Maybe in a future edition??? :) )but this book keeps you busy and gives a great hostory and very detailed how too's. Thank you to the authors!

probably one of the better books out there for making essential oil. the measurement conversions from metric to US are generally just straight conversions instead of trying to adjust overall to US std. sizes/volumes. One of my favorite books. also highly recommend the other books from the authors.

There are 2 books by Bettina Malle and Hedge Schmickl. It is worth having both. The other is Crafting Distilled Spirits. Both books are released as high quality hardbound books. The photos and illustrations are excellent. Both books are very practical. If you are going to only buy one book, then this book on the Essential Oils goes more deeply into which types of stills work, and which ones are not as effective. The book on crafting spirits gets into how to prepare the mashes. Please keep in mind that the USA has very tight regulations on alcohol production .. you must pay taxes if you produce large quantities. But there are no problems with distilling essential oils. These authors are very experienced, and they know what they are doing. Highly recommended!

Great little book I had a distillery for Christmas and information was helpful for seasons of plants and how to use them . A must have book for someone making their own oils.

Very detailed and informative, the authors know their stuff, loads of info about extraction

I've been looking for a book like this for a few years , thankfully the search is over. Brill on a flick through looking forward to a deeper read.

New to this skill so difficult to comment. The information given seemed well presented and comprehensive enough forthose interested in this subject, the authors obviously an authority on essential oil refinery.

Excellent book, loads of info, a real asset..

Very very very good-

very good book ,full of practical help

Excellent book, it explains all needed knowledge not only for beginners.

es una guía completísima de destilación, fantástica informacion, recetas, metodos, porcentajes de aceite por planta, cuando recolectar y como secar las plantas, como destilar diferentes plantas, hasta semillas y cortezas, una pasada. me ha encantado.

Es estupendo, si quieres poner en marcha tu alambique u otro medio casero para destilar plantas es la guía perfecta. Desde cuando y como cosechar y preparar la planta hasta el método y paso a paso del proceso. Muy gráfico y bien explicado. Con este libro y un alambique a experimentar!

I've read this book from cover to cover and can say it is really packed with hands-on information. Describes many extraction method. I believe it is an excellent reference for anyone wishing to start making their own essential oils.

Lots of useful information. The author weighs the pros and cons of many techniques. This book would be good to pair with a reference guide to botanicals for their benefits as this is focused more on the process to make oils.

Muy completo y bien escrito. Muestra desde el principio cómo hacer todo en casa. Buena calidad de impresión. Las fotografías son muy ilustrativas.

Pros:Very nice hardcoverGreat, fully coloured photosInformativeCons:A bit tiring to readSummary:Beautiful book to learn essential oil making

Lots of in depth information, if you are just getting into essential oils and considering making your own, this will be a good addition to the library.