How To Choose A Herb Grinder?

You would not be blamed for forgetting how crucial a herb grinder is for a dry herb aficionado. Bongs, bubblers, pipes, vaporizers, and all the rest, depend on a good pack and a good consistency in order to function properly and deliver a solid experience for you.

We are talking about the simplest of concepts, the herb grinder - something that merely takes chunky herbs and whittles them down to a powder. But you would be surprised how diverse this creation can get! Grinder size, grinder teeth shape are important, as are the look and composition of your herb grinder. 

Why Use an Herb Grinder?

Taking chunks of flower and trying to smoke them may work somewhat, but ultimately it is going to be an inefficient mess. That is where your grinder comes in. 

A uniform consistency will help the flame or heat hit your dried herb in a smoother way, making for lush, smooth hits. This is true no matter what form you are indulging in, be it a vaporizer, bong, pipe, or a rolled paper. 

There really is no sense in trying to mimic the consistency of a grinder on your own. Your Grinder will include all the terpenes and botanicals that fall by the wayside when you attempt to peel and break the herbs down by themselves. 

Check out - What is a grinder?

The Components of Your Grinder

Though some of these weed grinders may stand out for looking different, almost all of them will share some features, like the “teeth” of a grinder, as well as its open and closing lids.

Grinder teeth, like teeth in the animal kingdom, can be jagged, pointed, flat, or some combination of these. Teeth will vary across grinders. 

There is a lot more than this which we will get into, like multiple chambers, screens, quick-lock systems, magentics, ergonomics, handles, and so on. 

Dry Herb Grinder: How To

Grinders are probably the least complex things in the herbal/vaporizer world, but for the sake of being thorough. You will take a few “nugs” of your dried herb and place them on top of the teeth. Replace the lid. Remember to not overdo it on the serving size, as this will just jam up your grinder. 

Twist the lids together. You will hear the dried herb being crushed into smaller bits. 

Do this until you stop hearing the crunching. Then open up your dried herb, go to the “collander” part where the crushed herb falls, and voila! Now you have what you need for a perfect pack. 

Some versions of grinders will be better than others at this part, and this has to do with the overall design, but particularly so with the teeth - the style, spacing, and sharpness. 

Features and Mods

“Window” style grinders are simply transparent or glass grinders, which to be honest, look really sleek and cool. These make cleaning and maintenance a breeze.

For those of us out there with carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis, some grinders even have features like cranks that rid you of that twisting motion. As we said before, these things run the gamut! 

Dry Herb Grinder Vibe and Style

You are going to have a lot of options when it comes to herb grinders, but for this blog, we will try and keep it simple. There are some fundamental types that you will be seeing. 

Some grinders are just a simple one stop shop, whereas others are made up of individual different parts that detach and re-attach. Some are even electronically based. We’ll get into these below. 

Carb Shredders

Most grinders are going to be fairly bulky, and unless you are wearing a hoodie or thick coat with front pockets, most grinders are not really suitable for on the go. 

Carb shredders are flat, and they can go in your wallet. They are usually flat and made of aluminum metal or plastic. This is something easy to have on deck when you are on the go and in a rush.

2 Piece Herb Grinder

The 2 piece is your standard herb grinder that you will see in virtually any vape or head shop. It is separated into the top and bottom, with grinding teeth on each inner end.

The type of grind you will get will vary from piece to piece, but you can get a fairly good gender from it. You may get some excess or wasted herb with this one, so it’s not the best, but it is fine in a pinch.

3-piece Herb Grinder

The 3 chamber herb grinder has an extra compartment to collect excess grind. The top part has teeth, then the matching center part also has teeth, a “collander” in the middle, and then a base for the rest.

You will get a more consistent grind with the 3 piece than the 2 piece, and you will get far less waste as well, which is good.

That said, waste is waste, and you are still getting more than you would like in the 3 piece, even if it is a step up. 

4 Piece Herb Grinder

A fourth chamber is where things start getting interesting and your dry herb turns into a fragrant powder. The additional chamber keeps this finely ground herb from ending up in the dustpan.

A 4 tier grinder will have a toothed top, toothed center, and bottom section with holes. These holes filter through the finely ground flower. Other elements, like sticky sap and terpenes, also get filtered through.

5 Piece Dry Herb Grinder

A 5 piece grinder is basically the same as a 4 piece, except with this one, you get a screen just for the terpene type material that separates terpenes from “terpene rich” flower matter.

The lowest chamber has the screen that is the finest, allowing only pure terpenes to pass through it. The screen above this is where terpene rich plant matter resides. 

The top and bottom of the 5 piece grinder will have your expected teeth on each side.

Grinder Bottles

These bottles resemble a prescription bottle with grinder teeth in the form of a twisty cap. 

Electric Grinder

Electric grinders come in the form of AC or USB type grinders. 

You will have to practice your grind with electric grinders, because it is not as intuitive or easy to gauge as manual grinders. 

Efforts are being made to simplify and streamline the process of grinding your herbs with an electric grinder. 

What makes a good grinder?

You want one main thing from your grinder: the best consistency, taste, and texture, but also zero waste. It is a tall order. 

Pay attention to the construction materials of the available grinders, as this will make all the difference. Price point may be a factor, but wood, plastic, metal grinders differ in key ways. 

If you ask us, we tend to gravitate towards metal grinders due to their safety and durability, but you may find reasons–aesthetic, cost related, or otherwise–to pick from wood, combo, or plastic grinders. Read on to get an idea of all of these.

Wood Grinder

Wood or bamboo grinders are in plentiful supply, and sometimes have metal or wood teeth. The price point is great, that is for sure.

While the appearance of the wood grinder is nice, and the price point does not hit you too hard in the wallet, these are not the most effective means of grinding up your dry herb, so if you do have one, stick to smaller nugs. 

Combination Grinder

If aesthetics are your thing, why not combine the beauty of a wood grinder with a metallic inner core/teeth. You can get the prettiness of a wood grinder with the effectiveness of sharp metal teeth for the perfect consistency. 

Plastic Grinder

Acrylic made plastic grinders are cheap, but surprisingly effective. You will find them in an array of styles and colors, and the teeth usually produce a great cut. 

However, plastic is prone to breaking, and there’s something really unappealing and flat out dangerous about getting plastic shards mixed up in your bowl when you are trying to have a sesh. So keep that word of caution in mind. 

Plastic grinders can be good in a pinch, but that is about it. 

Metal Grinder 

Metal herb grinders are what you should be seeking if you want a “forever grinder.” These are high quality and often very nice looking. Models will included anodized aluminum for cool designs, colors and styles,, stainless steel for the strength and durability, and titanium models for the luxury seekers.

We recommend anodized aluminum if you wanna switch up the style and looks. 

Best Weed Grinders in Mind

Grinders will be a staple of your sessions, and they are underrated in terms of being so crucial to the best sesh. Whether its a pipe, bong, bubbler, joint, blunt, or whatever, you will need a grinder.

Invest in a grinder that can stay around for a long time, and have a few novelty ones on the side to share with friends or to bring out of the woodwork as a little party favor.