You don't need a grinder to be able to smoke cannabis but if you want to save flower, save money, and enjoy evenly smoked cannabis then you NEED to buy one.
Breaking sticky buds using your fingers or scissors works to a point but it always ends up giving you uneven bits, wastes valuable resin, and you may even accidentally cut yourself.
Grinders make your life that bit easier by removing all these negatives while adding lots of benefits.
Grinders are small, affordable (unless you want that 24-karat gold Phoenecian grinder), easy to use devices that break up larger cannabis chunks into smaller more manageable pieces ready for smoking. Like anything else on the market, there are lots of different types of grinders but they all essentially do the same thing.
Types of Grinders
There are two-piece grinders, three-piece grinders, or four-piece grinders. The upper section of all grinders have “teeth” that shred your cannabis into tiny bits which are then collected in a compartment below ready to use.
For the most part, you want to avoid two-piece grinders. Although they’re smaller and more discreet, they end up being messy. Three-piece grinders are a good step up as the teeth and the collection compartment are separate.
The best choice is a four-piece magnetic grinder. Most grinders have a magnetic lid which avoids any unnecessary spills while allowing easy access to fill your grinder with flower.
A four-piece grinder shreds your cannabis which falls through holes into a compartment below. Below that again is a special screen (like a sieve) that allows even smaller particles (tiny and potent cannabis crystals) to fall through and gather in an additional chamber at the very bottom. The collected dust is known as kief, which is basically highly concentrated cannabis.
Grinders can be made from plastic, wood, or metal and which one you choose is entirely personal. Plastic grinders are the cheapest but they break easier and are bad for the environment. Wooden or metal grinders are a better choice and can last a lifetime.
We recommend a four-piece magnetic metal grinder such as this one. There are more expensive and elaborate grinders, but if you’re just starting, this will do you nicely.
Now you know what to buy, here’s how to use it.
How to Use a Grinder
Step 1 – Remove the magnetic lid and place small chunks of cannabis flower amongst the “teeth” of the second layer (there are teeth in the lid too).
Step 2 – Replace the lid and rotate it for about half a minute. This will shred the cannabis and cause it to through small holes into the compartment below.
Step 3 – Twist the second part to reveal the chamber which contains your finely ground herb. Place this herb into your vape/pipe/paper and you’re ready to go.
Step 4 – After a while, kief will begin to build up in the bottom-most compartment. This can then be added to your existing cannabis or smoked on its own. It is highly potent and arguably the best part of the whole experience.