The herb grinder is a faithful companion of smokers, a tool that was born as a tool for chopping tobacco and spices but is mostly used as a "grinder", as hemp enthusiasts fondly define it. An indispensable tool for those who cannot give up finely chopped tobacco or aromatics in a homogeneous and clean manner.
How to use weed grinder
The basic weed grinder has a cylindrical shape and is made up of 2 components which, when manually rotated in opposite directions, chop the inflorescences placed inside thanks to the series of blades arranged on the 2 internal surfaces. The blades or teeth of the grinders can be pyramidal (teeth shark), rhomboidal or needle-shaped. Usually a magnet is installed in the center of the cutting chamber which serves to keep the grinder closed avoiding the disconnection of the 2 components.
Which herbs can you grind?
This device is used to crush tobacco and aromatic inflorescences in a homogeneous manner in order to make them more usable for combustion or vaporization. It also allows reducing contact of the plant material with hands or contaminated cutting tools and preserving their aroma.
Where to buy grinder
Grinders are an item in the Head shop category (items for smokers - Paraphernalia) and can be purchased in almost all online grow shops and head shops, however the fame of this item is so widespread that there are also dedicated e-commerce sites, online grinder shops, and forums that provide information on new products as well as reviews and opinions on the quality of the models on the market.
Grinder models and types
This product is one of the veterans of the sector and has undergone countless evolutions and innovations over the years. In fact, today there are many types of grass grinders, different in materials, options and operation. Regarding materials, the cheapest grinders are made of acrylic, wood or iron, the most efficient and expensive grinders are made of anodized aluminum or even titanium. The structure of the grinder can be of various types and can include various components such as the pollinator component which sieves the inflorescences collecting their resin, or a watertight storage compartment for collecting the shredded material (medTainer grinder), or still a crank that rotates the blades more comfortably (crank Grinder).
In addition to the traditional 2-component models, the most popular types of grinders are the following:
Grinder pollinator
undoubtedly the most famous and best-selling grass grinder. This model, in addition to chopping the grass, allows you to gradually collect the resin, in fact the structure includes a sieve called a pollinator and a compartment for collecting the sifted material. The pollinator grinders can also have multiple levels of consecutive sieves and for a question of weight and aesthetics they are usually made of anodized aluminium. Currently the most requested pollinator on the market and with the best reviews is the Thorinder, which combines efficiency, style and high quality materials.
Electric grinder
the electric herb grinder is equipped with a battery and rotating blades that chop the inflorescences enclosed in a compartment, without the need to act manually. The most famous are torch-shaped, recently there are pen-shaped electric grinders on the market that allow you to fill comfortably a pre-rolled paper (or paper joint) while they are in operation.
Grinder Card
It consists of a metal card with laminated holes and is used like a grater. This grinder does not stand out for efficiency and quality but for convenience and simplicity, being able to be carried in your wallet or pocket discreetly.
Grinder Medtainer
This type of herb grinder is preferred by patients who use cannabis for medical purposes. It is essentially a watertight and partially odor-proof container (smell Proof ) with a built-in grinder. It has no particular functions and performances but the large container allows bring with you a fair amount of material to shred.
How to choose herb grinder
The choice of tobacco grinder among the multitude of existing models, beyond the quality of the materials and the aesthetics of the model, must take into account some requirements regarding utility. The size and weight of the herb grinder, for example, are a feature that limits portability, so those who always carry the tobacco grinder with them choose lightweight and small-sized models, such as the 4cm diameter pollinator grinders or the grinder cards.
Those who require impeccable efficiency of the tool independent of the quality and condition of the plant material to be shredded usually sacrifice convenience and portability and opt for high quality and larger sized herb grinders. For example in the presence of humid or poorly cleaned inflorescences an anodized aluminum grinder with a generous diameter and a denser blade finish works better than a grinder card, which instead requires correctly dried material to produce an acceptable result.
Those who prefer convenience and process large quantities of plant material choose the electric grinder which, despite being inconvenient to carry with you, allows you to grind larger quantities of tobacco automatically.
Then there are those who are aware of being careless or those who travel a lot who favor the simpler and cheaper herb grinder models, such as the acrylic grinders with pyramidal shark teeth or the wooden tobacco grinders with iron needles instead of blades. These models do not have efficiency and durability comparable to others but have a very low cost.
Cleaning and maintenance of the grinder
The grinder, given the frequency of use, needs to be correctly stored and cleaned. The acrylic or wooden models are cleaned manually, with shovels or plastic tools (metal tools could remove fragments of the grinder and mix them in the tobacco ).
For metal grinders, however, there are special solvents (grinder cleaner fluid) that dissolve the resin that settles in the cutting chamber, making cleaning easier. An aluminum grass grinder can last several years if properly maintained, therefore it is advisable to clean it frequently in the ways described above, avoiding using water or generic household products which could undermine its durability over time.
What are the best best grinder and pollinator
Below we will make a short list of the best grinders on the market: the best grinder on sale is undoubtedly the Thorinder by After Grow, with the exclusive lightning design, it is made of aluminum and stainless steel.
New on the market is definitely the beautiful SLX, created with cutting-edge materials and totally non-stick and anti-friction, to always keep it clean and efficient. Among the most popular we find: crank grinders, pollinator grinders, electric grinders and the new grinder cards.
There are now various manufacturers but one of the most requested and purchased on the market is undoubtedly the Black Leaf.
