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The 10 Best Weed Grinders You Can Buy

Weeding out the competition to find the grinders actually worth your bud.

best weed grinders
Gear Patrol

Looking for more vetted cannabis recommendations? Check out our guides to weed strains, rolling papers, bongs, pipes, vaporizers, electric weed grinders and cannabis apps.



The grinder is every stoner's trusted sidekick: if you meet someone who smokes cannabis, they most definitely have a grinder. Yes, breaking up bud with fingers is an option, but there’s something special about the ritual of loading a grinder with a fat nug and twisting the top to reveal a lush pile of green goodness. Not all grinders are made alike, however, just like how some sidekicks can be disappointing and worthless (see: Snapper Carr, whose schtick was being a powerless, hip teen and ended up getting kicked out of the Justice League for revealing the location of their secret hideout to The Joker) or extraordinarily badass (see: Robin. He’s Robin! Look at the spinoffs!). Below, we’ve done the work of separating the Snappers from the Robins. These are the best weed grinders you can buy.

      What to Look for in a Weed Grinder

      As is often the case with a new venture, figuring out which device is right for you might seem very daunting. But we've put together some handy tips to make your search easier, quicker, and a lot less intimidating. That way, you'll be in the know before you even start your search.

      More Chambers, More Options

      A standard two-chamber grinder will get the job done, but your options become endless once you upgrade to one that has a kief catcher and additional chambers. A friend described adding “middle weed” — marijuana that’s not kief but finer than what typically gets used — to a Volcano to get a more flavorful high. Mess around with different combinations of consistencies to get different highs.

      Look for the Teeth

      The teeth shape, and the number of teeth, affect how the cannabis is broken up. However, more teeth doesn’t necessarily mean better (you don’t want weed that’s too fine right off the bat), and not enough teeth equals chunky flower and more time grinding.

      Material Matters

      There are three kinds of metals typically used to make grinders: zinc, aluminum and stainless steel. There are plastic grinders on the market, but you might encounter a broken tooth if you’re grinding tough weed. Additionally, cheaper grinders might be coated with paint or a finish, which could chip off and get into your cannabis. You definitely don’t want to inhale that!

      Grip Is Important

      The better grip a grinder has, the easier it’s going to be to use. And an easier grip means you have to use less torque (the measure of force that causes an object to rotate around an axis) to grind the weed. That’s important if you’re a user who experiences a lot of hand pain.

      Don’t Be Afraid to Splurge

      Grinders get a lot of use. A cheaper grinder might not last you as long as something made of high-quality metal. Paying more gives you the peace of mind that a tooth won’t break, the product won’t flake, and nothing funky from the grinder is getting into your marijuana. And if you're looking to save your hands, we've also vetted the very best electric weed grinders for easy use.

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      How to Use a Weed Grinder
      weed flower in a grinder
      Sean Tirman

      Obviously, the minutiae of your weed grinder's operation may vary (you may have one with a single chamber, for instance, but there are two- and three-chambered options out there, also), but there are a few basics that just about all of them have in common. And knowing these basics will allow you to use just about any grinder effectively (if not perfectly). Trust us, it's not as complicated as it might seem. We've outlined these basic steps below. For reference, the one we used in the photo above is the Higher Standards Aerospaced grinder.

      Start with Fresh Flower

      This probably goes without saying, but cannabis grinders are to be used with fresh/dried flower (your traditional pot plants/buds/etcetera, to be clear). If you try and put concentrate or wax or oil into your grinder, the only thing you're going to get is a mess. And you might end up ruining your grinder altogether. Just don't do it. Another note: you don't have to remove the stems, sticks and seeds prior to grinding (despite what Dr. Dre says). You can if you really want to, but they won't hurt you.

      Load the Grinder

      With your buds in hand, all you have to do is break them up into smaller pieces that fit snugly between the teeth of your grinder. You can put as much or as little as you want, so long as it doesn't block the lid from closing correctly. However, we'd recommend starting small, as your weed will dry out quicker if you grind too much and have to leave it out for subsequent bowls. Again, don't overthink it — it ain't rocket science.

      Get Your Grind On

      Replace the lid of your grinder and then, using two hands, twist the lid opposite the body of your grinder — like tightening a screw or water bottle lid. You should feel some resistance; that's just the buds getting broken up. Once you feel the resistance let up, you may want to twist your lid the other way to make sure you've got it all or even turn it upside down for a few twists (don't worry, you can always put the lid back on and twist it again).

      Empty the Chamber

      The next step is as simple as it gets: open up your grinder and if you're satisfied with the grind, remove your ground cannabis. That's it. That's the whole process. See? We told you it was simple. And remember: if you open your grinder and you're not happy, you can just grind it some more. No stress, no fuss.

      How We Tested
      grinders
      John Zientek

      A lot of weed was harmed in the testing of this buying guide. To test out these cannabis grinders we, of course, had to grind a lot of marijuana. Price was a huge factor that played into how we chose the picks for this guide, and while some of these are more expensive than you'd expect from a weed grinder, we found that features, materials and effectiveness justified those price tags. We judged weed grinders on how well they actually did grinding up cannabis, as well as how easy it was to grind.

      Finally, looks matter. We're in a new age of weed gear, which means weed paraphernalia doesn't need to look like it just came out of your typical head shop. Pretty much every option on this list wouldn't look out of place lying around your coffee table.

      To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

      Best Overall Weed Grinder
      Higher Standards Aerospaced
      Higher Standards
      Best Upgrade Weed Grinder
      Santa Cruz Shredder
      Santa Cruz Shredder
      Best Looking Weed Grinder
      Sackville & Co. Signature Grinder
      Sackville and Co.
      Best Clean Weed Grinder
      Cali Crusher Cali O.G. 2.5" Grinder
      Cali Crusher
      Best Budget Weed Grinder
      Raw Threads Raw Grinder Card
      Courtesy
      Best Weed Grinder to Last a Lifetime
      Phoenician Grinders Mini Grinder
      Etsy
      Best Discreet Weed Grinder
      Flower by Edie Parker Grinder Case
      Flower by Edie Parker
      Best Smart Weed Grinder
      Banana Bros OG Otto
      Amazon
      Best Dishwasher-Safe Weed Grinder
      Herb Ripper Classic Grinder
      Herb Ripper
      Best Crank Weed Grinder
      SharpStone Hand Crank Grinder
      SharpStone
      New & Upcoming Weed Grinders
      Pax

      Pax Grinder: We haven't yet gotten our hands on this new grinder to test it for ourselves, but given that it's made by our favorite vape brand, we wanted to at least give it a mention. Pax's new three-piece grinder is made from aluminum and closes via magnets instead of having a threaded screw-top lid. It retails for $55.

      Amanda Reed is Gear Patrol’s cannabis lifestyle writer.
      Sean Tirman has been a Gear Patrol's Growth Team member since 2021 and has been professionally writing about gear since 2016.
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