Are you new to the cannabis scene? If so, then you may be wondering what exactly is a marijuana grinder. Essentially, it’s a handheld tool that you use to grind large marijuana buds up into a finer, ground-up consistency. Doing this results in a bowl of cannabis that feels significantly smoother to smoke. It also makes the buds much easier to wrap in blunt or rolling paper.
Of course, there are ways to grind marijuana without using a weed grinder. You can just break up large buds with your own hands, with scissors, or even with your car keys. However, by doing so, you’ll have to work harder and for longer to get the same consistency that a grinder can provide. Manually grinding marijuana may also lead to bigger chunks that will cause your bowl to not burn as evenly, which can affect your smoking experience and also cause some buds to get wasted.
Moreover, it’s only with a good herb grinder that you’ll be able to harvest all the kief that usually gets lost when you grind marijuana using other methods. Kief is the accumulation of the luminous resin trichome crystals that form on the leaves and buds of marijuana plants. These crystals are a very potent and concentrated form of cannabis, and they can really enhance the effects of your buds or edibles when you sprinkle it on them before consumption. Because of this, you want to save all the kief from your marijuana that you can, and the kief catcher at the bottom of a marijuana grinder automatically does that for you.
Now that we know why it’s worth getting the best grinder you can buy for your weed, let’s discuss how one works. We’ll also be sharing with you some tips on how to get the most of your grinder.
How does a marijuana grinder work?
A marijuana grinder works in the same manner as a handheld pepper grinder or mill. A typical grinder has two interlocking halves that pull apart to reveal metal teeth on their insides. These teeth are designed to shred and grind cannabis into a fine consistency when the two interlocked halves are twisted repeatedly in different directions.
You will also notice that the “floor” of the bottom half of the grinder has holes in it, much like a sieve or colander. These holes are where the marijuana buds will fall through once they’re ground finely enough, allowing them to gather in the storage chamber underneath. This is to ensure that all the marijuana placed inside the grinder is exposed to the grinding action, as well as to keep any of it from spilling and being wasted.
So to work a marijuana grinder, all you have to do is to pull apart the two halves of the grinder and place dried marijuana buds amongst the metal teeth. Then, re-lock the two halves and then twist them repeatedly in different directions. After ten or so twisting motions, you can then unscrew the storage chamber from the lower half of the grinder to see your freshly-ground marijuana, ready for you to use it whichever way you desire.
Some marijuana grinders have an additional storage chamber right underneath the first one. This chamber is called the kief catcher, and it is where the crystal kief falls into during the grinding process. Unscrew this from the bottom of the grinder and scrape up the kief using a paper scraper to sprinkle it back into your bowl or edibles of choice for a more powerful kick. You can also store this precious powder for later use.
Now that we know how a marijuana grinder works, here are some tips to get the most out of your marijuana grinder.
- Don’t overfill the marijuana grinder. It may be tempting to stuff the grinder full of marijuana to save time. However, doing so can result in your ground cannabis not being as fine as it would be if you placed only a moderate amount inside the grinder.
- Keep twisting the grinder until there’s zero resistance. One convenient tip to check if your marijuana is done grinding is to see how the twisting action feels. You’ll know when you’re done when a full twist feels smooth and without any resistance as if you were operating an empty grinder.
- Clean your grinder regularly. When using your marijuana grinder, it’s a given that its insides will end up a bit sticky from the resin released from the buds. If you allow this resin to accumulate, it can gum up your grinder to the point that you may have a lot of difficulties getting it to work or even unscrewing the two halves apart. As such, make a habit of cleaning the insides of your grinder with isopropyl alcohol and salt to remove the resin. You can also use this mixture to clean your pipes, bowls, and bongs.
- Use a small clean toothbrush to get all the kief scraped off. Even if your marijuana grinder has a kief catcher, there’s a chance that some particles will get stuck in the chamber separators. Use a small, hard-bristled toothbrush to gently scrape them loose. Don’t use a wire brush since this could scrape off metal particulates into your kief instead.
- Put your grinder in the freezer for stubborn resin stains. If you’re having a hard time cleaning adhered resin from your grinder, put the entire thing in your freezer for a day or so. This will harden the resin and make it easier to scrape off.
Improve how you enjoy your daily cannabis intake with a marijuana grinder
When it comes to marijuana accessories, a marijuana grinder may seem like a frivolous purchase. There are many other ways to grind cannabis after all, from simply chopping them up with a knife to even just breaking the buds apart with your hands. However, the fact remains that marijuana grinders ensure that you get smooth, evenly-ground cannabis with every use. Moreover, they also allow you to keep all of the crystal kief from your buds, something that can be difficult to do with other marijuana grinding methods.
With all these benefits, any marijuana enthusiast should seriously consider hunting for the best weed grinder they can find for their needs and budget. Doing so can really improve the way they enjoy their daily intake of this therapeutic herb.
