How To Use a Grinder

How to Use a Grinder – Step by Step

Are you prepping for an upcoming smoke session? Be sure to have a grinder at your fingertips for the most efficient cannabis preparation. Whether you're a first-time user or just brushing up on your smoking etiquette, navigate this step-by-step guide for the ultimate grind.

What is a Grinder?

Grinders have been around for some time – and you may or may not be aware of the benefits of grinding your cannabis into an even and manageable consistency. There is a big difference between using a grinder vs. using your fingers or even scissors.

The most common types of grinders you will find are single chamber, double chamber, and triple chamber (kief collecting). Some grinders look and function like cheese graters—these are the most basic you can get!

There are many styles, designs, and quality levels for grinders; however, the concept remains the same: to tear apart the bud or cannabis into a consistent texture that is more functional to handle. 

Why Grind Weed With a Grinder?

There are many culprits for a harsh smoke session. One very common mishap is hurrying through the grinding process. Clogged bowls and tasteless bud are common occurrences when someone has rushed, or even worse, entirely skipped the grinding process.

Grinding cannabis is especially important if you want to fully experience the flavor profile of the strain you have selected. Taking care and understanding the features of your grinder leads to a smoother smoke. It would help if you were prepared to start using your grinder each time you indulge.

Once you understand and decide on your selected grinding tool, follow these instructions to unlock its full potential:

Step 1: Prepping Your Herb

Equally crucial as using a grinder is understanding how to prep your bud to be loaded into the grinder. Remove any noticeable water leaves. Break buds into smaller buds, remove any prominent stems as you are doing so. The more stems you can remove, the smoother the smoke. 

Pro tip: not everyone follows this step to prep their bud, but taking extra care in prepping your cannabis can lead to a drastically smoother smoke and taste – this also leads to better airflow regardless of the smoking device you choose to use.

Learn More: How to Make a Gravity Bong

Step 2: Loading Your Grinder

Remove the top portion of the grinder. This will expose a chamber with jaws that will tear the bud into more refined pieces. Imagine yourself feeding the jaws of a hungry shark – only instead, you are prepping a gourmet cannabis experience for your lungs.

Place the buds you have prepped into this chamber, avoiding the middle of the chamber where the magnet is located. Pushing down firmly – replace the top portion of the grinder.

Pro tip: it is always best to grind multiple batches instead of trying to jam-pack your grinder with bud. Patience is a virtue – taking extra care to the attention and detail while grinding your cannabis leads to a better bud consistency and an overall more pleasant smoking experience.

Step 3: Grinding the Weed

Grip the top and bottom portions of the grinder and give it a few spins. You will start to feel the bud give way and become looser after about 5-10 rotations of the grinder, depending on the amount and type of bud you have loaded into the chamber of your grinder.

You may need to remove the top of the grinder and reposition it for a second grind. If your bud is particularly sticky, you can give it a few taps so that everything falls through the holes to the collecting chamber.

Step 4: Finished Product

After feeding your bud to the hungry jaws of the first chamber of your grinder, unscrew the second chamber and find the processed bud in the belly below, awaiting your consumption. Load your bud into your smoking device of choice, and enjoy all of your hard work!

See More: Best Vapes For Cannabis

Step 5: Kief Collector

Does your grinder have an extra (triple) chamber? You may notice another compartment at the bottom of your grinder. One way to tell is to see if there is another more delicate mesh screen below the chamber that stores the processed bud. If so, you're in luck! 

Unscrew this lower chamber to access your kief collector for an extra special treat: your grinder has been collecting the resin glands that fall off of the bud during the process of grinding. Kief is concentrated with trichomes and is more potent when sprinkled on top of the bud.

Remember to check your kief collector every so often for a pleasant surprise. If you select a grinder with a larger lower chamber, you can collect a fair amount of kief at once. Try sprinkling this kief on top of a bowl or adding it to a joint or blunt for an extra potent experience.

Keeping Your Grinder Clean

Notice your grinder is too sticky to twist? Stop and celebrate! You’ve broken it in and have likely become familiar with its unique features. Now it’s time to give it a clean to make sure it continues to function as desired. Follow these quick steps:

• Similar to other smoking accessories, you can clean your grinder with isopropyl alcohol. The higher the alcohol percentage, the easier it will be to clean. Take apart the pieces of your grinder and submerge them in a cup or bowl of alcohol.
• You will probably have to do some rubbing to get your grinder to come clean – it may help to enlist the help of a small scrubbing brush, such as an old toothbrush. You can also use Q-Tips to get in between the jaws of the grinder.
• Rinse and dry your grinder after cleaning, and it should be as good as new! Repeat this process every time you notice your grinder is starting to become stuck or hard to turn.

Now that you know how to use your grinder – including its features and pieces be sure to keep it around for all of your smoke sessions. Experiment with different herb grinders to find out which delivers your preferred smoking consistency. Reminisce on the days of sticky fingers.