I vape a lot of weed and I expect a lot out of my herb grinders.

While I certainly have my favorites, I thoroughly enjoy testing and comparing weed grinders and understanding the differences between them.

To better understand my grinder reviews and recommendations, I’ve put together this list of my methods and grinder expectations.

#1 Priority – Give me a Good Grind Consistency

The first one is pretty easy to achieve. The grinder needs to work.

I need my herb grinder to take my nug and break it into a not-quite-powder sized consistency.

The grind should all be the same. There should be no chunks that are obviously larger than the rest. Both vaporizers and smoking devices benefit greatly from a consistent grind.

I don’t care about Fine, Medium, or Coarse grinds – those are personal preference – I only care about consistency.

Most grinders will pass this test while clean, but more than half fail while the grinder is dirty.

#2 Time Between Cleaning / Required Maintenance

My ideal grinder is one that requires no regular maintenance and no cleaning. The closest I have found to this experience is the Brilliant Cut grinder and the Santa Cruz Shredder.

A weed grinder should never fail me, and I should never be forced to clean my weed grinder.

– Spoiled As Fuck by the Brilliant Cut

While everyone loves a clean grinder and the clean grinder experience, very few grinders continue to operate once they’re caked with months worth of THC.

I push my grinders as hard as I can UNTIL THEY FAIL or until I am convinced THEY WILL NOT FAIL.

Interface & Experience

Number 1 and 2 filter out all the non-working grinders. Going beyond the basics, it comes down to the grinding experience and how the herb grinder integrates into my rituals and habits.

I vape a lot of weed and I may open my grinder 30 times per day or more. Little seconds here or there and little extra steps and complications stand out as inconveniences while easier to use grinders are highlighted as more efficient.

Grinders have been around for a long time and the basic twist and threaded aluminum grinder can absolutely be enough – Santa Cruz Shredder is the KING of the standard weed grinder.