With all the gadgets taking up space on dispensary shelves these days, it’s hard to determine what you really need and what’s merely supplemental. There’s one gadget that’s been tried and true for decades that you absolutely need in your stash—a grinder! If you’re not using one, you’re probably not getting the most out of your bud. Do you need a grinder that’s super fancy or expensive? Not necessarily. We’ve answered some frequently asked questions about grinders so that you can pack and roll the most sustainable, balanced bowls and joints.
Do You Need a Grinder When You’re Packing a Bowl?
You obviously need something to break up your flower when you’re rolling a joint or a blunt. Otherwise, you’d be trying to stuff a whole bud into a thin piece of paper, which definitely would not work. But a bowl or bong has plenty of room to just plop a piece of weed in and smoke with no hassle or added time, so why do you need a grinder if it just adds an extra step?
Not only does using a grinder when you smoke out of a bowl make for smoother hits, but it also keeps your bowl from getting clogged with large pods of ash. Finely-ground weed turns into thinner ash that’s easy to clean out. Large, unground bud will likely clog the piece. So whether you’re smoking out of a bowl, joint, blunt, vaporizer, or makeshift apple bong, break up your bud.
Can You Just Use Your Fingers?
Fingers are among the worst grinding tools out there. This method will leave your fingers coated in a layer of resin, which contains trichomes concentrated in THC. So you’re wasting valuable THC on your hands instead of smoking it. And whatever bud that does make it into the pack could be damaged by the natural oils on your skin.
And that’s not all. Using your fingers doesn’t break up the bud as effectively as a grinder. Evenly ground weed creates more pleasant and predictable hits. If the weed is not finely ground, you could catch a big piece with your lighter and end up with a much heavier hit than you desired. This can decimate half the bowl before it makes it around the circle and sends you into a coughing fit. Using a grinder makes your smoke session less wasteful and allows everyone to get the hit that they want.
What Kind of Grinder Do You Need?
No matter how frequently you roll a joint or pack a bowl, every smoker should have a four-piece grinder. They’re pretty straightforward: you stick your weed in the top chamber, put the lid on, and twist it to grind. The broken-up bud will fall into the second chamber, which you open to start packing.
The reason four-piece grinders are especially great, though, is the kief catcher. This is where the tiny trichomes that are highly concentrated in THC fall into. When you’ve ground enough weed, you can scrape it up and top off your bowl for an extra special smoke session.
You also want to pay attention to what your grinder is made of. Most are made of wood, plastic, or aluminum, which aren’t the most durable materials. So do you need a grinder encrusted with diamonds? Obviously not. But putting a little extra cash into a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic grinder will get you a durable, safe, and high-quality tool.
Get Yourself a Grinder!
So the short answer to the original question is yes, you do need a grinder of some sort. To step up your joint-rolling and bowl-packing game, keep in mind these three things when you’re buying your new grinder:
- Stick to four-piece grinders with kief catchers.
- The finer it grinds, the better.
- If you’ve got the cash, invest in a grinder made with durable materials.
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