Grinders save you money, give you better effects and a superior, more even burn. They are likely the most critical tool you have if you are a cannabis user. It doesn't matter if you are doing massive bong rips, rolling blunts and joints, or using a cool chillum, or a common spoon pipe, properly ground weed goes much further and becomes more effective when you grind it with a quality grinder. Let me be straight forward. I've had a lot of grinders, and yes, the ones with the grinding handle/lever always break. Forget them. I did have one last over a year, but that's another story for later. Anywho, I've been through a lot of grinders. The new great (expensive) brands, the cheap acrylic ones, and everything in-between. I know a thing or two about them and how they work... and last.
What Makes A Good Weed Grinder?
The quality of materials, plus the quality of engineering equals a great grinder. Let's go through some of the materials used.
Acrylic/Plastic Grinders
Let's get with reality, acrylic/plastic grinders are cheap for a reason. They are the starter grinder, and as starters, we all learn from our mistakes when they really disappoint. These disappoint magnificently. Things break and crack under pressure, ruining the grinder in fairly short order if you don't take it easy on them. I would suggest you break your buds up in much smaller sizes to grind with these types. I would also think it safe to assume the engineering is not very high quality because what's the use if the material is weak by nature compared to metals?
Wooden Grinders
No... just no, stop it! One look at them may be cool if you are thinking of decades-old history. It's basically a top and bottom with nails driven through them to grind the weed. These grinders break, the nails bend, they wad up your expensive cannabis and ruin your baking time before it even starts.
Electric Grinders
Yep, they have electric grinders for cannabis just like they do for coffee. Are they worth the money? In most cases, yes, but not always. They do a great job but can cost a pretty penny. But if you have parties or get-togethers and need a half oz or more ground up consistently to roll cones or blunts, this is your bad boy.
Stone Grinders
Expensive and will make you cry when a grinding tooth falls off or a crack emerges. In my mind, they are more art than an actual workpiece.
Metal Grinders
These are the best you can get. They hold their cutting edges better and will last a very long time if you keep them relatively clean. I've been using the "Kozo Best Herb Grinder" for a couple of years now. I bought it on Amazon, paid about 35 bucks at the time if I remember correctly. Any bet's the price has dropped since I've purchased? It's made from aluminum and is well-engineered. It's well designed, has a lot of reviews, and is made from aluminum. These are the reasons I bought this particular grinder.
Pay Attention To Grinder Reviews
Quantity materials plus a high average review make an Amazon purchase a pretty good bet. Poor engineering makes the pieces not fit together tightly and smoothly, and this creates grooves in the metal, causing hangups. I'm not telling you to buy what I've bought, but I am teaching you how to find a good grinder on Amazon for a very reasonable price. You should expect to spend in the $15.00 to $40.00 range for a quality grinder and options. Different grinders have different results. Stick to metal (I prefer aluminum) and read the reviews. You may see a pattern of hangups being voiced in the reviews. That would be a good indicator of the quality of engineering. Now you know what to look for, and why you're looking for it, plus a decent and predictable price range you can expect.