One easy way to take better care of your weed is by investing in a grinder. Grinders are cheap and simple, and they keep your dirty hands from ruining your weed.
The most basic type of grinder is called the two-part grinder. Its name comes from the fact that it’s made up of only two parts: two matching plates with inward facing teeth.
Because of their simple design, two-part grinders are the usually the cheapest, especially if they’re made of plastic. There are some that are made completely out of metal, and while these are a little more expensive, they are impressively sharp and will last you a lifetime.
To use a two-part grinder, place some of your buds in between the teeth of the plates and then turn the plates in opposite directions. Be careful not to grind too many times, though: It is very easy to over-grind your weed.
One annoying thing about working with two-part grinders is that you need some kind of container to dump your weed into after it is ground. While a tabletop will usually suffice, things get tricky when you find yourself in a vehicle with no papers or CD covers to use as a surface.
Three-part grinders are made up of two bladed plates like two-part grinders, but they have an additional piece that attaches to the bottom. This third part acts as a container that catches your weed after it is ground.
Unlike two-part grinders that continuously grind your weed, three-part grinders have little holes which allow weed to fall into the container section after it has been crushed to a certain size.
Three-part grinders are a little more convenient because they don’t require you to dump your weed out onto some separate container. They really come in handy when you’re on the go because they can be sealed shut to keep your weed from spilling or from smelling up the place.
Weed is a lot easier to work with when it is ground. It is perfect for rolling joints because it is smooth and doesn’t have any awkward lumps or sharp stems to poke holes in your papers.
It is also perfect for packing into bowls because it burns evenly without clogging up your pipe.
Three-part grinders require the least amount of physical contact with your weed. Breaking weed apart with your fingers is not only time consuming, it also usually causes a lot of the keif to rub off.
Keif is the pollen-like crystals on the outer coat of weed. It is sweet and sticky, and it is very high in THC.
Unfortunately, keif usually sticks to the grease and dirt on your fingers, which is why your hands end up really sticky after manually breaking weed apart. Using a grinder helps your weed stay clean and allows all the keif to remain intact, which is
important because more keif means a stronger high.
If you really love keif, then you should consider a four-part grinder. These have one more compartment at the bottom that catches and collects all the keif that falls off your weed. This extra section is often called a pollen catcher, and it is separated from the rest of the grinder by a special screen that only allows the tiny keif crystals to fall through.
Keif is delicious and you can sprinkle it over your bowls or across the inside of your joints for a sweet, but extremely potent high.
It does not take long for keif to accumulate in the bottom compartment. Depending on what kind of weed you use, it only takes a few days for a good amount to build up. If you wait a couple weeks though, you’ll be in for an even tastier surprise.
If you do end up buying a grinder with a pollen catcher, make sure it comes with a little plastic shovel. It stores nicely inside its compartment, and will make your life a lot easier when it’s time to scoop out some keif.
Even if your grinder doesn’t have a pollen catcher, you can still extract and smoke all the keif that inevitably sticks to the teeth. To do this, simply freeze your grinder. The cold temperature will cause all the keif to unstick and fall off after a few quick thuds against a hard surface.
LEO OCAMPO can be reached at gocampo@ucdavis.edu.
