Grinder

A grinder is a handheld tool that shreds dried cannabis flower into a uniform consistency for rolling, packing, or vaporizing. The standard design is a cylindrical body in two or more interlocking sections, each lined with sharp teeth or pegs — often diamond- or shark-tooth shaped — that tear flower as the user twists the halves against each other. Quality models use magnetic closures to keep the sections aligned. Piece counts denote functional complexity. A two-piece grinder consists only of a lid and a grinding chamber; flower remains among the teeth. A three-piece adds a lower collection chamber separated from the teeth by holes, so ground material falls through while larger pieces stay up top. A four-piece adds a fine mesh screen (typically around 100 microns) beneath the collection chamber, with a kief catcher below that accumulates trichome heads dislodged by grinding — these resin crystals are far more potent than flower and can be collected over weeks for cooking or topping bowls. Common materials include anodized aluminum, stainless steel, wood, acrylic, and plastic, with diameters from 1.5 to 3 inches. Electric grinders speed processing for large volumes. → See also: Kief (Part 3), Rolling tray. ---