The 9 Best Herb Grinders in 2023 for Efficient Smoking, Vaping and Kief Building

Today you’re getting a list of the best weed grinders on the market.

From weed grinders made to build up tons of kief, to weed grinders that grind your herb powder-fine…

By the end of this post you will take your cannabis use to the next level with a top quality weed grinder. We divide grinders in the following three categories:

4-Piece Grinders (for catching and building Kief)

2- and 3-Piece Grinders (for finer grinds and portability)

Electric Grinders (for massive convenience)

First up…

4-Piece Weed Grinders for Building Up Large Amounts of Kief

These grinders are THE go-to grinders if you want to build up kief.

A 4-piece grinder has a special screen at the bottom of it. All the little crystals and trichomes that fall through while you’re grinding, get caught in this screen.

Over time, this kief will build up nicely. With this kief, you’ll have an extremely potent herbal bland at your disposal. You can sprinkle kief over your weed to give it some extra potency for example. Or vape it/smoke it all by itself (be careful though this will be extremely potent and hard-hitting).

Just remember:

Because of their size, 4-piece grinders are not the best choice if you have portability as a high priority.

Keeping this in mind, let’s start with our best 4-piece weed grinder.

1. Santa Cruz Shredder, 4-Piece, Medium Size (Best for Coarse Grinds)

The Santa Cruz Shredder is also known as the ‘medical-grade’ weed grinder. It has quite the history and reputation of being one of the highest quality weed grinders you can get.

This has several reasons:

• It has anodized threaded surfaces to prevent damage that usually occurs between 2 sliding metals, which means you will always be safe from micro-parts of aluminum polluting your herb;
• A very easy grip and rotation (doesn’t require strength to grind);
• Medical-grade ultrasonic cleansing procedures straight when it comes out of the manufacturing process. This is to remove any contaminants that get released during the manufacturing process;
• It’s extremely reliable, durable and scratch-resistant.

These features make the Santa Cruz Shredder the best option if you’re obsessive about health or safety.

It’s also the only grinder that really ‘shreds’ your weed instead of grinding it.

What this means is that your herb will come out ‘fluffy’ and with some volume keeping most trichomes on your herb.

This fluffy grind is GREAT for pure convection vapes like the Firefly 2 or VapeXhale Cloud EVO.

A large 4-piece grinder usually means there’s a lot of kief build-up. But the Santa Cruz Shredder does fall short in this area when you compare it to the 4-piece Space Case Grinders.

It gets better:

Its size is big enough to grind any amount of weed of any type with minimal effort.

The bottom line is:

I highly recommend Santa Cruz Shredders. They’re my favorite grinders. I mostly use convection vaporizers and prefer fluffy grinds.

Click to see the most recent price:

• US – (PlanetOfTheVapes / PuffItUp)
• Europe – (VapoShop) 
• Amazon – (Worldwide) 

Next up…

2. Phoenician Grinder, 4-Piece, Large (Best Materials & Build Quality)

When it comes to 4-piece grinders made from clean and certified materials, Phoenician grinders make it to the top of the list.

This grinder is made from DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) compliant 6061-T6 aluminum. This type of aluminum is also used in medical devices.

If you want to minimize health risks to the best of your ability, Phoenician grinders are among the safest grinders you can get.

They’re highly resistant to corrosion.

Add to that this grinder’s amazing build-quality and you got the perfect recipe for a grinder that will last you possibly decades.

Why is the build-quality of this grinder much better than average?

Everything clicks, slides and grinds smoothly. With cheaper grinders, you can almost always notice there are some small malformations that take away from the longevity of the grinder.

But not so with Phoenician. These grinders are manufactured with the greatest attention to detail. Even more so than other premium grinders like the Santa Cruz Shredder or Space Case grinders.

This grinder has the best build quality of all grinders on the list.

And that’s reflected in the price. It’s also one of the most expensive options on the list. But it does come with a lifetime limited warranty. The warranty is only applicable to the functional aspects of the grinder components, which include: the grinder teeth, the lock notch couplings and the screen brace.

The grind itself is more on the coarse. Which means this grinder is great for convection vapes and joints. But less good for conduction vaporizers.

If you want to use this grinder for conduction vaporizers, I recommend getting a MFLB finishing Grinder for a second round of grinding after you used this one.

It’s also the largest grinder on the list. This can be good or bad based on your preference.

Its size does make it feel a bit clunky in use for me personally.

But if you have very large hands or just prefer large grinders, this grinder is perfect.

Also, there are smaller versions of the same grinder available, if you prefer smaller size.

Click to see the most recent price:

• US (they ship internationally) – (Phoenician Official Website)

3. Planet of the Vapes 4-Piece Grinder (Best Budget 4-Piece Grinder)

4-piece grinders are generally a bit pricey.

Especially if you want a 4-piece grinder from a reputable brand, you will often pay more than $50.

Well, this is the only 4-piece grinder on the list that comes from a reputable brand, but will cost you less than $50. It will cost you around $25.

The best part?

While the build-quality of this grinder isn’t as good as the premium options on the list…

It’s much better than the average 4-piece grinder from Amazon.

Now:

In the past there were some issues with users cleaning this grinder with 90%+ ISO alcohol and paint coming off. This can still happen.

Planet of the Vapes themselves recommend against using ISO alcohol to clean this grinder. Instead, they recommend using warm water and detergent.

Why can most premium grinders be cleaned with ISO alcohol, but not this one?

Well one possible explanation is that this grinder is made from Aircraft Grade Anodized Aluminum. While this is high quality aluminum, it’s not as high quality as the aluminum from the premium brands.

For example:

Phoenician grinders are made from 6061-T6 aluminum, which more resistant to corrosion.

This could be the reason why this grinder can’t handle ISO alcohol.

When it comes to grind consistency, it’s on the coarse side. Not as coarse as the Santa Cruz Shredder or Phoenician, but coarser than the Space Case.

So it’s good for convection vapes. For conduction vapes either you have to turn the grinder upside down or use the MFLB finishing grinder to get the herb powder fine.

The grinder doesn’t come with a warranty. But it turned out to be reliable over the past 4 years.

If you’re looking for a cheap and effective 4-piece grinder for catching kief, this is it.

Click to see the most recent price:

• US (they ship internationally) – (PlanetOfTheVapes)

Next up…

4. Space Case Grinder Titanium 4-Piece, Medium Size (Best for Kief)

Space Case is one of those heavyweight brands in the weed grinder world.

Unlike the majority of grinders…

Space Case grinders will last you for 10+ years, without degrading in performance or any materials/coatings coming off.

The build-quality of Space Case grinders is unparalleled.

Performance-wise, this weed grinder tears through the hardest nugs with minimal effort every time.

This weed grinder is our top pick if you’re looking for the easiest and most consistent grind. First, you don’t need to be grinding for a long time to get the same grind-consistency with all of your herb. Second, it’s very easy to get the exact same grind consistency every time you grind.

It’s also unquestionably the best grinder for catching kief. The kief build-up with this grinder after 10-15 grinds is already so much, you will feel obliged to start using your kief.

Don’t you hate it when you pull out your grinder, see all the resin and dirt between the grinding teeth…

And realize that you can’t grind yet, but need to clean first?

Well, with Space Case grinders cleaning isn’t needed. Especially with the Titanium Space Case Grinders:

Nothing sticks to this grinder. Your herb will slide off the grinding teeth like soft butter slides off a knife.

Although the grind of the Space Case Grinder is finer than that of the Santa Cruz Shredder…

4-piece grinders can’t grind as fine as 2-piece grinders.

If you’re looking for a really fine grind (for conduction vapes), you’re going to have to go for a proper 2-piece grinder.

For anything else than conduction vapes, this 4-piece grinder will be perfect.

And since the main reason why you would get a 4-piece grinder is to catch kief, and this Space Case Grinder catches kief like nobody’s business…

It’s one of the best options on the list.

Click to see the most recent price:

• US – (PlanetOfTheVapes / PuffItUp)
• Europe – (VapoShop) 
• Amazon – (Worldwide) 

Next up…

2- and 3-Piece Weed Grinders: for the Finest Grind & Portability

A 2-piece grinder is the simplest of them all.

You just have a top-piece and a bottom-piece which rotate against each other.

2-piece grinders are actually my favorite grinders. Why? Because they’re easy to use, compact, small and portable.

3-piece grinders have a compartment to catch the finer parts of your bud, but not kief. You could also store any bud that you didn’t use after your grind in this compartment.

This is great for portability since easily being able to store some extra herb is always handy.

Both 2- and 3-piece grinders are practical, easy to use and quite a bit cheaper than 4-piece grinders.

Starting with our first 2-piece / 3-piece weed grinder…

1. Santa Cruz Shredder (2- or 3-Piece, Medium Size)

You already know why the Santa Cruz Shredders are among our top picks:

• Medical-grade materials and design;
• Extremely reliable and durable: will last you 10+ years without degrading in performance;
• Extremely easy to use;
• Gives a fluffy grind, which is especially good for convection vapes (and I love it for blunts/joints too).

But the 4-piece Santa Cruz Shredders are expensive.

Luckily the 3- and 2-piece versions are much more affordable.

They just don’t catch any kief.

Now:

This doesn’t necessarily have to be a con for everyone.

I don’t need a kief catcher. I like to brush out kief immediately out of my grinder into my vape.

Also, they’re more compact, and especially with the small 2-piece grinders you can get a very fine grind. For this, it’s better to grind upside down.

The Space Case 2-Piece Grinder does grind finer than the Santa Cruz Shredder.

But no grinder is better if you’re into fluffy grinds. If you want to keep a certain amount of volume and most of the trichomes on your herb, the SCZ is best. Fluffy grinds work best for convection vapes.

I also like a fluffy grind for blunts and joints, but the type of grind for blunts and joints is personal.

The bottom line is:

If you want:

• a fluffy grind, or,
• want the ‘safest’ grinder,

but don’t need to catch kief, the 2- or 3-piece Santa Cruz Shredder is the grinder you should get.

Click to see the most recent price:

• US – (PlanetOfTheVapes / PuffItUp)
• Europe – (VapoShop) 
• Amazon – (Worldwide) 

Next up…

2. Space Case Grinder Titanium (2-Piece, Medium Size)

The Space Case 2-piece grinders, performance-wise, are the best 2-piece grinders.

Here’s why:

• You can choose to go for a coarse or fine grind. It’s controllable with how fast and how often you rotate. A fluffy grind is difficult though;
• These grinders are extremely consistent. When you got your technique down you’ll get the exact same results every time;
• Any Space Case Grinder grinds through the hardest and biggest nugs with unmatched ease;
• Just like the Santa Cruz Shredders, they’re extremely reliable and durable (they last up to 10+ years).

Now:

If you’re looking for something portable, you probably don’t want to be messing around with annoying cleaning sessions.

Well, this beast of a grinder needs no cleaning.

It’s also the best 2-piece grinder to get a fine grind with. Fine grinds are best for if you have a conduction vape or you just like rolling compact and fully packed joints.

Click to see the most recent price:

• US – (PlanetOfTheVapes)
• Europe – (VapoShop) 
• Amazon – (Worldwide) 

Next up…

3. Cali Crusher (2-Piece)

This Cali Crusher 2-piece grinder is a ‘good’ grinder.

But it doesn’t get any more than ‘good’. Because its quality lags behind the Space Case Grinders or Santa Cruz Shredders.

Here’s why:

The 2-piece Space Case Grinders:

• grind easier,
• grind finer,
• have better build quality,

than this 2-piece Cali Crusher.

But keep in mind:

These grinders are cheaper than the average grinder. And they are still better than most grinders on the market.

Click to see the most recent price:

• Amazon – (Worldwide) 
• Europe – (VapoShop) 

Next up…

4. Magic Flight Finishing Grinder (2-Piece)

The MFLB Finishing Grinder is THE go-to grinder if you have a conduction vaporizer like the PAX 2, PAX 3 or MFLB.

It grates your herb into a super-fine powder which is perfect for conduction vapes.

The only downside is that you will have to pre-grind your herb. It just has a hard time cutting your herb up when you put whole nugs into it.

But as a finishing grinder for powder-fine grinds, it’s the best you can get!

Click to see the most recent price:

• US – (PlanetOfTheVapes)
• Europe – (VapoShop) 
• Amazon – (Worldwide) 

Electric Grinders

If you hate the manual act of grinding your herb, an electric grinder will be a blessing to you.

You just put in the herb, press a button and let the device do its work: it couldn’t get more convenient than this.

The best electric grinder currently is the:

LONZEN Rechargeable Electric Dry Herb Grinder

The LONZEN combines the following concepts:

• Quick grinding results with blades that rotate at extremely fast speeds;
• A powerful battery for 500+ grinds before needing to recharge;
• Easily chargeable anywhere with a standard micro-USB-socket, and;
• A small and sleek design, which makes it great for portability.

This electric grinder not only grinds your herb perfectly every time…

But gives you the opportunity to choose the finesse/coarseness of your grind.

How you control this, is with the number of seconds you press the grind button:

• If you want an extremely fine grind (perfect for conduction vapes), just grind your herb for 10+ seconds;
• And if you want a more fluffy grind with some volume (perfect for your convection vape), grind your herb for 3-5 seconds.

The best part about this grinder?

The top opening is perfect to load the ground herb into your vape or paper immediately.

It really couldn’t get more convenient than this: you will be saving time and effort with every grind.

Now:

The only potential shortcoming with the LONZEN is if you want to build kief. You can’t do that with this device.

This doesn’t mean the kief gets lost.

It just immediately comes out when you start emptying the grinding chamber. If you want to build kief, you’ll need a 4-piece grinder.

Also, the blades in it are so sharp and fast, that it’s not the easiest task to get the same fluffy grind every time. If you prefer fluffy grinds, the Santa Cruz Shredders do this better.

But for convenience, you can’t beat an electric grinder like the LONZEN.

Click to see the most recent price:

• Amazon – (Worldwide) 

Why You Should Stay Away From Most Low-End/Cheap Weed Grinders

Low-end weed grinders usually are best avoided because of potential safety reasons:

• Metal, aluminum, or plastic micro-parts could very well be mixing up with your herb when you use these grinders for a longer period of time.

What do I mean with low-end?

Super-cheap ‘no-name’ grinders.

There are a few low-end weed grinders that are perfectly safe though. They just will lag behind in:

• performance, and,
• ease of use,

compared to the mid-range and high-end weed grinders.

However, if you want to spend as little money as possible, they’re a good choice:

• Planet of the Vapes 4-Piece Grinder;
• Storz & Bickel Grinder.

Aside from these 2, avoid them.

Types of Weed Grinders

Different types of herb grinders serve different kinds of marijuana-lovers.

The differences in weed grinders mainly lie in the following features:

• 2-piece vs 3-piece vs 4 piece grinders;
• Small vs medium vs large size;
• Materials used in the grinder.

If you’re a complete weed grinder newbie this section will help you make an informed choice on what type of grinder will suit you best.

2-Piece vs 3-Piece vs 4-Piece Grinders

These numbers and pieces refer to the number of pieces your grinder consists of.

2-Piece Grinders

With 2-piece grinders, you just have a single compartment. Everything that comes off of your herb stays in this compartment.

Usually with a 2-piece grinder, if you want the kief that comes off of your herb, you’ll need a brush to brush it out.

They’re very easy to use, small, compact, and the most practical and portable.

3-Piece Grinders

With 3-piece grinders, you get an extra compartment to catch the finer parts of your bud (including parts that are coarser than kief).

This extra compartment is also called the ‘storage’ since you can store your herb in there.

4-Piece Grinders

With 4-piece grinders, you get a 3rd compartment with a fine screen to catch and build up the kief.

If you want to catch and build up your kief, go for a 4-piece grinder from our top list.

Small vs large grinders

Herb grinders come in different sizes:

• Small;
• Medium, and;
• Large.

Small grinders are best for portability. But most people will have a much easier time grinding herb with larger grinders. They fit the average-sized hand much better.

Medium to large-sized grinders also shred herb with more ease than small-sized grinders.

That is, unless you always smoke/vape really small amounts (and if you smoke please do switch to vaping).

Materials used in weed grinders

Different materials can be used for weed grinders, but the most common ones are:

• Metal (aluminum, titanium)
• Wood, and;
• Acrylic.

Metal

Metal (usually aluminum) grinders are the highest quality grinders. But only when the aluminum used in it is high quality and anodized!

Otherwise please avoid that particular grinder, because you might be mixing aluminum particles with your herb…

Trust me; you don’t want that.

Titanium is another high-quality metal and my favorite material that a grinder can be made of.

Because it requires little to no cleaning and feels more premium.

Wooden

Wooden grinders are pretty rare these days. They are durable and sturdy. But for performance, we recommend anodized aluminum grinders.

Here’s why:

Wooden grinders sometimes absorb a significant amount of kief in their grains. This means some of those precious and potent trichomes get lost.

Acrylic

Acrylic grinders are the cheapest grinders, but also the most prone to breaking.

High-quality acrylic grinders like the Storz and Bickel one can be alright…

…while they last.

They’re also hard to clean since you can’t give them an ISO bath to easily scrape off clunked up herb particles and kief. If you use ISO alcohol, you will damage the acrylic.

Conclusion

You learned what weed grinders are best overall.

And what weed grinders are best per specific purpose.

Although you do get what you pay for with weed grinders, maybe you don’t need one of them.

The most expensive weed grinders are 4-piece grinders. You only need these if you plan on catching and building up a lot of kief.

If you don’t need this, just get the 2-piece grinders of the best manufacturers:

• Santa Cruz Shredder
• Phoenician, or,
• Space Case.

But any weed grinder in this list will serve you well!

What’s Next…

If you’re still smoking your herb, it’s now time to switch.

In this day and age, there’s NO reason to smoke cannabis.

Save your health and use a vaporizer from one of the following articles:

• Best portable dry herb vaporizers
• Best desktop dry herb vaporizers

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