Grinding basics
Can you believe there are still people out their smashing their herb with a manual grinder and hoping for the best? Grinding like this, pulverizing your valuable herb, is a great way to waste your herb and your money. Using a poor quality or old, dull grinder produces effectively the same result. Good herb needs a consistent, not too big, not too fine grind to truly release the full flavour profiles, potency, and aroma of your herb. It is important to know what you, as an enthusiast, need in a grinder before you make a purchase. Grinders vary in size, style, functionality, and cost – as well as quality of design and build. We found cheaply manufactured, all-plastic units, and we were able to find aircraft-grade aluminum electric units, designed by engineers.
How to spot a good grinder
When looking at electric grinders, we preferred models with aircraft grade aluminum parts. These parts did not break as easily as their alloy/plastic counterparts and stayed sharper longer through rigorous grinding. A good, sharp blade is important to make sure you’re not just destroying your herb. Smooth, clean cuts from sharp aircraft grade aluminum really brought out the full potency and flavour of our herb.
Speed is crucial – the longer you have to rip and tear your herb, the more time it has to lose it is valuable oils. We found the Mamba electric grinder to be the fastest grinder, at 20 times the speed of a manual grinder.
Look for a grinder that is able to provide the same quality of grind each time you use it. Grinders that deliver a perfect grind, every time, are grinders that your herb wants in its life. Do not waste your money and time on a grinder that works well with fresh batteries, but after a use or two begins to lose its power and ability.
Hygiene is a complicated, important factor when grinding – you don’t always know how clean your prep area is, or your hands. There could be bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants around that you definitely don’t want mixed into your finished product. Nothing like accidentally packing a hair into your bowl! Manual grinders require an extra step between grinding and consuming. The herb must be removed from the grinder and somehow placed into the desired receptacle. Some brands of electric herb grinder have a hygienic dispensing cone tip, so that their grinders can grind your herb and dispense it directly where it needs to go without risking spillage, wastage, or contamination.
Where to buy our top pick
After exhausting the available electric units on the market, our top contender is the Mamba electric herb grinder. It has a large storage capacity, runs on AA batteries, was designed with ergonomics in mind, and looks phenomenal on display. The designers went to great lengths to source high-quality parts, and took special care to ensure a smooth, easy, one-handed operation. We found it gave us an ideal, fluffy grind each time we used it, and we tested it extensively. The Mamba grinder is inexpensive, especially considering the high-quality parts, and can also be found at select retailers. We hope you will evaluate your grinding needs and consider available electric grinders – your herb will thank you for it!