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Disclaimer: While Cannabis is legal under some state laws, possession, use and sales of cannabis in all forms (including marijuana-derived CBD) is illegal under United States federal law.

Whether you roll your own or prefer to use pipes or bongs, grinding cannabis can improve the smoking experience. It opens up the bud and makes the flower more aromatic, better showcasing each strain’s specific terpenes and esters for deeper and more robust flavor profiles. It’s similar to grinding coffee. Stick your nose into the grinder to smell the dominant terpenes in freshly ground cannabis and you’ll understand the sentiment.

A far cry from your ancestor’s mortar and pestle, the best weed grinders are innovative, reliable, and even luxurious. I have a decade of experience writing about cannabis and cannabis products, including guides to making cannabis oil at home, measuring and dosing cannabis, and cleaning your smoking tools. I tested the products in this guide in my regular routine and also consulted other cannabis experts for their input. Below, I recommend products that range from basic three-piece grinders to high-tech marvels.

Our top picks for the best cannabis grinders in 2024

Best overall: Flower Mill Next Gen Premium 2.0″ Stainless Steel – See at Flower Mill

Most durable: Santa Cruz Shredder, 3 Piece Large – See at Amazon

Best automatic: BananaBros OTTO – See at Amazon

Best budget: SharpStone Hard Top 4 Piece Herb Grinder, Small – See at SharpStone

Best luxury: Brilliant Cut Grinder, Medium – See at Brilliant Cut

Most attractive: Houseplant Glass Grinder – See at Houseplant

Best overall

I enjoy the Flower Mill. It’s called a mill because it’s what’s known as a “toothless grinder.” Instead of metal teeth, the device has a series of ridges that mill the weed when it turns. It’s kind of weed marketing semantics but that’s what makes it a “mill” instead of a “grinder.” In my experience, the mill is a little bit easier on the precious trichome-covered weed and gets the job done well. It’s pricey, starting at $75 for stainless steel, the material I prefer, though you can find a $30 option in aluminum.

The founders say this product is technically a “mill” that shreds the cannabis as opposed to grinding it. Call it what you’d like, these babies work well.

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“I can say with confidence the Flower Mill is the most consistent and reliable when it comes to production rolling,” says Bruno J. Roller, an award-winning joint roller and the founder of Luxe Roll Bar. “The old-school grinders can be overground and not ground enough,” said Roller. “The finest screen size with the smallest holes is what my team uses and is my favorite.”

Bruno says the Flower Mill is king because it gives the consumer ultimate freedom in choosing the coarseness of their grind depending on the flower and the amount they need. The Flower Mill has different blade sizes to get consistency for different jobs and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

Sesh warning: people will want to borrow your Flower Mill once you have one.

Most durable

The Santa Cruz Shredder is worthy of its California namesake. Its chambers are larger than the average grinder’s. I easily fit a lot of weed into its powerful teeth, a patented design. The Shredder doesn’t back down from the sticky challenge that bud may present. It’s reliable, and I love the bright pink color of mine, which makes a true statement piece.

The grinder comes in a number of tiers and sizes. The large 4-piece Santa Cruz Shredder is my favorite of the brand’s offerings, since it has the addition of a kief-catching chamber. The 3-piece works well, of course — it simply means the kief will be all mixed with the bud. Nothing necessarily wrong with that.

I opt for the large size, which is adept at grinding enough weed for multiple sessions or joints. The price increases with more tiers and larger sizes. If you don’t have a lot to spend, Santa Cruz Shredders has a hemp-plastic option that clocks in under $20. Hemp plastic is the future, and these grinders work for smaller grinding jobs if you’re into it. However, keep in mind that they will not be as tough as the aluminum versions.

Santa Cruz Shredders was founded in 2011 as a solution for avid cannabis connoisseurs who wanted a heavy and durable grinder.

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The aluminum is made of “medical grade, ultrasonically cleansed anodized aluminum,” according to the brand. It’s going to be strong. Does the outside paint last forever? No, there has been a little wear-and-tear on the external pink of mine over about a year. What can I say, we’ve been through a lot together. But the inside — where the weed is ground and the part that isn’t coated in color — remains unscathed. I feel like I can throw this grinder down a mountain and it would be fine. Long live the Santa Cruz Shredder.

Best automatic

The only thing I want AI to do is to grind my weed. This sleek automatic grinder is extra in all the right ways. Meet Banana Bro’s OTTO, an automatic mill that grinds your cannabis for you with the press of a button. The OTTO has a cone-filling stand that allows the freshly ground weed to fall into a pre-roll cone. It does make filling cones easier if that’s your smoking style. But if you don’t use cones, you may skip the stand and go for the grinder only. The grinder starts at $99 for the OTTO Go and goes up to $250 for limited-edition colorways and packages.

Stoners love to gather around and witness the OTTO at work. It’s a fun way to do automatic grinding. I don’t always want to charge my grinder, but I do love this option for accessibility. The OTTO is a great solution for medical marijuana patients. People with arthritis, inflammation, and other ailments often desire assistance grinding super sticky weed.

The automatic operation of OTTO may work well for medical patients or those who don’t want to break a sweat grinding the flower (which can be quite sticky).

Banana Bros

Don’t overload this grinder. It’s not recommended for any of them, because large, sticky nugs may jam the grinding mechanism, but especially don’t overload the OTTO. Start low and slow, maybe load a gram or less at a time, and add more weed as you go. I try to break up each nug into super small chunks and remove any tiny stems in the process. That being said, this grinder works well and reliably. It’s only a bonus that it’s a cool party trick.

Best budget

The SharpStone is a stalwart. This was my first grinder, a reliable pal that outlasted all other relationships in my 20s. I loved my SharpStone 4-piece grinder because it was a great size and consistently smooth grind. The anodized aluminum metal makes it feel more expensive than it is — only $30. The exterior color eventually got scuffed, but after 5 years of daily use, I don’t blame it. You can’t fault the SharpStone.

For its budget-friendly price tag, this grinder lasts a long time. The resulting grind is small to medium coarseness and smokes fairly evenly. It’s a plus that SharpStone has a ton of color options for consumers — everything from red, pink, purple, gray, black, brown, green, baby blue, and silver. There’s also a clear-top SharpStone that displays the bud and teeth as you grind and has a little crank lever. I like this one as well, but the classic works just fine.

I enjoy this brand’s no-frills experience. It’s a fine choice for those who want good-quality grinder materials, like aircraft-grade aluminum, without breaking the bank. It gifts consumers exactly what it says it will — nothing more, nothing less.

Best luxury

The name says it all. These diamond-shaped grinders are quite brilliant and in my experience, worth the high ticket price for avid cannabis consumers. The engineering on the Brilliant Cut grinder makes it the smoothest tech on this list. Its trademark glide is thanks to powerful neodymium magnets. The magnets hold the central tier piece in place, enabling an easier grind.

The Brilliant Cut grinder glides like butter. Starting at $85, it’s a luxury buy.

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If you take care of it, this is another product on the list that will last a lifetime. I like the wide variety in sizes and the brand’s coarseness — from fine, medium, and large. I suggest purchasing the three-tier Brilliant Cut in Stainless Steel in fine or medium coarseness.

Yes, at $85 it’s a bit pricey, but it’s a decadent grinding solution. I don’t think you’ll find a smoother grind on this list for your money. It promises to be “jam-free” if you don’t overload it, and this has been true in my experience. The Brilliant Cut grinder makes it look easy and it’s worth the splurge.

Most attractive

Of course, Seth Rogen’s accessory brand, Houseplant, has the most aesthetically pleasing grinder on the list. The actor and beloved weed aficionado said the ornamental pattern was meant to emulate “your grandmother’s candy dish.” It doesn’t work super fast, but it does work super well. The resulting flower is a coarse, evenly-cut bud that I rolled into a joint that burned slowly all the way through. It is a great grinder — if you have some extra time, want a sexy tabletop art decoration, and if you love Seth Rogen.

This sleek, green beauty looks right at home on an art-deco coffee table.

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It’s made with solid borosilicate glass, which results in a chic and smooth exterior. I’ve never seen a glass grinder in my life, so kudos to the Houseplant team for making something fun and innovative for the modern stoner. It’s adventurous. But is the $95 cost practical for most stoners? I’m not sure. If you’re fine with paying for pure kitsch, then yes.

Make sure to put in only small-sized nugs. My biggest caveat in using the glass grinder is that the glass-on-glass texture can feel slightly gritty when using it. Whatever you do, don’t tap the top and bottom pieces of the grinder together, as the glass could break. Use a brush to sweep the weed out of the grinder and you’ll be fine.

What to look for in a weed grinder

Kief, pictured above, is the fine cannabis crystals that fall away from the bud during grinding. The best weed grinders have a kief catcher for collecting this potent material.

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Coarseness

Weed can be ground either very fine or coarsely, depending on your needs. Fine/small, medium, and large coarseness are the most common sizes you’ll see in grinder options. Small coarseness grinders will have the smallest holes and grind the weed down to a finer cloud, not quite but nearly a powder, while large coarseness grinders will have the largest holes resulting in a more clumpy, coarse material.

Which coarseness is best? “It really depends on the moisture content of the flower and the weather,” says Angela Koi, a daily roller and cofounder of Erven, a cannabis tech company. “If it’s damp outside or humid, I grind my flower a little rougher and in larger pieces than if it’s drier. I use hemp wraps, and this helps with keeping airflow going through while I’m smoking. If it’s hotter or drier, I’ll grind it down fine to reduce the airflow and slow down the burn.”

Size

Size is another important factor to consider when looking for the best weed grinder for your needs. The average grinder is about 3-4 inches tall and 2-3 inches wide.

You’ll also want to look at the number of chambers; you’ll find grinders in two, three, or four tiers. For most consumers, a medium-sized, two-chamber grinder will do the job. I believe three-chamber grinders are ideal — they give you a kief collector at the bottom which is a bonus. Kief is the light, airy, THCA crystals that fall down into the third chamber. Many people love to collect kief and add it on top of weed as a part of their smoking ritual. A four-tier grinder has one more compartment for storing weed. It’s one added function worth considering.

Material

Most people like stainless steel or high-quality aluminum best. Many companies make plastic grinders, which are fine for smaller rolling jobs but won’t hold up to the stickiest of weed over a long period of time. In a pinch, a plastic grinder works just fine.

“I use metal grinders because they last longer, are easier on my hands, and are more sustainable,” says Koi. “I think a good metal grinder with a nice finish that won’t gunk in and cause the grinder to stick should cost at least $30.”

How we test weed grinders

Alongside our top picks, we also tested several novelty grinders, like this disco ball grinder from CannaStyle.

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Consistency: The texture of the ground cannabis is the most important factor when looking at weed grinders. We looked for grinders that gave a fluffy, airy cloud of ground cannabis flower. In my review process, I looked for ground weed consistency like a stoned Goldilocks, searching for a “just right” consistency that is neither too fine nor too coarse. If the grind is too fine, the resulting powder may clog the joint’s airflow. If it’s too coarse, the flower may clump up and won’t be as easy to roll into a joint.

Ease of grinding: I value a smooth, easy grind and have found that a well-engineered grinder usually offers the easiest grind. Cheap, flimsy grinders require more muscles. There are also technological solutions, like the OTTO, an automatic grinder that slices the weed for you by pressing a button. This ease may work well for medical patients or those who don’t want to break a sweat grinding sticky flower.

Value and aesthetics: I factored price into my review, determining if each grinder offered a fair value for its services. I’ve found there’s no need to splurge if you’d rather save the money for weed — you can get a decent grinder for around $30. The brands on this list are trustworthy, no matter your budget, but I also included some luxury grinders that are statement pieces.

Weed grinder FAQs

Novelty grinders also have their place, like this one from The Fake Cakery, which is modeled after a cherry cake.

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How much should a good weed grinder cost?

A good weed grinder can cost anywhere from $30 up to $150. The average weed grinder is about $50. The price depends on the type of material or its size. If you want a stainless steel grinder, it will be more expensive than aluminum, plastic, or wood grinders. But consumers say it may be worth the extra cost if your grinding needs are heavy-duty. If you want a 3-chamber grinder that catches kief, it will cost a bit more than a simple 2-chamber grinder. It all depends on what it’s being used for and how often.

Is a plastic or metal grinder better for weed?

A metal grinder is better than a plastic grinder, no doubt. Plastic grinders work for small weed grinding jobs, or in the short term, like if you’re on vacation. The quality of the metal also matters. I suggest stainless steel or a well-made aluminum grinder over a plastic one. “I don’t use plastic or hemp grinders, but I have some friends that swear by them,” says Bruno. “Just don’t ask them to grind a pound with it.”

What is the powder at the bottom of a weed grinder?

The powder that collects over time at the bottom of a weed grinder is called kief. It’s a collection of light green or white trichomes, a pure distillation of THCA, a potent cannabinoid that makes up the sticky bud and offers concentrated effects. The kief catches in the bottom chamber of the grinder. For this reason, this chamber’s nickname is the “kief catcher.” Sprinkle a layer of kief in a joint or on the top of your bowl to enjoy its potent magic.

What’s the difference between a grinder and a mill?

A mill is a “toothless” grinder. While a classic grinder has steel or aluminum teeth that slice up your weed, a mill has a series of ridges that grind the weed when it turns. In the weed grinder versus weed mill debate, cannabis connoisseurs say that a mill may be less harsh on the precious, sticky trichomes that surround the cannabis buds. Classic grinders work well and are a tried-and-true method. Honestly, both work just fine for grinding weed.

How often should I clean my weed grinder?

You should clean your weed grinder every few weeks to once a month. Cannabis is a biomaterial that could grow mold if left in a grinder for too long.

If you’re a frequent cannabis consumer, you should be cleaning your grinder weekly. You don’t want to leave extra plant matter in any weed accessory to make sure the cannabis you smoke is clean and to ensure the blades of the grinder work continuously.

All grinders will eventually get sticky. It’s nothing a quick soak in 99% isopropyl alcohol can’t solve. Read more on how to properly clean a grinder.