Battery or electric grinders are not a new concept – people have been destroying their herb in electric coffee grinders for as long as they’ve been around. To further explore the history, check out this great article exploring electric dry herb grinders. The desperation for a good grind has led many innovators and designers to try to develop the most effective grinder. Unfortunately, many have come up short by trying to cut costs in important areas (research and development, design, build, and distribution). Manual grinders rely on the user to know when their herb is ground – but are largely made from opaque materials. The user is unable to see their herb and either over or under grind it. The grinders made of translucent materials (such as plastic or resin) are generally of poorer quality and do not grind as well. This handheld electric grinder is a good example of a grinder with high quality parts that dispenses a perfect grind, every time.
Speed, Hygiene, and Convenience
When it comes to speed, electric or battery powered grinders are the way to go. Reaching grinding speeds of up to 20 times that of a manual grinder, electric grinders are the clear winner. Trying to manually twist and turn your bud takes a lot out of your hands, leading to (or exacerbating) hand pain and cramping. Most electric grinders are operated at the touch of a button, and some even have Rocker Switch Technology™ to break up buds gently with a back-and-forth motion.
Hygiene is a big factor when grinding your herb – you don’t always know how clean your prep area is. There could be bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants around that you probably don’t want mixed into your finished product. Nothing like accidentally packing a cat 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 grinders 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.
Choosing your next grinder
Electric or battery-powered herb grinders can be as-fast or up to 20 times faster than a typical manual grinder. If you’re used to manually grinding your herb, the first time you use an electric grinder you will likely be blown away at the speed – where a typical electric grinder operator will feel transported back to the stone age when forced to use a manual grinder. After testing a multitude of grinders, both manual and electric, we found electric beat the manual competition in every functionality category we used. Electric grinders, especially this electric grinder, were able to grind consistently, quickly, and smoothly for a surprisingly small price tag. The manual grinders left much to be desired – they were not accessible for our testers with hand injuries or hand pain, they were inconsistent, and they were slow. We highly recommend that anyone struggling with getting the most value from their herb to try an electric grinder before they switch herb producers.
