2 Piece vs 4 Piece Grinder: Which One Should You Buy?

Short answer: buy a 4 piece grinder if you want to collect kief, and a 2 piece if you want the fastest, simplest grind with nothing to clean or empty. A 4 piece adds a screen and a bottom chamber that catches trichomes; a 2 piece is just a lid and a bowl.

That's it. That's the whole decision. But since you're here and the bowl isn't packed yet, let's get into the details.

What the "pieces" actually mean

Grinder makers count pieces the way kids count birthdays: generously. Here's what you're actually getting.

• 2 piece: a lid with teeth and a base with teeth. You grind, you open it, you scoop. Done.
• 3 piece: lid, grinding chamber, and a collection chamber with holes in the floor so ground flower drops through. No screen, so no kief.
• 4 piece: lid, grinding chamber, collection chamber with a mesh screen, and a bottom kief catcher. The fine trichome dust falls through the screen and piles up in the bottom.

At Phoenician we make 2 piece and 4 piece. We skipped the 3 piece because, honestly, if you're going to add a chamber you might as well catch the good stuff.

2 piece vs 4 piece side by side

Who should buy a 2 piece

The 2 piece crowd is the "I'm rolling right now" crowd. You grind it, you roll it, you're not saving anything for later. You also don't want to empty a kief chamber or brush a screen. Respect.

A 2 piece also gives you a fluffier result, because the flower stays up in the teeth getting sliced instead of falling through holes the second it's small enough. If you pack bowls by feel or roll fat ones, fluffy is your friend.

Our PRO 2 Piece Medium ($39.99) is the everyday size. The PRO 2 Piece Large ($49.99) handles bigger batches. Both use the same threadless quick lock and diametrically cut, razor-sharp teeth as our 4 pieces, and carry the same limited lifetime warranty.

Who should buy a 4 piece

If you've ever looked at the bottom of a friend's grinder, seen a little golden pile of kief, and felt a wave of jealousy, you're a 4 piece person. Admit it.

Every time you grind, a small amount of trichomes falls off the flower. In a 2 piece, that dust sticks to the walls and gets wiped away. In a 4 piece, it drops through a screen into the bottom chamber and builds up into kief you can sprinkle on a bowl or roll into a joint later. Over a few months, that's a real stash you'd otherwise be throwing out.

Phoenician 4 pieces use a removable stainless steel screen held by a single screw, so you can lift it out to clean it, or swap it for a finer or coarser mesh with the Upgrade Kit. Coarse for sticky flower or humid weather, fine for dry flower or dry climates. More on that in how the screen system works.

PRO 4 Piece Medium — $79.99
Our most popular 4 piece. Removable screen, kief chamber, the safe bet if you're unsure.
See it →

Pick your 4 piece size:

• Small, 1.855 in, 4 oz, $59.99. Pocket size, about a bowl at a time.
• Medium, 2.47 in, 7 oz, $79.99. Our most popular, the safe bet if you're unsure.
• Large Flat Top, 3.225 in, $89.99. Big batches.
• Large with paper holder and ashtray, 3.225 in, 9 oz, $99.99. A rolling station in your hand.

The mistakes we see all the time

Buying a 4 piece and never tapping it. Give it a few firm taps on the table after grinding. The kief won't move itself, buddy.

Buying a 2 piece and complaining about no kief. We love you, but that's on you.

Overstuffing either one. Load less, give it a few short twists forward and back, repeat. Cramming it full and spinning 30 times turns good flower into dust. We wrote a whole post about it: Hey, buddy, you're using your cannabis grinder wrong.

FAQ

Is a 4 piece grinder better than a 2 piece?

Better for kief, not better at everything. A 2 piece is faster, lighter and fluffier. A 4 piece saves trichomes. Pick based on whether you want kief.

Does a 4 piece grinder make weed stronger?

It doesn't change your flower. It just saves the trichomes that would otherwise be lost, so you can use them later.

Can I use a 4 piece without the screen?

You can, but then the kief just mixes back in with your flower. At that point you basically own a fancy 3 piece.

Which is better for travel?

The 2 piece is shorter and lighter. If you want kief on the road, the 4 Piece Small fits in a pocket.

Still torn? Plenty of folks keep both: a 2 piece for quick rolls and a 4 piece stacking kief at home. See every Phoenician grinder, or grab the Mystery Box for one 2 piece and one 4 piece at a discount.

Keep reading

• How to choose a weed grinder: the complete buyer's guide
• What are trichomes? Types, sizes and how to keep them on your weed