Your Cart is Empty
Grind Guide: How to Use a Weed Grinder
Short answer: to use a weed grinder, pull the lid off, break your flower into pea-sized pieces and load it around the teeth until the grinder is about half full, put the lid back on, and twist back and forth until it's ground. Then open the grinder and tap out your flower. On a 4 piece grinder, kief collects in the bottom chamber, so don't forget it.
How to grind weed, step by step
- Open it and load it. Pull up to remove the lid. Break buds into pea-sized pieces, pull the stems, and place the flower loosely around the teeth, not packed in the center.
- Fill about 50%. Do not overfill. An overstuffed grinder turns hard and grinds unevenly. If it feels stiff, use about 30% less.
- Replace the top and grind. Twist clockwise a quarter turn, then counter-clockwise a quarter turn. Repeat until your flower is ground.
- Open the chamber. Twist to unlock the grinding chamber and pull up to open it. Your ground flower is ready.
- Don't forget your kief. On a 4 piece, kief collects in the bottom chamber. Sweep it out with the kief spoon.
Coarse or fine?
- Coarse grind (joints, bongs): 3 to 5 full turns with the grinder upright.
- Fine grind (blunts, vapes): flip the grinder upside down and give it a couple of extra turns.
- Tap it. A few firm taps knock flower off the teeth and push kief through the screen.
See the difference on our coarse vs. fine grind page. Using a 2 piece? There's no screen, so check after two or three turns and stop early for a coarse grind; a few more turns gives a finer one.
Choose the right screen to maximize your kief
How much kief you collect depends on the moisture and consistency of your flower, which usually comes down to your region, your climate and how the flower was cured. Match the screen to both.
| Fine 180 | Regular 300 | Coarse 400 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micron (mesh) | 180 micron (80 mesh) | 300 micron (50 mesh) | 400 micron (40 mesh) |
| Opening | .007 in | .011 in | .015 in |
| Herb type | Dry | Average | Sticky |
| Climate | Dry | Moderate | Humid |
Every Phoenician 4 piece ships with the standard 300 micron screen. The Upgrade Kit adds the fine and coarse screens. More in our grinder screen micron guide.
How to clean your grinder
Clean your grinder monthly.
- Natural cleaning: use hemp oil and an old toothbrush to gently scrub your grinder clean, then rinse thoroughly with hot water and soap before using.
- Extra dirty: use an old toothbrush to remove residue and buildup, then soak in isopropyl alcohol. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and soap before using.
Full step-by-step instructions, including how to save your kief first: how to clean a weed grinder.
Love your grinder
- Register your grinder for the limited lifetime warranty.
- Add Bumper Rings for added grip, added protection and reduced noise.
- Upgrade your screens.
- Clean your grinder monthly.
- Do not place herb between the two magnets.
- Do not overfill your grinder.
- Do not drop or throw your grinder.
- Do not put foreign objects in your grinder.
- Do not use your grinder without the Lexon ring.
- Do not boil your grinder.
- Do not leave your grinder in the sun.
Still choosing a grinder? Read our best weed grinder buyer's guide, and for more technique, Hey buddy, you're using your grinder wrong.
The printable Grind Guide
