Whether you’re looking to pack a bowl or roll a joint, the best way to grind your weed into smaller, finer pieces is arguably with a grinder. But what if you’ve got your hands on a killer stash of weed, and you’re just about to get down to business, only to realize you’ve forgotten your grinder.
Well, if you find yourself in this situation, there’s no reason to panic, because there are several different ways to get your weed smoke ready, without a grinder. So, without further ado, here’s 7 ways on how to grind weed without a grinder, some with just a few basic tools.
7 Ways to Grind Weed Without a Grinder
1. How to Grind Weed with Your Hands?
You don’t have to be a weed aficionado to know that you can grind weed with your two hands. The only two downsides to this weed grinding method is that the resin may build up around your hand, and it does take a bit more effort and time than using a weed grinder.
With regards to the resin buildup, high quality bud is topped with a thick layer of trichomes that are infused with high concentrations of THC. As long as you wash your hands prior to breaking up the weed, you can use a debit card to scrape the resin off your hands, and smoke it in a bong or joint for an extra kick.
To grind weed with your hands, simply make a bowl like shape with one of them, and use the other hand to pick at the buds to break them apart. The more you pick, the finer the weed, so keep picking until you’ve achieved your desired consistency for your grind.
2. How to Grind Weed with Sharp Knife and Cutting Board?
Another classic technique that doesn’t really require an explanation, but here it goes! Grab a sharp knife and a cutting board or a flat plate if you don’t have one. Place the bud on the cutting board or flat surface, hold it tight with one hand, and start chopping like an onion until it’s nice and fine. Safety tip – you should ideally wear some cut resistant gloves if you’re going to grind weed this way.
3. How to Grind Weed with Scissors and a Shot Glass?
If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can use a pair of sharp scissors and a shot glass to break apart your weed. This weed grinding method is fairly straightforward yet a bit tedious, where you start by packing the glass with buds, and then chop them with your scissors.
Even though you can use any glass for this method, using a shot glass is highly recommended for two reasons — the high walls of a shot glass prevent the weed from falling out, and the small diameter of the glass makes it easier to cut through the weed.
4. How to Chop Weed with a Coin and Container?
This weed grinding method is similar to the one above, except it uses a coin or similar object such as a key. This is an old school technique that works better with a pill bottle, where you start by packing it with the bud you want to grind, and then toss in a dime or penny. Secure the top of the bottle, and shake it vigorously.
The coin will bash against the weed, and tear up even the most sticky and dense herbs. Refrain from trying this method with a plastic bag, as it will carve a hole in the plastic, and consequently spill weed everywhere.
5. How to Use a Coffee Grinder to Grind Weed?
If you’re weed connoisseur looking to make edibles and oils out of herbs or want to grind a larger quantity of flowers, then using a coffee grinder is perfect for you. Just as you would grind your coffee beans, load up the grinder with buds, and then grind the weed.
Using a coffee grinder according seasoned weed smokers works better than a weed grinder, as it allows to pack and shred large amounts of weed with fine consistency, a factor that is important when looking to decarboxylate your bud.
One of the downsides with this grinding method is that the resin from the weed may get stuck to the sides of the grinder, which you can scrape off at the end of the process using a credit card or a key.
6. How to Grind Weed Using a Cheese Grater?
Another great method to grind your weed fine is with a cheese grater — yep the same one used by celebrities to finely grate cheese or garlic on kitchen TV shows. Also known as microplanes, a high quality grater works well to finely chop even the densest and toughest nugs.
Grab a grater and place hold it in a slightly slanted position with one hand, and grate the bud against the cutting plane with your other hand. You may want to place a plate or tray under the grater to collect the finely ground herb. Also worth mentioning is you should use a clean, washed grater, and not one you’ve used to grate aromatic ingredients such as ginger, etc.
7. How to Grind Weed with a Mortar and Pestle?
It is highly unlikely that you’d find a mortar and pestle handy in your kitchen, but yes, they do exist, especially if someone in your household grinds spices and plants for recipes. A mortar and pestle has already been used for many years to mix medicine, so basically you’d be doing the same thing with weed.
Start by placing the herb you wish to grind in the mortar aka bowl like structure, then crush it up with the pestle. It is best to let the bud dry before putting it in the mortar, because moist, sticky bud is harder to break up.
Final Thoughts
Grinding your weed is a key step before smoking, and a herb grinder is perhaps the best way to get the job done. But sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to a grinder, for which you can use any of the 7 ways to grind weed tips mentioned on this list.
There are several reasons to grind your weed before smoking, and the fineness of the grind completely depends on your smoking method. For example, if you’re going to smoke weed in a joint or blunt, you will want to break up the large nugs into smaller piece, and then spread them across evenly in the rolling paper.
Apart from joints, grinding weed is also important for other types of smoking methods such as grinding your flower when using a bong or even a spoon pipe. You can always just drop a huge bud into your pipe and smoke it that way, but this method is highly inefficient as the flame will only reach a limited top area of the bud. One drawback of not using the best weed grinder will mean that you’re not able to collect kief.
However, by grinding your herb, you will not only be able to pack it into the bowl easily and evenly, but also expose a larger surface area to the flame. All in all — grinding your weed allows you to use it to its full potential without any wastage.