An herb grinder is a very important tool if you have vaporizers. Herbs need to be ground very well before they can be vaporized properly. Grinders for vaporizers can be made of metal, wood, or plastic. It does not matter what brand of vaporizer you use. If you do not have a good grinder to start with, you cannot expect good vapor from any vaporizer you use.
However, how fine should your herb be to produce quality vapor for aromatherapy? Just remember that if the ground herb produces more surface area, it can release more active ingredients. Hence, you need it to be ground as fine as possible.
Choosing the Best Grinder For a Vaporizer
The best course of action is to find the best grinder that will grind your herb into tiny bits of fine particles. Of course, you also have to consider quality, safety, price and results.
Manual Grinders
First of all, there are manual grinders that you need to twist or hand-crank. They can be made of metal (usually aluminum), plastic, or wood. You place the herbs inside the grinder, close the lid and twist. Depending on the quality of the grinder, you can get nice and even fluffy ground herb ready for vaporizing. However, there are safety concerns to consider.
Aluminum is toxic to the body and when you shred herbs, some of the aluminum molecules get mixed. If you use the grinders to shred other herbs for cooking, you may ingest the toxic aluminum particles. The same goes with wood grinders with finished surfaces. The finishing is usually toxic to the body as well. As for plastic grinders, those made of acrylic usually emit unhealthy fumes.
The best manual grinder to use is one made of plastic polymer because it does not release toxic fumes and does not contain any dangerous substances that can rub off and mix with your herbs. Polymer is cheap, lightweight, durable, and easy to clean.
Automatic Grinders
Using manual grinders can be tiresome, especially if you have to grind lots of herbs. The best solution is to use motorized electric grinders. There specific grinders for vaporizers out there in the market and they can easily grind herb into fine bits. The only problem with this grinder is you need to have electricity all the time. Nonetheless, it is a good investment if you run an aromatherapy spa.
Electric grinders can be quite expensive, but you can use coffee grinders as substitute. A coffee grinder can easily shred herbs into fine bits of pieces in mere seconds. You can buy them at brick and mortar stores for less or perhaps you may already have one sitting in your basement unused.
Bottom Line
Aluminum grinders are popularly used today, but do not forget the health concerns mentioned above. Polymer plastic is a good choice, but if you have to grind as much herb as possible in less time, electric grinders for vaporizers are the best choice. If you do not have a grinder yet, you can still produce finely ground herbs using a chopping knife and a chopping board.
James D’Arcy is a lifestyle writer and gadget enthusiast. His recent encounter with the Extreme Q vaporizer prompted him to write a series on this relatively new technology.
