A 3 piece grinder is a lid, a grinding chamber with teeth, and a collection chamber underneath. Ground herb falls through holes in the floor of the grinding chamber and gathers in the bottom, so you unscrew one part and...
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A 3 piece grinder is a lid, a grinding chamber with teeth, and a collection chamber underneath. Ground herb falls through holes in the floor of the grinding chamber and gathers in the bottom, so you unscrew one part and tip it out rather than picking it off the teeth.
What it does not have is a mesh screen and a kief catcher — that fourth chamber is what makes a 4 piece grinder a 4 piece. On a 3 piece, the fine powder produced by grinding stays mixed through the rest of it.
Why choose a 3 piece
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Shorter and lighter. One less chamber means a noticeably flatter grinder at the same diameter. Easier to pocket.
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Less to clean. Three parts, no screen. A mesh screen is the fiddliest part of a 4 piece to keep clear.
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Cheaper. The 3 piece grinders in this range sit at the lower end of our grinder pricing.
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Nothing lost. If you were never going to use a kief chamber, a 3 piece keeps everything in one place.
What is in this collection
The 3 piece grinders here run from 40mm to 62mm across, in zinc alloy, anodised aluminium and wood-look finishes, including several novelty-shaped bodies. Most use a neodymium magnet in the lid to hold it shut while you turn it.
3 piece or 4 piece?
Choose a 3 piece if you want the smaller, simpler, cheaper object and have no interest in separating the fine powder. Choose a 4 piece if you would rather have the extra chamber and can live with a taller grinder — it is the more common choice, and you can always ignore the bottom chamber.
Cleaning
Unscrew the three parts, tap out what is loose, then brush the teeth and threads dry with a stiff brush. Isopropyl alcohol removes sticky residue from metal bodies; rinse and dry before reassembling. Keep alcohol away from plastic and acrylic parts, and do not leave painted or anodised finishes soaking.
Compare every type in Herb Grinders 101 — the complete NZ buying guide, or see all herb and herb grinders.
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