Plastic Herb Grinders NZ

A plastic grinder is the least expensive way to stop breaking dry herb up by hand. The bodies here are moulded acrylic and plastic — some in plain diamond-cut designs, some shaped as cookies, cubes and cones — and they do the same basic job as a metal grinder for a fraction of the price.

What you give up, honestly

The teeth on a plastic grinder are moulded into the body rather than machined out of solid metal. Moulded teeth work, but they do not hold an edge the way cut metal teeth do, so a plastic grinder gets gradually less effective with use. The threads wear the same way: plastic-on-plastic threads loosen faster than machined metal ones. A plastic grinder is a consumable in a way a metal grinder is not.

Most plastic grinders are also 2 or 3 chamber designs without a mesh screen, so there is no kief catcher. If that matters to you, look at the 4 piece grinders instead.

When a plastic grinder is the right call

• First grinder. Cheapest way to find out whether you will use one at all.
• Spare or travel unit. Light, and no great loss if it goes missing.
• Gift or novelty. Several of these are shaped as something else entirely, which is the point of them.
• Combination units. Some plastic grinders in this range build in a tray, cone holder or roller, so one item covers several jobs.

Cleaning plastic and acrylic

Take it apart and brush it out dry. Do not use isopropyl alcohol on acrylic — it can craze and cloud the surface. Warm water and a brush, dried thoroughly before reassembly, is the safe method.

Ready to move up? The metal grinder range starts not far above these. Undecided? Herb Grinders 101 — the complete NZ buying guide compares materials in detail, or see all herb and herb grinders.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a plastic and an acrylic herb grinder? Acrylic is one of the moulded plastics used in this range, cut with teeth the same way as the others. The product title tells you which you are getting, such as the acrylic funnel cone grinder.

Can a plastic herb grinder go in the dishwasher? Keep it out of the dishwasher. Hot cycles and detergent can warp or cloud moulded plastic, so wash the parts by hand in warm soapy water and let them dry fully before you screw them back together.

What is a 2 in 1 grinder with a tray? It pairs the grinder body with a tray or holder so ground material has somewhere to land. The Cookies 2 in 1 set in this collection is built that way rather than as a standalone grinder body.

Are plastic grinders lighter than metal ones? Yes. A moulded plastic or acrylic body weighs far less than a zinc alloy or aluminium grinder of the same diameter. The trade-off is that plastic teeth wear down sooner than cut metal teeth do.