There are so many grinders on the market today, finding one that is of decent quality can be a daunting challenge. Most of the grinders we review are made of Zinc Alloy or Aluminum. These metals are relatively inexpensive and are easy to machine. The downsides are that metals like Aluminum are porous and soft, therefore more prone to leaving tiny bits of metal in your ground flower.
Many companies have realized this and they coat their aluminum with something else to keep this from happening: well, at least slow it down. Eventually after long and ardent use (or even sooner for a really cheap one), these coatings can start to flake off and get mixed into your ground flower. This is probably stuff that you do not want to smoke!
The HerbRipper
People like Kevin Barth, President & CEO of HerbRipper, have realized that there is a better, albeit more expensive way to do it. HerbRipper grinders are machined not from soft Aluminum, but of a solid block of ultra-hard Stainless Steel. This allows for them to offer a lifetime guarantee on the grinder teeth. This is a grinder that will be just as sharp in 10 years as it is today!
Heavier than it looks
One thing is for sure, this is one of the heaviest grinders that you will ever own, and that’s not being negative in the least. This gorgeous hunk of steel feels like a solid, well-built piece of precision machinery. The Black HerbRipper logo appears to be laser etched on the surface, and the gnarling on the outer rim has a nice tight crosshatch pattern making this look both elegant and utilitarian at the same time.
It’s got teeth!
Every grinder pride themselves on having sharp teeth, but nobody has sharp teeth on all surfaces. The Ripper has a unique edge on top of all the teeth to start cutting before you even take the first turn. This allows quick, effortless work of grinding your product. This also means you should us more care when using your fingers, as the teeth can bite you from every direction.
Nice Threads!
The unique thread design encompasses multi leads that easily line up to prevent cross-threading and allow for quarter to half turns to assemble/dis-assemble the grinder. Let’s face it, we have probably all spilled the contents of a grinder at least once when it suddenly separates while unscrewing. Not to mention trying to connect fine threads coated with kief dust.
The Grind
I used two different strains in my tests: one pretty dry and one that was nice and sticky. I started with the drier of the two and ran a few small buds through this hefty crusher. At 2 inches in diameter, it is weightier than most grinders in the 3-inch category. This extra mass gives the HerbRipper a distinct advantage when crushing these dense, dry buds – a few quick twists was all it took.
The sticky buds surprised me! I was expecting a sticky mess inside for some reason, but when I opened the lid, I found only 1 shred of material perched over a hole. When using the F/M plate there was more evidence remaining in the top chamber, but everything shook loose with relative ease. The HerbRipper grinder is pretty close to being non-stick.
The Options
There are two different size grind plates available for the HerbRipper – a fine/medium plate and a course plate. I tested both plates and found the consistency to be pretty damn good! The course grind took maybe 4 twists and made the prefect sized bits for rolling or throwing in a bong with your friends. Vape enthusiasts will prefer the Fine/Medium grind plate. This grinds to a nice fluffy blend that works much more efficiently with vaporizers.
The HerbRipper also comes in a larger version, the Ripper XL which is 2.5 inches in diameter. The 2.5 inch is the better option if you are more often grinding larger volumes – it makes the process much easier. If it’s just you and your solo sessions, the smaller HerbRipper is perfect.
The Catcher of the Kief
Under the grinding disk is a smoothly polished tapered edge that funnels your goodies towards the waiting screen and into the waiting receptacle below. Do you use a kief coin? The HerbRipper steps that game up a bit by including a perfectly sized stainless-steel bearing that will help you get the most kief available.
I found kief collection to be pretty decent. What constitutes the proper screen size is a hard-fought battle, and I think it’s all a matter of personal preference. The HerbRipper offers 3 options for your discerning taste:
Made in the USA
There is no doubt that this grinder has been designed to literally last you a lifetime. The HerbRipper is available in 2 sizes for your grinding needs. Made of American stainless steel and machined in Cincinnati, there are 3 things you can expect from The Ripper company:
- The best quality machined grinder on the market
- Direct and prompt customer service
- Continued promise to give back to the community
Final thoughts
While naturally more expensive than an aluminum grinder, these aren’t really budget breakers either. If you add up the amount of money that you have probably already spent on grinders that have bit the dust, you could have already bought the HerbRipper by now.
The grind is great! If you only vape, get the Fine/Medium plate. If you consume in multiple formats, I would recommend getting both sized plates. It is heavier than it looks which may limit some portability options, but if you are looking for a grinder that will last you for the rest of your life then The HerbRipper is your number one choice.
My only wish would be to see this designed with a (much) deeper chamber for grinding larger buds. For me that would totally be worth the extra weight.
Go check out The HerbRipper and get yourself one of these finely machined works of art.
I bought one of these and its the best grinder I have ever owned It is sharp AF and is quick to chew up your weed even if it is wet and stiky. Just don’t drop it on your toe like me it heavy and hurts like a bitch
I hope your toe is ok! I agree, the HerbRipper’s teeth are razor sharp and unlike many other grinders, they stay that way!
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