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Weed smokers are well known for being innovative or MacGyver-like with certain tools to get a job done. From plastic bottle bongs to bobbi-pin bowl scrapers, many items are often repurposed to complete a weed specific task. But what if you’re ready to spark a bowl or roll a joint and find yourself without a grinder? No worries, there’s definitely a weed hack for that. Here we’ll cover the most common household items that can be transformed into a weed grinder when you find yourself without.

How To Grind Weed Without A Grinder?

A grinder typically uses a set of razor-sharp teeth to finely grind marijuana buds into a sift for smoking. While this is obviously the most efficient way to ground up your material, there are other methods that will get the job done in a similar fashion. If you find yourself without a grinder but needing ground up weed check out the list of tools below that you can turn to for help.

Cheese Grater

cheese grater to grind weed

Treat your weed just like cheese. On the smallest grating setting, a grater works quite similarly to a grinder. Place the grinder over your rolling tray or container and lightly run your nug back and forth over the grater. The bud will break up and fall through the grater onto the tray or container you’re using below.

Pestle and Mortar

Pestle and Mortar for grinding weed

Throw it back to the olden days, with a good old fashioned pestle and mortar. For this method, it does help to leave your weed out of its bag for a few hours to dry out first. Just like any other herb, place the bud you’d like to grind in the mortar (bowl). Using the pestle, crush and grind the weed into the bottom of the bowl until its the consistency you desire for your bowl or joint.

Cutting Board And Knife

This is a technique you’ll want to be careful with, especially with small buds. Just like any cutting job in the kitchen the knife you choose should be sharp which can increase the chance of injury. Similar to chopping up ingredients for a meal, you’ll finely chop up your weed until its the consistency you’d like. This method is also ideal for grinding up large amounts of bud at one time.

Pill Bottle And A Coin

Pill Bottle And A Coin to grind weed withour a grinder

Another old fashioned weed grinding hack is using a pill bottle and a coin. Which you might not believe works until you try it. First, clean or sanitize the coin you’ll be using. A dime or a penny works best with this technique. Add your bud to the pill bottle, followed by the cleaned coin. After securing the top shake the bottle vigorously. Open it up, and voila. Perfectly ground up weed for your smoking pleasure.

Scissors And Shot Glass

Scissors And Shot Glass to grind weed

Scissors might seem like a go-to option on their own, but adding a shot or small glass improves your grinding ability on the go. Simply place your bud into the shot glass and use scissors to cut. The shot glass provides the perfect shape and range of motion for finely ground up material. You’ll watch your nug disappear into a pile of sift, before you know it.

Coffee Grinder

coffee grinder to grind weed

Seems obvious right? If a coffee grinder can grind a coffee bean, it can certainly work for a bud. Using a coffee grinder to grind up large amounts of weed can be ideal. But be aware that your coffee grinder will be covered in kief and will need a good cleaning prior to using it for actual coffee. You might want to thoroughly clean the coffee grinder prior to grinding weed as well. Unless you want coffee flavored bud, of course.

Or a Blender

blender to grind weed without a grinder

A blender will do the same trick as a coffee grinder will. You’ll be treated to a fine powder of weed and the size can be perfect for large amounts to grind. Again, keep in mind to clean the blender before and after using it to grind up your weed.

DIY Shaker

diy shaker for grinding weed without a grinder

Just like the pill bottle and coin method, a DIY shaker can be just as effective. A DIY shaker uses a coin, bud and any container with a lid (film container, tupperware, etc). Add your bud to the container, and toss in the coin after. Secure the lid and get to shaking! As you can imagine the DIY shaker will make quite a bit of noise. So, if you’re trying to be stealth this may not be the grinding option for you.

Making a Homemade Weed Grinder

diy grinder to grind weed

Just like the pill bottle and coin method, a DIY shaker can be just as effective. A DIY shaker uses a coin, bud and any container with a lid (film container, tupperware, etc). Add your bud to the container, and toss in the coin after. Secure the lid and get to shaking! As you can imagine the DIY shaker will make quite a bit of noise. So, if you’re trying to be stealth this may not be the grinding option for you.

Use Your Hands

use your hands to grind weed without a grinder

You’ve always got a set of hands when you’re in dire need. Even though some sticky buds may be harder to break up by hand than others, you’ll still be successful in doing so. To help extra sticky buds, try leaving them out to dry or place it in the freezer for a short period of time. You can also hold the bud and cut slowly with scissors onto a tray or straight into a bowl.

When in doubt, grind it out

Whether you have a grinder and forgot it, lost it, don’t have one at all or don’t know how to use a weed grinder properly – now you know there’s a way to grind without one. With a little ingenuity, and a few common supplies you can have successfully grind up weed in no time. So when in doubt, grind it out! 

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Charlie

    $2 stainless steel sink drain strainer from Walmart works perfectly, fits over a small bowl or glass jam jar, lasts forever.

  2. Jessie masters

    Smart very smart wow all this.time had.what.I.needed.A.room away.smh!!! Recently lost.grinder and if your use to a.good.grinder.its no going back… Amazon will be here.tomorrow with a replacement and cannot come.soon enough. You think I’d be good.shaking this.pill bottle in a up.and down motion lolol

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