The Flower Mill Grinder: A Ganjier Review
Photo & Meme Courtesy of Lindsey Gunter
As we all know, the grinder is an essential piece of the cannabis consumer’s toolkit. From plastic to wood to steel with varying designs and complexity, a grinder does what it has always done, breaking down delicious trichome covered buds for consumption. As the cannabis industry has evolved, every aspect of the toolkit has as well, but what about the grinder? The only real innovation over the years has been the kief-catching screen and different shaped teeth or materials.
This is where the Flower Mill comes in. I've been using the Premium Stainless Steel Flower Mill along with the milling plate kit since Emerald Cup last year, and it has found a way into my regular kit these days. Aptly named with a cool flower/mandala logo and crispy clean packaging it “mills” instead of “grinds”, creating a very even product ready for rolling up.
The “Mill” has an exterior made of aircraft grade aluminum along with a food grade stainless steel interior, giving this beast some heft, with pieces all machined to perfection. The ring in the center holds a mill plate while the lid has a toothless design of grooved steel. Those extra milling plates allow you to fine tune your flower.
Product Photos Courtesy of Author
Overall, the result is a more even product that hasn’t been stressed out and chopped up by the teeth of a grinder. There’s a reason mills are used for bulk flower processing over grinders [in manufacturing]. The resulting more even particle size allows for more efficient extraction and consumption. This is because the pressure of traditional cannabis grinders or breaking flowers down by hand creates heat and friction that negatively impacts the volatile terpenes and trichome coverage of flower. The milling process also allows you to quickly and evenly prepare flower for your preferred method of consumption.
It’s a very solid piece that adds to the smoking experience and looks excellent. With all the materials being used, it’s not a surprise that it has a solid price tag on it as well. A relatively high-end piece indeed, coming in at $99.99.
The milling plates add-on provides some good options on the consistency; I’ve been using the smaller sizes on most flower to get a more even burn. There’s some preference here of course, but the mill can adapt to different textures to keep your product both even and consistent.
Deep cleaning the Flower Mill is simple, as the whole piece can soak in isopropyl [alcohol] to loosen any residue and be cleaned with a brush. During use, spot cleaning the Flower Mill isn’t bad compared to a standard grinder, but if your bud is not dried enough, you will need to use a brush or tool to free up some pieces from the top of the mill every now and then.
The missing piece to this puzzle is the dry sift screen. The model I have does not come with a screen for kief, but they sell attachments to make it a 4-piece, gathering up any fallen trichomes. There should be less kief actually, due to the milling process, unless your flower is a little on the dry side. I might be old fashioned for preferring a screen on my grinders, but you just can’t go wrong dusting a bowl with a little dry sift.
For my Certified Ganjier™ reviews, the Flower Mill has been key in preserving the complex aroma and flavors of cannabis samples. I smell the sample whole first and take notes before milling it. Then, it’s important to check the aroma again as the process can really open up some flavor or make certain smells pop.
It’s not the only grinder in my rotation, but it’s vying for first place. I’d recommend it for connoisseurs looking for new tools, especially the premium model; the heft and craftsmanship only adds to the set and setting. You can’t go wrong with using good tools to smoke good products. For general consumers, there are two standard (smaller) models that pack the same punch, just while being more portable and affordable. So, next time you’re looking to level up your kit, consider a Flower Mill and stop grinding!
