Herb Grinders Showdown: Plastic vs Wood vs Metal

Wood
A wooden grinder will typically have steel or stainless steel pins that do the actual grinding. The case or outside is the wooden part. It may be carved with intricate designs or left plain and simple.
The wooden variety is valued primarily for appearance. From a practical standpoint, wood is more difficult to clean. When wood becomes scratched, bacteria can grow in the scratches. This is one of the main reasons that the use of wooden cutting boards is discouraged. Wood also absorbs odors, which could eventually have a negative effect on the smell and taste of your herbs.
Because of the disadvantages of the material, people who prefer wood find they must replace their grinder often. If you don’t expect to use your grinder very often or you would like a wooden one to use on special occasions, then wood is an “okay” choice. In most cases, plastic or metal grinders are a better choice.
Plastic
Different types of plastic can be used. The ones you see most often are polycarbonate and acrylic.
Polycarbonate is durable. It’s a kind of “safety” plastic. It’s practically unbreakable but it does scratch easily.
An acrylic grinder could crack or break if you drop it. It will scratch just as easily as polycarbonate.
Plastics are popular for two main reasons. They come in a variety of colors, which allows people to express their own personalities and they are pretty cheap. You can buy an acrylic grinder for around $10.
Plastic has similar disadvantages to those of wood. Bacteria can build up in the scratches affecting the smell, taste and safety of the ground herbs.
Plastics are not as durable as metal grinders. The teeth are not as strong which makes them less effective for many grinding purposes. The typical plastic grinder cannot be used for grinding peppercorns, for example.
Metal Grinders
You will find that a metal grinder is more durable than plastic or wood. Metal is easy to clean and does not scratch easily. You don’t have to worry about bacterial contamination or odors. Your herbs will taste and smell like they should for as long as you use the grinder.
Aircraft grade aluminum is the preferred metal. It’s lightweight but still very strong. Because of the added strength, the aircraft grade aluminum grinder can be used to grind peppercorns or coffee beans, as well as herb leaves and buds.
When you choose metal, the individual compartments can be magnetized. This reduces spillage and lost herbs.
The average aluminum grinder is a two-piece unit. The two-piece unit can be used for basic herb grinding but it does not offer the ability to filter out pollen. There is also more mess and residue than you get with the higher quality four-piece units.
Royale is one of the best