Do electric grinders turn herbs into powder?
Some do. Blade grinders that run at full speed, or on a fixed timer, can turn dried herbs to dust in a few seconds. A grinder that runs only while you hold the button lets you stop at a coarse grind. (Unlike these, the idoobi is bladeless: a stainless steel ball chain does the grinding.)
It is the most common worry about switching to an electric grinder, and it is a fair one. Plenty of people have tried a coffee or spice grinder on herbs and ended up with powder at the bottom and whole pieces on top.
Why it happens
- Blades. A blade spinning at high speed keeps cutting whatever it touches. The herbs nearest the blade become dust while the pieces on top stay whole. (The idoobi is bladeless. It grinds with a stainless steel ball chain.)
- No way to stop early. A fixed cycle or a single button press runs for the same time whether you loaded a little or a lot.
- Very dry herbs. The drier the herbs, the faster they shatter.
What controls grind size
Three things decide how fine the result is: how long the grinder runs, how the grinding part moves, and how dry the herbs are. Time matters most. If you control the time, you control the grind.
How to avoid powder with any electric grinder
- Grind in short bursts of a second or two instead of one long run.
- Check between bursts.
- Do not overfill the chamber, so everything gets reached evenly.
- Stop as soon as it looks right. You can always grind more, and you cannot undo it.
How long to hold
With the idoobi, about 2 seconds gives a coarse grind, 4 seconds a medium grind and 6 seconds a fine grind. It stops the moment you let go, and the chamber is clear, so you can see the grind while it happens.
It also grinds any amount, from a pinch up to 3 g, the same way. A small load simply finishes a little sooner.
The idoobi is not a blade grinder
It has no blades. A stainless steel ball chain knocks the herbs apart, and it runs only while you hold the top: about 2 seconds for coarse, 4 for medium and 6 for fine. You decide when it stops, so it does not keep running into powder.
You decide when it stops
- It grinds only while you hold the top, and stops when you let go.
- A spinning chain knocks herbs apart instead of slicing them, which gives an even, fluffy grind.
- The chamber is clear and lights up, so you can watch it and stop at the grind you want.
- Too coarse? Press again for a second or two.
More guides
- Best electric herb grinder: what to look forSix things to check before you buy one.
- Electric vs manual herb grinders: which is better?Where each one wins, and who should pick which.
- Why does my herb grinder keep getting stuck?What causes it, and how to open one that will not budge.
- How to clean a herb grinderStep by step, for metal and plastic grinders.
- Herb grinders for people with limited hand strengthWhat to look for when twisting is hard.
- Chain vs blade vs teeth: how each grinder worksThree mechanisms, and what each is good and bad at.