RAW 2-Piece Acrylic Grinder Review

The RAW 2-Piece Acrylic Grinder is a headshop classic. Crystal-clear polycarbonate, sharp shark-tooth blades, and a small storage compartment built into the lid. It's not fancy, it's not premium, but it's been doing the job for years and it does it fine.

What Makes It Useful

The shark-tooth design bites through dense buds surprisingly well for a plastic grinder. The built-in magnetic storage compartment in the lid lets you carry a small stash of pre-ground or whole herb inside the grinder itself — making it a decent all-in-one travel solution. At £5.49, it's cheap enough to throw in a bag without worrying about losing it.

The Trade-Offs

It cuts and squeezes herb rather than fluffing it like a premium grinder would. The polycarbonate is tough but the teeth can dull over years of heavy use. It's not a Santa Cruz Shredder — but then, it's not trying to be. It's a reliable, cheap pocket grinder that does exactly what it says on the tin.

Technique: Making Shark Teeth Work

The shark teeth are sharper than most plastic grinders, so short work wins. I put in one small bud at a time, use three to five firm turns, then tip and tap rather than grinding on and on. Overworking it turns herb powdery, which burns harsh in joints. The lid stash compartment is handy for carrying a pre-ground top-up — I keep ground herb in there and whole buds separate so I am not opening everything in the wind. Choosing between 2-piece and bigger setups? Our grinder buying guide covers it.

Cleaning and Durability Notes

Polycarbonate is tougher than cheap acrylic, but it still hates heat and solvents. I stick to a dry brush after use and an occasional lukewarm soapy wash, then air-dry completely. Mine has survived years of bags and pockets with only light scratching on the clear body. The teeth do eventually round with heavy use — at £5.49, replacing it every year or two is hardly painful. Keep it spinning sweet with our grinder maintenance guide.

Who Should Skip It

Daily home users who care about flavour should step up to the Santa Cruz Eco Hemp at £9.99 — the fluffy grind genuinely tastes better in a vaporiser. And if you want a storage chamber plus more personality, the G-Rollz 3-piece at £6.99 is the logical rival. But as a throw-in-the-bag backup you will never baby, the RAW at £5.49 remains hard to argue with. Full comparison in our best grinders UK roundup.

RAW 2-Piece Grinder FAQ

Is the plastic safe?
The extra-strength polycarbonate is sturdy and odourless in normal use, and I have never had flakes or odd tastes from mine. Keep it away from heat sources and clean it gently rather than with harsh chemicals.

How much does the lid compartment hold?
Enough for a session or two of ground herb — ideal as a top-up rather than bulk storage. For anything longer term, move herb into a sealed jar.

Will it handle dense buds?
Better than most plastic grinders thanks to the shark-tooth bite, but pre-break anything woody by hand first. Forcing dense stems is what dulls plastic teeth prematurely.