The Bulldog three-part: black metal with the logo on the lid
This grinder is made of metal with a matt black finish and carries the logo of The Bulldog, the Amsterdam brand. The logo is printed rather than engraved: a yellow bulldog head with a red spiked collar on a blue disc, the words THE BULLDOG around the top edge and EST. 1975 AMSTERDAM around the bottom. The colour stands out sharply against the black lid, so you pick this one out immediately among the others on a table.
Each of the three parts does its own job. Diamond-shaped teeth sit on the underside of the lid and inside the grinding chamber, catching the material from both sides. The floor of the grinding chamber is perforated, so once the material is fine enough it drops through the openings into the cup below. There it waits until you need it, with nothing left stuck between the teeth or scattered across your table. The parts screw onto one another, which keeps the grinder shut while it travels loose in a bag.
Three parts or two
A two-part grinder keeps everything between the teeth, so you have to tap it out. This three-part version solves that with the separate cup at the bottom, which helps most when you grind a larger amount at once. There is no screen and no pollen chamber of the kind the four-part aluminium models have, and that is the difference to watch for if you want to collect separately. Metal weighs more than acrylic, but the teeth stay sharp far longer.
Using it
- Unscrew the lid and spread your herbs loosely between the teeth, without packing them down.
- Put the lid back on and turn the halves back and forth a few times.
- Unscrew the catch cup; the ground material has already dropped into it.
Keeping it clean
Take the three parts apart and brush out the teeth and the holes in the floor. Stubborn residue comes off with lukewarm water and a little washing-up liquid. Dry the parts thoroughly before screwing them back together, because metal put away wet can start to rust.
More from The Bulldog at Avalon Magic Plants
From the same brand, Avalon Magic Plants also stocks the Classic grinder by The Bulldog in clear acrylic, much lighter and closing with a magnet. If you are after something different, look at the Amsterdam grinder 2 part, the Grinder wooden classic or the four-part aluminium models from Black Leaf with a screen and pollen chamber. Everything ships discreetly packaged.
