While I can say the art of rolling a perfect joint is up for interpretation, rolling machines offer the ability to create a standardized joint every time. Or at least that’s the premise. To find out, we got hands on with some unique stoner gadgets and set out to answer the ultimate question. Can the right tool compensate for a lack of experience and talent?
How We Tested
We are comparing the skills of a seasoned roller to the many machines that assist in the creation of the perfect joint. We will be judging each method based on:
Ease of use: how intuitive each method is to learn and master
Roll time: an average based on 5 successfully crafted joints
Success rate: how often mistakes were made
Joint quality: the uniformity and consistency of the pack
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Easiest To Use: The Cone Filler Funnel
If you lack the skills for rolling, you can still craft an appealing cone shaped joint by ditching the rolling papers and opting for cones. Although a pack of cones are marginally more expensive than papers, you won’t have to fuss with licking any glue or learning how to fold a filter tip. When packed correctly, cones come out looking as good as store bought.
After testing multiple cone fillers we found the most important design principle was to keep it simple. Over-complicated cone fillers made it harder to extract the cone once it was filled which resulted in spilt material and improper pack.
Ease Of Use: 4.5/5 | Roll Time: 0:48 | Success Rate: 5/5 | Joint Quality 4.5/5
What we like: The tray size of the BlueBus Tiger fit into the palm of your hand while having enough capacity to fill multiple cones. The taper of the funnel tip was also smartly designed to fit a wide range of cone sizes snugly.
What we don’t like: The poker rod provided with the BlueBus Tiger is a slim taper which wasn’t the best. We found the best tool for packing a cone is actually the bamboo tamper that comes in a pack of King Palm cones.
Best for Traditional Papers: The Hand Rolling Machine
Even after James Albert Bonsack revolutionized the tobacco industry in 1880 with his invention of a cigarette rolling machine, the adoption of pre-rolled cigarettes didn’t take off for many years. To understand why adaption was slow, look to the July, 1905 issue of the Tobacco Leaf Journal where a retailer of a pocket cigarette machine held exhibits demonstrating "how much a cigarette smoker can save by using this little pocket machine and rolling his own cigarettes."
Out of the many styles of pocket sized hand rolling devices, we liked the quality materials of the OCB Bamboo Rolling Machine. The bamboo housing of the device was quite durable but the material that mattered the most was the tactile feel of the apron. Other hand rolling machines we tested had smooth thin plastic aprons that creased easily and slipped on the rollers — resulting in more mistakes. OCB’s apron was just the right thickness, offered good grip and didn’t easily crease. We've listed some additional joint roller options below that have quality apron materials.
Ease Of Use: 3/5 | Roll Time: 1:04 | Success Rate: 3/5 | Joint Quality 3.5/5
What we like: Once you get used to the process, the hand roller was still a quick way to craft a joint in under a minute. Hand rollers also kept us involved with the core mechanics of rolling a joint– an element to consider if you do want to eventually master how to roll by hand.
What we don’t like: Compared to other methods on this list, hand rollers resulted in more failed attempts where papers were lost. Also joints came out slightly smaller than the diameter of a cigarette and lacked the fine appearance that other devices were able to achieve.
Most Luxurious: The AI Cone Filler
While absolutely over the top, The Banana Bros Otto Grinder uses the power of AI to grind and fill a cone with the push of a button. I was skeptical of these claims, but in testing the Otto I did sense intelligence (or fuzzy logic) as the machine quickly adjusted the grind direction and pulse frequency to tackle a wide range of bud density and moisture levels. The only time Otto threw an error is when I put straight sticky freshly harvested flower through the unit, which you should not do to any quality grinder.
Ease Of Use: 4/5 | Roll Time: 1:23 | Success Rate: 4/5 | Joint Quality 4/5
What we like: The Otto is undoubtedly a cool grinder, and quite the helpful tool for those with limited dexterity. The grind of the flower comes out uniform and when the device does jam it’s easy to mitigate.
What we don’t like: Perfectly filling a cone with the Otto is a bit of a dance. You need to estimate how much nug is needed to fill the cone, and while the unit is operating you need to tap the device to compact the flower that is falling into the tube. The size of the cone tube is best suited for large cones and filling standard 1 ¼ sized cones was more difficult.
Fastest: The Cigarette Injector
Touted as a r/frugal way to smoke, cigarette injectors are a nifty tool used to manufacture your own supply using materials bought cheaper in bulk. While cigarette injectors are specifically designed for chopped loose leaf tobacco, they work well on all sorts of dried material.
In our testing, injectors are best used for creating spliffs, a tobacco & cannabis hybrid that offers a smooth smoking experience — especially if you think weed strains have gotten too strong. Tube injectors also work well with straight flower, but expect some caveats. Run extremely sticky, high moisture bud through an injector and you will have to clean it with isopropyl alcohol. But, that is only after crafting plenty of joints.
Ease Of Use: 5/5 | Roll Time: 0:26 | Success Rate: 5/5 | Joint Quality 4.5/5
What we like: The cigarette injector is undoubtedly the easiest to use and fastest performing method to craft some smokes. Additionally, cigarette tubes are extremely inexpensive when bought in bulk (this pack is 1¢ per paper tube) while our top rolling papers choices cost as much as 10¢.
What we don’t like: If you buy a cigarette injector, you will lose all understanding of how to roll a joint and rely solely on this fast acting machine. It’s the end game and best solution on this list. If you send the stickiest of icky through this device, the components will need to be cleaned with isopropyl.
Are Rolling Machines Better Than a Skilled Stoner?
Roll Time: 1:40 | Success Rate: 5/5 | Joint Quality 5/5
While the skilled stoner Koo was slower than the machines, he wasn’t trying to roll quickly. Koo actually didn't even know we were testing for time, he existed in a flow state rolling the joints in a style he preferred the most.
Although the machines were able to create high quality smokes, the style and intricate details of the hand rolled joints still remained on top. Each of cone shaped joints had a tight pack, evenly adhered glue, perfectly folded tips and even intricate top seals. Joint rolling machines will certainly save you time but learning to roll a joint by hand is still worth the effort.
