What is the difference between dry and wet grinder?
Mixer grinders are among the essential kitchen tools, especially in the last 2 decades. But do you know the difference between wet and dry grinders?
Though both have similar fundamentals & purpose- to shorten the cooking time but come with some differences. We have pointed out key points for dry vs wet grinding.
Wet and Dry Grinder For Indian Cooking
Dry Grinder (7 Key Points):
- Most commonly known as a mixer grinder.
- Primarily used for making powder using the dry grinding process of spices.
- Useful in preparing delicious chutneys as well.
- If you go for a juicer mixer grinder, you can prepare instant fresh juices from fruits, vegetables, etc.
- The big jar is used for liquidizing (wet grinding). You can prepare milkshakes, smoothies, purees, etc, but it has lower efficiency than a wet grinder.
- You can use a mixer grinder for mixing, blending, crushing, etc.
- Advanced operations like meat mixing, shredding, atta kneading are possible with Preethi Zodiac MG 218 but you have to pay more.
- You can buy a dedicated dry grinder as well.

Wet Grinder (7 Key Points):
- Optimally designed to perform wet grinding tasks only.
- Dry grinding is not possible.
- You can use a wet grinder to prepare a liquid or semi-liquid paste of ingredients like coconut, rice, pulses & can do atta kneading as well.
- It’s not a very common choice for Indian cooking.
- The output of wet grinding is much finer than that of a dry mixer grinder.
- No other operations are possible, apart from wet grinding.
- In short, a wet grinder specializes in what it is intended for.
Difference Between Dry and Wet Grinding
Dry grinding is the most common type of grinding we come across. It means we grind the spices & masalas to a fine powder.
In short, we reduce the particle size to its smallest possible form, with the help of sharp rotating blades. There is no liquid involved to achieve it. In general, you either use a 500W or 750W grinder.

On the other hand, wet grinding involves water (or other liquid) as part of the process. The parent substance is crushed into smaller pieces while being suspended in the liquid.
You can prepare pastes, idli/dosa batter, etc. using the wet grinding process. You can use a general mixer grinder for that, but not preferred. It’s all about dry and wet grinding.
But the main difference between a wet grinder and a dry grinder is, you can use the latter for liquid grinding. But can a wet grinder be used for dry grinding? No!
Wet Grinder vs Dry Grinder Comparison
Wet Grinder Pros & Cons
Dry Grinder Pros & Cons
Closing Thoughts on Wet and Dry Grinder Machines
Now you’re well aware of the difference between dry and wet grinder.
You can choose either a wet or dry grinder for Indian cooking. Both have their own merits & drawbacks as explained.
If you have a big family & want to often prepare a large amount of batter or coconut paste, go for a wet grinder.
Otherwise, you can get a full-fledged mixer grinder at the same cost. If you need to do even more complex operations, you can go for a food processor.