© Provided by SaveurFound: The Best Cheese Grater to Level Up Homemade Pasta
When you think about your most beloved kitchen tools, your sharp chef's knife and your cast-iron Dutch oven probably come to mind. The humble cheese grater, though, can be just as indispensable. After all, a cheese grater is one of those culinary tools that's tricky to substitute or creatively work around if you don't have it. And a solid grater can be used for much more than a brick of parmesan. Options abound, so whether safety is your top priority or you're looking for a true workhorse of a tool with myriad uses, here's how to figure out the best cheese grater for your needs.
© Provided by SaveurThe Best Cheese Grater Option OXO Etched Box Grater with Removable Zester
BEST OVERALL: OXO Etched Box Grater with Removable Zester, $28RUNNER UP: Spring Chef XL Professional Box Grater, $14BEST HANDHELD: Joseph Joseph Twist Grater 2-in-1, $18BEST ROTARY: Zyliss Classic Rotary Cheese Grater, $17BEST TOWER: Prepworks by Progressive Stainless Steel Tower Grater, $7BEST MICROPLANE: Microplane Premium Classic Zester and Cheese Grater, $17
© Provided by SaveurThe Best Cheese Grater Option Spring Chef XL Professional Box Grater
Before buying a new cheese grater, you'll want to take into account the kinds of cheeses you frequently use, what you can fit in your storage space, and what other types of ingredients you like to grate.
You're probably most familiar with box graters, which typically have four sides, each with different blade types and hole sizes. These graters can capably handle soft and hard cheeses, from large shreds of mozzarella to fine sprinklings of Pecorino, but they do take up more room in your cabinet and they can be trickier to clean (especially the smallest grate size side).
Tower graters have three sides instead of four (or can be conical in shape), so they have a smaller footprint. Plus, many cooks find tower graters to be a bit more stable and sturdy than box styles.
Rotary graters are safe and simple to use, with an enclosed rotating blade and a handle you crank to release drifts of fluffy cheese, though most only offer one size of grating.
Handheld graters are compact and tend to have one grating surface with a single blade size. Great because they take up about as much room as a spatula! Though they're less versatile and are best for when you only need to grate a little bit of something.
Besides these common manual types of graters, there are electric graters for churning out Costco-size quantities, which are usually add-on attachments for a stand mixer or food processor, not a standalone device.
Cheese graters have either stamped or etched blades, which differ a bit in sharpness and output. Etched blades are sharper-they get their considerable bite via chemical corrosion that forms the grater's holes-and produce shorter, slimmer morsels of cheese. Stamped blades, on the other hand, are thicker and therefore less sharp. Unless you're going for an ultra-fine grated cheese, though, either should do the job.
© Provided by SaveurThe Best Cheese Grater Option Joseph Joseph Twist Grater 2-in-1
All cheese graters are pretty easy to use. But rotary cheese grinders, with their single grate size and covered blade might be the simplest in terms of safety and technique. Most box and handheld graters are fairly intuitive, too, with minimal, if any, removable pieces.
The fewer pieces to snap or screw onto your grater, the easier it will be to clean. For that reason, a rotary grater can take a minute or two more to wash. Smaller hole sizes are trickier to clean out, too; it can take a few rinses to get all the food out of those pinhole-sized shredders. Also, graters will do to your sponge what they do to a block of gruyere, so try washing with a thick rag instead.
© Provided by SaveurThe Best Cheese Grater Option Zyliss Classic Rotary Cheese Grater
Both hard and soft cheeses-and produce (think: apples, carrots, zucchinis)-can be most easily shredded by a grater's largest holes and medium-sized holes, the latter of which are useful for ingredients like potatoes and cabbage. The smallest hole size is ideal for grating hard cheeses, zesting citrus, and finely pulverizing nutmeg or chocolate.
© Provided by SaveurThe Best Cheese Grater Option: Prepworks by Progressive Stainless Steel 9
Besides the style and size of your grater, there are a few additional finer points:
Consider two specialized (and smaller) graters over one large, all-in-one tool. A box grater is bulky, and if you only use one or two of its sides, buying two handheld ones might be a better option.Besides maintenance, think about your personal cheese preferences. Some graters work well for both soft and hard cheeses, but if you mostly use one or the other, a more specific grater might serve you better.Take stock of any appliances or tools you already own that have similar abilities. Maybe you've already got other tools that cover your non-cheese grating, slicing, or zesting needs, like a food processor or mandoline? You might instead opt for a single-blade, ultra-nimble grater.
Here are six standout cheese graters that will expertly handle all your zesting, slicing, and grating needs.
A versatile tool with clever add-ons you'll actually use.
This four-sided OXO grater has medium and coarse grating planes, plus slicing and zesting options. A non-slip base makes it sturdy and comfortable to hold. One special feature we love: A removable storage container with a lid that measures one cup of grated cheese. Another nice perk: The zester smartly detaches, which makes cleaning easier and eliminates the need for a separate microplane.
© Provided by SaveurThe Best Cheese Grater Option Microplane Premium Classic Zester and Cheese Grater
High-quality, heavy-duty design with a comfortable, wide handle.
This popular four-sided, stainless-steel option with over 9,000 rave Amazon reviews has angled, wide sides that are safer and easier to clean than narrower, straight-sided graters. Plus, the width allows you to grate bigger chunks of cheese more quickly. Choose from coarse, medium, fine (aka zesting), and slicing options, the latter of which is useful for more than cheese (think: potatoes, squash, zucchini, carrots, lemons, and cucumbers).
Another smartly designed option, in a more compact package.
Brilliant little details abound on Joseph Joseph's dishwasher-safe handheld grater with a duo of etched blades (coarse and fine grate) that work well for both soft and hard cheeses. The adjustable handle has two positions, so you can either grate smaller amounts straight into a bowl, or tilt the handle to a 90? angle to grate larger quantities of cheese downwards on a slope. The reversible storage sheath is multipurpose, too: use it as a blade cover, or to collect shredded cheese. As a bonus, it's smaller and easier to store than a box grater.
Incredibly easy and safe to use, thanks to an enclosed blade.
Cheese grating can be a perilous sport, especially if you've got kids or are just injury-prone in the kitchen. Zyliss' rotary cheese grater eliminates the danger factor because of the enclosed blade. Though there's only one grate size, you won't mind when you see the mounds of restaurant-caliber wisps of Parmigiano Reggiano or Asiago this grater can produce in seconds. In fact, the grater is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation for restaurant use, so it's vetted for safety and durability. It's dishwasher-safe, can be used by both lefties and righties, and has more than 6,000 happy Amazon ratings. Plus, you can also use it to grate ingredients that take a bit more elbow grease on a box grater, like chocolate and nuts.
Similar to a box grater, but with a more nimble silhouette.
For some cooks and cheese pros, a pyramid-shaped tower grater is preferable to a box grater. And unless you think you'll often use the largest slicing side of a traditional box grater, you won't miss that fourth side.
The super-fine, sharp blade is ideal for producing fresh, airy piles of pecorino or parm.
For hard cheeses like pecorino or parmesan, a classic handheld microplane excels at fluffy mounds of wispy cheese tendrils, which melt more quickly than coarser grind sizes. It's also ideal for zesting citrus or mincing ginger and garlic, and is useful for spices like cinnamon or nutmeg (skip the soft cheeses, though, as they'll get stuck in the blade). The long, surgical stainless-steel grater resists rust and shouldn't need sharpening. The plastic tabs on the tool's edges help prevent scratches to countertops and tables. Though the grater is dishwasher safe, it's best to give it a quick rinse by hand after using so nothing gets stuck.
You're going to quickly become obsessed with your new culinary toy-here's a few reasons why.
There are so many things you can grate! From cabbage for coleslaw to chocolate for cookies, a good grater comes in handy for a ton of cooking projects.Freshly grated cheese is unequivocally superior to the pre-grated stuff. Sure, that tub of pasta-ready parm is easier and spares you a step. But pre-grated cheese just doesn't taste the same, and can have a gritty, waxy, or powdery texture because of added preservatives and chemicals to prevent clumping.You'll have greater autonomy over your cheese texture. Another perk of grating your own cheese? Full control over how coarse or fine the shreds are.
It really depends what kinds of cheese you'll be grating, how much storage space you can allot, and how safe you feel using it.
Many graters can indeed be popped into the top shelf of the dishwasher for easy cleaning, though be sure to check first. The tiniest holes on the grater can get gunked up, so it's best to hand-wash zesters, microplanes, or any sort of pinhole-sized blades right after use even if they're dishwasher-safe.