Best Cheese Grater Reviews 2020

You can easily pop into any shop and buy a cheap cheese grater for next to nothing, and, although in some ways it might be better than nothing, it certainly won’t pass the test of time when you use it regularly in your cooking. But if you’re on a budget, don’t panic. You can get a well-made grater for around $15. For this price, you can even choose between a classic grater that you grate vertically towards a surface, or you could go for a manual rotary design which means all you have to do is turn the handle and see your chosen food land on your plate perfectly grated. At this price, graters are typically made with strong, durable plastic. These are not very sharp and are a good tool for youngsters who are learning to cook.

At the top end of the scale, you can find more advanced graters for around $70. Higher-quality graters are usually made from stainless steel and use electricity so you don’t have to put in the hard work. At this price you will also be able to find interchangeable surfaces, so you can get the texture you require.

Some might think that buying a grater is as easy as picking one up off a shelf and purchasing it. Others might search for hours to find the one that gives them exactly what they are looking for; but neither of these scenarios is ideal for finding the right grater. To help you make the best decision, we’ve made up a list of important features.

Here are a few things to keep in mind whilst shopping for graters:

• Various Grating Surfaces - For example: slicing/ shredding/ shavings
• Grating Technique - Vertical/ horizontal/ manual rotary/ electric
• Types of Food - Hard food i.e nuts, hard cheese, chocolate/ softer food i.e vegetables, hard fruits, semi-soft cheese
• Material - Plastic, stainless steel
• Size Some are handheld so they can only grate a thin surface; others you can fit a block of cheese in all at once.
• Powered By - Traditional grating action, manually-powered handle, electric grater

Still not sure what to go for? Let’s take a closer look.

The construction of your grater will depend on the type of food you wish to grate, the material it’s made from and also its size. All of these need to be considered in order to get your ideal cheese grater.

Types of Food

When you purchase a grater, you will want to think about the types of food you wish to prepare. You can use a grater to prepare anything from nuts to cheese to lime zest, but you will want to make sure you purchase a grater that has surfaces appropriate for all of these foods. However, if you are looking for an elegant grater to serve parmesan on your guest’s pasta, then a simple option that grates hard cheese into fluffy shavings is all you need.

Material

The majority of graters are made out of plastic, stainless steel, or a combination of the two. Really this just comes down to personal preference or budget. Stainless steel has the edge with harder foods as it is sharper and more durable, but if you are simply using it for the basics, plastic will do the job well.

Size

Consider the storage space you have available before going all out and buying the larger electric grater which you have to shove and squeeze into an already full cupboard. The box graters have measurements on the side, so it’s easy to follow a recipe and grate the right amount. Whereas other designs require you to measure the right amount of food before you put it in the compartment to be grated.

You should consider the grating surface, grating technique and power of your grater before making a decision. All these things can affect how easy your grater is to use as well as how it performs so let’s see what you should be looking for.

Various Grating Surfaces

The main grating surfaces available are the standard shredding surface, the shaving surface, and thin slicing. Some only come with one surface and are made for a particular purpose. Whereas others either have different sides for different textures or interchangeable blades.

Grating Technique and Power

Grating by hand can be done horizontally or vertically and just depends on what’s most comfortable for you. Other options have a handle you turn manually to set the grating into action; the handle can be swapped round so it’s suitable for both right-handed and left-handed people. Nowadays, there’s an electric version of everything, and graters are no different. If you really can’t bear to grate one more time then get an electric grater to do it all for you!

Electric Graters

Electric graters can be more work initially as they do require some setup. Most electric graters come with instruction manuals that tell you exactly how to set it up and how to maintain it. We suggest that you get one with a warranty just in case there is a manufacturing issue.

Manual Graters

Regular cheese graters do not require any setup. As for cleanup, you will definitely want to remove any extra debris immediately after using the grater. This will help prevent things from solidifying inside the holes of your device. The best way to do that is to use a clean toothbrush or a washcloth. After that, you can just place it in the dishwasher. Most graters are dishwasher-safe, but this is obviously something you will want to look into before you purchase the item.