If you love your cheese, whether it is spread over a pizza, sprinkled over spaghetti bolognese or in a salad, you need a good cheese grater. A cheese grater is one of the most common kitchen utensils, but as well as grating cheese, a cheese grater can be used for grating all different types of food like ginger, garlic, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, chocolate and even nuts. The grating tasks it can accomplish are endless, so it really is a highly versatile food preparation tool.
Our Top Pick for the Best Cheese Grater
Our top pick for the best cheese grater is the Cuisipro Surface Glide Technology 4-Sided Boxed Grater. If you love to cook, whether it is in a professional kitchen or at home, the Cuisipro grater is an essential cooking tool that makes food preparation effortless. Besides it top quality performance and its high level of grating versatility for all sorts of cheese, vegetables, and fruit, this super grater uses innovative technology that makes it one of the most effective graters on the market.
Introducing the Cheese Grater
A cheese grater is a simple cooking utensil that is found in kitchens all around the world but this humble utensil is an essential food preparation tool as it can accomplish a lot of different tasks. As well as its ability to grate, shred and slice almost any type of food, a cheese grater comes in all different designs, from small hand-held graters to professional style rotary graters. So if your old cheese grater has taken a battering and you need to upgrade, here are some things to look for in your search for the perfect cheese grater that will suit your cooking needs.
Types of Cheese Graters
Hand-held Cheese Graters
If you only need to grate cheese occasionally, a hand-held grater, like the Cuisinart Grater, will get your grating tasks done. But if you like to experiment with different types of cheese-related recipes, you will need a multi-functional and heavy duty cheese grater, like the Cuisipro 4-Sided Boxed Grater. There are so many different styles of graters and the most common types are traditional style boxed graters, flat hand-held graters, and rotary graters.
Boxed Cheese Graters
A boxed cheese grater features a traditional style. It has large grating plates and may have 2, 3, or even 4 sides. Each surface or side will have different sized individual grating blades and holes that allow you to grate, slice, shred and zest all types of food like soft and hard cheeses, fruit, vegetables, chocolate, and nuts.
You can use the grater according to a specific recipe and finely grate Parmesan cheese, coarsely grate hard cheese, zest a lemon or slicing fruit. So you can see that having a multi-functional grater gives you a lot of food preparation versatility.
A high-quality hand-held boxed grater will be made out of strong stainless steel and have an easy-gripping plastic or silicone handle and a non-slip rubber base like the Cuisinart CTG-00-BG Boxed Grater. The best part of using a boxed grater is that you can place it directly onto a cutting board or on a dinner plate for easy grating and you can get a good grip and leverage on the grater for more demanding tasks. Some graters, like the Cuisipro, has a removable base that can be used to grate ginger.
The only downside of this type of grater is that cheese can get stuck in the holes and it may be bulkier and hard to fit into a drawer.
Flat, Hand-held Cheese Graters
A flat, hand-held grater, like the di Oro Living Premium Cheese and Vegetable Grater, is a multi-functional grater that allows you to grate, shred cheese and vegetables and fruit directly onto your food. You do not need to use a separate plate or cutting board which means you will also save on space and washing up.
Flat graters are also made out of stainless steel and they have razor-sharp blades that cut quickly through food. Depending on their design, they can either be used for fine or coarse grating, and they are especially good at grating hard cheese and work exceptionally well at grating small pieces of cheese, vegetables or fruit.
The best part of using a flat, hand-held grater is that it gives you more grating control with the longer style vertical handle, as opposed to the short horizontal handle on the boxed grater. The handle will usually be made from soft silicone, like the di Oro Cheese Grater, which is comfortable to hold and has a non-slip surface.
The downside of using this style of grater is that your hand may become strained if you need to grate a lot of cheese. But for quick and easy grating, a flat, hand-held grater is an excellent choice.
Rotary Cheese Graters
If you need to do a lot of grating, invest in a rotary cheese grater. A rotary grater is one of the quickest graters to use. If you like your gadgets, a rotary cheese grater is the right kitchen gadget for you. A professional style grater that is used in many cafes and restaurants, the rotary cheese grater can grate a lot of cheese in a very short time and instead of holding the cheese against the grater’s surface, you can place the cheese directly into the drum and turn the handle to grate the cheese.
Rotary cheese graters come in different styles. The Zyliss Rotary Grater can be held over your plate as you grate the cheese. The Westmark Multi-purpose Rotary Cheese & Vegetable Grater Cutter Slicer Shredder has 4 rubber suction feet that allow the grater to sit securely on the kitchen countertop and you can also place the cheese inside the unit and rotate the handle to grate the cheese right onto a plate.
This type of gadget is quick, easy and efficient and you can use it to perform other food preparation tasks like shredding and slicing all types of food and also for grinding nuts. Some rotary cheese graters, like the Zyliss Classic Cheese Grater, has a handle that is suitable for left or right-handed use. Besides their high grating performance, rotary graters are very compact and are so easy to store.
The downside of using a rotary cheese grater is that it has more parts which need to be washed and you may not be able to put them in the dishwasher.
Best Cheese Grater Reviews
1. ZYLISS Classic Cheese Grater
As one of the restaurant industry’s favorite grater, the Zyliss Classic Cheese Rotary Grater will have you grating all sorts of cheese like a professional and this efficient kitchen tool makes it so easy to grate a large amount of cheese fast.
Whether it is grating cheese for a pizza or Parmesan cheese for your pasta dishes, this commercial style grater comes at a very affordable price and it is the perfect choice for grating hard cheeses quickly and it can even grate chocolate for a scrumptious dessert.
The grater has a sturdy hard plastic housing and its drum can accommodate hard cheeses, chocolate, and nuts which makes this grater extremely versatile.
You can grate a large amount of cheese as the grater’s blade is razor sharp and the fine stainless steel acid etched blade drum is designed to cut through even the hardest of cheeses and even grind nuts, and it allows the grater to work quickly and with less pressure.
The Zyliss is very lightweight and features an ergonomic grip that feels comfortable in your hand and it is safe to use and you will not have to worry about accidentally catching your knuckles while you grate cheese into a bowl or over your meal. The grater is designed for left or right-handed use and the drum and handle are interchangeable.
Its compact size means you can easily store in a drawer and it is dishwasher safe and has removable parts for fast clean-up.
Pros
- Perfect for grating hard cheeses
- Affordable price
- Can be used to grate chocolate and grind nuts
- Razor-sharp blade
- Fine stainless steel acid etched blade drum
- Durable thick plastic drum
- Comfortable ergonomic handle
- Lightweight
- Easy to dismantle and clean
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Not ideal for soft cheeses like mozzarella
- Drum cannot hold larger blocks of cheese
2. Westmark Multi-purpose Rotary Cheese & Vegetable Grater Cutter Slicer Shredder
The Westmark multi-purpose heavy-duty rotary cheese and vegetable grater looks just like a NASA space pod, and as well as its unique design, it is one of the most versatile cheese graters, which makes it the ideal grater for all sorts of food preparation tasks.
Westmark is famous for their German-engineered kitchen products and their attention to detail means you can expect a high-quality product that is guaranteed to last and will make your food preparation tasks so much easier.
The grater has three high-quality stainless steel blade disks for three different types of grating: coarse grating, fine grating, and another one for slicing, cutting and shredding. So whatever type of meal you need to prepare, the grater can be used for a wide range of food types as well as cheese, such as carrots, cucumbers, nuts and anything else you can think of.
As well as a stable ABS base, there are three non-slip rubber suction feet that ensure a tight and secure hold on the kitchen counter-top, and the ergonomic handle is comfortable to hold and rotate. And when you are done with the grater, it can be folded away which will save you on storage space. The Westmark grater is easy to clean with soap and water.
Westmark offers a 5-year warranty on their efficient cheese and vegetable grater and they are completely confident that you will love their product and will refund your money back, no questions asked!
Pros
- Fantastic cheese grater
- German-engineered
- Multi-functional
- Can be used for cheese, carrots, cucumbers, and nuts
- 3 types of grating disks: coarse, fine, slicing and cutting and shredding
- High-quality stainless steel disks
- Stable ABS base
- 3 non-slip rubber suction feet
- Comfortable ABS ergonomic handle
- Easy to use
- Folds away for compact storage
- Easy to clean
- 5-year warranty
- Money back guarantee
Cons
- Tends to vibrate during use
- Not dishwasher safe
3. Cuisipro Surface Glide Technology 4-Sided Boxed Grater
Featuring state of the art innovative “surface glide technology”, the Cuisipro 4-Sided Cheese Grater takes grating cheese to a whole new level. The Cuisipro is recommended by America’s number one cooking magazine Cook’s Illustrated, so when you use this grater, you will be grating cheese like a professional chef.
Cuispro has taken the traditional box-style grater and given it a new look by introducing Surface Glide Technology that allows you to grates more cheese with less effort, and as the grater has 4 unique stainless steel grating surfaces with stainless steel razor sharp blades, you use the grater for fine grating to achieve a silky texture, which is just right for grating Parmesan cheese or citrus zest. You can also choose to coarsely grate on the ultra coarse surface for hard cheese or even slice vegetables.
With all this grating and slicing versatility at your fingertips, the Surface Glide Technology creates the perfect balance between the ease of grating and maximum efficiency for the ultimate grating experience, which other graters cannot compete with. The grater’s removable base adds that much-needed stability for heavy-duty food preparation and keeps the grater securely on the cutting board, and the non-slip black plastic handle is comfortable to hold.
A highly multi-functional grater, the Cuisipro has a base that doubles as a ginger grater that can shred fresh ginger root while leaving unwanted fibers behind and not in your food.
The secret to Cuisipro’s Surface Glide Technology lies in the repeated grooved pattern that is spread evenly across the face of the grating surface. The grooves provide 2 distinct benefits that other graters cannot provide:
- The grooved pattern helps to reduce resistance to even the hardest of cheese or vegetables, which makes the grating process so effortless.
- The elongated groove shape lengthens each individual blade, so each blade has a greater cutting surface so that when it comes into contact with food, it can produce a lot of gratings for each stroke and the food just glides along the surface of the grater.
All Cuisipro products are backed by an extremely generous 25-year warranty.
The only downside to this excellent grater is that it should not be washed in the dishwasher so you need to wash it by hand.
Pros
- High level of grating versatility
- Super sharp blades
- Great value for money
- Versatile
- Ideal for hard and soft cheeses
- Sturdy construction
- Recommended by Cook’s Illustrated magazine
- Features exclusive Surface Glide Technology
- Unique grooved grating surface allows you to grate more with less effort
- Grooves reduce resistance and elongate the length of each individual blade
- Can be used for grating citrus fruits and vegetables
- Four grating surfaces: fine, coarse, ultra-coarse, and a slicer
- Allows you to vary the grating texture
- Removable base doubles as a ginger grater
- Ginger grater leaves unwanted fibers behind on the grater
- Stable base
- Stainless steel surfaces and blades
- Comfortable non-slip black plastic handle
- Easy to clean
- 25-year warranty
Cons
- Bulky
- Has to be washed by hand
- Expensive
4. di Oro Living Premium Cheese and Vegetable Grater
The hand-held di Oro Living Premium Cheese and Vegetable Grater is the perfect grating tool for all types of grating tasks and it offers you a lot of cooking versatility for preparing all of your favorite meals.
With a host of great features, the di Oro Chef Series coarse grater is designed to meet the challenges of working in a busy kitchen, for both home cooks and professional chefs, so whatever type of food you need to grate, from cheese to hard vegetables like potatoes, and even fruit, this sturdy grater can hold up to everyday food usage.
The grater has professional-grade, razor-sharp 18/8 stainless steel FDA-approved blades that make quick work of any grating job and they are crafted from the finest material, and the grater comes with a safety cover that protects its blades when it is not in use.
Grating soft and hard cheese is so easy with this premium cheese grater as the ergonomically designed comfort grip handle is made from BPA-free silicone and its non-slip surface and rubber blade foot is a great safety feature as it helps you to keep a secure hold on the grater even when your hands get wet.
Keeping the grater clean is made even easier as the tight seam handle construction prevents food, liquid, and germs from building up in and around the grater handle, and you can put the grater into the dishwasher.
di Oro offers you a lifetime, money-back guarantee on this product, so if you are not happy for any reason, just let them know and they will refund your money with no questions asked!
If you prefer to use a flat, hand-held grater that can grate finely, di Oro also makes a Premium Zester/Fine Grater.
Pros
- Premium grater
- High-quality
- Very affordable price
- Pro-grade razor sharp food-grade, 18/8 stainless steel grater blade\
- Heavy-duty construction
- Versatile
- Ideal for soft and hard cheese
- Can be used for fruits and vegetables, such as apples, onions, cabbage, and potatoes
- Ergonomic BPA-FREE soft silicone comfort grip non-slip handle
- Non-slip rubberized foot for added control and safety
- Tight seam construction prevents food, liquid, and germs from building up
- Bonus safety cover
- Dishwasher safe
- Lifetime money-back guarantee
Cons
- Grater’s surface is not very wide
- Not ideal for fine grating
5. Cuisinart CTG-00-BG Boxed Grater
This classic boxed grater from Cuisinart features a simple design but with 4 large grating surfaces and sharp blades that are made from high-quality strong stainless steel, this extremely affordable grater can be used for a wide range of grating tasks, so if you need to upgrade your old battered grater, this is the grater for you.
Whatever type of grating, slicing or shredding tasks you need to do, the Cuisinart grater is the right tool for any job, from grating cheese and hard vegetables like beets, carrots, and even cabbage – it is up to the challenge.
The sturdy grater has a non-skid rubber base that keeps it firmly placed on a cutting board or plate and the strong molded black plastic handle is soft to the touch.
To clean the grater, just pop it in the dishwasher.
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- Very good value for money
- Can grate cheese and hard vegetables
- Well designed
- High-quality stainless steel
- Very sharp blades
- Sturdy
- 4 surfaces for grating, slicing, and shredding
- Comfortable black soft molded plastic handle
- Easy to hold
- Non-skid rubber base
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Cheese can get caught in the base
Our Top Pick for the Best Cheese Grater
Our top pick for the best cheese grater is the Cuisipro Surface Glide Technology 4-Sided Boxed Grater. If you love to cook, whether it is in a professional kitchen or at home, the Cuisipro grater is an essential cooking tool that makes food preparation effortless. Besides it top quality performance and its high level of grating versatility for all sorts of cheese, vegetables, and fruit, this super grater uses innovative technology that makes it one of the most effective graters on the market.
