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Grater

Utensils & kitchen tools · Grater

Grater

A metal surface punched with sharp-edged holes for shredding cheese, vegetables and citrus zest.

Essential in most kitchens · Manual · 87 recipes

Photo: Photograph: Frank C. Müller , Baden-Baden, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

A flat paddle or four-sided box of steel with differently sized cutting holes: coarse for cheese and carrots, fine for hard cheese and ginger, and a slicing slot. Rotary graters crank food against a drum. A microplane is a separate, very fine rasp grater.

What it’s for: Quickly reducing food into shreds, flakes or a fine pulp.

How to use it

  1. Stand the box grater on a board or hold the paddle over a bowl.
  2. Choose the side for the texture you want.
  3. Push the food down across the holes with steady pressure.
  4. Stop before your knuckles reach the blades; use the last piece elsewhere.

Good to know

Tasks
grating cheese, shredding carrots and cabbage, grating ginger and onion, grating cold butter for pastry, grating coconut, zesting citrus
Cooking methods
Raw, No-cook
Materials
stainless steel
Care and cleaning
Rinse immediately and brush from the inside out with a stiff brush. Grated cheese is easier to clean off cold.
Limitations
Slow for large amounts; soft cheese clogs it.

Safety

  • Very easy to graze knuckles; use a guard or stop near the end.
  • Hold the grater firmly on a non-slip surface.

If you don’t have one

Equipment guide

How it works: Rows of sharp-edged holes shear thin strips or fine particles from food pushed across them. Larger holes give shreds; small, raised, star-shaped holes rasp food into a pulp or powder.

MaterialGoodWatch out
Stainless steelDurable, non-reactive, dishwasher-safe, does not hold smells.Can scratch non-stick pans; conducts heat, so all-metal handles get hot.
Tinned or plated steelCheap.Dulls and rusts quickly.
Ceramic plateIdeal for ginger and garlic pulp.Breakable.
Box grater
Four sides with several hole sizes.
Flat paddle grater
Grates straight over a pan or bowl.
Rotary grater
Hard cheese at the table.
Ginger grater
Ceramic or metal teeth make a pulp.
Coconut scraper
Serrated blade for fresh coconut, hand or bench-mounted.

Buying guidance

Starting out: A stable box grater with sharp, etched holes.

  • Sharp, etched or photo-etched blades
  • Non-slip base or handle
  • Hole sizes you use

No brands or prices — check current reviews before buying.

Techniques:Knife skills

Related tools

Recipes that use it

75 more