Ultra clean slice: super sharp photo-etched stainless steel blade; no ripping, tearing or shredding means flavours are preserved and intensified In testing, this managed to grate parmesan, but it wasn’t as easy as some others. However, it did a fine job with our softer Colby cheese. Slicing carrots wasn’t particularly effective, but it did a fine job slicing zucchini. We wouldn’t use this for zesting citrus unless we had no other options. Slagle says the biggest mistake she sees people make with their graters is not replacing them when they start to wear. “If you’re struggling when you grate on it, or the ingredients are grating in mushy mounds instead of individual pieces, then it’s time to retire it,” she says. Overall, we recommend the Microplane 4-Sided Stainless Steel Professional Box Grater. This box grater produced even shreds for hard cheese, soft cheese, and citrus, the latter of which was hard to achieve with other grater types we tested. It was also comfortable to use and the blades were sharp enough that our tester didn’t need to apply much pressure to get the grating jobs done. For rasp graters, you have to balance the grater on your countertop to keep it upright, making it less stable than a box grater. For rotary graters, you have to hold it up entirely with one hand and turn the crank with the other, which can become tiresome.

People might be averse to this type of grater because it looks like it requires more effort to use than your average box grater. However, our tester found this to not be the case, calling this rasp-style grater very easy to use. They told us that the handle is sturdy enough to hold with just one handle, and that they didn’t have to apply an excess amount of pressure for it to successfully shred and zest the food. Who it isn’t for: People who want a grater that comes with a storage base and compartment for shredded food.Pecorino: We shredded 1 ounce of Pecorino using the fine holes on each box grater, and using each rasp grater or zester. Again, we looked for undesirable crumbling, shearing, and messiness, as well as uniform shred size and shape. Mozzarella: We shredded 4 ounces of mozzarella using the coarse holes on each box. We paid attention to whether cheese passed through the grater easily, creating even shreds, or if it crumbled into uneven blobs or sheared (broke into larger chunks that are then harder to shred). We also considered whether cheese flew off the face of the grater and made a mess. If you’d prefer to have one grater and one grater only, we encourage you to try zesting on whatever grater you choose—if it has a fine blade option, that is. We found during our testing that some did produce acceptable zests, like the Microplane 4-Sided Stainless Steel Professional Box Grater. This ultra-sharp, fine Microplane Grater makes light work of zesting citrus fruit or finely grating cheese, chocolate, nutmeg, spices, garlic, horseradish, ginger and more. The really fine cut also produces a much more intensely fresh flavour for salads, to garnish a dessert, or to add to casseroles and bakes. Next on our list is another food grater from Oxo. They make a huge range of really high-quality culinary tools and the Oxo Good Grips Box Grater is one of their best products. It pretty much looks just like a normal box grater, but it has one added feature that makes it extra useful. On the bottom of the grater, there’s an attachable container to catch whatever you’re grating. This tool will come in handy, especially for health nuts that like to measure their food because it has measurements on both sides. Plus, it has a small lid on top so you can also use the container to store food if you grate too much by accident.

Some Microplanes have ergonomically designed handles making them easy to hold in hands that are tired or arthritic. Before buying, hold it in your hand and pretend you're grating or zesting to see just how comfortable it is for you. Looking to make some nachos or mac and cheese? What about some grilled cheese sandwiches? Whatever cozy, warming recipes you’re looking to whip up, cheese can almost certainly improve them. And, while you can buy pre-shredded cheese, of course, it’s generally fresher and tastier if you grate your own. Based in Arkansas in the US, Microplane have over 40 years’ experience of photo-etching technology and were the first company to use the process for making culinary tools – which led to them making what they believe to be the sharpest grater blades in the world for effortless, precise grating to maximise aroma and flavour without ripping, tearing or shredding. Made from start to finish from the highest quality stainless steel in their own dedicated factories, Microplane graters have non-slip bases, protective covers for safe storage, and ergonomic soft-grip handles to give you a really secure hold. Each one carries a lifetime guarantee. In our final product review, we’re taking a look at a two-fold grater from the popular OXO Good Grips collection. This gatefold design is unique looking and is the perfect double-use tool. It’s a kind of halfway house if you like between a box grater and a hand grater combining the best of both worlds. You can stand this style over a bowl and grate directly where you need to without making any mess. Or, if you prefer, you can snap it apart and grate over a chopping board instead. We really think the versatility to operate two ways thanks to those detachable surfaces is an excellent feature. Who it’s for: People who want a grater that’s effective for grating cheese but isn’t as bulky as a box grater.

Our Top Picks

Comfortable: A grater’s handle should feel comfortable to grip and not be too unwieldy to hold onto for an extended period of time. Ideally, a handle also shouldn’t be slippery when wet.

In testing, we gave this a chance to grate parmesan cheese, but that’s not what the star-shaped grating surface is made for. This did a good job chewing through super-hard whole nutmeg, and the small storage space at the top could be handy for storing nutmeg in between uses. While this could be used in an emergency to grate other foods, it’s best to think of this as the nutmeg grater, and let it do what it’s best at. These little tools are up for most any job in the kitchen that involves, grating, zesting, shaving, and shredding, from making perfectly shaved nibs of chocolate for toppings to grating the finest pieces of citrus zest to go into those baked goods you're making. Other types of graters include flat graters, which can be operated horizontally, and rotary graters, which have no exposed blades. For rotary graters, you put your cheese in a hopper and turn a crank to lower it into the cylindrical grinders found located inside the machine. This also did a good job with our hard and soft cheeses. While it was able to slice both carrots and zucchini, it wasn’t as good as some others we tested, making some rough cuts along the way. Still, if we had the grater out and didn’t want to grab a knife, it would be handy. While the silicone bumper at the base helps keep the grater stable, we noticed that it trapped bits of cheese, which made it more difficult to clean (it's not dishwasher safe). Potatoes: We sliced half a potato on each box grater with a wide blade to see how consistent the pieces were.The next grater on our list wins the award for the catchiest name. The KitchenAid KN300OSOBA Box Grater might not roll off the tongue, but it knows how to grate! It’s a pretty basic design, with three stainless-steel grating surfaces and one slicing blade. This gives you the option to grate, shred, or slice your food, but unfortunately doesn’t contain a zesting surface. You’ll have to buy a separate tool for that. Most people know what a zester does, but perhaps a Microplane is new to you. If so, this brand guide will help you better understand Microplane products, why they’re the grater of choice for both professional chefs and home cooks, and which one you should buy. If you are looking for something that you can grate, slice, julienne and also collect and store your produce in, then take a look at this OXO Good Grips complete grate and slice set. It comes with four separate grating surfaces, each of which is color-coded for your convenience. They can be used on their own or in conjunction with the transparent container, which also has handy measuring marks. There’s also a transparent lid which can be additionally used as a flat top for storing sliced and grated produce. The cover itself has a 2-cup capacity, so it highly practical in itself. There are non-slip feet on the container to hold your base steady while you are working.

While hand washing is preferred, we ran this through the dishwasher multiple times during testing with no ill effects. Getting a grater that is comfortable in your hand is important because grating is a slightly labor-intensive kitchen task that, depending on how much you need to grate, can take a long time. Box graters have such a sturdy base that oftentimes you don’t need to put much pressure on the handle for it to stay in place. The Oxo Good Grips Multi Grater is the third type of grater on this list. It’s sort of the halfway house between the hand grater and the box grater. The best thing about this style is that you can stand it up over any sized bowl and grate your cheese (or whatever you’re grating) straight into the bowl. This prevents any extra mess and will save on the washing up as well. Plus, if you want to use it as a normal grater it works perfectly. People who meal prep will really appreciate this convenient box grater from KitchenAid. The grater comes with a compartment that you can attach to the grater while shredding, so you can transport it directly to the fridge without having to pull out an additional food storage container. The little compartment can hold between a half a cup and two cups, giving you enough cheese to sprinkle over a salad, or cover a small pizza. Reaching into a drawer can sometimes lead to unexpected cuts when there's a zester or grater in there. Some of these tools have covers that go over them to protect your hands—and potentially your little ones' hands. Decide if this is an important feature for you when selecting one.This can also be used for veggies or coconut when you want to add flavor, but not a lot of texture to your soups or smoothies. This cheese grater from Microplane features surgical-grade stainless steel blades and is dishwasher safe. One of their many possibilities is to grate various ingredients so that they can be incorporated into dishes, served as garnishes or added as toppings. The typical arrangement of a kitchen grater’s fine blades ensures that, for example, cheese can be shredded or a whole cucumber can be finely sliced – all achieved with very simple, effortless hand movements thanks to our graters. Whether you need to slice, grate or even sprinkle cheese, you can do it with our versatile kitchen graters. The most common type of grater is a box grater, which are loved for their versatility because they come with four grating options (though some brands offer more). The next most common grater is the rasp grater, which some people also refer to as a Microplane (Microplane is actually a company that makes rasp graters). Rasp graters with fine blades excel at zesting citrus, so much so that keen home cooks often have these types of rasp graters in addition to a box grater. There are other rasp graters that also have larger grating holes that produce more medium or coarse shreds. We also asked our testers to note if there were any features or additional accessories that made the grating experience better. After we completed these tests, we cleaned each grater and rated them on how easy they were to clean, including evaluating how difficult it was to get food out of the holes in the blades. We used all this information to come up with the best graters. Yes. “Graters are essentially lots of little knives,” says Slagle. “Imagine your knives if you never sharpened them—that’s the grater you’ve had for five years.” Unlike knives though, there is no way for you to sharpen the blades on a grater. So unfortunately, this is a product that you will have to replace as the years go by.