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Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

The Best Graters of 2024

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Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

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Editor's Choice Product image of Microplane Four Blade Four Sided Box Grater
Best Overall

Microplane Four Blade Four Sided Box Grater

Check Price at Amazon

From zesting lemons to grating potatoes, you won't find a better tool for the job than this Microplane box grater. Read More

Pros

  • Super sharp
  • Removable blade for easy cleaning
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • None that we could find
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Cuisinart CTG-00-BG Box Grater
Best Value

Cuisinart CTG-00-BG Box Grater

Check Price at Amazon

It's sharp and works fast. The sturdy metal surface doesn't flex even under a lot of pressure. It could zest better, but otherwise it's aces. Read More

Pros

  • Sturdy
  • Fast and efficient
  • Comfortable handle and no-slip feet

Cons

  • Finest grate size could use improvement
3
Product image of Cuisipro 4 Sided Box Grater

Cuisipro 4 Sided Box Grater

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If you don't mind washing this box grater by hand, it's a top-notch product. It makes quick work of shredding or grating nearly anything. Read More

Pros

  • Sharp teeth make for efficient grating
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Not dishwasher safe
  • Struggles somewhat with hard vegetables
4
Product image of KitchenAid Box Grater

KitchenAid Box Grater

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KitchenAid's four-sided box grater includes a container for catching food while you work. The finest grate size gives less-than-ideal results, though. Read More

Pros

  • Ample surface area for grating
  • Four grate sizes
  • No-skid base

Cons

  • Finest grate size could use improvement
  • Unstable when used with container
5
Product image of Prepworks by Progressive 5 Piece Boxed Grater Set

Prepworks by Progressive 5 Piece Boxed Grater Set

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A surprisingly good performer, this box grater with swappable inserts catches food as you work. You might want a different tool for zesting, though. Read More

Pros

  • Leaves little waste
  • Catches food as you grate

Cons

  • Not ideal for zesting
  • Best Overall Microplane Four Blade Four Sided Box Grater
  • Best Value Cuisinart CTG-00-BG Box Grater
  • How We Tested Box Graters
  • What You Should Know About Graters
  • What's the Difference Between a Grater and a Mandolin Slicer?
  • Other Graters We Tested
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

I’d wager a guess that almost everyone owns a cheese grater. It was one of the first tools I learned to use in the kitchen, and they’re so commonplace that you’ll probably find one in a vacation rental property. You might not think too much about your cheese grater, and honestly I didn’t, either. But, after using our winning grater—the Microplane 4-Sided Stainless Steel Multi-Purpose Box Grater (available at Amazon) —I’m definitely planning to upgrade my old one as soon as possible!

You see, these graters work by moving your food over tiny little blades, transforming a large block into a pile of perfectly shredded pieces. In addition to taking down the obvious (cheese), graters are ideal for shredding potatoes for hash browns or transforming carrots into cakes and coleslaws. They'll even zest citrus very easily! Like most blades, the holes on a grater can wear down over time, and unfortunately, they can’t be sharpened. If you find yourself buying bags of pre-shredded cheese just to avoid the grater, that may mean it’s time to pick up a replacement (especially if you’re like me and you still have the same box grater you bought when stocked your kitchen way back when).

So, we picked up eight top-rated graters and put them to the test by creating mounds of cheese, carrots, and potatoes. Most people only use the coarse setting, but we find that the other sides come in handy from time-to-time, so we chose mostly four-function graters. After putting them through a series of tests we found one we love and a few we think are just great (sorry, I had to).

Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison
Best Overall
Microplane Four Blade Four Sided Box Grater

I’ve been using a Microplane rasp-style grater for zesting lemons and grating nutmeg for years, so it didn’t surprise me when the Microplane 4-Sided Stainless Steel Multi-Purpose Box Grater performed like a champ. Unlike traditional stamped-style models, the blades for this grater are etched into the metal using a chemical process that creates super-sharp edges. That allowed this grater to perform above-average on all four sides. The fine holes resulted in beautifully zested lemons and a pile of airy, fluffy Parmesan, whereas the coarse holes gave us long strands of mozzarella and potato shreds that made the best latkes in the group.

It wasn't just about performance, either. It was the small features that made this model go above and beyond. The fine blade panel is removable for ease of cleaning, and the wide design makes the rest of this dishwasher-safe grater simple to clean, too. The feet stayed out of the way of shreds, allowing the contents to happily pile up underneath the grater without clogging up the mechanisms. As an added bonus, all the blades are made in the U.S.A. Put that all together, and this grater was a shoo-in for our choice of Best Overall.

Pros

  • Super sharp

  • Removable blade for easy cleaning

  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • None that we could find

Buy now at Amazon

$43.98 from Walmart
Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison
Best Value
Cuisinart CTG-00-BG Box Grater

The Cuisinart CTG-00-BG is regularly on salefor less than $10, and it’s definitely worth that price tag. It shredded and grated with the best of them. Unlike our winner, the Cuisinart is a stamped grater, which means it has a rigid grating surface that doesn’t flex as you use it. That makes it ideal for hard products, like potatoes and carrots, and it was also one of the fastest graters when it came to working with soft cheeses. It also had the best yield on the coarse side, creating less waste than any other in our group.

The one area where the stamped grater can’t compete, though, is on the fine holes, which turned Parmesan into a powder and tended to trap more lemon zest than it let through. That being said, we loved everything else about the design, especially its comfortable handle and nonstick feet that prevented it from moving as we used it.

Pros

  • Sturdy

  • Fast and efficient

  • Comfortable handle and no-slip feet

Cons

  • Finest grate size could use improvement

$11.99 from Amazon

$15.74 from Walmart

How We Tested Box Graters

Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

We shredded hard carrots and potatoes on each of the graters to see how it could hold up to tough tasks.

The Tester

Hi, I’m Lindsay Mattison, a trained professional chef and a total cheese addict. As kids, my brother and I used to grate huge piles of cheddar cheese and melt them in the microwave, fighting over the cheesiest part of the pile. The grater was the first kitchen tool I learned to use, and I was amazed when I got to college and found out that pre-shredded cheese was a thing! I’ll buy the convenience bags from time to time, but a good grater creates long, thick strands of cheese that simply melt better than the alternative. Since I use my grater all the time, I’d love to help you find one that’s easy to use and even easier to clean.

The Tests

We chose eight high-quality tools (six box models, one flat grater, and one boxed multi-grater) and put them to the test. Our tests were designed to assess the overall usability of each tool, with specific attention to blade sharpness, efficiency, and ease of use.

To get a good feel for each product, we shredded potatoes, carrots, and mozzarella cheese on the coarse side. On the fine side, we tackled Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. We were looking for a tool that was sharp enough to create long, intact shreds on the coarse side and delicate piles from the fine side. To see how much waste each one created, we measured the foods before and after shredding them.

Finally, we paid attention to the grater itself as we used it. Was the handle comfortable? Did it slide around as we used it? Did product get trapped in the grates itself, or did the feet prevent us from easily removing the shreds? And, since those blades are sharper than you think (I actually have a few scars to prove that!), we also made sure each product we tested was free from any safety concerns.

What You Should Know About Graters

Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

When testing Parmesan cheese, we found the graters had four types of fine shredding: individual strands, wide chunks, fluffy and soft, and super annoying to remove from the grater!

You might only use your grater for cheese, but they’re actually incredibly helpful tools. The coarse holes are perfect for taking down everyone’s favorite melting food, but they're also useful for grating carrots for cake or coleslaw, as well as potatoes for latkes and hash browns. The medium-sized holes work the same way as the coarse ones, just with a smaller shred. And the fine holes are designed for grating parmesan, zesting lemons, or reducing ginger to a paste. While I admit that I almost never use the slicing side, it's available for making uniform slices of cheese for appetizer platters or vegetables for gratin dishes if you don't have a mandolin slicer.

In addition to the multiple sides, graters also come in two styles: stamped and etched. The stamped models represent the tools of our childhood, with rigid grating surfaces stamped into stainless steel. These holes protrude out from the side of the grater, catching food in their wide holes and forcing them over the cutting surface. They’re generally very efficient on the coarse side and horribly annoying on the fine side. Etched graters, on the other hand, are created by using a chemical process that corrodes teeth into the side of thin metal. It creates a tiny opening that’s just large enough to grab onto your food, making it ideal for fine grating. The metal used for these types is thinner, though, so they will flex in and out when being used with heavy-duty foods.

What's the Difference Between a Grater and a Mandolin Slicer?

Where graters are designed to quickly grate, zest citrus, or turn foods into a paste, a mandolin slicer is designed for a single purpose: making thin, precise slices of fruits and vegetables (also, fingers, if you're not careful) much faster than can be managed by using a good kitchen knife, without taking up the amount of counter space that a food processor requires.

Mandolin slicers often come with more than one style of blade, so that you can make crinkled cuts or smooth cuts, depending on what aesthetic (or howe much dip) you're going for with a particular food. Additionally, a good mandolin will offer a number of blade positions so that you can cut your ingredients to the thickness that you prefer.


Other Graters We Tested

Product image of Cuisipro 4 Sided Box Grater
Cuisipro 4 Sided Box Grater

The lightest grater in the group was also one of our favorites. The Cuisipro Surface Glide Technology 4-Sided Boxed Grater has ultra-sharp etched teeth that grated and shredded with ease. It created perfect shreds of mozzarella and a beautiful pile of light, fluffy Parmesan. The only items it struggled with were the hard vegetables, which caused the front to bend in slightly as we used it. It didn't prevent us from wanting to use this grater, though, and it certainly didn't present a safety concern. Unfortunately, it’s one of the few products we tested that wasn't dishwasher safe. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, we’d recommend another model.

Pros

  • Sharp teeth make for efficient grating

  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Not dishwasher safe

  • Struggles somewhat with hard vegetables

$30.54 from Amazon

$39.99 from Abt

$33.50 from Walmart
Product image of KitchenAid Box Grater
KitchenAid Box Grater

If it wasn’t for the so-so performance of the fine hole side, the KitchenAid Gourmet Box Grater might have been a contender for the winner. It was one of the biggest graters in the group, which gave us more surface area to quickly and efficiently create thick, chunky shreds on the coarse side. The wide, nonstick rim on the bottom kept the grater from moving as you used it (although, it did tend to snag some shreds, making them harder to remove). Using the attachable container helped with that, but it did cause the grater to swing around a bit. Overall, we were pretty happy with the grater except for the fine holes, which were frustrating to use and clean.

Pros

  • Ample surface area for grating

  • Four grate sizes

  • No-skid base

Cons

  • Finest grate size could use improvement

  • Unstable when used with container

$17.00 from Amazon
Product image of Prepworks by Progressive 5 Piece Boxed Grater Set
Prepworks by Progressive 5-Piece Grater Set

I expected to hate the Prepworks by Progressive 5-Piece Grater Set because of its tiny blade inserts, but I actually liked this little guy! It hung in with the best of them on the coarse grating blade, and it was one of the leaders in yield (creating the least amount of waste). It was fast and efficient, and the fact that it caught all the shreds in the built-in box was definitely a bonus. For lemon zest and Parmesan, we’d definitely prefer using an etched-style grater over this model's stamped, fine hole blade, but overall we were pretty impressed with this affordable (and tidy) option.

Pros

  • Leaves little waste

  • Catches food as you grate

Cons

  • Not ideal for zesting

Buy now at Amazon

$14.76 from Walmart
Product image of Utopia Kitchen 6-Sided Box Grater
Utopia Kitchen 6-Sided Box Grater

The Utopia Kitchen 6-Sided Cheese Grater is definitely aiming at the more-for-less crowd. It’s available at an incredible budget price and includes six grating options instead of the typical four, giving you a greater variety in shred thickness and size. Sadly, none of those sides really exceeded expectations. It did just fine with mozzarella, but it had a narrow surface area that slowed us down and was all but impossible to grate on the finer sides. It really struggled with the hard vegetables and overall just required too much effort for our liking.

Pros

  • Includes six grate sizes

Cons

  • Requires excessive effort

  • Narrow surface area for grating

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of OXO Good Grips Box Grater
OXO Good Grips Box Grater

When it came down to it, the OXO Good Grips just didn’t perform as well as the other products on this list. It worked fine as a coarse-holed grater, but the slim design made it hard to get our hands into to remove product (which, also made it hard to clean later). It was nice that it came with an attachable container with a plastic lid for food storage, but the grater became very unwieldy when we attached it to the bottom, rocking dangerously side to side. All in all, we’d rather use another grater.

Pros

  • Includes storage container and lid

Cons

  • Unstable when used with container

  • Slim design makes it tough to clean

$16.99 from Amazon
Product image of Rösle Wire Handle Coarse Grater
Rösle Wire Handle Coarse Grater

We just weren’t impressed with this Cook’s Illustrated winner (subscription required). In their roundup, they loved that the Rösle Stainless Steel Coarse Grater only grates in one size, stating that they'd rather use a rasp-style grater for fine product anyway. If you agree and you're looking for a grater that only utilizes coarse holes, this one might fit that bill. It was one of the fastest tools we tested and it made beautiful shreds of potatoes and mozzarella. But, it was also incredibly messy and the product tended to collect towards the top of the grater, clogging up some of our working area. At the end of the day, the performance of the one-function Rösle wasn’t anything special to vault it up into the winners' circle.

Pros

  • Efficient

  • Creates even shreds

Cons

  • Has only one grate size

  • Messy in use

  • Food tends to collect at top

$44.95 from Amazon

$51.59 from Walmart

Meet the tester

Lindsay D. Mattison

Lindsay D. Mattison

Professional Chef

@linzdmattison

Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.

See all of Lindsay D. Mattison's reviews

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