This Microplane grater also features a dedicated area for slicing, should you want to slice up some cucumber for a salad or potatoes for potato gratin, and a bi-directional blade that produces ribbon-style shreds. Our tester also tried this grater out on smoked mozzarella and found it to work quite well. Plus, throughout the entirety of our testing, they never felt fatigued or uncomfortable using this grater, which is due in part to its steady base and ergonomic handle. Overall, our tester said they would recommend this grater, saying “it's user-friendly, high-quality, easy to clean, and versatile.” We grouped our assessments under crucial performance areas, including Grating Ability, Versatility, Ergonomics, Features, and Ease of Cleaning. Below, we dissect each performance metric and highlight standout models for each area. Grating Ability Box graters usually come with all three of those options, and usually a slicer too, making them a great investment. However, if you do a lot of fine grating, getting a separate rasp grater may be a worthwhile investment. During our testing, we found that rasp graters often did a better job at zesting than box graters. The sharp blades are made of stainless steel, the handle is non-slip silicone, and the wide surface area offers plenty of space to make fast work of cheese or chocolate. Di Oro comes with a lifetime warranty and is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. This comes with a cover for storage, but it has holes that leave some of the sharp blades exposed. 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.

In testing, this did an excellent job with parmesan cheese, and it truly did glide easily. We also liked its performance in making small and large shreds of softer Colby cheese. Using the slicing blade that works like a mandoline, it created thin slices of both carrots and zucchini. However, it only did a fair job when zesting lemon peel. It would be fine for occasional use, but a dedicated zester might be preferred if a lot of zesting is on the menu. The grater also has a rounded, slightly padded handle, so it was comfortable to hold onto during our tests. 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.

Our Top Picks

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. The grater is dishwasher safe, and we ran it though the dishwasher multiple times during testing. The box should be hand washed, but if it’s only used for storage it shouldn’t need a lot of cleaning. 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.

For the least amount of effort, flat graters work well because you can lay them horizontally on a counter and they should stay in place so you only need to grate with one hand—the Rösle Stainless Steel Medium Grater is a good example of a well-made flat grater.Who it’s for: People who want a grater that’s effective for grating cheese but isn’t as bulky as a box grater. 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. 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. Box graters are efficient when they are sharp, but after years of regular use, the edges tend to wear down. If you find you're struggling to shred cheese or hard veggies, it's probably time for a new one.

Comfortable to use: ergonomic soft-grip handle; non-slip foot; easily maneuverable; no need to apply pressure Who it’s for: People who want a grater that doesn’t require a lot of pressure to keep in place while grating. 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. Who it isn’t for: People who want a grater that comes with a storage base and compartment for shredded food. If you enjoy cooking and baking, and adding those extra-special touches and flavors, these tools are a no-brainer to keep around. They save you time and effort in helping make delicious meals and desserts and get you out of the kitchen faster to enjoy eating them, too.Our Multi-grater offers you the same level of versatility in a different arrangement: It, too, has four grating functions that you can use in the form of interchangeable grater inserts. Simply grate food into the food attachment and grate, slice or cut cleanly and safely. The Multi-grater is especially suitable for you if you want to prepare many different cuts and ingredients for a varied diet. Do you want clean cuts and lump-free grated ingredients like cheese, carrot, or even spices like ginger or nutmeg? For such comprehensive culinary art, the versatile Multi-grater is just what you need! This worked well for both our hard and soft cheeses, and we liked that we could choose large or small shreds as well as ribbon cuts. This also did a good job zesting. This has two options for slicing, for either straight or wavy cuts. Both worked well for zucchini but not as well for carrots. Whether we’re zesting lemons for a zingy lemon drizzle, grating nutmeg for a cheese sauce or slathering shavings of parmesan over sourdough for the ultimate cheese toastie, you can guarantee there’ll be a Microblade to hand. This rasp-inspired one which started the Microplane revolution is a great all rounder. Features include: Rotary graters are the ideal grater for people who don’t want to risk getting their fingers cut while grating. With the grating blade inside this mechanism, you can avoid that accident entirely. All you have to do is place your food in the hopper, turn the crank, and you’ll end up with perfectly grated food. Our tester noted that the hopper in this rotary grater is larger than others they tested, so you don’t need to refill it often. We were really impressed with how the hard cheese came out, with our tester saying it produced “a large volume of fluffy, feathery cheese with each turn” and that “this cheese is thinner than anything you can buy at the grocery store.” Learn More About How We Test Products What to Look for in a Microplane Grater and Zester Versatility