The Cuisipro is the only box grater whose four sides are really useful. Coarse for carrots, medium for starchy roots, fine for hard cheeses, AND the bottom is a ginger grater. It’s top notch too because the holes are etched like a microplane and not punched, so they are perfectly shaped and cut very well after many years of use.
The Cuisipro is excellent. Plus: etched blades (the microplane patent has expired ) that slice cleanly and easily. Con: as dangerous as a mandoline. Armored glove recommended.
One thing about Microplanes is they may be less expensive at the woodworking shop than a cookware store! I've got several. I'm nearly 70 years old and my favorite graters are probably as old or older than I am. Picked up an an antique shop for about a couple dollars each.
I have 3 different hand-held graters from the Microplane Artisan series. The extra coarse is great for cheese and vegetables (so great I lost part of my thumb and thumbnail to it) and the ribbon is perfect for hard cheeses and chocolate. I don't do a ton of grating, so the handhelds are perfect for me, but can get really tiring for a big job (like a fermented beet & carrot slaw/ salad, filling a quart jar is A LOT of grating).
You might want to drill a drip hole in that handle. I fixed an umbrella handle that way--obviously taking care not to drill through any metal parts or to damage the structural integrity. And... giving you a possible complexity for cleaning. But, heck. Worth a try.
Microplane does a box grater that is about the same price of that Rösle, and I like it. I find all 4 sides useful. On that one, the side that is usually useless on typical box graters has a big plane of the standard MP zesting blades, and it has a decent quickie mandolin slicer on one of the thin walls. I still prefer a handheld Microplane for daily driving but I converted to the all-metal pro version - - bigger surface area, more ergonomic
My OXO grater is 15 years old and getting dull. It's been a great kitchen companion every week. Now, time for a new companion! Thank you for the recommendation of the Cuisipro. Will purchase and keep on grating...
I was gifted a black handled Microplane nearly 20 years ago. I use it at least 4 times weekly for Parmigiano-Reggiano. It also works well for fine grating chocolate. I have not noticed any degradation in its effectiveness. Definitely one of the most useful gifts I have ever received! OXO sure makes some nice kitchen utensils. And at a great price as well. THANKS for this video!!
It is my understanding that OXO was founded by a gentleman designing kitchen tools for his severely arthritic wife. They also make microplanes and a nifty box grater with other attachments that capture the grated vegetables in the box. All of their stuff is top notch.
When I use a box grater I always wear a cutting glove. I'm a clutz and will grate my hand if given the opportunity. I do love a salad shooter for grating carrots and cheese - easy easy easy!
I've never been a fan of box graters, I think there a hassle to clean but I do use them very often. I had finally found a grater several years back and it was only $4. bucks, I took it home and used it that night on carrots, zucchini, beets and cheese, it worked great, almost effortless. So the next day I went back and bought the 11 they had left at the store thinking I may never find another that good, LOL It's been 5-6 years, I still haven't had to replace the original one bought. It is by far the best no name cheap product I've ever owned.
I have a grater just like the Cuisipro, for about a decade, and use it weekly. Mine is made by Farberware and came with a plastic tub you could shred into, great product. Yes, in Puertorrican cuisine we use that side of the box grater(the side that grates your knuckles😂)in making pasteles (to grate green banana, yuca, and other root tubers)at Christmas time.
I have the classic microplane grater and agree it's excellent. My "box grater" is actually an oval container grater from Ikea. It has a plastic container, a fitted lid, and 2 metal grater covers, one with smaller holes, one with larger holes. After you grate, you can put on the lid and stick it in the fridge -- it's terrific if you're grating cheese for later.
Hi, Helen. We love our Cuisipro box-grater. The blades on it are just like the ones on a Microplane. Extremely sharp. And, unlike some other box-graters, all four sides are useful. (Side note: Though I love to watch ATK's content on TH-cam, I have disagreed on several occasions with their reviews, analyses and recommendations.)
My favorite tool for peeling can also be used for grating things like cabbage- a swedish cheese slicer. For grating things like carrots, I like using a handheld y-shape julienne peeler. The graters like a plate, I like the kind that attach to a storage container. You can apply force and the food is neat in the box.
Here's an interesting thing about my microplane... I used it to grate some fresh turmeric a while ago and thought I had cleaned it throughly. Months later I got some Dawn Powerwash for the first time and after using the microplane on some garlic I sprayed it down with the powerwash for the first time and I got plumes of orange suds. Now I always spray my microplane down with powerwash, it does a grate job of cleaning my greater!
I really like the standard Oxo box grater Cook's Illustrated recommends. I like that you can shred a bunch of cheese or carrots and it stays put in the box. Then I slide a bench scraper under it and transfer my shreds to a bowl or to whatever I'm cooking. I hate other styles where the shreds are uncontained.
I love my cuispro. I do use my food processor for large jobs, but I am lucky that I have a robot coupe with every size disc. However the box grater is so much easier for weeknights. The microplane is a given
I have a flat grater a bit like the Rösle one but it has both big and small holes on one, and cutting slits on the other side. Works fine and the holes don’t have the weird form of the Rösle.
I use my Cuisipro box grater almost every day. For salads I'll grate a carrot and then use the mandoline to slice some cucumber. Today I cooked Chef John's Korean Chicken Noodle Bake that he just released and used the microplane side to grate a surfeit of ginger. It is quick on the job and easy to clean, and got it from the recommendation from Serious Eats. I also like the grating attachments for my KitchenAid mixer. They are so much better than the Cuisinart food processor (which I hardly ever use anymore), and they are easier to clean.
I love my box grater, it's IKEA, it has only useful sides (coarse, fine, slices. And I think it's very convenient that the box grater contains whatever you great in the box until you lift it. Less mess.
you can take the microplane blade out of the handle on those newer ones. i just use a kitchen towel to grab the blade and pull it out of the handle, then put the blade in the dishwasher. it's just in there firmly.
I always use the box grater side with 3 long holes. It's the best way to grate cheese, you'll end up with long slices that are perfect for sandwiches, eggs, and topping foods!
I recently got the last grater you mentioned--with the two useless sides--and it facilitates an easy large grate, by holding it flat on a surface and pushing downward. Your dismantled OXO seems smarter, less tiring, easier to grip, and I'm going to get one asap.
I got the Microplane Professional series full set. It was over $100 for all 5, but I find myself using them all depending on the dish or my mood. Super high quality, but maybe buy them one at a time. They're a lot like the one that you splurged on, but I've never had issues with the angle of the holes. Super easy to use
I love my microplane zester. I really disliked testing before I got it. However, for garlic, I recently found a better alternative while visiting Córdoba, the traditional ceramic plate used to grind garlic or tomato in Andaluzia, with the ceramic indentations. Love it!
I ditched my last box grater too, and I had one like the OXO but it was not real stable when I tried to use it so I tossed it as well. Instead I bought a set of individual small paddle style graters in different coarsenesses. I actually use the super fine one (like the side you pointed out on the box grater as being one nobody uses) for finely shredded cheese like parm or asiago. Just easier to clean up and the size I bought was just easy to handle.
I have had a Cuisipro since May 2020, so almost 4 years. It's very good, and very sharp, even the big holes are sharp (and dangerous). It was necessary to learn and remember, when using the large holes , NOT to press very hard, it's not necessary and so it's good for sticky stuff like cheddar cheese, because not pressing the cheese against the grater produces very little friction. Cleaning it is touchy though because bristles or anything fibrous tends to stray into the microplane features on the non-big-hole sides and snag. Other than that, I like it a lot. And, the metal itself is unusually hard for an item of this sort.
The fine sides on a box grater are best to use for parm and Romano. Using a microplane for grated cheese creates feathery flakes that float on the top of the pasta. Sure you can mix them in, but a dust-like texture is what you want. You want grated cheese -- not shredded cheese. There is a difference. And if you try both you'll see that grated is better.
I have the Cuisipro, it's SHARP, like scary sharp, especially the blade on one side. However it does go through carrots really fast. I do miss the small raised holes on normal box graters as those are used to make parmiggiano powder, so I can't do that anymore.
I was waiting for your review of the Cuisipro because we love it. It's the only box grater that I've been impressed with and it comes sharp. Also has a base with a bonus ginger grater. I think I probably found it through Serious Eats originally, but it's still our fav grater years later
For large grating jobs (latkes, carrot cake, etc.) I like the metal grating attachment to my KitchenAid Mixer. I also like the circular French grater, Moulinex, but there are other brands out there. The older manual version with tin grating disks (in various hole sizes from shred to julienne to slices) tends to get oxidized (not exactly rusty, nothing ends up in the food). I like that one a lot because I can get the right size for French carrot salad or celery root salad without a tremendous amount of effort. The new ones are all plastic and motorized, a recipe for breakage. I only use my Cuisinart food processor for shredding cabbage for large amounts of sauerkraut.
I dont get the dislike of box graters. I have one and use all 4 sides. It has a small grate for fine shreds, a large grate for bigger shreds like slaw/hash, the slicer for sliced carrots and such, and thr micro side that works like a microplane for zesting and more.
I've had the Cuisipro for several years and echo all the other comments about it being scary sharp. It's the only grater I've ever had where the blade side is sharp enough to be actually useful, if dangerous. It's so sharp that it takes very little force to grate anything. It's a menace but I love it.
I have never seen someone grating towards them rather than away from them! It's funny how the simplest variations never come to my mind. I do think that human anatomy makes applying outward force much more effortless, but I'm also glad to have seen something new today! Gotta have your mind blown once in a while!
Glad for this video. I’ve been struggling to find a good grater. The first problem is that they are way too short. My old hand me downs from mother and grandmothers were longer and allowed for a longer and smoother stroke. The current design on many have a bump and/or handle that is in the way of the beginning of the stroke. It seems like the designers have never used one. So many of the single sided hand held graters are just too small and short. I bought a grater at a restaurant supply house and it was inadequate at best. I do like my micro plane but it is too fine for many tasks and mine cuts In both directions making it really hard to clean on the cutting side. I’ll be checking out the Oxo Helen demonstrates. The small square cutting hole on a box grater were for nutmeg and that sort of thing. The bigger ones for ginger according to my Granny who’s been gone for forty years. I never enjoyed using them or thought them to be efficient. But granny was the epitome of she who must be obeyed.
Thank you for doing this video! I hate my current grater and was thinking a box grater would be better. However after watching your video and reading all the comments, I've ordered the OXO one. The Cuispro was tempting, but all the people who bought one calling it "scary sharp" put me off. Not for myself personally, but my partner is a bit accident prone, and that's one thing I don't want to worry about! 😆
OXO makes good products. For grating large amounts of cheese, or carrots, I still use my Salad Shooter - its over 40 years old! But makes short work of grating cheese and easy to wash. It's not good for much else but I keep it just for those 2 items.
I forced myself to use my small sized food processor for slicing and grating. Yes, at first it seems like a hassle to clean everything but once you slice through a pound of potatoes for your casserole in a minute tops and your fingers intact you get used to it. Sure, sometimes you have to half the vegetable so it can fit in the chute but for my purposes that's perfectly ok.
I've never bothered getting a microplane because it looks annoying to hand wash under the curved bottom side. I used a box grater once and never used it again because, again, it's annoying to hand wash. I don't really like sticking my hand into a grater to clean it. I just have an OXO lemon zester and it has worked for my needs which is mostly low quantities of lemon zest and parmesan cheese. That said, when I make something like mac and cheese, it can be too slow for the quantity of cheddar I need to grate because the grain is so fine. Maybe I'll get another coarser one-panel grater in the future.
Good video. Box graders are okay until you have to clean them . I had the same issue so I went out and bought the "OXO Good Grips Etched Two-Fold Grater" A-frame and comes apart it looks a little different but it's so much nicer and it's so easy to clean as well as having the two sides I use 99% of the time. Large tasks are still for the Breville sous chef processor but at least I don't dread using the new Oxo A-frame.
The easiest way to avoid issues with the handle of a microplane is to buy one with no handle. The professional chefs in my family turned us on to the "Microplane" classic zester. It's affordable and simple -- one piece of metal with a plastic sleeve to protect it in the drawer. It works great and is trivially easy to clean. It does not drip in the drawer. :)
3:03 - *_I use them... But they are a Bee-Hatch to clean (Or rather should I say too dry!) if you don't have a dishwasher and have to do it by hand! (you just can't dry off the water without having fibers from a cloth or paper towel getting stuck in there!)_*
I'm surprised that the KitchenAid stand mixer adapter was not mention. In my book, it easily beats the food processors and box graders for speed and control. For microplanes, I prefer a paddle sized grater instead of that narrow stick-shaped one.
I think you may have just gotten a defective micro plane zester. I've been using them for years and never had the problem you describe. Also, I've had the Cuisinart box grater for a couple of years now and it doesn't have any clear advantage over any of the others except for its strong frame and rubber handle, which makes it easier to control.
I have the same Microplane Premium Classic series zester (grey handle), and the Gourmet series fine grater. I almost got the Premium Classic spice grater for nutmeg and cinnamon, but I find the zester to be good enough. I may have to pick up the OXO, it looks good and I still don't have a coarse grater, although I rarely have a need for one. The few times I've needed a coarse grater, I was able to use a Super Benriner mandoline with the julienne attachment, plus a bit of knifework to get shorter pieces. It's a bit more work, but my kitchen is running out of room, lol. BTW, I always swing my Microplanes like a whip a few times as I dry it, to get water out of the handles. But yeah, it's an annoyance.
The finer sides that you expressed aren’t used are used for things like pasteles en hoja, arepas de yuca, majarete, and many other foods you might see in Latin America.
Btw, according to Cooks Illustrated, Oxo is not pronounced as three letters O.X.O. Rather, it is pronounced OCKso, as a single word. I didn't know either!
Helen, I am wondering whether you are perhaps shorter than average, as I am. I started thinking about how height affects the ability to use force while rolling out dough, etc. when I was watching a Bake With Jack video, and noticed the tabletop he was kneading bread on came barely to his hip level, giving him lots of downward power. The countertop is above my waist. I now whisk holding the bowl lower and I get much better results. Considering getting a comfy but high platform shoe for kitchen wear… not only could I reach the cabinets but I would get that leverage over the counter.
My right-handed husband likes our Cuisipro grater, but as a lefty I have a hard time with it. The large holes' cutting edges are ANGLED to favor a right-handed user, so it's really awkward for me. Boo to the right-hand favoritism!
Hey Helen I had that cuisipro box grater, it has VERY sharp, "grab-y" teeth that always seems to grab my fingers, but it cuts very efficiently. I bought the Rosle you did and had the exact same conclusions you had. It takes a lot of force, but it's the only grater I have now (apart from the microplane), so I deal with it 😊 Regarding the microplane, I don't like the design really, but I will never replace it: I got it many years ago from Florence when I proposed to my wife ❤ Take care
th-cam.com/video/3z5P_EjwUdI/w-d-xo.html -- this is the side my family and I have always used for traditional latkes (also called draniki in Belarussian, we're originally from Minsk) 😉
Oh my dear Helen, you are doing way too much. I own one microplane and I use my cuisinart small grating disk for everything else, including the 3 carrot cakes that my mother expects me to make a year. I abhors grating by hand, in fact as a child it was seen as a punishment that an adult would subject you to for misbehaving.
Oh, dear, I'm 81 and not about to start buying more kitchen gear. I'm still using one of the pieces my gran gave me for my first apartment: a Foley all-in-one, which is so well used it's ready to fold in the center. But it hasn't yet, and since I'm not a great grater of veg, it works great for cheese and the few things I do. If I were to replace it, the OXO looks like the best choice. Thanks for the comparisons!
I’m using a Wonder Shredder set from the late 1920’s (my grandmother’s), an inexpensive rotary shredder, and a microplane…all serve me well. Also have an early 1900’s wood slicer (with wood press) for sauerkraut…still works well. Yes, I have new kitchen tools as well, but I like the old things that just work.
I have the Cuisipro and absolutely love it. I use the large holes and mandolin the most. Very sharp, has a cap on the bottom, so food doesn't get everywhere. The cap doubles as a ginger/garlic grater.
Been using the same, cheap boxgrater for 20+ years 😆. It still works just fine, but yeah...carrot pieces fly everywhere, when I use it and the clean up is annoying. Maybe I'll switch to the oxo thingy. I really only use it for grating carrots and cabbage anyways.
The Cuisipro is the only box grater whose four sides are really useful. Coarse for carrots, medium for starchy roots, fine for hard cheeses, AND the bottom is a ginger grater. It’s top notch too because the holes are etched like a microplane and not punched, so they are perfectly shaped and cut very well after many years of use.
Helen’s over here trying to make America grate again.
😁😉
😂😂😂
😂❤
😂
Someone's been watching Chef John.
The Cuisipro is excellent. Plus: etched blades (the microplane patent has expired ) that slice cleanly and easily. Con: as dangerous as a mandoline. Armored glove recommended.
Omg, I have the OXO two-sided grater and TIL learned the sides detach! Thanks, Helen!!!!
I got this when I needed to replace my box grater I hated. I love it! I was excited when I saw Helen had it in her carrot cake!
I've always had trouble finding "that perfect grater I'm looking for" so it's always wonderful to see videos like this.
One thing about Microplanes is they may be less expensive at the woodworking shop than a cookware store! I've got several. I'm nearly 70 years old and my favorite graters are probably as old or older than I am. Picked up an an antique shop for about a couple dollars each.
I have 3 different hand-held graters from the Microplane Artisan series. The extra coarse is great for cheese and vegetables (so great I lost part of my thumb and thumbnail to it) and the ribbon is perfect for hard cheeses and chocolate. I don't do a ton of grating, so the handhelds are perfect for me, but can get really tiring for a big job (like a fermented beet & carrot slaw/ salad, filling a quart jar is A LOT of grating).
You might want to drill a drip hole in that handle. I fixed an umbrella handle that way--obviously taking care not to drill through any metal parts or to damage the structural integrity. And... giving you a possible complexity for cleaning. But, heck. Worth a try.
Microplane does a box grater that is about the same price of that Rösle, and I like it. I find all 4 sides useful. On that one, the side that is usually useless on typical box graters has a big plane of the standard MP zesting blades, and it has a decent quickie mandolin slicer on one of the thin walls. I still prefer a handheld Microplane for daily driving but I converted to the all-metal pro version - - bigger surface area, more ergonomic
My OXO grater is 15 years old and getting dull. It's been a great kitchen companion every week. Now, time for a new companion!
Thank you for the recommendation of the Cuisipro. Will purchase and keep on grating...
I have the Cuisipro grater. It’s fantastic, and it’s so sharp it kind of scares me to use it. Definitely worth the purchase in my opinion!
Oh my goodness , thank you so much ! We don’t use graters very often but sometimes we need one , now we have two great ideas for our kitchen.
I was gifted a black handled Microplane nearly 20 years ago. I use it at least 4 times weekly for Parmigiano-Reggiano. It also works well for fine grating chocolate. I have not noticed any degradation in its effectiveness. Definitely one of the most useful gifts I have ever received! OXO sure makes some nice kitchen utensils. And at a great price as well. THANKS for this video!!
It is my understanding that OXO was founded by a gentleman designing kitchen tools for his severely arthritic wife. They also make microplanes and a nifty box grater with other attachments that capture the grated vegetables in the box. All of their stuff is top notch.
When I use a box grater I always wear a cutting glove. I'm a clutz and will grate my hand if given the opportunity. I do love a salad shooter for grating carrots and cheese - easy easy easy!
I've never been a fan of box graters, I think there a hassle to clean but I do use them very often. I had finally found a grater several years back and it was only $4. bucks, I took it home and used it that night on carrots, zucchini, beets and cheese, it worked great, almost effortless. So the next day I went back and bought the 11 they had left at the store thinking I may never find another that good, LOL It's been 5-6 years, I still haven't had to replace the original one bought. It is by far the best no name cheap product I've ever owned.
I have a grater just like the Cuisipro, for about a decade, and use it weekly. Mine is made by Farberware and came with a plastic tub you could shred into, great product.
Yes, in Puertorrican cuisine we use that side of the box grater(the side that grates your knuckles😂)in making pasteles (to grate green banana, yuca, and other root tubers)at Christmas time.
When I was looking for a grater, I made the EXACT same choices you did. Wild! Enjoy your content so much, thank you!
I have the classic microplane grater and agree it's excellent. My "box grater" is actually an oval container grater from Ikea. It has a plastic container, a fitted lid, and 2 metal grater covers, one with smaller holes, one with larger holes. After you grate, you can put on the lid and stick it in the fridge -- it's terrific if you're grating cheese for later.
Grate topic & timing😊. Thank you!
I have that same OXO grater and I love it.
Oxo makes tons of great gear I've been skeptical about until using, like their strawberry stem puller.
Hi, Helen.
We love our Cuisipro box-grater. The blades on it are just like the ones on a Microplane. Extremely sharp. And, unlike some other box-graters, all four sides are useful.
(Side note: Though I love to watch ATK's content on TH-cam, I have disagreed on several occasions with their reviews, analyses and recommendations.)
My favorite tool for peeling can also be used for grating things like cabbage- a swedish cheese slicer. For grating things like carrots, I like using a handheld y-shape julienne peeler. The graters like a plate, I like the kind that attach to a storage container. You can apply force and the food is neat in the box.
Here's an interesting thing about my microplane... I used it to grate some fresh turmeric a while ago and thought I had cleaned it throughly. Months later I got some Dawn Powerwash for the first time and after using the microplane on some garlic I sprayed it down with the powerwash for the first time and I got plumes of orange suds. Now I always spray my microplane down with powerwash, it does a grate job of cleaning my greater!
I really like the standard Oxo box grater Cook's Illustrated recommends. I like that you can shred a bunch of cheese or carrots and it stays put in the box. Then I slide a bench scraper under it and transfer my shreds to a bowl or to whatever I'm cooking. I hate other styles where the shreds are uncontained.
I love my cuispro. I do use my food processor for large jobs, but I am lucky that I have a robot coupe with every size disc. However the box grater is so much easier for weeknights. The microplane is a given
I have a very old grater with 3 options for size---flat and wonderful! It was my grandmother's, and it can be laid flat over the container. Love it!!
I have a flat grater a bit like the Rösle one but it has both big and small holes on one, and cutting slits on the other side. Works fine and the holes don’t have the weird form of the Rösle.
I use my Cuisipro box grater almost every day. For salads I'll grate a carrot and then use the mandoline to slice some cucumber. Today I cooked Chef John's Korean Chicken Noodle Bake that he just released and used the microplane side to grate a surfeit of ginger. It is quick on the job and easy to clean, and got it from the recommendation from Serious Eats. I also like the grating attachments for my KitchenAid mixer. They are so much better than the Cuisinart food processor (which I hardly ever use anymore), and they are easier to clean.
I love my box grater, it's IKEA, it has only useful sides (coarse, fine, slices. And I think it's very convenient that the box grater contains whatever you great in the box until you lift it. Less mess.
you can take the microplane blade out of the handle on those newer ones. i just use a kitchen towel to grab the blade and pull it out of the handle, then put the blade in the dishwasher. it's just in there firmly.
The crazy side on a box grater is for parmigiano cheese, it's annoying to use, but the results are amazing!
I always use the box grater side with 3 long holes. It's the best way to grate cheese, you'll end up with long slices that are perfect for sandwiches, eggs, and topping foods!
I recently got the last grater you mentioned--with the two useless sides--and it facilitates an easy large grate, by holding it flat on a surface and pushing downward. Your dismantled OXO seems smarter, less tiring, easier to grip, and I'm going to get one asap.
I got the Microplane Professional series full set. It was over $100 for all 5, but I find myself using them all depending on the dish or my mood. Super high quality, but maybe buy them one at a time.
They're a lot like the one that you splurged on, but I've never had issues with the angle of the holes. Super easy to use
I use the finer side on my box grater for Parmesan sometimes.
I love my microplane zester. I really disliked testing before I got it.
However, for garlic, I recently found a better alternative while visiting Córdoba, the traditional ceramic plate used to grind garlic or tomato in Andaluzia, with the ceramic indentations.
Love it!
I ditched my last box grater too, and I had one like the OXO but it was not real stable when I tried to use it so I tossed it as well. Instead I bought a set of individual small paddle style graters in different coarsenesses. I actually use the super fine one (like the side you pointed out on the box grater as being one nobody uses) for finely shredded cheese like parm or asiago. Just easier to clean up and the size I bought was just easy to handle.
I have had a Cuisipro since May 2020, so almost 4 years. It's very good, and very sharp, even the big holes are sharp (and dangerous). It was necessary to learn and remember, when using the large holes , NOT to press very hard, it's not necessary and so it's good for sticky stuff like cheddar cheese, because not pressing the cheese against the grater produces very little friction. Cleaning it is touchy though because bristles or anything fibrous tends to stray into the microplane features on the non-big-hole sides and snag. Other than that, I like it a lot. And, the metal itself is unusually hard for an item of this sort.
The fine sides on a box grater are best to use for parm and Romano. Using a microplane for grated cheese creates feathery flakes that float on the top of the pasta. Sure you can mix them in, but a dust-like texture is what you want. You want grated cheese -- not shredded cheese. There is a difference. And if you try both you'll see that grated is better.
I have the Cuisipro, it's SHARP, like scary sharp, especially the blade on one side. However it does go through carrots really fast.
I do miss the small raised holes on normal box graters as those are used to make parmiggiano powder, so I can't do that anymore.
I was waiting for your review of the Cuisipro because we love it. It's the only box grater that I've been impressed with and it comes sharp. Also has a base with a bonus ginger grater. I think I probably found it through Serious Eats originally, but it's still our fav grater years later
For large grating jobs (latkes, carrot cake, etc.) I like the metal grating attachment to my KitchenAid Mixer. I also like the circular French grater, Moulinex, but there are other brands out there. The older manual version with tin grating disks (in various hole sizes from shred to julienne to slices) tends to get oxidized (not exactly rusty, nothing ends up in the food). I like that one a lot because I can get the right size for French carrot salad or celery root salad without a tremendous amount of effort. The new ones are all plastic and motorized, a recipe for breakage. I only use my Cuisinart food processor for shredding cabbage for large amounts of sauerkraut.
Thank you, Helen. I've appreciated your youtube lessons for many years now. Always insightful and fun. Greetings from Switzerland
I dont get the dislike of box graters. I have one and use all 4 sides. It has a small grate for fine shreds, a large grate for bigger shreds like slaw/hash, the slicer for sliced carrots and such, and thr micro side that works like a microplane for zesting and more.
I've had the Cuisipro for several years and echo all the other comments about it being scary sharp. It's the only grater I've ever had where the blade side is sharp enough to be actually useful, if dangerous. It's so sharp that it takes very little force to grate anything. It's a menace but I love it.
I have never seen someone grating towards them rather than away from them! It's funny how the simplest variations never come to my mind. I do think that human anatomy makes applying outward force much more effortless, but I'm also glad to have seen something new today! Gotta have your mind blown once in a while!
Glad for this video. I’ve been struggling to find a good grater. The first problem is that they are way too short. My old hand me downs from mother and grandmothers were longer and allowed for a longer and smoother stroke. The current design on many have a bump and/or handle that is in the way of the beginning of the stroke. It seems like the designers have never used one. So many of the single sided hand held graters are just too small and short. I bought a grater at a restaurant supply house and it was inadequate at best. I do like my micro plane but it is too fine for many tasks and mine cuts In both directions making it really hard to clean on the cutting side. I’ll be checking out the Oxo Helen demonstrates.
The small square cutting hole on a box grater were for nutmeg and that sort of thing. The bigger ones for ginger according to my Granny who’s been gone for forty years. I never enjoyed using them or thought them to be efficient. But granny was the epitome of she who must be obeyed.
Thank you for doing this video! I hate my current grater and was thinking a box grater would be better. However after watching your video and reading all the comments, I've ordered the OXO one. The Cuispro was tempting, but all the people who bought one calling it "scary sharp" put me off. Not for myself personally, but my partner is a bit accident prone, and that's one thing I don't want to worry about! 😆
We mostly use our box grater for cheese. My wife recently bought a rotary style one with different inserts.. it's soo much faster and easier.
I hate box graters too, and I'm just going to cry when my grandmother's vintage single sheet All In One grater finally wears out.
OXO makes good products. For grating large amounts of cheese, or carrots, I still use my Salad Shooter - its over 40 years old! But makes short work of grating cheese and easy to wash. It's not good for much else but I keep it just for those 2 items.
I forced myself to use my small sized food processor for slicing and grating. Yes, at first it seems like a hassle to clean everything but once you slice through a pound of potatoes for your casserole in a minute tops and your fingers intact you get used to it. Sure, sometimes you have to half the vegetable so it can fit in the chute but for my purposes that's perfectly ok.
I've never bothered getting a microplane because it looks annoying to hand wash under the curved bottom side.
I used a box grater once and never used it again because, again, it's annoying to hand wash. I don't really like sticking my hand into a grater to clean it. I just have an OXO lemon zester and it has worked for my needs which is mostly low quantities of lemon zest and parmesan cheese.
That said, when I make something like mac and cheese, it can be too slow for the quantity of cheddar I need to grate because the grain is so fine. Maybe I'll get another coarser one-panel grater in the future.
I bought a 20 dollar one (Cuisipro) for the same reasons, no regrets- Razor sharp, does not slide around.
Good video.
Box graders are okay until you have to clean them .
I had the same issue so I went out and bought the "OXO Good Grips Etched Two-Fold Grater" A-frame and comes apart it looks a little different but it's so much nicer and it's so easy to clean as well as having the two sides I use 99% of the time.
Large tasks are still for the Breville sous chef processor but at least I don't dread using the new Oxo A-frame.
To clean use a brush and some dawn and clean from the underside! Not difficult but don’t use the sponge 😂.
Water retention is my biggest pet peeve with kitchen tools (whisks are the worst!)
The easiest way to avoid issues with the handle of a microplane is to buy one with no handle. The professional chefs in my family turned us on to the "Microplane" classic zester. It's affordable and simple -- one piece of metal with a plastic sleeve to protect it in the drawer. It works great and is trivially easy to clean. It does not drip in the drawer. :)
3:03 - *_I use them... But they are a Bee-Hatch to clean (Or rather should I say too dry!) if you don't have a dishwasher and have to do it by hand! (you just can't dry off the water without having fibers from a cloth or paper towel getting stuck in there!)_*
I'm surprised that the KitchenAid stand mixer adapter was not mention. In my book, it easily beats the food processors and box graders for speed and control. For microplanes, I prefer a paddle sized grater instead of that narrow stick-shaped one.
Anyone who watches or reads America's Test Kitchen's gadget roundsups knows that OXO makes great quality stuff! Though they also love the Cuisipro.
Ikea has some graters with holes sharpened in both directions. I find it more efficient.
I think you may have just gotten a defective micro plane zester. I've been using them for years and never had the problem you describe. Also, I've had the Cuisinart box grater for a couple of years now and it doesn't have any clear advantage over any of the others except for its strong frame and rubber handle, which makes it easier to control.
I have a Cuisipro small grater, just like a Microplane and I like it better
Love it
I have the same Microplane Premium Classic series zester (grey handle), and the Gourmet series fine grater. I almost got the Premium Classic spice grater for nutmeg and cinnamon, but I find the zester to be good enough. I may have to pick up the OXO, it looks good and I still don't have a coarse grater, although I rarely have a need for one. The few times I've needed a coarse grater, I was able to use a Super Benriner mandoline with the julienne attachment, plus a bit of knifework to get shorter pieces. It's a bit more work, but my kitchen is running out of room, lol.
BTW, I always swing my Microplanes like a whip a few times as I dry it, to get water out of the handles. But yeah, it's an annoyance.
Great review! Oxo is my next pickup for sure after seeing that👍
It seems like any time there's a comparison test of kitchen gadgets, OXO is always the winner.
The cuisipro grater is razor sharp and washes like a dream in the dishwasher.
I've had a couple colorful Microplanes and never had the dripping problem. Maybe you got a defective one?
Saladmaster. Ease of use. Fast. Versatile. Easy clean up. Expensive, but all you will need.(with the exception of a micro plane).
It takes a lot of force to run a hard vegetable like a carrot through it, good video, I love your video so much, lovely friend
The finer sides that you expressed aren’t used are used for things like pasteles en hoja, arepas de yuca, majarete, and many other foods you might see in Latin America.
This was grate!
Btw, according to Cooks Illustrated, Oxo is not pronounced as three letters O.X.O. Rather, it is pronounced OCKso, as a single word. I didn't know either!
As a West Indian, we use all sides you've shown.
You can buy ready made shredded carrot
how did you take the OXO apart?
What about mandolins?
Having a microplane grater changed the way I cooked, I never realized before that graters were supposed to be...grate
Helen, I am wondering whether you are perhaps shorter than average, as I am. I started thinking about how height affects the ability to use force while rolling out dough, etc. when I was watching a Bake With Jack video, and noticed the tabletop he was kneading bread on came barely to his hip level, giving him lots of downward power. The countertop is above my waist. I now whisk holding the bowl lower and I get much better results. Considering getting a comfy but high platform shoe for kitchen wear… not only could I reach the cabinets but I would get that leverage over the counter.
I have the same problem being short, my counter top is higher than my waist, I have had to lower bowls to whisk too.
Zester grater hard to find
My right-handed husband likes our Cuisipro grater, but as a lefty I have a hard time with it. The large holes' cutting edges are ANGLED to favor a right-handed user, so it's really awkward for me. Boo to the right-hand favoritism!
Hey Helen I had that cuisipro box grater, it has VERY sharp, "grab-y" teeth that always seems to grab my fingers, but it cuts very efficiently.
I bought the Rosle you did and had the exact same conclusions you had. It takes a lot of force, but it's the only grater I have now (apart from the microplane), so I deal with it 😊
Regarding the microplane, I don't like the design really, but I will never replace it: I got it many years ago from Florence when I proposed to my wife ❤
Take care
I just get whatever they sell at my local commercial kitchen store
dang I literally just bought the turquoise-handle microplane from atk 😂
th-cam.com/video/3z5P_EjwUdI/w-d-xo.html -- this is the side my family and I have always used for traditional latkes (also called draniki in Belarussian, we're originally from Minsk) 😉
I always lose skin and flesh on graters. Tasty cannibalism in salads,lol.
Completely disagree with you on Roësle, they are the best graters and Cooks Illustrated confirms that.
I am not native English speaker, but i find your accent is very tiring, but i think this is not odd for an eastern European person.
Oh my dear Helen, you are doing way too much. I own one microplane and I use my cuisinart small grating disk for everything else, including the 3 carrot cakes that my mother expects me to make a year. I abhors grating by hand, in fact as a child it was seen as a punishment that an adult would subject you to for misbehaving.
No matter what gadget you seek, chances are that OXO is your best option, and always at a reasonable price.
Oh, dear, I'm 81 and not about to start buying more kitchen gear. I'm still using one of the pieces my gran gave me for my first apartment: a Foley all-in-one, which is so well used it's ready to fold in the center. But it hasn't yet, and since I'm not a great grater of veg, it works great for cheese and the few things I do. If I were to replace it, the OXO looks like the best choice. Thanks for the comparisons!
Looooved Foley products back in the day.
That cuisipro is great. Very sharp.
How rarely do I find myself unable to break from the gaze of the lecturer, or listening with my entire heart.
There's such a thing as a Microplane box grater, and I love mine.
I’m using a Wonder Shredder set from the late 1920’s (my grandmother’s), an inexpensive rotary shredder, and a microplane…all serve me well. Also have an early 1900’s wood slicer (with wood press) for sauerkraut…still works well. Yes, I have new kitchen tools as well, but I like the old things that just work.
You make sauerkraut from wood!? Doesn't get lodged between your teeth?
I have the CuisiPro. I am quite happy with it. I also LOVE most Oxo products.
I have the Cuisipro and absolutely love it. I use the large holes and mandolin the most. Very sharp, has a cap on the bottom, so food doesn't get everywhere. The cap doubles as a ginger/garlic grater.
Been using the same, cheap boxgrater for 20+ years 😆.
It still works just fine, but yeah...carrot pieces fly everywhere, when I use it and the clean up is annoying. Maybe I'll switch to the oxo thingy. I really only use it for grating carrots and cabbage anyways.