Written by: Julie Snyder
Are you tired of digging through a drawer for the perfect grater? Does your current kitchen tool seem to rip rather than shred the cheese? The Microplane box grater can and will turn those blocks of cheese, carrots or potatoes into piles of perfection.
Incorporting four of Microplane’s most popular cutting blades in one easy-to-use tool, this convenient box grater handles everything from vegetables and citrus to cheeses and chocolate.
The fine grater produces whisper thin shavings of any hard cheese or tangy bits of zest. The medium blade creates ribbons that melt into a sauce or soup. You’ll opt for the coarse side of the grater when you need a mountain of cheese to top your mac and cheese. The extra coarse option chunks Parmesan or Romano into shreds.
While a little spendy (in the $35 range), you’ll love the continued ease of grating. In January 2009, Microplane’s 4-sided Box Grater took top honors in the Kitchen Hand Tools category of the 2009 Housewares Design Awards. Why was it chosen?
Features:
- Four-sided grater offers extra-coarse, medium ribbon and fine graters and a slicer
- Features Microplane’s patented 100% stainless-steel cutting blades
- Nonslip feet provide a secure grip
- Fine grater slides out to simplify cleaning of interior surfaces
- The plastic storage sleeve protects your hands and the grater’s blade
- Grater is dishwasher safe
- Ergonomic, soft grip handle
Pros:
This kitchen tool is comfortable for both small and large hands. Microplane’s grating surfaces remain wonderfully sharp, even after two years. I find that ours lives on the counter more than on the shelf. We use it daily — several times. Its grippy little feet prevent it sliding across the counter or unexpectedly leaping from a plate.
Microplane has excellent customer service and willingly replaces products that fail to meet customer expectations.
Cons:
While the quality of the blade and grating surfaces remains able to cut through even the hardest cheese, the plastic box frame broke after just a couple months. The metal sections bend and flex causing stress cracks and breaks in the plastic.
Should you buy one?
I have a love-hate relationship with my Microplane box grater. I love how well it grates, shreds or zests. I hate that the plastic holding the blades cracks and breaks. If the frame were also stainless I would give the product an enthusiastic five-star rating. Because of the poorly designed frame, I’m not sure it’s worth the money. You may want to opt for a couple individual stainless-only graters instead.