A cheese grater is an indispensable tool for anyone who truly loves the taste and texture of Wisconsin cheese. Graters have been used for centuries to shred, slice, and grate cheese into a variety of textures for cooking and garnishing dishes. With the right cheese grater, you can quickly transform a wedge of cheese into fine ribbons, coarse shreds, or thin slices of milky goodness for whatever cheesy dish you have in mind.
Choosing the right cheese grater comes down to the type of cheese you’re grating, the size of shredded cheese you want to end up with, and your personal preference for the way you’ll use and interact with this essential cheese technology.
Here in Wisconsin, cheese graters are must-have tools for every true fan of cheese. After all, our cheesemakers produce more than 600 flavors, styles, and varieties of cheese, and we do our best to consume and cook with them all. That means preparing cheese in as many different ways as possible – and lots and lots of grating. We know that having the best cheese grater makes work easy – whether grating an aged Wisconsin parmesan or a delectable Wisconsin mozzarella – and lets you spend more time enjoying the incredible flavor and indulgent texture of Wisconsin’s finest cheeses.
Most cheese graters are made from stainless steel. This highly durable material is resistant to rust and can maintain sharp edges despite frequent use. Stainless steel is also ideal for preventing cheese from sticking to the surface of the grater. Some graters, especially rasp-style microplanes, are made of ultra-sharp, surgical-grade stainless steel that stays sharper longer. You may also come across plastic graters, which are lighter and less prone to rust, but which may not perform as well with harder cheeses.
There are several common types of cheese graters.
The first definitive evidence for cheese graters dates from the Aegean region, where graters have been recovered from tombs of warriors buried in the ninth century BCE. Graters are mentioned in Homer’s The Illiad, where a passage recounts goat cheese being grated into a large ornate cup containing wine as refreshment for Achilles’ messengers. More modern cheese graters date to the 1540s, when a Frenchman and an Englishman both claim to have invented a new form of a cheese grater.
Consider these criteria when choosing the right grater for you.
Cheese graters help home chefs everywhere prepare some of the most beloved dishes more easily and successfully.
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While pre-grated or pre-shredded cheese offers great convenience, pre-grated products cost more and have a shorter shelf life than whole wedges of cheese. Pre-grated cheese may also have anticaking agents that can slightly alter the taste and texture of the cheese. By grating cheese yourself just before you need it, you can get the best flavor, a wider selection of Wisconsin cheeses to suit your taste, and a longer shelf life from your cheese.
Graters are ideally cleaned with a brush that can remove most of the cheese stuck within the small holes or narrow blades. A brush also protects fingers from the grater’s sharp edges. With graters that are dishwasher-safe, it’s still wise to use a brush to remove cheese bits before loading the tool in the dishwasher. It’s best to clean graters immediately after use to prevent cheese from hardening and sticking to the blades.
Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?
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