Choosing a box grater that shreds the competition

Pity the poor box grater. This simple, stodgy kitchen gadget has been upstaged by slick appliances like food processors and specialized devices like the zester and the mandoline. Adding injury to insult, box graters suffer from a reputation as dangerous -- we've read more than one review that referred to them as "knuckle graters." Despite this, a box grater (sometimes called a cheese grater) remains a versatile, useful piece of kitchen gear, well suited for grating, shredding or slicing cheeses, root vegetables and other hard foods. Although there are several box graters available, two models emerged as favorites among users and pros. Read on to learn more about choosing the best box grater.

We found excellent multi-product box grater reviews at Cook's Illustrated, Fine Cooking and Choice magazines, as well as brief, single-product recommendations at Good Housekeeping and Real Simple magazines, and Bestcovery.com and Chow.com. Cook's Illustrated editors compare eight box graters, shredding two types of cheese (mozzarella and Parmesan) as well as potatoes, and assessing design and build quality. Fine Cooking editors conduct similar tests of 14 box graters, while Choice editors go even farther, testing 39 graters of various designs (not all of which are available in the U.S.)

In this corner, the Microplane box grater

Despite this veritable buffet of box graters, two consistently earn praise from reviewers, both of which update the classic cheese grater design with clever touches. The Microplane Specialty Series Box Grater (*Est. $34) earns top honors from Fine Cooking magazine, making "a favorable impression in every testing category," editors say. They particularly like the box grater's ergonomic handle and sharp blades.

The Microplane box grater was also honored as the best kitchen hand tool at the 2009 Housewares Design Show, an industry trade show. Good Housekeeping also name-checks the Microplane, praising its removable grater panels (for easier cleaning) that are designed to grate foods in both directions (unlike many box graters that only grate in one direction). Meanwhile, an earlier model, the Microplane Better Box Grater (*Est. $25), earns kudos from Chow.com's Lisa Chu, who also sings the praises of its sharpness. Choice magazine, the Australian equivalent of Consumer Reports, doesn't test the Microplane kitchen grater, although they do review (and recommend) two Microplane flat graters (which resemble a one-bladed cheese grater on a handle).

In the other corner, the Oxo box grater

Editors at Cook's Illustrated are less enamored of the older Microplane box grater, giving it a middling rating (although they, too, praise the grater's sharp blades). Instead, the major foodie mag focuses on the Oxo Good Grips Box Grater (*Est. $18). What particularly impresses editors -- apart from its sharp blades and slim design -- is the built-in food container that attaches to the grater's base, making it easy to collect and store grated cheese and other foods. The Oxo earns similar praise from Real Simple magazine and Bestcovery.com, although there's no evidence that either source tested the box grater against other models. Interestingly, while Choice magazine includes both the Oxo Good Grips Box Grater and another Oxo grater in its roundup, neither of them make the final cut.

Because these two kitchen graters both earn praise from different reputable sources, it's also worth looking at what consumers at Amazon.com have to say about them. Of the two, the Oxo earns a slightly higher average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from about 50 owners. It's also Amazon's top-selling box grater. Most consumers love the Oxo, although a minority complain that the food container doesn't catch all the gratings, and a few say it's less sturdy than they'd like.

The Microplane box grater earns a slightly lower average rating of 4 stars from just over 20 owners. Consumers love the sharp blades and four different panels, although a few gripe about it being unsteady when grating hard foods, as well as plastic components that break easily. Both the Oxo and Microplane also are reviewed at Cooking.com, a cookware retailer, earning similarly high average scores from consumers (though far fewer than at Amazon.com).

Our verdict on the best box grater

Because the Oxo and Microplane box graters both earn solid reviews from pros and consumers, either would be a good addition to your kitchen. If you cook frequently  -- and especially if you cook a lot of dishes that call for grated cheese -- the Microplane is the better investment. However, for occasional use, the Oxo gets the nod for its lower price.

More about box graters

Not everyone is a fan of the box grater, however. Gourmet magazine posts a revealing video review that compares the grating prowess of a box grater with a zester, a rotary grater and a microplane grater. If you're a lover of Parmesan cheese, you'll want to watch this informative clip. In addition to its short take on the Oxo box grater, Real Simple magazine includes a very helpful slideshow that discusses other kinds of graters and the best uses for each.