I’ve been asked by my readers to write about something ‘hidden’ in my kitchen: the equipment and tools I use day to day. They’d like to know how I cook, and if I use a fancy piece of equipment, if there’s some low-tech tool they could use instead. So from time to time I’m going to talk about the other Good Stuff: the equipment and tools I like to use.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes companies will send me things to try out. Some of those tools don’t work well for me, but some become absolute favorites. I will always write about my own personal opinion, and reveal whether I bought the tool with my own money or whether it was sent to me as a gift. No trinket or tool will buy my recommendation: all opinions are my own.
For years, I used a plain old everyday box grater, just like the one my grandmother used to have. Come to think of it, it might have been the one my grandmother gave me when I set up housekeeping – it was kind of battered.
Recently, though, I was sent a new Elite Box Grater from Microplane to test out. It has quickly replaced my old one, because it just plain works better. Let me explain:
- It’s sharp! It goes through food easily, making the job faster
- There are 5 grating surfaces: fine, coarse, ultra coarse, ribbon, and large shaver. They managed to get 5 surfaces by making one large flat side do double duty with two different grater strips
- It has a removable bottom tray that will keep all the shredded stuff contained until the tray is released
- It’s dishwasher safe, which means no more sliced knuckles because of hand washing
- The handle is comfortable – and there’s a non-slip rubberized bottom. No more skidding across the counter!
This grater beats my old granny grater in every way possible: it’s easier to use, has better features, and can go right into the dishwasher. It’s part of the Good Stuff in my kitchen. For my readers who prefer low-tech cooking, this grater can replace a blender or food processor at times. I don’t pull out the blender to make cheese muffins anymore, now that I have an effective grater to use.
This grater will be available in August 2015 – so I’m lucky to have one now. Thanks, Microplane!