The humble grater, a staple in our kitchens, might be used incorrectly by many of us.
There are plenty of clever hacks with our everyday appliances, like measuring spaghetti portions with the hole in the spoon or adjusting dishwashers for tall glasses.
It turns out there’s a trick to using a box grater that you’re probably missing and the latest kitchen hack revelation could be the most game-changing yet. A puzzled Reddit user posted a question about how to properly use the side of their grater with the tiniest holes, , reports the Mirror.
They shared: “All this has ever done is hurt my hand, but I’ve literally never used those small hole graters ever. Pretty much just use the other side for making grated cheese.”
The user weren’t alone in their confusion, as another commenter shared their own painful experience: “I have this exact one… and I’ve also assumed it was to make the cheese a bit smaller after grating. All it does though however, is f*** your hand up when you misshold it! ! …scrapes a good knuckle..”
(Image: Getty Images)
Luckily, some kitchen whizzes chimed in with the solution. One revealed: “Yea but took years to figure out, Parmesan and lemon/orange/ lime zest is best shredded on those 2 sides.”
Another suggested: “Zest hard cheese or garlic, nutmeg, maybe ginger to make like a paste.” And yet another added: “Potato pancakes come out great with this side!”
The food gurus at Marthastewart.com have confirmed that “The smaller shredding holes are designed to finely grate cheese, chocolate, vegetables, and more.”
This means you can use the smallest holes to create fine strands of cheese that will melt seamlessly into salad dressings or sauces, or as Reddit users suggested, for zesting citrus and grating nutmeg. The side with wide slots is used for slicing, as is the side with the large holes.
The side with the largest shredding holes – the one we often use the most – is perfect for semi-hard cheese, carrots and apples. This revelation follows a home cook sharing the correct way to open a bottle of olive oil, which left people gobsmacked.
Most of us usually remove the small inner ring cap and throw it away. But this is a mistake.
In a TikTok video, a cook removes the cap, but instead of throwing it away, flips it over and places it back in the neck of the bottle, claiming it’s a great way to control pouring measurements. Reacting to the video, one TikTok user exclaimed: “So I have been living a lie my entire life.”
Another added: “How didn’t I know this until right now? ! “.
(Image: Getty Images)