A fresh, fluffy mound of parmesan beats the pre grated bag every time. Our top pick is the Microplane Classic Zester for hard cheese and citrus, the OXO Good Grips Box Grater is the best all rounder, and the Amazon Basics 4-Sided Grater is the budget winner under $15.
Why is a good cheese grater worth it when bags of pre-grated cheese exist?
Because freshly grated cheese tastes better, melts better and works out cheaper per kilo. Pre-grated supermarket cheese is coated in potato starch or cellulose to stop it clumping in the bag, and that powder is exactly why it never melts as smoothly over your pasta or pizza. Grate a block yourself and you get clean, fluffy strands that melt into a glossy sauce instead of a rubbery clump. A block of tasty cheese also costs noticeably less per kilo than the bagged shredded version, so a good grater pays for itself over a year of toasties and bolognese.
The catch is that not all graters are equal. A blunt, flimsy one turns grating into an arm workout, skins your knuckles and leaves cheese stuck in every groove. A sharp, well-built one glides through a block in seconds and rinses clean. We pulled together the cheese graters Australians actually buy and rate well on Amazon AU, then sorted them by the job you most want done: a Microplane for hard cheese and zest, a box grater for everyday cooking, a budget pick, a heavy-duty heirloom, a kid-friendly drum, a flat handheld and two clever alternatives. Every pick below is in stock in Australia with a real star rating and review count we have quoted exactly as it appears.
Quick answer: which cheese grater should most people buy?
For most homes, the OXO Good Grips Box Grater is the best all-round buy. It has four grating surfaces, a container that catches and measures what you grate, and a 4.6-star average from more than 7,400 Amazon AU ratings. If you mostly grate hard cheese like parmesan and zest citrus, the Microplane Classic Zester is our overall top pick and the cult favourite, sitting at 4.8 stars. If you are watching every dollar, the Amazon Basics 4-Sided Box Grater does nearly everything the pricier boxes do for around $12.
Prices and ratings move around, so treat the figures here as a snapshot. We have noted the exact star rating and number of ratings for each pick at the time of writing. Last updated June 2026.
How we chose these cheese graters
NestPath is an Australian first-home-buyer site, so we care about gear that earns its space in a small kitchen and lasts. We research and study products rather than run a physical lab, and here is how we narrowed the field for this guide:
- We started with the cheese graters that rank and sell on Amazon Australia, then cross-checked them against what overseas review sites and Reddit threads recommend, so the list reflects both local availability and global consensus.
- We only included graters that are currently in stock on Amazon AU with a genuine star rating and at least several dozen ratings, so nothing here is a phantom listing or a brand new product with no track record.
- We read the Australian reviews specifically, not just the global ones, to catch the gripes that matter locally such as suction bases failing, plastic catch boxes not being dishwasher safe, or blades dulling after a few months.
- We sorted picks by use case rather than forcing a single winner, because the right grater for parmesan and zest is not the same as the right grater for a kilo of cheddar for lasagne.
- We checked every spec, the blade material, the number of sides, the dimensions and whether it is dishwasher safe, against the actual product listing so nothing is guessed.
Best cheese grater overall: Microplane Classic Zester/Grater
The Microplane 40020 Classic is the grater most chefs and food writers reach for when the answer is parmesan, pecorino or citrus zest. Its photo-etched, surgical-grade stainless steel blade is made in the USA and slices the cheese rather than tearing it, which is why it produces those airy, lacy wisps that melt the instant they hit hot pasta. At 4.8 stars from more than 10,900 Amazon AU ratings, it is both the highest rated and the most reviewed product in this entire guide, so it earns the top spot on merit rather than reputation alone.
Beyond cheese, this is the tool that zests a lemon or lime cleanly, taking only the flavourful coloured rind and leaving the bitter white pith behind. That makes it a quiet hero for baking, dressings and cocktails as well as dinner. It also handles hard spices like nutmeg and cinnamon and a knob of fresh garlic or ginger, so a single 12cm tool covers a surprising amount of ground. The BPA-free plastic handle gives a sturdy grip, a protective cover keeps the blade safe in a drawer, and the whole thing is dishwasher safe, though a quick rinse straight after use is the easiest way to keep it clean.
One Lowood reviewer wrote that it produces fine curls of zest with no pith and does a wonderful job on hard cheeses, and that experience is echoed across thousands of Australian ratings. Price-wise it is excellent value for a tool you will use for years, and it is widely in stock. Just be clear on what it is: a fine zester and hard-cheese grater, not a box grater for shredding a block of cheddar.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
This is a fine grater, not a coarse shredder, so it is slow going if you need a big pile of grated cheddar or mozzarella for lasagne, where a box grater is far quicker. The blade is genuinely sharp, so mind your knuckles as a block gets small. And because it does one job superbly rather than five jobs adequately, most kitchens will want it alongside a box grater rather than instead of one.
Best all-round box grater for everyday cooking: OXO Good Grips Box Grater
If you want one grater that does almost everything, the OXO Good Grips Box Grater is the easy recommendation. It has four working surfaces, coarse and medium grating for cheese and vegetables, a fine surface for nutmeg, ginger and citrus, and a slicing surface for cucumber or zucchini, so it covers the jobs that a single Microplane cannot. It carries a 4.6-star average from more than 7,400 Amazon AU ratings, which is a huge and consistent sample for a kitchen tool.
The standout feature is the detachable container that clips onto the base. You grate straight into it, read off the measurement markings, then tip the cheese where you need it, no more scraping a pile off the chopping board or chasing strands across the bench. The container has its own non-slip base and a lid, and when you are done it inverts and stores inside the grater so it takes up less room in the cupboard. The soft, cushioned handle is the other reason people love OXO gear: it stays comfortable and secure even when your hands are wet and greasy.
At 30cm long and 11cm wide it is slim enough to lie flat in a drawer rather than hogging a whole shelf, and it is dishwasher safe. Australian reviewers repeatedly call it solid, sharp and handy, with several singling out the catch container as the feature that made grating feel less messy. For a household that grates cheese a few times a week and occasionally shreds carrot or slices a cucumber, this is the sweet spot of capability, comfort and price.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The catch container is plastic, and a couple of reviewers said they would rather grate straight onto a plate, so if you dislike plastic add-ons you simply leave it off. It is a mid-priced grater rather than a bargain, so the cheaper Amazon Basics box below will tempt anyone on a strict budget. And like any tall box grater it needs a bit of drawer height to store upright.
Best budget cheese grater under $15: Amazon Basics 4-Sided Box Grater
You do not need to spend a lot to get a grater that works. The Amazon Basics 4-Sided Box Grater costs around $12, which makes it the cheapest pick in this guide, yet it holds a 4.6-star average from more than 4,200 Amazon AU ratings. It is built from heavy-duty 18/0 stainless steel with sharp shredding holes on all four sides for cheese, vegetables, chocolate and citrus, plus a removable non-slip silicone base that keeps it steady and lifts off for cleaning.
What surprises people is how sturdy it feels for the money. One Australian reviewer said it leaves a pricier box grater for dead, praising the removable silicone base for making it easier to clean and dry. Others highlight the all-metal handle and the way the removable base lets you grate straight onto a bench without slipping. It is dishwasher safe, and several owners mention popping the silicone base off to clean the metal more thoroughly.
This is the grater to buy if you are kitting out a first home and want function over polish, or you simply want a reliable backup. It does not come with a catch container like the OXO, so grated cheese piles up inside the box and you lift it off to release it, which most reviewers find perfectly workable. For a tool that will see daily use and cost less than two coffees, the value here is hard to argue with.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It is a tall grater, and one reviewer noted it only just stands upright in a standard drawer, so check your storage height. There is no measuring container, so it is grate-and-tip rather than grate-and-store. And as with every sharp box grater, the last small chunk of cheese is where fingernails and knuckles are at risk, so slow down near the end.
Best heavy-duty grater for serious home cooks: Cuisipro 4-Sided Box Grater
If you grate every single day and want a grater that could outlive your kitchen, the Cuisipro 4-Sided Box Grater is the heirloom choice. Its claim to fame is Surface Glide Technology, a grooved pattern etched across each grating face that reduces resistance and lengthens each blade, so food glides through with noticeably less effort and clogs less. It sits at 4.7 stars from more than 3,600 Amazon AU ratings, the second highest rating in this guide behind only the Microplane.
The build quality is what reviewers keep returning to. Owners describe it as razor sharp out of the box, beautifully riveted and likely to last decades, with one Australian buyer joking their grandkids will inherit it. The four sides cover coarse, fine, ultra-coarse and slicing, and it includes a removable base so you can catch parmesan or ginger and rinse everything clean. It is dishwasher safe on the top rack.
This is the most expensive pick here, and that is the point: you are paying for blades that stay sharp and a frame that does not flex. If you cook from scratch most nights, shred a lot of hard cheese, or have been through a couple of cheap graters already, the Cuisipro is the upgrade that ends the cycle. For occasional grating, though, the OXO or Amazon Basics will serve you just as well for far less.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The price is the obvious hurdle, costing several times more than the budget box grater. The blades are extremely sharp, which is a feature but also a warning for households with kids or anyone with an unsteady grip. And only the top rack is dishwasher safe, so the base needs a little care.
Best grater for kids and nervous hands: Avanti Table Top Drum Grater
Box graters and fingertips are an uneasy mix, and that is exactly the problem a drum grater solves. The Avanti Table Top Drum Grater feeds cheese or vegetables into an enclosed chamber and you turn a hand crank, so the blade never comes near your fingers. That makes it the friendliest option for kids helping in the kitchen and for anyone who finds a box grater nerve-racking. It holds a 4.5-star average and comes from Avanti, a long-running Australian homewares brand.
It ships with three interchangeable drums: a fine drum for finely grated cheese, biscuits and nuts, a coarse drum for shredding cabbage, potato, carrot and cheese, and a slicing drum for thin cucumber or zucchini. A powerful suction base locks it to a smooth bench so it stays put while you crank, and an angled dispenser helps reduce clogging. Every part comes apart for cleaning and is dishwasher safe. Australian reviewers describe using it almost daily and loving how it speeds up grating carrots and zucchini.
It is a brilliant tool for batch jobs, a big bowl of slaw, a tray of grated potato for hash browns, a mound of cheese for a bake, because the crank lets you power through volume without tiring your hand. Just know that it is bulkier than a flat grater and the experience is mechanical rather than minimalist, which some people love and others find fussy for grating just a sprinkle.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
One Australian reviewer noted the suction base does not always lock onto every surface, so it needs a clean, smooth, non-porous bench to grip properly. It has more parts to wash than a simple box grater, and it takes up more cupboard space. For grating a tiny amount over one plate, a flat grater is quicker to grab.
Best flat handheld grater for the dinner table: BOSKA Copenhagen Grater
Sometimes you just want to grate a little cheese straight over a bowl of pasta at the table, and that is where the BOSKA Copenhagen Grater shines. It is a flat, lightweight handheld grater with a hollow handle, designed to do one job tidily: grate semi-hard and hard cheese, plus citrus and carrot, in clean strands over a plate. It carries a 4.5-star average and a generous 10-year warranty from BOSKA, a Dutch food-tools specialist.
The appeal is its simplicity and its manners at the table. There is no box to fill or container to empty, you hold it over the plate and grate. Reviewers like that it is sturdy, easy to use and, crucially, easy to clean, with one noting that the inside of a box grater is the annoying part to wash and this flat design skips that entirely. It stays sharp through repeated dishwasher cycles, and at only 18cm long it tucks into a drawer or hangs on a hook.
Think of it as the elegant finisher rather than the workhorse. It is perfect for that restaurant-style flourish of parmesan over a finished dish, or for grating a small amount without dragging out the big box grater. For grating a whole block of cheese for a bake, though, a four-sided box will be faster, because this gives you a single hole size.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It offers one grating size only, so it lacks the versatility of a box grater with coarse, fine and slicing surfaces. It is best for small to medium amounts rather than bulk grating. And because it is so light, you do need to hold it steady yourself rather than relying on a non-slip base.
A rotary grater worth considering: Zyliss All Cheese Rotary Grater
Rotary graters split opinion, and the Zyliss All Cheese Rotary Grater is the one Australians buy most. You load cheese into the hopper, squeeze the handle and turn the drum, and the cheese comes out finely grated with very little wrist strain. It is a genuinely easy option for anyone with arthritis or weaker grip, and the folding handle suits left or right-handed use. We have placed it here rather than in our headline picks because at 4.0 stars it is the lowest rated grater in this guide, so it is an honest option rather than a top recommendation.
Where it earns its keep is comfort and speed for soft to semi-hard cheeses. The acid-etched stainless steel drum and large grating wheel let you produce a bowl of grated cheese quickly without the sawing motion a box grater demands, and Zyliss backs it with a 5-year guarantee. It comes apart and is dishwasher safe. International reviewers praise how easy it is on the hand and arm compared with a flat grater.
The trade-offs are real, though. Rotary graters can struggle with very hard cheese or large chunks, the hopper limits the size of the piece you can load, and there are more parts to clean than a one-piece grater. If a rotary action is what your hands need, this is the model to start with, but a box grater remains the more reliable all-rounder for most kitchens.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
At 4.0 stars it has the most mixed feedback of any pick here, with some users wanting a larger hopper. Very hard cheese and big chunks can be a strain to crank. And the multiple parts mean a little more washing up than a simple grater.
A clever no-knuckle design: Joseph Joseph Multi-Grip Box Grater
The most common cheese-grater injury is grating the last knuckle-threatening chunk into your fingertips, and Joseph Joseph built a box grater specifically to stop that. The Multi-Grip Box Grater includes a bright food grip that pinches and holds the final piece of cheese or vegetable, so you finish the block without ever putting your fingers near the blades. It has four sharp stainless steel surfaces for grating and slicing, a non-slip base and a collecting container, and sits at 4.4 stars from 200 Amazon AU ratings.
When it works as intended, owners are delighted, one Australian reviewer simply wrote no more skinned knuckles. The food grip clips into the top for use and stores up inside the grater afterwards, the collecting base has measurement markings, and the whole thing has a modern, tidy look that suits an open-shelf kitchen. It is a thoughtful design from a brand known for solving small kitchen annoyances.
It is not without critics, though, which is why it sits in our also-consider tier rather than the headline picks. A few reviewers found the yellow grip not strong enough to hold the food firmly, and others felt the grating board was shorter and blunter than expected. There is also a note worth flagging: although the listing says dishwasher safe, one reviewer reported the collecting bucket is only partially dishwasher safe, so hand-washing that part is the safer bet. If the safety grip is the feature you want most, it is a smart buy; if raw grating power is the priority, the OXO or Cuisipro edges ahead.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The food grip divides opinion, with some finding it fiddly or not firm enough on larger pieces. A couple of reviewers felt the grating surface was on the short or blunt side. And the collecting container may not be fully dishwasher safe despite the listing, so wash it by hand to be safe.
What should you look for in a cheese grater?
Match the grater to the cheese and the job, then check a few build details. Here is what actually matters when you are choosing.
What type of grater do you actually need?
There are four common styles. A box grater is the all-rounder, with multiple sides for coarse and fine grating plus slicing, ideal if you want one tool for cheese and vegetables. A Microplane or rasp is a fine, flat zester that excels at hard cheese, citrus zest, garlic, ginger and nutmeg. A rotary grater uses a crank and is gentle on the wrists, good for volume and for anyone with grip issues. A drum grater is similar but keeps fingers fully clear, which suits kids. Most keen cooks end up owning a box grater plus a Microplane, because together they cover everything.
How sharp and what material are the blades?
Sharpness is the single biggest difference between a grater you love and one you resent. Look for stainless steel blades, ideally etched or photo-etched rather than punched, as etched blades cut cleanly and clog less. Stainless steel also resists rust through the dishwasher. A blunt grater forces you to press harder, which is both tiring and how knuckles get caught.
Does it have a non-slip base and a comfortable handle?
A grater that slides around the bench is dangerous and frustrating. A rubber or silicone non-slip base keeps it planted, and a cushioned, non-slip handle keeps your grip secure when your hands are wet. These features sound minor until you are grating a hard block at speed.
Is it easy to clean and store?
Cheese dries into grater holes fast, so rinse immediately after use and check the grater is dishwasher safe if that matters to you. Note that some catch containers are not dishwasher safe even when the grater is. For storage, measure your drawer height: tall box graters can be awkward, while flat handhelds and Microplanes slip in anywhere.
How do you care for a cheese grater so it lasts?
A grater rewards a little routine. Rinse it under hot water the moment you finish, before the cheese dries and welds itself into the holes, as that single habit saves the most scrubbing. For stubborn bits, a stiff dish brush worked across the back of the blades clears the holes far better than a sponge, which only snags and tears.
If your grater is dishwasher safe, the dishwasher is fine for routine cleaning, but check whether any plastic catch container is rated separately, since some are hand-wash only even when the metal is dishwasher safe. Dry the grater promptly so water does not sit in the seams, and store it with any blade cover fitted so the edges stay sharp and your fingers stay safe when you reach into the drawer. Avoid scraping the blades against hard surfaces or running a knife across them, as that dulls the teeth. Treated this way, a quality stainless steel grater stays sharp for years, and the better models routinely last decades.
What else will you want alongside a cheese grater?
A grater is one tool in a well-set kitchen. These pair naturally with it and round out the prep drawer:
The competition: graters that did not make the cut
Two styles came up repeatedly in our research but landed outside our main picks. Cheap no-name electric cheese graters are tempting for the novelty, but the listings on Amazon AU tend to have thin, inconsistent review histories and motors that strain on hard cheese, so we left them off until a clear, well-rated standout emerges. KitchenAid's etched flat grater is attractive and matches their utensil range, and it holds a 4.6-star average, but with only a small number of ratings and a couple of reviews flagging the blade dulling after a month, it does not yet have the track record of our Microplane or OXO picks.
We also considered the popular rotary and drum graters more broadly. The Zyliss and Avanti made the list as the best-rated examples of those styles, but several other rotary models we looked at had either fewer reviews or weaker ratings, so they were not strong enough to recommend by name. If you specifically want a rotary or drum action, start with the two we have included rather than an unfamiliar brand.
Frequently asked questions about cheese graters
What is the best cheese grater to buy in Australia?
For an all-rounder, the OXO Good Grips Box Grater is our top recommendation thanks to four surfaces, a catch container and a 4.6-star average from more than 7,400 ratings. For hard cheese and citrus zest specifically, the Microplane Classic Zester is the cult favourite and our overall top pick at 4.8 stars. On a budget, the Amazon Basics 4-Sided Grater is excellent for around $12.
What do professional chefs use to grate cheese?
Most professionals reach for a Microplane-style rasp for hard cheeses like parmesan, pecorino and Reggiano, because the fine etched blade produces fluffy, fast-melting wisps and zests citrus cleanly. For larger volumes or softer cheese they switch to a box grater or, in busy kitchens, a rotary grater that is easier on the wrists.
Are rotary cheese graters worth it?
They are worth it if you grate a lot of cheese, have wrist or grip issues, or want to keep fingers well clear of the blade. A rotary grater like the Zyliss lets you produce a bowl of grated cheese with little strain. The trade-offs are more parts to clean and a struggle with very hard cheese or large chunks, so for occasional grating a box grater is usually the simpler choice.
Why grate your own cheese instead of buying it pre-grated?
Pre-grated cheese is coated in starch or cellulose to stop it clumping, and that coating stops it melting smoothly, so it never gives you the glossy sauce that freshly grated cheese does. Grating a block yourself also works out cheaper per kilo and tastes fresher. A good grater turns this into a 30-second job.
Are cheese graters dishwasher safe?
Most stainless steel graters in this guide are dishwasher safe, but always rinse off cheese immediately after use to stop it drying into the holes. Watch out for plastic catch containers, which are sometimes hand-wash only even when the metal grater is dishwasher safe, as one Joseph Joseph reviewer found.
How do I grate cheese without hurting my knuckles?
Slow down as the block gets small, keep your fingers flat and behind the blade, and stop before the last sliver rather than pushing your luck. A grater with a non-slip base helps because the tool stays put. For total peace of mind, a drum grater like the Avanti keeps fingers fully clear, or a model with a food grip such as the Joseph Joseph holds the last chunk for you.
Build out the rest of your kitchen
A cheese grater is one small piece of a working kitchen. If you are setting up a first home, these NestPath guides cover the tools that earn their place on the bench:
About the author
Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au
