Etched teeth cut; stamped teeth tear and then flatten · review
A compact four-sided grater with a reinforced top handle, and the only one here that asks for hand washing.
What we would actually buy The only grater here that tells you not to put it in the dishwasher, and gives the reason: blade longevity. It also has a reinforced top handle, which is the grip that lets you lean on it, and it is the lightest grater on this shelf.
“hand washing recommended for blade longevity”
Twelve of the thirteen graters here say dishwasher safe. One says wash it by hand, and says why.
And the reasoning is sound. Dishwasher detergent is strongly alkaline and mildly abrasive, and the cycle runs hot. Over time that dulls fine cutting edges and etches the surface finish.
The edges that go first are exactly the ones you notice: the fine zesting holes, whose cutting burrs are the thinnest metal on the tool.
“Dishwasher safe” on the other twelve means the steel will not be damaged. It does not mean the blades will stay sharp. Most people end up compromising — machine for the coarse side, a brush under the tap for the fine side.
Eleven graters on this shelf have a side handle: a vertical grip with a soft coating, for holding the grater up over a plate and grating downward.
Two have a top handle — this and KitchenAid’s 4-Sided model — and Norpro gives the reason: a secure, comfortable grip and steady leverage during heavy grating.
With a hand on top you can press the grater down onto a board and hold it dead still. That is what a hard block of parmesan or a sweet potato asks for. With a side handle, pressing down means twisting your wrist.
Neither is better. They suit different habits.
The lightest grater here, and a real trade.
Mass on a box grater is panel stiffness. A thin face flexes under a hard block, and a flexing face makes the edges skip — which is what “feels blunt” usually is.
Per dollar it is also the least metal on this shelf: 10.3 g (0.4 oz)/$ against Urbanstrive’s 33.1.
What the lightness buys is the other side of it: you can hold this up over a bowl one-handed for a minute, which a half-kilogram grater you cannot. Norpro’s stated use is consistent — fits easily over cutting boards or inside prep bowls.
Most listings here say “coarse, medium, fine, slicer” and stop. Norpro says what to do with them:
Coarse — cheddar and mozzarella for pizza, potatoes for hash browns, cabbage for slaw. Fine — citrus zest, parmesan over pasta, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, chocolate curls.
Which is more use than a list of adjectives, and makes the point that the fine side is a spice and aromatics tool as much as a cheese one.
9.25 × 4.25 × 3.25 inches (23.5 × 11 × 8 cm).
Only three graters on this shelf publish dimensions at all. It matters because a box grater is an awkward object to store — OXO sells its slimness for drawers, and KitchenAid warns you to check the dimensions against your cupboard before buying.
No non-slip base, where eleven graters here have one — and Spring Chef names the second reason it matters: a rubber bottom also stops grated food escaping under the edge.
No container. No steel grade (three graters here publish 304). No blade process — only WALDWERK addresses it. No warranty.
On sale at around $14 on the American Amazon store at the time of checking.
Prices and availability are what Keepa reported on the date this page was updated; both move.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 4 October 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
| Sides | Four — coarse shred, medium shred, fine shred/zester, wide slicer |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 9.25 × 4.25 × 3.25 in (23.5 × 11 × 8 cm), published by the maker |
| Handle | A sturdy reinforced TOP handle, for secure grip and steady leverage during heavy grating |
| Washing | Hand washing recommended for blade longevity — the only such advice on this shelf |
| Material | Rust-resistant food-grade stainless steel |
| Fine surface uses | Citrus zest, parmesan, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, chocolate curls |
| Coarse surface uses | Cheddar, mozzarella, potatoes for hash browns, cabbage for slaw |
| Fits | Over cutting boards or inside prep bowls |
| Weight | 146 g (5.1 oz) — the lightest grater on this shelf |
| Metal per dollar | 10.3 g (0.4 oz) — the lowest here |
| Container | None |
| Non-slip base | Not stated, where eleven graters here have one |
| Steel grade | Not published by the maker |
| Warranty | Not published by the maker |
| Amazon reference | B000SSTV8Q |
| EAN | 0028901003395 |
Yes, and Norpro is the only maker on this shelf honest enough to say so. Twelve of the thirteen graters here claim to be dishwasher safe; this one adds "(hand washing recommended for blade longevity)". The reasoning holds up. Dishwasher detergent is strongly alkaline and mildly abrasive, and the cycle runs hot — which over time dulls fine cutting edges and etches the surface finish. On a grater, the edges that suffer first are exactly the ones you notice: the fine zesting holes, whose cutting burrs are thin. "Dishwasher safe" on the other twelve means the steel will not be damaged — not that the blades will stay sharp. The practical compromise most people land on is the dishwasher for the coarse side and a brush under the tap for the fine side.
Because it changes which direction you can push. Eleven graters on this shelf have a side handle — a vertical grip with a soft coating — which is for holding the grater up over a plate while you grate downward. Only Norpro and KitchenAid’s 4-Sided model have a top handle, a bridge across the top of the box, and Norpro names the reason: "a secure, comfortable grip and steady leverage during heavy grating". With a hand on top you can press the grater down onto a board and hold it absolutely still, which is what you want for a hard block of parmesan or a sweet potato. With a side handle, pressing down means twisting your wrist. Both work; they suit different habits.
It is the lightest grater on this shelf, and that is a genuine trade rather than a verdict. Mass on a box grater is mostly panel stiffness: a thin-gauge face flexes when you press a hard block against it, and a flexing face makes the cutting edges skip — which is what people usually mean when a grater "feels blunt". At 146 g (5.1 oz) this has the least of it; for comparison, Urbanstrive is 330 g (11.6 oz) at $9.98, KitchenAid’s 4-Sided 499 g (17.6 oz), and WALDWERK 621 g (21.9 oz) with an oak base. What the light weight buys is the opposite benefit: it is easy to hold up over a bowl one-handed for a minute, which a 500 g (17.6 oz) grater is not. Norpro’s own stated use — "fits easily over cutting boards or inside prep bowls" — is consistent with that.
Close prices, same category: comparable cookware and knives. We keep only the specifications all of them publish, because a column with gaps compares nothing.
| Model | Price | Sides | Metal per dollar | Container |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norpro Stainless Steel Grater | $14 | Four — coarse shred, medium shred, fine shred/zester, wide slicer | 10.3 g (0.4 oz) — the lowest here | None |
| Spring Chef XL Cheese Grater | $14 | Four — coarse grating, medium grating, fine grating/zester, and a slicer | 12.9 g (0.5 oz) on the published figures | None — the rubber base collects instead |
| GORILLA GRIP XL 4-Sided | $15 | Four — grate, shred, zest and slice | 22.8 g (0.8 oz) | Detachable, with a removable lid, attaching to the bottom |
| Martha Stewart Sprucedale 9.5-Inch | $15 | Four — a fine grater, a coarse grater, a slicer, AND an extra-fine grater | 20.3 g (0.7 oz) | None — the listing states only the grater is in the box |
Grating over a bowl or a board, with a top handle for leverage and no base to clean
Listed because the add-on names this pan as a fit.
Amazon reports what buyers took in the month before this page was last checked: at least 100.
The figure is a floor, rounded by Amazon, and read through Keepa — it says what buyers picked, not what a maker claims.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for cookware and kitchen knives and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
22.9 cm (9 in) · 18/0 stainless (95%) · four cutting faces · non-slip base · stainless handle
A 22.9 cm (9 in) four-sided box grater in 18/0 stainless with a non-slip base — the shape every kitchen has, at the entry price.
Best for: Everyday cheese and vegetables.
≈ $10
10 × 24 cm (3.9 × 9.4 in) · four-in-one · stainless · stated stable and safe · slicing, shredding and grating
A four-sided stainless grater with published dimensions — 10 × 24 cm (3.9 × 9.4 in) — covering slicing, shredding and grating in one body.
Best for: A kitchen where the grater lives in a cupboard rather than a drawer.
Four-sided 304 stainless steel box grater with a detachable base that doubles as a ginger grater, four grating surfaces from fine to coarse, patented surface glide technology and a non-slip handle
A four-sided 304 stainless grater whose detachable base is a fifth, ginger-grating surface.
Best for: Anyone who grates ginger and garlic as often as cheese — the base is the reason to buy it
≈ $21
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
