Box grater with shredded carrots

Learn How To Use The Star-Shaped Side Of Your Box Grater

NEWS

BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

Box grater on cutting board
The four-sided box grater offers different faces for a reason, but many people don’t understand how to use the face with the tiny, puckered, star-shaped holes.
Man grating Parmesan onto pasta
That underused side is essentially a zester, perfect for fine-grating Parmesan, garlic, citrus, and more. Think of it as a microplane, and its function makes sense.
Person zesting orange into soup
The punched-out, tiny holes tear up dense foods in a way the small-holed side cannot. Simply use large chunks of whatever you’re zesting to avoid skin contact with the shredder.