How to choose ... a grater
Of all the ordinary kitchen tasks, grating foods has to be one of the most boring. It's messy
and takes a bit of muscle. Unless you're grating a large quantity of food, however, it usually
isn't worth the effort of using a food processor with grating attachments - and all the cleaning that entails.
What is it? A flat (usually), metal (almost always) surface with sharp holes on which to shred or grate foods.
What's it used for? Graters can be used on just about any non-liquid food. Most people use them only for cheese or hard vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and Chinese radish, but they are also useful for softer vegetables such as onions and raw tomatoes, and for grating firm pasta and pastry doughs.