Almost bought a cheese grater

[Monerexia]

I haven't had a cheese grater in decades (or that scam they call a "laundry basket" but that's a story for another day). I was at the restaurant supply store today and alllllmost fell for it and bought a $1.51 grater, but the monerexia kicked in and saved me from this catastrophe. I realized as I was making my way to the checkout like a dope that, hello, i still had kitchen knives that have worked perfectly fine for this for decades and in an emergency i can always just bite from the block. Take that cheese grater scammers BOOM badassity demonstrated, revealed, embodied.

[cooking]

I don't know how quickly you finish the block of cheese you referred to.  Maybe keep in mind that if you want to conserve it for any length of time, the digestive enzymes you deposit on it when you bite off a piece of it, as you said you could do, will greatly accelerate its deterioration.  After all, that is what nature designed them to do.

[Dictionary Time]

In Little House in the Big Woods, Pa made Ma a grater from an old pie pan punched with nail holes. If you can find an old pie pan on buy nothing, it might be less face-punch worthy.

[Monerexia]

I don't know how quickly you finish the block of cheese you referred to.  Maybe keep in mind that if you want to conserve it for any length of time, the digestive enzymes you deposit on it when you bite off a piece of it, as you said you could do, will greatly accelerate its deterioration.  After all, that is what nature designed them to do.

It has only once been such an emergency haha. The good news is that I buy the Costco blocks and cut them up into four smaller pieces which go into freezer bags in the fridge, so the bite would be limited to 1/4 of the total. However, knowing this, I may commit to eating the whole thing if such an emergency ever visits itself upon me again..

[Monerexia]

In Little House in the Big Woods, Pa made Ma a grater from an old pie pan punched with nail holes. If you can find an old pie pan on buy nothing, it might be less face-punch worthy.

!

Okay, this is genius.

[RWD]

Grating cheese isn't to make it easier to snack on directly. It's so you can use it in recipes (and on tacos and such). Do you just not make anything that requires finer pieces of cheese?

[Monerexia]

Grating cheese isn't to make it easier to snack on directly. It's so you can use it in recipes (and on tacos and such). Do you just not make anything that requires finer pieces of cheese?

Yes yes cube it small in no time on cutting board and chef's knife! For tacos just a strip on the shell and then put meat on top mmmmmm

[314159]

I'm trying to imagine slicing a Costco block of Parmesan into pieces small enough to top a bowl of pasta. I am glad I have a cheese grater. But you do you. I wonder what the break-even point of buying a cheese grater vs. having to sharpen knives more frequently is.

[ysette9]

Cutting cheese with a knife drives me nuts because it always sticks. Cheese graters are good for gratuit things like carrots, destiny lemons and limes, and similar. I think it is a fairly handy device to have around.

[Monerexia]

I'm trying to imagine slicing a Costco block of Parmesan into pieces small enough to top a bowl of pasta. I am glad I have a cheese grater. But you do you. I wonder what the break-even point of buying a cheese grater vs. having to sharpen knives more frequently is.

Yes this was a grave concern of mine as well but realized it's sixes because got exhausted thinking of all the time needed to sharpen cheese grater.

[314159]

I'm not sure how true it is, but my impression is that what dulls a knife is not so much cutting food (especially soft foods like soft cheese) as hitting the cutting board, scraping the knife across the board, (wrongly) putting in the dishwasher, etc. Meanwhile a cheese grater pretty much only touches the food, so *should* keep sharp much longer.

Of course, a $1.51 grater might be quite weak compared to a more expensive one. In terms of effort, annoyance, and time saved, I would definitely expect an annual return on a cheese grater purchase of over 7%, even if it were $40.

How would you sharpen one if you had it?

[GuitarStv]

There are a lot of dishes that require grated carrots, potatoes, lemon/lime/orange peel, cinnamon, and grated cheese.  If you don't make any of them, no need for a grater I suppose.

[Zikoris]

It sounds like kind of a pain in the ass to try to grate stuff without a grater. I don't know what I paid for mine, but I use it for a few things:

- Sometimes my boyfriend buys cheese that needs to be grated, if the block is cheaper than shredded (or sometimes it's not, but he just buys it anyways for mysterious reasons)
- I grate carrots for carrot cake or muffins pretty regularly
- I'm pretty sure I've grated potatoes and cauliflower at some point, though I can't remember what for
- I grate castille bars to make homemade laundry detergent
- Most importantly, I use the grater as a wedge to keep my cutlery holder in place in the drawer

[InvincibleChutzpah]

This is an extreme level of frugality that I just can't get behind. This is a tool I use at least once a week for not just cheese. A box grater can grate far more than cheese. The day I'm so frugal that I can't drop a $1.50 on a useful, common kitchen gadget is the day I've gone too far. This is right up there with the guy who pees in his garden to save on watering his plants.

[nereo]

There are a lot of dishes that require grated carrots, potatoes, lemon/lime/orange peel, cinnamon, and grated cheese.  If you don't make any of them, no need for a grater I suppose.

My grater is one of the most heavily used items in my kitchen.  It's rare that a day goes by when we don't use it at least once.  I've worked in professional kitchens and even my knife skills aren't up for getting the uniformity and speed of what my box grater offers. 

A cheap grater is one of the most infuriating devices to use.  Most people I've met who hate using graters seem to be using some cheapo, dull model so old they can't even remember when or where they got it from.  Thankfully, there's a plethora of super sharp, relatively inexpensive models out there which didn't seem to exist 15 years ago.

To each their own, I suppose.

[Sanitary Stache]

We don't have single use tools in our kitchen. 
We do have a box grater and a micro plane.  These have proven to be necessary tools for making high end home cooked food.  Imagine all the restaurant dollars saved by being able to microplane nutmeg, citurs, parmesean, and cured egg.  How would one make potato latkes withough a box grater?  I can't imagine shaving a potato with a chefs knife, how long would that take?

[OtherJen]

This is an extreme level of frugality that I just can't get behind. This is a tool I use at least once a week for not just cheese. A box grater can grate far more than cheese. The day I'm so frugal that I can't drop a $1.50 on a useful, common kitchen gadget is the day I've gone too far. This is right up there with the guy who pees in his garden to save on watering his plants.

This. It almost feels like trolling.

[MilesTeg]

This is an extreme level of frugality that I just can't get behind. This is a tool I use at least once a week for not just cheese. A box grater can grate far more than cheese. The day I'm so frugal that I can't drop a $1.50 on a useful, common kitchen gadget is the day I've gone too far. This is right up there with the guy who pees in his garden to save on watering his plants.

This. It almost feels like trolling.

Pretty sure this is also the guy who talked about using 0.2 micrograms of toothpaste as if that was a great idea and a massive savings. He's a troll.

[PMG]

I get it.

You can do almost everything without it and it’s not the end of the world to skip the few things where it might be completely necessary.

Sometimes not buying a cheese grater (Or a laundry basket or whatever the small inexpensive item is) is really all about practicing self control and learning and growing. Kuddos to OP for challenging yourself!

I also didn’t own a cheese grater for quite a few years and somehow I survived.

I skipped the laundry basket for all of my adult life as well, up until a couple months ago when we moved into a house with the washer down a tricky flight of stairs and the clothes line out around the corner of the house. Now we have (gasp) two different kinds of laundry baskets! 

That’s one thing I really appreciate about this forum, the small things count. Sure it’s just a couple dollars, but it’s not. Those couple dollars spent multiply more quickly than dollars saved. I learn a lot from posters here about attitude, creativity and stoicism.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

You could probably get a grater from a thrift store for 50 cents. Same with a laundry basket. Neither are absolutely REQUIRED in life, but then neither are beds, fridges and windows. I kind of like having them.

[GuitarStv]

You could probably get a grater from a thrift store for 50 cents. Same with a laundry basket. Neither are absolutely REQUIRED in life, but then neither are beds, fridges and windows. I kind of like having them.

Beds are a crime against humanity, perpetuated by a shadowy cabal of people whose sole goal in life is to make you waste money.

Floor sleeping is better for your, more comfortable, and cheaper - but has bad PR.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

You could probably get a grater from a thrift store for 50 cents. Same with a laundry basket. Neither are absolutely REQUIRED in life, but then neither are beds, fridges and windows. I kind of like having them.

Beds are a crime against humanity, perpetuated by a shadowy cabal of people whose sole goal in life is to make you waste money.

Floor sleeping is better for your, more comfortable, and cheaper - but has bad PR.

Beds were only invented after chimneys came in, because they create a floor draft. Prior to that, every one slept on the floor. Most of the planet still does.

[Monerexia]

I get it.

You can do almost everything without it and it’s not the end of the world to skip the few things where it might be completely necessary.

Sometimes not buying a cheese grater (Or a laundry basket or whatever the small inexpensive item is) is really all about practicing self control and learning and growing. Kuddos to OP for challenging yourself!

I also didn’t own a cheese grater for quite a few years and somehow I survived.

I skipped the laundry basket for all of my adult life as well, up until a couple months ago when we moved into a house with the washer down a tricky flight of stairs and the clothes line out around the corner of the house. Now we have (gasp) two different kinds of laundry baskets! 

That’s one thing I really appreciate about this forum, the small things count. Sure it’s just a couple dollars, but it’s not. Those couple dollars spent multiply more quickly than dollars saved. I learn a lot from posters here about attitude, creativity and stoicism.

Yes this is my point with this silly example. I make a little over 200K every year and I guarantee you this attitude alone saves me more than the average US household makes in a year. For years I thought freedom was never having to look at the price of things--skis, vacations, cars, motorcycles, furniture, the best pots and pans, shoes, pants, shirts, bicycles, sport coats blah, blah, blah lol

[Monerexia]

You could probably get a grater from a thrift store for 50 cents. Same with a laundry basket. Neither are absolutely REQUIRED in life, but then neither are beds, fridges and windows. I kind of like having them.

Beds are a crime against humanity, perpetuated by a shadowy cabal of people whose sole goal in life is to make you waste money.

Floor sleeping is better for your, more comfortable, and cheaper - but has bad PR.

Yes and don't even get me started on that scam of scams, the "kitchen garbage." The sacks already come with a "kitchen garbage," it's called the SACK!!

[Monerexia]

This is an extreme level of frugality that I just can't get behind. This is a tool I use at least once a week for not just cheese. A box grater can grate far more than cheese. The day I'm so frugal that I can't drop a $1.50 on a useful, common kitchen gadget is the day I've gone too far. This is right up there with the guy who pees in his garden to save on watering his plants.

This. It almost feels like trolling.

Pretty sure this is also the guy who talked about using 0.2 micrograms of toothpaste as if that was a great idea and a massive savings. He's a troll.

False. And FYI still on that same tube! :)

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

This is an extreme level of frugality that I just can't get behind. This is a tool I use at least once a week for not just cheese. A box grater can grate far more than cheese. The day I'm so frugal that I can't drop a $1.50 on a useful, common kitchen gadget is the day I've gone too far. This is right up there with the guy who pees in his garden to save on watering his plants.

This. It almost feels like trolling.

Pretty sure this is also the guy who talked about using 0.2 micrograms of toothpaste as if that was a great idea and a massive savings. He's a troll.

False. And FYI still on that same tube! :)

Same tube but fourth set of teeth?

[solon]

Well thank goodness you didn't! I don't think I want to be part of a forum where people just run around buying cheese graters willy-nilly.

[Monerexia]

This is an extreme level of frugality that I just can't get behind. This is a tool I use at least once a week for not just cheese. A box grater can grate far more than cheese. The day I'm so frugal that I can't drop a $1.50 on a useful, common kitchen gadget is the day I've gone too far. This is right up there with the guy who pees in his garden to save on watering his plants.

This. It almost feels like trolling.

Pretty sure this is also the guy who talked about using 0.2 micrograms of toothpaste as if that was a great idea and a massive savings. He's a troll.

False. And FYI still on that same tube! :)

Same tube but fourth set of teeth?

Haha very funny nope I get the buftiest of foam with the eensy-teensy dot.

[Monerexia]

Well thank goodness you didn't! I don't think I want to be part of a forum where people just run around buying cheese graters willy-nilly.

Agreed! Would have been tossing and turning for a week.

[mm1970]

You could probably get a grater from a thrift store for 50 cents. Same with a laundry basket. Neither are absolutely REQUIRED in life, but then neither are beds, fridges and windows. I kind of like having them.

Beds are a crime against humanity, perpetuated by a shadowy cabal of people whose sole goal in life is to make you waste money.

Floor sleeping is better for your, more comfortable, and cheaper - but has bad PR.

yeah no.
You can pry my bed out of my cold, dead...whatever.

The only time I voluntarily slept on the floor was 5 or 6 days into my infant (who was in our room) waking every hour...I actually went into the other kid's bedroom with a blanket to sleep on the floor to get some peace.

[LetItGrow]

I assumed it was simply easier to buy already shredded cheese....maybe that's what is going on here in reality...

We do tend to buy shaved Parmesan when we need it, but most everything else done on the box grater and with micro plane.

[RWD]

I assumed it was simply easier to buy already shredded cheese....maybe that's what is going on here in reality...

We do tend to buy shaved Parmesan when we need it, but most everything else done on the box grater and with micro plane.

Depends on what you're using it for. Pre-shredded cheese has stuff added to keep it from sticking together which makes it unsuitable for many recipes.

[eyesonthehorizon]

I assumed it was simply easier to buy already shredded cheese....maybe that's what is going on here in reality...

We do tend to buy shaved Parmesan when we need it, but most everything else done on the box grater and with micro plane.

Depends on what you're using it for. Pre-shredded cheese has stuff added to keep it from sticking together which makes it unsuitable for many recipes.

That article's about 85% clickbait. It never actually explains why innocuous cellulose (aka insoluble fiber, a dietary necessity) or calcium sulfate (a bioavailable source of bone-building calcium, as well as a drying and preservative agent) would "ruin" so many recipes. Hilariously, I sat down to read this thread with an indulgent bowl of scratch-made queso, straight from Costco's shredded cheese blend - which, may I add, was creamy, perfectly smooth but for occasional bits of zesty oregano or pepper, and could, as it cooled, be stretched to strings of a glorious height of about three feet before snapping. Strangest of all, they specifically call out mac and cheese as a primary victim of those dastardly carbohydrates - mac & cheese, which is most often based on a béchamel sauce, a base of starches intended to keep the cheese from merely sticking to itself and swimming as greasy clumps amid the liquid ingredients, generating the very same sad separated texture the writer fears!

So unless you're allergic to natamycin, potato or cornstarch, I really, really wouldn't stress about the use of shredded cheese - Costco's price for shredded mozzarella in particular is sometimes less per ounce than that of the solid block and is more dry. I love grating a block of smoked gouda for fancy mac and cheese once in a blue moon, but I'm going to powder the heck out of the shredded cheese with cornstarch before it goes in - for exactly the reason that it will make a silkier béchamel that puts the emphasis on the absurd richness of the pasta and cheese.

As far as the rest of the thread... I think the grater purchase really comes down to a question of joy. Would having a kitchen grater really enhance everyone's life even if free? I keep at least three kinds on hand, but I use them all the time for everything; if not grating spices or breadcrumbs or cheese regularly, what's the use? If you get more pleasure out of all the ways you can hack and tweak your way out of spending than out of ready ability to, e.g., reduce a block of cheese into evenly-sized shreds, you've gotten the better value from the exchange, and I definitely see the appeal of gamifying financial abstinence.

You can always choose to reverse a non-spending decision later if time brings a misjudgment to light.

[nereo]

Ok, so there’s nothing unhealthy about shredded cheese that can’t also be said about the non-shredded variety.  The reasons why most decent cooks stay away from them is because the anti-caking agents certainly don’t add anything to the party, and they can impact both flavor and texture.  And since shredded cheese has more surface area it dries out pretty darn fast once the bag is opened (and even deteriorates more quickly unopened) - whereas aged block-cheese lasts much longer.
Whether it ‘ruins’ the recipe depends a lot on what your standards are and the recipe itself, but side-by-side most Everyone can pick you the difference between freshly-grated (with no anti-caking agents) and pre-grated cheese.  Then of course there’s the cost difference - at least at my stores you pay a substantial premium for a pre-grated product.

I’ve never understood why so many choose shredded cheese in this country - as long as you have a decent grater (the subject of this whole silly thread) it takes under a minute to freshly grate a few cups of cheese, including washing the grater.

[eyesonthehorizon]

I either didn't explain well, or you didn't read what I said - the idea "anti-caking agents certainly don't add anything to the party" when 'the party' in the article is mac & cheese, which requires you to add the same anti-caking agents (starch, in the form of a béchamel) yourself, is sort of silly. The four recipes they even call out are mac & cheese, cauliflower mac & cheese, nachos, and beef tacos - it's not a "decent cook's" perspective, just a clickbaity anxious "artificial ingredients!" one.

And I mentioned specifically Costco tends to sell their grated cheese for LESS per ounce than whole blocks not even accounting for it being a dryer, denser cheese, which is how I got to buying pre-shred myself; given that if I'm doing any preparation outside of applying cheese to mouth (as I would with a good aged cheese), it cuts two steps, the grating and the carb-powdering, plus gives more intensity for being slightly dehydrated and costs less.

For texture, it all depends on what you're making! Most my recipes benefit from a less-wet cheese. The most common issue is that simply buying blocks of "aged block-cheese" (that is, actual high quality cheeses) is always going to be a better experience than buying bags of mass-market pre-shredded cheeses, something of a disingenuious comparison: of course a fine manchego is going to be more tasteful than a bag or block of store-brand monterey jack.

So: for (American-style cheesy) pizza mozzarella, for queso, for mac & cheese, compare prices, of course, but there's likely no harm in bags if you would have bought the same cheese from the same brand. For parmigiano reggiano, well, the differences in aged cheeses are so stark that chances are you're already buying the quality of it you prefer, y'know?

[Dicey]

I have a box grater, a microplaner and something else flat that's long enough to balance across the top of a goid sized bowl. I use them all. However, I made a pie this week and couldn't find a pie plate anywhere in my weii-stocked and mostly thrifted kitchen. I used my 10" corningware quiche dish instead and it worked fine. What's crazy about this is my BIL makes pies. I have scored at least 4 Pyrex pie plates for him at thrifts or garage sales. How I ended up with zero is beyond me.

[ysette9]

I made a pie last week with a bunch of blackberries I picked with my girls. Setting aside the disaster that was my crust, I also found that I have no pie pan. I used a square baking dish. I recognize this is sacrilegious, however my one saving grace is that no one in my immediate family knows what pie is supposed to look like, so no one blinked.


On the cheese topic, I’ll occasionally buy it grated but in general you can’t find good cheese that is pre-grated. Americans seem to prefer cheap stuff that tastes or nothing for some reason.

[EliteZags]

glad we're on the same page here OP, once I almost blew $3 on a broom when I realized I could just sweep up anything needed with my old toothbrush(which I retired after 6 years service) and laugh all the way to the bank

[Monerexia]

glad we're on the same page here OP, once I almost blew $3 on a broom when I realized I could just sweep up anything needed with my old toothbrush(which I retired after 6 years service) and laugh all the way to the bank

Big ups on the savings man. Yes they can titter all they want but haha you and I know who gets the last laugh when they're old, broke and sad.

[GuitarStv]

glad we're on the same page here OP, once I almost blew $3 on a broom when I realized I could just sweep up anything needed with my old toothbrush(which I retired after 6 years service) and laugh all the way to the bank

Big ups on the savings man. Yes they can titter all they want but haha you and I know who gets the last laugh when they're old, broke and sad.

Especially in the time of covid, it's very important to remember to rinse the toothbrush thoroughly before using it to clean your teeth again after sweeping with it.

[Dicey]

glad we're on the same page here OP, once I almost blew $3 on a broom when I realized I could just sweep up anything needed with my old toothbrush(which I retired after 6 years service) and laugh all the way to the bank

You couldn't just steal a broom?

[nereo]

glad we're on the same page here OP, once I almost blew $3 on a broom when I realized I could just sweep up anything needed with my old toothbrush(which I retired after 6 years service) and laugh all the way to the bank

Big ups on the savings man. Yes they can titter all they want but haha you and I know who gets the last laugh when they're old, broke and sad.

Especially in the time of covid, it's very important to remember to rinse the toothbrush thoroughly before using it to clean your teeth again after sweeping with it.

I can't believe all you spendy-pants who waste all that money and time on a completely needless set of cranium-accessories.
Pro-Mustacian tip:  Go to a dental school in your area and volunteer to be a 'live patient' for a tooth extraction.  You'll get rid of all those pesky teeth forever for FREE!  No more splurging on 0.1˘ of toothpaste every time you brush.  No more worrying if you have food stuck in your teeth during an imporant interview.

As for sweeping dust off your floors... what are your floors made of if not dirt???


 

[GuitarStv]

glad we're on the same page here OP, once I almost blew $3 on a broom when I realized I could just sweep up anything needed with my old toothbrush(which I retired after 6 years service) and laugh all the way to the bank

Big ups on the savings man. Yes they can titter all they want but haha you and I know who gets the last laugh when they're old, broke and sad.

Especially in the time of covid, it's very important to remember to rinse the toothbrush thoroughly before using it to clean your teeth again after sweeping with it.

I can't believe all you spendy-pants who waste all that money and time on a completely needless set of cranium-accessories.
Pro-Mustacian tip:  Go to a dental school in your area and volunteer to be a 'live patient' for a tooth extraction.  You'll get rid of all those pesky teeth forever for FREE!  No more splurging on 0.1˘ of toothpaste every time you brush.  No more worrying if you have food stuck in your teeth during an imporant interview.

As for sweeping dust off your floors... what are your floors made of if not dirt???

After the tooth extraction, do you need to buy a vitamix blender?

[I'm a red panda]

I assumed it was simply easier to buy already shredded cheese....maybe that's what is going on here in reality...

We do tend to buy shaved Parmesan when we need it, but most everything else done on the box grater and with micro plane.

Well that's even more ridiculously spendy pants then buying a grater!  Imagine just throwing money away on cheese someone else has grated.

[I'm a red panda]

I can't believe all you spendy-pants who waste all that money and time on a completely needless set of cranium-accessories.
Pro-Mustacian tip:  Go to a dental school in your area and volunteer to be a 'live patient' for a tooth extraction.  You'll get rid of all those pesky teeth forever for FREE!  No more splurging on 0.1˘ of toothpaste every time you brush.  No more worrying if you have food stuck in your teeth during an imporant interview.

Is your dental school free? Ours is less expensive than a regular dentist, but still charges. And appointments take about 4 times as long.

[erutio]

I can't believe all you spendy-pants who waste all that money and time on a completely needless set of cranium-accessories.
Pro-Mustacian tip:  Go to a dental school in your area and volunteer to be a 'live patient' for a tooth extraction.  You'll get rid of all those pesky teeth forever for FREE!  No more splurging on 0.1˘ of toothpaste every time you brush.  No more worrying if you have food stuck in your teeth during an imporant interview.

As for sweeping dust off your floors... what are your floors made of if not dirt???

Great tip.  However, I also save money on cheese graters by using my teeth to shred off bits of cheese as needed.  Sure the cheese get a little wet form my saliva, but the shredded bits now come with the additional benefit of being 'pre-digested'. 

I now need to go back and run calculations on what will save me more money in the long run.

[ericrugiero]

glad we're on the same page here OP, once I almost blew $3 on a broom when I realized I could just sweep up anything needed with my old toothbrush(which I retired after 6 years service) and laugh all the way to the bank

You couldn't just steal a broom?

A true mustacian would use a broom for cleaning AND transportation.  I hear they are more efficient than a prius.  You can't do that with a toothbrush. 

[Rusted Rose]

Haha, y'all are so my people.

My cool story bro is, I haven't had a box grater since the last one rusted mumblety years ago, but I've had a beautiful stainless steel flat grater similar to this one (https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Ge4AAOSw32lYqK4T/s-l300.jpg) for decades.

But I buy 2-pound bags of grated cheese at the outlet to toss on my grass-fed burgers and freeze what I don't use quickly enough.

What do I use the grater for? These days, only for making my own laundry gel from Zote. :D