This Is How to Shred Cheese So Nothing Sticks to the Box Grater

Say goodbye to cheese that sticks to the grater!

Turns out, there are plenty of surprising reasons to grate your own cheese: it melts more smoothly, you get more bang for your buck and it tastes better, since freshly grated cheese doesn’t contain added preservatives and chemicals. And since you’re shredding it on the spot, it will have a fresher, creamier taste. Yum!

But grating cheese can be a hassle. The cheese sticks to the grater, making it difficult to tell if you’ve shredded enough to make your favorite baked macaroni and cheese recipe. It also makes washing the grater a total pain.

Luckily, we have an easy cheese grating hack to keep all that cheddar from sticking to your grater.

This Will Make Cheese Grating SO Easy

TikTok user @HowDoesShe shared a super easy trick that will save you the frustration of picking out cheese from the back of the grater.

Here’s how it works: give the surface of your grater a quick spray with a little olive oil (inside and out) and watch the shredded cheese fall right off the grater. Check out how it works in this TikTok video:

@howdoessheTakes one second, but so satisfying! #tipsandtricks #earthday♬ SUNNY DAY – Matteo Rossanese

You can even freeze shredded cheese once you’re done with prep. How grate is that?

You’ve Grated Your Cheese—Now What?

Now that you know how to grate cheese more smoothly, here are some of our favorite recipes that call for lots of delicious, freshly grated cheese:

If you buy big blocks of cheese to grate, this is the easiest way to store your leftover cheese.

Ways to Use Your Shredded Cheese
1 / 64

Lauren Naru
Lauren Naru writes about gift guides, sales, and must-have items for the kitchen and home. She loves a good deal is and is always on the hunt for super-savings and products that solve cooking problems. In her spare time, you’ll find her creating custom cookies for friends and family. Lauren lives and works in New York's Hudson Valley region.