Ceramic grating plate
A unique and gentle way to grate ginger, garlic, or hard spices, preserving their juices and aromas.
Kitchen & Coffee
Food graters & zesters
7 kinds worth knowing, 9 picks, and what to check before you buy.
A good grater is one of those tools home cooks use nearly every day and rarely replace. That's why it makes a thoughtful gift for a host, a parent or someone setting up a first kitchen. The ones that get used are simple, easy to clean and suited to how the person actually cooks. A garlic grater plate suits someone who cooks with a lot of garlic and ginger. A stainless steel box grater covers cheese, vegetables and weeknight baking. Before you choose, think about what shows up on their cutting board most often and how much drawer or counter space they have. Pairing a small tool with a favourite ingredient, like a wedge of good cheese or fresh lemons, turns a practical gift into a personal one.
Kind 1 of 7
Garlic grater plates for everyday flavour
A garlic grater plate is a small, shallow dish with a raised, textured centre. You rub a clove across it and it turns into a smooth paste. It works for ginger and hard spices too. It suits cooks who make stir-fries, dressings and marinades and want to skip mincing with a knife. Before buying, check that the grating ridges are sharp and well defined, that the rim is deep enough to hold the paste, and that the plate is dishwasher-friendly or at least easy to rinse. Many come with a small brush or silicone scraper, which makes cleanup much easier.
Kind 2 of 7
Ceramic grating plates that double as serving dishes
A ceramic grating plate has raised teeth glazed into the surface. It handles garlic, ginger, nutmeg and citrus peel, and it can go from counter to table for dipping oil. It suits hosts and anyone who likes kitchen tools that look good sitting out. Check the plate's size first: small ones fit a clove or two, while larger ones handle a knob of ginger. Look for a non-slip base or rubber ring so it stays put. Glazed patterns vary a lot, so pick a colour that fits their dishes.
Kind 3 of 7
Electric jar openers for stubborn lids
An electric jar opener sits on top of a jar, grips the lid and twists it loose at the press of a button. It suits anyone who finds tight lids frustrating, including older parents or people with weaker grip. It's also handy in busy kitchens where pickles and sauces get opened often. Before buying, check the range of lid sizes it fits and whether it runs on batteries or a rechargeable cell. It should also be light and simple enough to use with one hand.
Kind 4 of 7
Stainless steel box graters for real volume
A box grater has four sides with different cuts, usually coarse, medium, fine and slicing. It covers shredded cheese, hash browns, carrot salads and grated butter for pastry. It suits families, new homeowners and anyone who cooks in bigger batches. Check that the handle is comfortable, the base has a non-slip rim, and the blades are etched rather than stamped, since etched ones stay sharp longer. Some come with a catch container underneath. Rotary and drum graters with suction bases are good alternatives for grating at the table.
Stainless steel box grater
A versatile kitchen essential, this grater offers multiple grating surfaces for a wide range of ingredients.
Multi-purpose drum grater with suction base
A stable and powerful tool for grating larger quantities of vegetables, nuts, or cheese with ease.
Rotary tabletop cheese grater
An efficient and safe option for grating hard cheeses directly over pasta or salads at the table.
Kind 5 of 7
Garlic rockers that skip the press
A garlic rocker is a curved stainless steel bar with holes. You rock it over a clove on the cutting board, and minced garlic pushes up through the holes. It suits cooks who dislike cleaning a traditional press and want something that stores flat in a drawer. The Joseph Joseph Garlic Rocker is a well-known version of this design. Before buying, think about how much garlic they use. A rocker handles one or two cloves at a time well, but it's slower for big batches.
Joseph Joseph Garlic Rocker
A curved stainless kitchen tool that is strange enough to unwrap and useful enough to keep.
Kind 6 of 7
Rasp-style zesters for fine grating
A rasp-style zester is a long, narrow grater with very fine, sharp teeth. It takes the zest off citrus without the bitter pith. It also turns hard cheese into fluffy shreds and grates nutmeg, chocolate and ginger. It suits bakers, cocktail makers and anyone who finishes pasta with a snowfall of parmesan. Check the handle grip, whether a protective cover is included for drawer storage, and the blade length. Flat hand graters and small spice graters work the same way for narrower jobs.
Flat hand grater
A convenient and space-saving grater for quick tasks, easily stored in any kitchen drawer.
Specialized spice grater
Designed for culinary enthusiasts who enjoy freshly grated whole spices like nutmeg or cinnamon.
Kind 7 of 7
A premium zester worth upgrading to
A premium zester keeps the same fine-tooth blade as the classic version but adds a sturdier, more comfortable handle and often a non-slip foot for resting on a bowl. The Microplane Premium Zester suits someone who already zests often and would use a better version every week. It's also a fitting upgrade for a baker who still grates lemons on the small holes of a box grater. Check that a blade cover is included, and pick a handle colour they'll like seeing in the drawer.
Microplane Premium Zester
A sharp fine rasp for fragrant citrus zest, airy Parmesan and freshly grated spices.
How to choose food graters & zesters as a gift
- Match the tool to the ingredient they use most, whether that's garlic, citrus, hard cheese or vegetables.
- Check how it cleans: fine teeth trap food, so a brush, scraper or dishwasher-friendly design matters.
- Look for a blade cover or a storage case on rasps and flat graters so they stay sharp in a drawer.
- Consider storage space; a small apartment kitchen may welcome a flat grater over a bulky rotary model.
- Pair the tool with an ingredient, like fresh lemons, a wedge of aged cheese or whole nutmeg, to make it feel personal.
Usually safe to skip
- Multi-blade gadget sets with many attachments often go unused because they take longer to assemble and wash than the job takes.
- Skip a basic box grater for an experienced cook; they almost certainly have one already and rarely need a second.
- Novelty-shaped graters look fun but usually have dull or awkward grating surfaces that frustrate everyday use.
Questions people ask about food graters & zesters
- What is the difference between a zester and a grater?
- A zester has very fine, sharp teeth for citrus peel, hard cheese, nutmeg and ginger, and it makes light, fluffy shreds. A standard grater has larger holes for shredding cheese, potatoes and vegetables. Many cooks keep one of each because they do different jobs.
- Is a ceramic grating plate better than a garlic press?
- It depends on the cook. A ceramic plate makes a smoother paste, works for ginger and spices too, and rinses clean easily. A press is faster for several cloves at once. For someone who uses garlic in dressings and sauces, a plate is often the more versatile gift.
- Is a grater a good gift for someone who already cooks a lot?
- Yes, if it fills a gap or upgrades something they use often. Keen cooks tend to appreciate a sharper fine zester, a garlic rocker or a good-looking ceramic plate. They usually don't need another basic box grater.
Looking for one person in particular? Shop by person.
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All food graters & zesters picks
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