As a home chef, I love finding kitchen gadgets that make weeknight cooking less like a chore. Like my mini sautee pan—it solves the whole cooking-for-one dilemma on nights when I’d rather just order takeout. Or my electric kettle, which lets me enjoy a fresh cup of coffee or soup anywhere there’s an outlet.

My latest favorite cooking tool, though, is the Zulay Kitchen Rotary Cheese Grater ($19). Yes, it is advertised as a cheese grater, but this affordable kitchen find does a lot more than just tackle large blocks of Swiss and cheddar. With three interchangeable blades aimed at slicing, julienning, and shredding, this device makes cooking, baking, and meal prep so much easier. Keep reading for my honest review, as well as all the different ways I love to use it.

Zulay Kitchen, Rotary 3-Blade Cheese Grater — $18.99

Includes three stainless steel drum blades for grating and slicing.

Colors: 4

Pros: 

• Does *way* more than grate cheese
• Incredibly versatile
• Blades and hopper are detachable and dishwasher safe
• Affordable
• Suction-cup base prevents slipping
• Safer to use than traditional box graters and mandolins

Cons: 

• Select colors sold out

First impressions

When I first unboxed my grater, I was pleasantly surprised by how compact the whole system was. Not only does the grater measure to just over a foot in height once fully set up, but its three interchangeable blades come in a compact, uniquely designed blade holder. This means that the whole gadget, including the extra blades, can be easily stored in cupboards, cabinets, pantries, or even under the sink—perfect for those of us with small kitchens.

It was also shocking how easy the system was to put together. As I unwrapped the different parts of the grater, it was pretty intuitive to know where each one went. The whole device came together in less than a minute and the thought of searching for assembly instructions never even crossed my mind.

My review

Despite the Zulay Kitchen Rotary Cheese Grater being an actual cheese grater, it can be used for so much more than shaving down blocks of parmesan. Each grater comes with five interchangeable blades designed for five different cuts: a thin slice blade, wavy slice blade, coarse julienne blade, thin julienne blade, and coarse shred blade.

The thin-slice blade is my everyday go-to as it’s the most versatile. It allows me to quickly prep raw salad ingredients (think: cucumbers, radishes, peppers, onion, carrots) as well as veggies to be cooked like zucchini, eggplant, peppers, garlic, onion, mushrooms, and potatoes. With a few turns of the rotary handle, these can then be easily added to pastas, soups, tray bakes, or au gratins. You can even use it to turn tofu into thin beef-like slices for sandwiches and noodle dishes. This blade also makes slicing fruit like apples and pears super easy for snacking or baking—yum.

I usually save the wavy blade for pickle making, as the shape makes for a beautiful finished product with plenty of surface area for brine penetration. Carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and radishes are some of my favorite pickling veggies. However, this blade is also ideal for when crispy crinkle fry cravings come knocking.

When cole slaw, zoodles, or stir-fries are on the menu, I tend to reach for one of the julienne blades. Oh, how grateful I am to not feel the forearm burn of endless box grating anymore! And last, the coarse shred blade is my favorite for easily grinding (or grating) nuts, chocolate, garlic, or ginger. With these, I make a range of baked goods, chocolate-covered fruit, pasta dishes, and Asian-inspired recipes.

This tool has also helped me skirt the safety concerns of comparable tools like the box grater and mandolin. This is thanks to its convenient food pusher and powerful suction base. The transparent barrel also helps me see when it’s time to load it up again and prevents clogging, saving me loads of time (and frustration).

Final thoughts

There’s truly so much to love about the Zulay Kitchen Rotary Cheese Grater that I hardly use for cheese. At around $30, it’s way more affordable than a sharp knife and fancy cutting board setup or high-quality mandolin. And at that price, this plastic gadget is surprisingly durable and effective (and yes, dishwasher-safe!).  It’s just an added bonus that it comes in four pretty colors to best match your kitchen aesthetic, giving you all the more reason to reach for it come cooking time.