# Parmesan: too lazy to grate, too snobbish to buy pre-grated **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2019, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002 "2019-02-22T05:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/21 "2019-02-22T16:55:16Z")
I use one of [these little mini-choppers](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y2GZWCJ/). We have a bigger food processor but it’s a PITA to use, but the little one you just toss stuff in and push down. It’s small so it isn’t cumbersome to wash. . ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/22 "2019-02-22T18:07:50Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I use a food processor for grating This is definitely overkill for grating some parmesan over pasta. Microplane or a small hand grater is plenty for parmesan. They also clean up easy, and are useful for other small grating tasks, such as zests. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/23 "2019-02-22T20:02:59Z")
I actually prefer shaved Parmesan to grated. I also love to slice it thin and eat it with crackers, or straight up. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/24 "2019-02-22T20:14:38Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > This is definitely overkill for grating some parmesan over pasta. Microplane or a small hand grater is plenty for parmesan. They also clean up easy, and are useful for other small grating tasks, such as zests. I find hand graters difficult to wash completely clean without a dishwasher, which my otherwise rather nicely appointed kitchen doesn’t have - that’s why I use a food processor. Some good info in this thread, especially in regard to purchasing acceptable cheese. I’m going to look carefully at labels next time I buy, and maybe try the mail-order suggestion mentioned upthread. **San Vito** , my good sir (or madam) - you wound me greatly with your “cooking idleness” remark. My thread title aside, I am anything but lazy in the kitchen. Right now I have homemade papaya chutney, sourdough bread, vegetarian chile, and more in my freezer. If anything, I spend too much time cooking elaborate food! But surely even a dedicated cook can be forgiven for wanting to save on clean-up when it’s getting late and the day has already been a busy one. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/25 "2019-02-22T21:00:07Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I find hand graters difficult to wash completely clean without a dishwasher, which my otherwise rather nicely appointed kitchen doesn’t have - that’s why I use a food processor. My Microplane takes two swipes with a sponge to clean. It takes more effort to carry it to the dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/26 "2019-02-22T21:12:48Z")
You could just keep a stick of the cheese by your plate and nibble on it as you eat. Gnaw is probably the more accurate word. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/27 "2019-02-22T22:15:48Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My Microplane takes two swipes with a sponge to clean. It takes more effort to carry it to the dishwasher. Yes. The food processor is so much more a pain-in-the-ass to clean. I like having a food processor around, but I avoid using it as much as possible for that reason. With a food processor, I have to disassemble the thing, clean the main compartment, get my sponge into all the nooks and crannies, clean the blade, and clean the lid. With a Microplane-type grater or even a box grater, it’s, like you say, just a couple swipes of the sponge under running water. Three to five seconds at most to get it clean. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/28 "2019-02-22T23:01:46Z")
> [@CairoCarol;21502724.](#): > > Vegetarian chile… _Vegetarian_ chile? That’s called “salsa”. Boom! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/29 "2019-02-23T00:01:58Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > _Vegetarian_ chile? That’s called “salsa”. > > Boom! 🙂 Point taken. Perhaps I should say I have an “Anasazi bean and quinoa stew” in the freezer. ETA: From the comments above it sounds like I would be wise to get a microplane. [Is this what y’all are referring to?](https://shop.goop.com/shop/products/microplane-grater?country=USA) It doesn’t look like it would get clean easily without a dishwasher, but I will trust the Doper community if you tell me otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/30 "2019-02-23T01:05:06Z")
I’ve got several Microplanes in various widths and degrees of coarseness. I’d recommend a wider one for cheese. Perhaps one of[these](https://us.microplane.com/kitchen_en_us/home-series-coarse-blade-family-1.html) I find they wash easily with hot water and a sponge as long as what I’ve grated is not fibrous. On the site I’ve linked they explain the uses of each degree of coarseness. Take a look. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/31 "2019-02-23T01:12:48Z")
Except the convex microplanes are annoying as hell on cheese, makes it way too difficult to slice evenly later it you want. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/32 "2019-02-23T01:25:48Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Except the convex microplanes are annoying as hell on cheese, makes it way too difficult to slice evenly later it you want. You just turn the cheese as you grate it. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/33 "2019-02-23T01:33:31Z")
Then it’s impossible to slice evenly.(unless you have a cambered draw cheese knife or something). ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/34 "2019-02-23T11:53:39Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > _Vegetarian_ chile? That’s called “salsa”. > > Boom! 🙂 For my camp meal contribution at Burning Man I make two batches of chili, one with 97% ground beef, the other with TVP ‘beef’ from Trader Joe’s. The pots are set out labeled _Chili con carne_ and _Chili sin carne_. They both disappear at equal rates. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/35 "2019-02-24T00:43:37Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > For my camp meal contribution at Burning Man I make two batches of chili, one with 97% ground beef, the other with TVP ‘beef’ from Trader Joe’s. The pots are set out labeled _Chili con carne_ and _Chili sin carne_. They both disappear at equal rates. No, you make one batch of chili, and one batch of salsa. Did I not make myself clear in my previous post? :eek:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/36 "2019-02-24T03:16:16Z")
I don’t like the microplane for cheese. It produces powder, which isn’t recognizable as cheese. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/37 "2019-02-24T03:57:27Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I don’t like the microplane for cheese. It produces powder, which isn’t recognizable as cheese. You are using the wrong model. I have several and can produce product ranging from small shreds to wide ribbons. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/38 "2019-02-24T05:15:37Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > If you can’t find it locally, Zingermans is an excellent mail order provider. > [Valserena Parmigiano Reggiano](https://www.zingermans.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=C-PAR) Damn! I just tried to order from them - they’ve got a good deal right now - 2 lbs for $35, which isn’t particularly expensive for the Big Island, where everything costs more. But the cheapest shipping cost available is an added $20. Phooey. I need to think on this. Is two pounds of high quality parmesan worth $55 to me? Maybe. But I’m not going to place the order until I think about it for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/39 "2019-02-24T06:49:53Z")
Ban pre-shredded cheese. Make America grate again!! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002/40 "2019-02-24T14:07:30Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I don’t like the microplane for cheese. It produces powder, which isn’t recognizable as cheese. They come in various sizes. I use one with fairly small holes (same size as the small holes on your standard box grater–about 1/8"), and I don’t get powder, but rather thin strands, like hair, when I grate it. But you can also get those small hand-held graters with holes a 1/4", which is the size of the bigger holes on a box grater, and that produces shavings. [Like this one](https://www.amazon.com/Microplane-42338-Artisan-Coarse-Grater/dp/B004P33V4K/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1551017091&sr=8-7&keywords=coarse+microplane). (Though I personally just use a cheaper Chefmate brand rather than Microplane.) Mine is flat, but I don’t mind the curved ones as the types of cheese I use it on are not cheese I’d cut into slices, anyway. I typically cut off a chunk of parm or pecorino anyway before grating it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parmesan-too-lazy-to-grate-too-snobbish-to-buy-pre-grated/830002.md?page=3)