The challenges of a box grater include clogging, cheese sticking, and the fact that it never cleans completely unless you have a powerful dishwasher or soak it for what feels like forever. Using the grater often creates a mess, with pieces of rebellious cheese escaping under the kitchen table, evading even the dog. Instead of enduring this headache, try a simple kitchen hack to alleviate the frustration of this kitchen tool.
To make cleanup easier, spray or brush some olive oil on the grater. This makes it almost impossible for the cheese to stick while grating. Be sure to do both the inside and outside of the grater, or it will revert to its original frustrating and messy state. This hack gained popularity on TikTok, leading creators to have a hand in saving many fingers from accidental cuts while trying to scrape out leftover cheese. After learning this trick in the kitchen, grating cheese at home almost seems worth the effort.