If your cheese grater has been sitting in your kitchen drawer with one side perpetually neglected, you’re not alone. That fourth side—the one with the tiny, sharp holes—often gets dismissed as useless or too tricky to use. But once you understand its purpose, you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without it.
While the other sides handle shredding, grating, and slicing, this underrated feature specializes in ultra-fine textures. It’s the key to that restaurant-quality Parmesan dust that melts instantly into risottos or pastas. Beyond cheese, it’s perfect for zesting citrus, turning lemon or orange peel into fragrant confetti for desserts, salads, or cocktails. Need finely grated garlic or ginger for a marinade? This side ensures they blend in perfectly, with no harsh chunks left behind.
It’s a small detail with big impact—proof that sometimes the best kitchen tools are the ones we’ve been overlooking. So next time you reach for your grater, give that fourth side a chance. You might just find it’s the missing touch your cooking needed.
