We have been profiling some of our favorite good deals from IKEA for the kitchen. Not everything the big box retailer sells is a good deal; cheap, yes, but not worth even the small cost.
A few things, though, are not only worth the money but have become old favorites in our kitchen. This CHARM grater was the first kitchen product we ever bought from IKEA, and it's still going strong.
The CHARM Grater is really a six-piece set. There are two oval containers with plastic lids, and two grater lids with different-size holes. The lids are all interchangeable, and the appeal here is that you can grate directly into the plastic container, then cover it with the plastic lid and refrigerate.
We love this inexpensive set for a couple of reasons. First of all, it almost completely eliminates the mess of grating cheese. We usually make a mess when grating into a bowl or plate; this captures nearly everything inside the sealed container. Bonus for messy cooks like us.
And then the storage option is terrific as well. How often have we grated too much Parmesan for a recipe and put it away quickly in this little container? How many times have we stored fresh mozzarella for a pizza party? Many times.
The oval bowl is also big enough to hold plenty of grated cheese, but small enough to be gripped in our small hands while we grate.
These things have lasted for several years and they are still going strong; we love them. Do you use these graters? What do you think?
• CHARM Graters $5.99 at IKEA-USA. Not available online.
Related: The IKEA Kitchen: HEAT Cork Trivets
(Image: Faith Durand)
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What came first--the CHARM Grater or the Ped Egg? ;D
view OneWallKitchen's profile
i bought these over a year ago...and i still don't know how i feel about them. i live in a small apartment with and equally small kitchen and these actually take up precious cabinet space. they don't nest, so i have to find room for 2 odd shaped containers. however, i do like that it keeps it all contained, limiting the mess.
view diydame's profile
i use this all the time. mine only came with one container, which is plenty.
view squiggle's profile
I just saw these for the first time a few weeks ago, I liked the concept, but I really thought they were much to big to justify having. Maybe if they didn't come with both together?
It didn't seem like it would be worth having it take up space when I already have a cheese grater and plenty of containers with lids.
view Marie's profile
I have to agree with diydame! They take up half of drawer in my small kitchen, and that makes me kind of sad. Otherwise, they are great.
view alyssazor's profile
i love my charm!
and OneWallKitchen - EWWWWWW! i feel sick every time i see that commercial :)
view akostalas's profile
I love the CHARM as well because I rather buy a big chunk of cheese and grate it at home than those bags with pre-grated cheese. One never konws whats in those bags.
view obodil's profile
This is one of my fave IKEA cheap finds. Another is the set of 3 wooden cooking utensils for a dollar. Beyond that it would be light bulbs.
view kmarie's profile
hmm next time I head over to IKEA I must look for this. I always make such a mess grating anything.
view witchbaby's profile
I have one of these and it is all I've used for the last 3 years, but I honestly don't like it. A box grater just feels more natural to me and I often wished I owned one. Maybe, I'll get a box grater soon and see if I can find a good home for my Charm.
view Cam00023's profile
I have one of those! Mine also only has one container. I love it!
view mizrobot's profile
Mine only came with one container and the two grater tops.
One is plenty.
view wendy-rae's profile
We have a very small kitchen, and I do have these IKEA graters. I've had them for several years, and they have held up very well, and I really like the "grate directly into the box" aspect. The grating parts are also sharp enough to actually do the job, unlike the much more expensive grater I bought from a cooking shop (and then returned). I do find that I use the coarse grater lid more often than the fine grater lid, and I keep few enough plastic storage containers around that these are a welcome addition. (My set is the older edition, so is blue and white, rather than red and black.)
view fjorlief's profile
I also have the older blue set. It only came with one container. I've had the exact same one now for almost 8 years and it's still going strong. My kitchen is puny, but I think making room for it is worth it.
That said, nothing will make me like grating cheese. I really dislike that task. I think it's the cheese fingers...
view anmar's profile
Even if it was twice as big as it is now, it's still the best grater out there. I have never cut my hands on this one and I can't say that for any other grater, including some very expensive ones.
view baltimoregal's profile
I bought one of these years ago and I loved it. I lost the lid to the bowl and now I don't really use it.
The other reason I don't use it is because I got a Rubbermaid foldaway grater. It just takes up so little space!
I don't know if the fold away grater is available any more. I got it a few years ago at Target.
view Plaid Ninja's profile
I had those and chucked them after about two weeks. The design flaws just weren't worth living with. They didn't nest in each other, which doubled the size of them. Also, the lack of nesting meant that the grater part was out and unprotected. I bought them thinking they could go in a drawer. After gashing my knuckles twice, I realized that I did not have the space to store them inside a box, which is the only way that they felt safe.
I do have a box grater now, and it sits on it's own, in the space between two sets of mixing bowls. Never had a problem with scraping.
view feathers's profile
I bought these about a year ago and they don't grate that well anymore.
I still use the grater occasionally, but the containers are great! I love that they come with a lid, multi purpose.
view chanina's profile