Andrew Zimmern Says He ‘Can’t Live Without’ This Versatile Tool His Grandmother Had

After being taught to cook and bake by my mother, there are certain kitchen tools and gadgets in my kitchen that I rely on, from the inherited Lodge skillet that sits on my back burner, to the cookie cutters that are used every year for holiday cookies. Whether home cooks or professional chefs, we all tend to do this. And chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern is no exception. 

During the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Zimmern let us in on a tool he favors from his growing-up years: the box grater. And he uses the same one just like his grandma did.

Zwilling Z-Cut Tower Multifunctional Box Grater

“Maybe it’s because I’m a little older, but I like a four-sided box grater like the old one with the bent handle my grandmother had,” Zimmern says. “I can grate potatoes, I can slice onions, I can grate cheese, I can do so many things with my box grater. It truly is an 80-in-one tool — can’t live without it.” Zimmern, whose new three-part documentary series, Hope in the Water, premiered on June 19 on PBS, loves the Zwilling z-cut box grater that’s $40 at Amazon.  

He’s not the only one. Just looking at this four-sided box grater brings to mind many memories of grating cheese for my mother’s famous macaroni and cheese, or prepping fresh zucchini from our garden for my favorite zucchini bread. Our Commerce Director Taysha Murtaugh also swears by this same grater.

The grater has four sides that offer different grating sizes. Each side has z-cut blades that allow you to grate the ingredients both in the upward and downward motion. It has a handle for you to hold while grating them too. A nice feature is the interior drawer, which Murtaugh especially loved, as it can be moved in any direction to capture the grated ingredients, even if it’s laying down on its side. And when done, there is a plastic cover to slide over the box grater for ease of storing. It’s the ultimate kitchen tool.

Those kitchen tools that have followed us through the years have shaped the way we cook and bake. And this box grater that’s an essential part of any kitchen collection is one of those for Andrew Zimmern. Shop it now at Amazon.

Shop More Kitchen Tools and Gadgets at Amazon

Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale

KitchenAid Classic Multifunction Can Opener 

Pyrex 3-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set

Royal Craft Wood 3-Piece Wooden Cutting Board Set

OXO Swivel Vegetable Peeler

At the time of publishing, the price was $40.