I’ve Had This $6.99 Ikea Kitchen Tool for 15 Years, and I Still Use It Every Day

It’s the cheapest kitchen item I own—and the most reliable.

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I saved up for what felt like forever before I got my first decent apartment. When I finally moved in, I barely had enough money left over to stock it with the basics. I think my mother felt bad for me, because she gifted me a few essentials, including a cheese grater from Ikea that I’ve been using ever since.

Ikea Uppyfylld Grater

• Price: $6.99 for a four-piece set, including a storage container with a lid
• Why I Love It: This grater set has held up for 15 years and shows minimal wear, even after daily use. I especially love that it’s dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

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What I Love About Ikea's Uppfylld Cheese Grater

The Uppfylld grater set is designed for prep-to-storage. It includes coarse and fine grater options, a translucent storage container with a non-slip base, and an airtight lid. I grate foods right into the container, then pop the lid on any leftovers. Upfylld appears to mean "fulfilled" in Swedish, and strangely, I do feel fulfilled when I'm grating.

All four pieces of the set are dishwasher-safe, so cleanup is easy. I recommend placing them on the top rack to avoid any potential melting or warping caused by the heating element on the bottom of your dishwasher.

Even after using and washing this grater almost every day, it works as well as when I first got it and shows minimal signs of wear. I’ve had mine for over 15 years, so it’s built to last. 

Simply Recipes / Candace Nagy

How I Use My Ikea Grater

This grater set gets a lot of daily use because it’s so versatile. Here's what I use it for in my kitchen.

• Cheese: With coarse and fine graters, it’s perfect for prepping a variety of soft and hard cheeses. I use the fine grater to create fluffy mounds of Parmigiano Reggiano, and the coarse grater for cheddar cheese and mozzarella.
• Vegetables: Think shredded carrots, cabbage, and cucumbers for salads; cauliflower for low-carb rice and pizza crust; roots like potatoes for hash browns and ginger for adding to marinades.
• Baking ingredients: I often break out my grater when it comes time to bake. I use the fine grater for chocolate and hard spices, like nutmeg. And the coarse grater is easier and quicker than using a pastry cutter to create even flakes of butter for dough.
• Breadcrumbs: I usually buy breadcrumbs, but when I’m out and don’t have time to get to the store, I reach for my Ikea grater. The coarse grater gives stale bread a panko-like texture, while the fine grater helps me mimic the texture of my favorite Italian breadcrumbs.
• Citrus: My Microplane zester is ideal for creating ultra-fine results, but when making candied peels, decorative curls for cocktails, marmalades, or infusions that call for larger pieces, I opt for using the coarse grater.

My grater is holding up like an indestructible piece of 1950s Tupperware. I look forward to the day that I’ll pick up the new, more colorful set to give to my kids when they move into their own homes.

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