Progressive International Stainless Steel Regular Tower Grater: The only cheese grater you need.
Written: Sep 13 '05 (Updated Sep 22 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, versatile, comfortable to use.
Cons: Does not work well in a bowl or irregular object.
The Bottom Line: The only cheese grater that I need.
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| yakkowarner's Full Review: Progressive International Stainless Steel Regular ... |
This is an awesome grater. It is sturdy, easy to use, and has three grates. Unless you insist on buying a specialty appliance, then this will be the only product you will own for grating cheese.
How it works.
It is a grater stand. You sit the grater on a solid surface. Either the kitchen counter or a cutting board (I prefer a cutting board.) And you grab the cheese and make a downward motion. The cheese accumulates inside the grater. The inside will hold a couple of handfuls of cheese.
The grater is triangular and has three sides. One side has larger blades if you want ribbons of Parmesan or ribbons of another cheese (the ribbons can be long or short depending on how careful you are.) The middle sized grates are your normal size and the one you will primarily use (at least we do.) The small sized grates are located on the last size and are perfect for Parmesan or other hard cheese that you would use in pasta or a cream sauce. The small grate has two sized grates like most cheese graters do.
Materials
Stainless steel.
Ergonomics and ease of use.
It is very easy to use. First you have a rubber handle on the top that is easy to grasp onto. I find that the downward motion is easier and more comfortable than either the handheld version or the horizontal version. So ergonomics are almost prefect for this style of grater. The only way to improve this is to have an electric style grater (like a food processor or an electric grater.) For the record, I have not used a rotary grater and I am leary of this design because of comments friends have made.
The bottom corners have rubber feet that add a great deal of stability to the unit and make it easier to use.
What else do I own
I own two other cheese graters. The first one is for Parmesan. The main reason is it is convenient to pull out and easy to clean when we have pasta. It also does a great job with the Parmesan. I use this instead of my tower grater for Parmesan, but the tower grater will do Parmesan well.
The other grater I have is a handheld version. I bought this a long time ago in college, probably from Safeway. It is not very ergonomic, not comfortable to use, and inexpensive. I will only use it if I have a small amount of cheese to grate, which is hardly ever. I just do not recommend this style; even for the price and even if the handle is improved.
Food used other than cheese
I have not used anything other than cheese but you can easily use it for any hard substance. Carrots are one example people have used (see comments). You could use it easily for chocolate depending on what you are trying to do.
Who is this for?
-If you do not own a food processor with a cheese grater attachment.
-You do not have a cheese grater that you are emotionally attached to
-If you hate to clean out the food processor like I do.
I really feel this is the perfect cheese grater. The reason why is that it grates cheese easily and quickly. It will grate to any size you will need. It is easy to hold on to. Other graters are harder to use in my opinion.
Cleaning
For me cleaning is simple. I just put it in the dishwasher. If you wash by hand then it will be a little harder because it can damage your sponge easily. Just spray it with water and move the brush from down to up so you do not damage the sponge. It is also a little difficult to get to the top of the inner part of the unit. You will need some sort of wand-style sponge unit.
Durability
I have had no issues with durability during the 4 years I have owned it other than the top becoming a little lose. This issue is not a problem for me. I do not perceive any issues other than the grater getting dull over time.
Problems
No major problems so far. The only difficulty you will experience is if you grate cheese in a bowl or some irregular container. It can be a little difficult to steady it in this type of container.
Weight and dimensions
Weight: 12 oz
Style: Triangular
Bottom Width: 5 3/16 inches
Height: 11 15/32 inches
Width of large grate: ½ inch
Width of medium grate: ¼ inch
Width of small grates: 1/8 and 1/16th
Summary
This is a great cheese grater. It has three sides with three different size grates. One is for large pieces, the normal size, and a small size. It is easy to use and has a comfortable handle on it with which to hold onto. I love this grater and highly recommend it.
Other kitchen tools I love and a guide that may be of help.
OXO Vegetable peeler.
Phillips Handheld Blender.
Jack LaLane Juicer.
Juicer buying guide.
Recommended:
Yes
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