This Hack Will Prevent Grated Cheese From Sticking

Fresh grated cheese can make a surprisingly big difference in your cooking if you have the time and energy to make the concerted effort. However, as good as this ingredient is (as opposed to the pre-shredded stuff you'll find in the bags at grocery stores), it can really be a pain to grate — especially if you need large quantities of it. But if you know your kitchen tricks, there are actually a couple of ways to make the chore more manageable.

The first way you can grate cheese more easily is to pull out your food processor, shares Good Housekeeping. While the large ones are great for powering through a lot of cheese for recipes like pimento cheese sandwiches or a big bowl of mac and cheese, a mini food processor will do the trick for smaller batches. This way, the cheese won't get compressed into a sticky clump inside your box grater or pressed against your cutting board.

If pulling out a food processor is too much work for you, you can always use another trick to prevent the cheese from sticking to your dependable grater. According to Taste of Home, simply use a touch of cooking spray. By giving your box grater a brief spritz, the cheese shouldn't stick as it falls through the holes and should be a little less clumpy, too. Just remember to regularly lift the box grater and move the grated cheese to the side if you need to shred a lot of cheese.

Lifehacker particularly likes this trick for semi-soft cheeses, which can be extra annoying to grate.

While this incredibly simple trick might seem obvious, it's a little extra step you can incorporate into how you grate cheese that will make the task simpler. Ultimately, as the cheese shouldn't stick so much, washing your grater should be a lot easier too.