People are just figuring out what a cheese grater's fourth side is used for

The box grater is one of the most useful gadgets in our kitchens, but it turns out many of us have been using it wrong - and there's one side in particular that's baffling people

The humble grater – an essential utensil in our kitchens, yet many might be using it all wrong.

Are you familiar with the correct way to wield a box grater? A significant number of people are uncovering that there's a trick they've been missing.

Various clever uses for common kitchen gadgets abound, such as measuring spaghetti portions with the spoon hole or adjusting dishwashers for larger glasses. However, a hot tip about graters has perhaps become the most valuable kitchen insight.

One perplexed Reddit user wondered how to utilise the grater's fine-holed side correctly, reports the Mirror. They admitted: "All this has ever done is hurt my hand, but I've literally never used those small hole graters ever. Pretty much just use the other side for making grated cheese."

This confusion was shared by another, who posted: "I have this exact one... and I've also assumed it was to make the cheese a bit smaller after grating. All it does though however, is f*** your hand up when you misshold it! ! ...scrapes a good knuckle.."

Thankfully, knowledgeable chefs provided some clarity. One wrote: "Yea but took years to figure out, Parmesan and lemon/orange/ lime zest is best shredded on those 2 sides."

Another suggested, "Zest hard cheese or garlic, nutmeg, maybe ginger to make like a paste." A third chimed in with: "Potato pancakes come out great with this side!"

Expert advice from the gastronomy gurus at Marthastewart.com has shed light on the versatility of our kitchen graters. They explain, "The smaller shredding holes are designed to finely grate cheese, chocolate, vegetables, and more."

Therefore, the tiniest cut outs are perfect for creating delicate strands of cheese that melt effortlessly into dressings or sauces or, as Reddit users pointed out, for zesting citrus fruits and grating fragrant nutmeg.

In contrast, the side adorned with broad slits is tailor-made for slicing tasks, identical in purpose to the side sporting large holes. As for the side housing the most sizeable shredding gaps is intended for semi-hard cheese, carrots, and apples.

This revelation comes hot on the heels of another culinary insight that stunned internet users when a home chef unveiled the proper technique to open a bottle of olive oil — a process that has astounded many. Common practice involves removing and discarding the petite inner ring cap.

Contrary to this habit, a TikTok video demonstrated an alternative method: the chef takes off the cap but, rather than throwing it away, flips it and return-plants it in the bottle's neck to provide a nifty way to regulate the pour. One astonished TikTok viewer confessed: "So I have been living a lie my entire life."

While yet another stated: "How didn't I know this until right now? !"

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