How to Get Restaurant-Fine Parmesan
Your one-page guide to the Orodemark Handheld Rotary Grater
1 · Pick the right cheese
The fine drum is built for hard, aged cheese. The drier the cheese, the finer and fluffier the result.
- Best: Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, aged Asiago, dry Manchego
- Works, if chilled first: aged cheddar, Gruyère, Comté, firm Gouda
- Not suitable: mozzarella, feta, brie, halloumi and other soft or moist cheeses — the moisture clogs the drum
2 · Prepare the cheese
- Cut to fit the chamber. Pieces should drop in without forcing; roughly the size of a walnut is right.
- Trim the rind. Rind is harder than the cheese and slows the drum.
- Chill semi-hard cheese for 15–20 minutes before grating. Cold cheese shears cleanly; warm cheese smears.
3 · Grate at the table
- Load the chamber and close the handle onto the cheese.
- Squeeze lightly and crank steadily. Pressure does not make it faster — the drum does the work. Too much pressure packs the cheese against the blade.
- Hold it over the plate, grate to taste, then pass it around. Grate what you need; what's left in the chamber keeps better than a pile on the board.
4 · Clean it in a minute
- Remove the drum and the crank.
- Clear any cheese left in the chamber and inside the drum.
- Hand wash in warm soapy water, rinse, then dry thoroughly before storing.
Clean it while the cheese is still soft. Cheese left in the drum dries hard and is far harder to shift later. A 30-second rinse straight after dinner saves a scrub the next day.
5 · Beyond parmesan
The same fine drum handles firm chocolate — shave it over tiramisu, hot chocolate or a cake — and nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts. Chill chocolate first so it shaves instead of melting against the drum.
6 · If something goes wrong
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Cheese spins instead of grating | The piece is too large or too cold-hard. Cut it smaller. |
| Output slows down | Cheese has packed inside the drum. Open it, clear it, start again with lighter pressure. |
| Cheese smears and sticks | Too soft or too warm. Chill it for 20 minutes, or switch to a harder cheese. |
| Hard to turn | You are squeezing too hard. Ease off the handle and let the drum cut. |
7 · Storing it
The drum and crank come off, so it packs flat in a drawer. Store it dry and fully apart — the parts trap moisture when they are nested together damp.