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What's the best way to grate chocolate without getting it messy and melting all over one's fingers? I've been using a fine cheese grater, and while it does the trick, the chocolate melts in my hand as I hold it... How can I improve this process?

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I would recommend staying away from a grater and either using a knife or a chocolate chipper (http://www.amazon.com/Lee-43198-Chocolate-Chipper/dp/B00005NUVX). The less friction and the more you keep your hands off it (because your hand will melt it as you have discovered) the better.

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    Perfect! I don't know why I didn't think to just chop it finely with a knife! Worked like a charm! Thanks!
    – TJ Ellis
    Dec 18, 2010 at 23:21
  • If you do want to stick with the grater, I bet you could try holding the chocolate with a pot holder or oven mitt. Keeps heat out; ought to keep it in too. Put a plastic bag over it if it's something you don't want chocolate on, just in case.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Dec 19, 2010 at 1:03
  • Even without the warmth of a hand, I'd still be concerned about the friction with the grater melting the chocolate. Of course it all depends on how warm it is in your kitchen.
    – Computerish
    Dec 19, 2010 at 3:04
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I was using a knife to "grate" chocolate, when my mom gave me...a cheese slicer (the one that looks a bit like a cake lifter)! Tip the chocolate bar onto its side, and as you would slice cheese, you "slice" chocolate, and then you get either finely grated whisps or thick curls, depending on the pressure used. Also, the chocolate has no time to melt, as it goes so quickly AND you only touch the back and front with 2 fingers. It works like a dream. I'm sure a potatoe peeler would have the same effect.

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If you have the shelf space for one more gadget, a drum grater is an excellent solution. The friction isn't enough to melt the chocolate, and you are not touching it with your fingers. It is also more convenient for cheese and nuts than a standard grater. I find it much more convenient and quicker than knife chopping, and it produces uniform results.

grater

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    Something like this really ought to be in every kitchen. It's the only way to grind nuts into a flour (rather than something peanut butter-like), and it grates cheese so quickly that you'll wonder why you even own a box grater.
    – Marti
    Dec 2, 2011 at 15:12
  • I actually have one of these that my grandma gave me aeons ago that I had forgotton about... "grate" idea for eliminating hand-warmth-melting!
    – TJ Ellis
    Dec 2, 2011 at 17:45
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Freeze the chocolate then put it in a mini electric food chopper.

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A potato peeler works wonders!!

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  • Do you still have to hold the chocolate, and does it melt? Is it faster than using a cheese grater? Just wondering how this helps answer the original question.
    – lemontwist
    Dec 24, 2012 at 23:33

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