A box grater is one of these utensils that is a must-have for anyone. A box grater usually has different cutting profiles on the four sides; mine has three grating sides and one slicing side. 

Simple box graters cost next to nothing and they will last for a very long time.

Things to grate with your box grater:

• Parmesan cheese (finest grating side).
• Cucumber, potatoes (coarsest grating side or slicer).
• Nutmeg (finest).
• Lemon or lime to get the zest (finest).