It’s true, a food processor is a slick way to grate a block of cheese, but if you want just a cup or two, that humble box grater can’t be beat. In fact, it’s terrific for shredding all kinds of things—ginger root, lemon zest, butter, and even herbs — and thanks to this clever trick, shared by Sarra Sedghi, food researcher and writer, we can do so with minimal mess.

The trick? Instead of holding the grater vertically, turn the tool on its side and grate while it's lying flat. Since you aren't holding the grater up, you can use that now-free hand to keep the grater in place and exercise greater control.

This is a much neater way to grate cheese; you’ll find there’ll be no stray cheese shreds to clean up—it all stays inside the grater.

And since we’re on the topic of CHEESE, let’s look at how we’re making our grilled cheese sandwiches. According to food writer and Certified Cheese Professional (were you aware there IS such a thing?), Christine Clark, there are 5 common mistakes that truly ruin a grilled cheese sandwich. Avoid these and upgrade your cheesers:

MISTAKE 1: Slicing cheese too thickly. While we want plenty of cheese on our grilled cheese sandwich, slicing it too thickly will make it impossible to melt all the way through. It’s best to slice it thinly or, better yet, grate it for more even melting.

MISTAKE 2: Using cheeses that don't melt. A grilled cheese sandwich is about enjoyment, which means that we should include our favorite cheeses. But, not all cheeses melt well — Parmesan, blue cheese, and Goudas or Cheddars aged more than a year usually won't get that oozy stretch so necessary and desirable in a good grilled cheese.

Younger Cheddars and Goudas, on the other hand, melt beautifully, as do Colby, Monterey Jack, pepperjack, Gruyère, or Comté. If a favorite cheese doesn’t melt, simply use a grated meltier cheese as a base, grate your favorite cheese into the base, and enjoy a lovely melty texture.

MISTAKE 3: Not buttering-up the bread. This is not a sandwich meant for scrimping. It's important to coat the bread with fat (butter, mayo, or a bit of both) to allow for a crispy, toasted exterior. Otherwise, we're left with dry, unevenly cooked bread. It doesn't matter whether it’s spread on the outside or melted in the pan as long as there's plenty for both sides.

MISTAKE 4: Grilling on too high a heat. We want a beautifully toasted bread encompassing a melty pool of cheese. If cooked over high heat, the result is either toasty bread and not-quite-melted cheese, or burnt bread encasing melted cheese. Using medium or medium-low heat is best, which allows the bread to slowly toast as the cheese melts.

MISTAKE 5. Impatience! Excellent grilled cheese is about waiting. Grilled cheese pros say the process shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes. But fact is, too many of us think it oughta take 5! For perfection, we have to face it: a proper melt takes time!

It’s a balancing act and deserves the time it takes. Maybe have a cup of cocoa while you wait. What a delicious way to learn patience, don’t you think?