9 Best Tried and True Japanese Daikon Radish Graters (Oni-Oroshi) in 2022 (Yamaki, Manyo, and More)
Grated Japanese radish, or "oroshi-daikon," is a common condiment for many traditional and modern dishes in Japan. If you like Japanese cuisine, a good grater is a must-have. The texture from hand grating can't be replicated with a food processor, which leaves too much water and an inferior mouthfeel. In addition, these graters can be used with other foods, such as ginger root, carrots, onions, apples or other hard fruits and roots.
Our editors searched Japanese e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Rakuten, and Kakaku.com for the best graters available online. We then picked out the most popular products and tested them, using daikon radish as our veggie of choice.
With the advice of our experts, we focused on 3 things:
- Did it make good grated radish?
- Was it easy to use?
- Was it easy to clean?
We then ranked the products and put what we learned into a buying guide to help you choose the best Japanese daikon graters available online.
Quick List - Top Japanese Daikon Radish Graters
He has appeared in NHK's "Life Design U-29" and is very involved in food tourism and recipe development. He appears in corporate demonstrations, commercials, TV shows, magazines and is active on the internet. In 2018 he published his first book, "A Son's Taste: Making Meals for My Mother."
She's famous for creating vegetable dishes for health, beauty, and athleticism, and has received three Gold Awards at the VeggieFull Carte Contest sponsored by the Japanese Vegatable Sommelier Association. She provides recipes to many companies and local governments and hosts a cooking class called "Yukiko Tashiro's Orange Kitchen" which mixes everyday home cooking with the concept of a "fun, delicious and healthy life."
Yuki Hirao has worked for NHK, and since going freelance, she has been involved in cooking, recipe and menu development for many companies, magazines and books. Since 2013 she has served underpopulated areas while working for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
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What is an "Oni-Oroshi?"
These graters are traditionally made from bamboo, and have large teeth which remind one of oni, or Japanese demons, hence their name.
Despite their appearance, the result of grating daikon with it doesn't leave big, coarse chunks, but a fluffy yet crunchy texture with a perfect mix of water and air. This method also preserves the taste of the radish, reducing the pungency and bringing out its true flavor.
Compared to using a food processor, which will leave you a watery paste, these will satisfy true Japanese food lovers.
How to Choose a Japanese Daikon Radish Grater - Buying Guide
We recommend considering the following points when choosing your new kitchen gadget.
Choose the Right Material
There are three types of oni-oroshi available: bamboo, stainless steel and plastic.
- Bamboo is traditional and produces the best results, but it's harder to care for. If you aren't careful to dry it thoroughly, it can mold.
- Stainless steel blades are easy to clean and don't rust, but are heavy.
- Plastic is lightweight and cheap, but breaks easily and produces inferior results.
Look for the Right Size
Japanese radishes are not small, so you need a grater to fit. If it's too narrow, you'll need more power to get proper strokes and you'll tire out. Short graters are just as bad. When in doubt, go bigger.
Pick One That's Easy to Care For
The simpler the design, the easier it will be to wash and dry. You don't want something that leaves fibers from the veggies stuck in tight places. Bamboo graters aren't hard to clean necessarily, but need to be completely dry before you stick them in a drawer, or they can mold.
9 Japanese Daikon Radish Graters
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hoshino Industries Natural Grater | | mybest's Top Choice! A Winner in All Tests | |
2 | Yamaki Masatake Grater｜79-183B | | A Powerful Yet Gentle Grater | |
3 | Manyo Square Bamboo Grater (Large) | | Recommended for Its Ergonomic, Simple Construction | |
4 | Taketora Bamboo Grater｜Grater and Tray Set | | Provides an Even Texture and Exquisite Mouthfeel | |
5 | Akebono Zanmai Grater｜HS-267 | | Recommended for the Catch-Container |
mybest's Top Choice! A Winner in All Tests
This grater has everything you want in a great product. Most importantly, it made grated daikon with a soft yet crunchy texture and brought out the spiciness of the Japanese radish perfectly.
It's also easy to use, with a thick handle that fits your hand nicely, and it's long enough to allow for large strokes across the bamboo teeth.
The wide spacing of the blades means washing it is a breeze. The bamboo and wood don't splinter and seem like they will last a long time. We can recommend this grater with confidence!
A Powerful Yet Gentle Grater
The shallow and wide teeth make grating a snap. The thick handle also helps to make this one so easy to use. We didn't have to push hard to get crisp, fresh grated daikon.
And even better, it's simple to wash- the blades are sharp but won't catch on a sponge (or hurt your fingers!) A quick rinse with water is enough to clean it.
Recommended for Its Ergonomic, Simple Construction
This grater has a flat design, which not only fits in your hand perfectly, but makes it easy to store. The grated radish came out a uniform texture with perfect moisture balance.
It was easy to hold and the daikon slid across the teeth with hardly any effort. We also liked that it was made with very few screws which could rust or collect dirt.
Provides an Even Texture and Exquisite Mouthfeel
The resulting grated daikon was beautiful to look at and the texture was moderately rough with a great mouthfeel.
However, for some of our testers, the shape of the handle was a big drawback. If you find it difficult to hold onto or it hurts your hand, you can wrap a cloth around it.
Recommended for the Catch-Container
Rounding out our top 5 is a plastic grater. We liked the container to catch the grated radish and drain excess water. On the other hand, the results were mixed, and not as good as the top bamboo graters.
The daikon came out a bit rough and fibrous, but it wasn't watery. The short size was a tad hard to use, but it was easy to wash with just a quick rinse. If you want a catch-container and prefer plastic, this is a decent choice.
How We Tested the Graters
We tested each product for 3 things:
- How the grated radish turned out
- How easy it was to use
- How easy it was to clean
Test ① How Did the Daikon Turn out?
Our three cooking professionals taste-tested the grated daikon produced by each product. We were looking for a good texture that brought out the true flavor of the radish.
The Key to a Good Grate is Bamboo
We found that bamboo graters produced highly superior results. Tradition seems to be correct here! However, it was also important to have large serrated teeth. Blades which were too fine produced a watery, less crunchy texture.
Hoshino's bamboo grater made delicious grated daikon! The result was a soft texture with a moderate amount of water.
Test ② Was It Easy to Grate With?
Let's face it, most of us choose food processors over manual graters for a reason! So we tested these to find out which were the easiest to use. We wanted something that didn't make our arms tired, matched the size of the daikon, and didn't slip during use and leave us with grated fingers.
Trays Don't Matter, but Handles Do!
We found that having a catch tray attached wasn't important, and in fact they actually got in the way. Some of our arm power was transmitted to the catcher, making each stroke less efficient. But the handle shape was very important. A simple thick dowel or flat shape was comfortable and secure to grip.
Plastic products are available nowadays, but the wisdom of the ancients seems to be right! Bamboo graters convey power efficiently and are easier to grate with. The square bamboo type with a cylindrical handle was so easy to use- the daikon just slid over the blades and the handle was ergonomic.
Test ③ Was it Easy to Clean?
We also checked for a grater that could be cared for easily. We took into account how fast it was to wash, whether or not pieces of food got stuck in places, and the amount of space it took up in a kitchen.
The Distance Between Blades Matters
We found that a half-inch gap between blades made it much easier to clean with just a quick rinse. There was a lower chance of pieces getting stuck, and you can fit your finger or a sponge in the gap if you need to.
The graters from Hoshino and Kaijirushi were simple to clean. The radish fibers didn't stick and could be rinsed away with water and no scrubbing.
How to Correctly Use a Daikon Grater
Unlike other graters, oni-oroshi grate on the pulling rather than pushing stroke. As you bring the daikon towards you, press it into the teeth to create a fluffy, crunchy condiment for your Japanese dishes.
Daikon also have different taste depending on the section of the root you're using. The part near the leaves is spicier, and the bottom of the root is more mild and refreshing. Depending on your taste and the requirements of the dish you're making, you can control the flavor.
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Writing: Nao Kondo/Translation: Susan Lucier-Ogawa/Photos: Yuki Kawashima, Koichi Miura
Top 5 Japanese Daikon Radish Graters
No. 1: Hoshino Industries｜Natural Grater
No. 2: Yamaki｜Masatake Grater｜79-183B
No. 3: Manyo｜Square Bamboo Grater (Large)
No. 4: Taketora｜Bamboo Grater｜Grater and Tray Set
No. 5: Akebono｜Zanmai Grater｜HS-267
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.