I consider my Mouli one of the most indispensable tools in my kitchen. It grates, shreds and slices, and fits easily into a kitchen drawer.
I was introduced to the Mouli by my hubby, who first encountered this amazing kitchen tool on a trip to France. I do have a food processor and a blender. However, for shredding cheeses, grating vegetables, and other prep chores, I’m far more likely to reach for the Mouli than for either of those appliances.
It’s 100% hand-powered, and that’s one of its strengths (pardon the pun). Because the blade spins much slower than a food processor’s, you can grate almost anything. Soft cheeses like Monterey Jack and semi-hard cheeses like Parmesan or Asiago all grate easily with almost no waste. I also use it for shredding vegetables like carrots.
The Mouli I have currently (more on that later) came with six different blades; four different grating options (from very fine to large), and a couple of slicing blades.
From left in the photo above, is the tan Mouli ‘body.’ Here it’s folded up; when you use it, the legs swing out to form a stable triangle. The ridged handle on the ‘body’ flips up so that you can insert the food to be processed. The blades (far right) insert at the bottom of the ‘body,’ and the handle (center) is inserted through the large hole at the top and engages with the blade.
To use the Mouli, just cut the food into small enough pieces to fit into the smallish chute. Swing the handle down and press firmly down on it with one hand as you turn the handle with your other hand. Et voila!
How to Buy a Mouli
Sadly, the company that made the original Mouli (Moulinex) stopped making the product years ago, but gently used Moulis are still available on eBay, Etsy and even Amazon. Just search on “mouli.” My current Mouli, shown above, was probably a wedding gift several years ago that was never opened. It was in its original box, and even the blades were in the original packaging. If I remember right, I paid around $30 for it.
However, while researching for this articleI was really jazzed to see that a German company, Westmark, is now making a version of the Mouli. I found it on Amazon at less than $30. Yay! I’ll have to drop a hint to Santa for this year…
Update: Santa did indeed come through with a brand-new Westmark mouli this year. It comes with just three blades, and has suction cups on the ‘feet.’ So far it’s working just fine for me, though several reviewers noted issues with plastic grating off, etc.
The one big drawback, at least for the older Moulis, is that I really recommend against putting them in the dishwasher. On my first Mouli (which ran through the dishwasher at least once a week), the handle eventually disintegrated. The older plastics just can’t stand up to the harsh dishwasher environment.
If you cook a lot, I really hope you get yourself a Mouli!