Cheese Grotto Piatto with Bamboo Serving Shelf

FOR THE CHEESE LOVER WITH A TINY KITCHEN.

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The perfect introductory model for cheese lovers with more modest cheese purchasing habits and not a lot of space. Whether it’s a gift, or for serving before or after a dinner at home, the Grotto Piatto is the ideal cheese storage solution for compact living.  

Simple magnetic assembly of the Grotto makes it easy to store on the kitchen counter (under 70 degrees F) or in the fridge. Store the Grotto Piatto flat in a cupboard when not in use!

Product Specifications

Summary

• Smaller footprint than the Classico
• Frame material (Birch)
• Bamboo Serving Shelf
• 1 handcrafted clay brick for humidity control
• Holds up to 1 pound of cheese, 2 to 3 different pieces
• The powerful pre-installed magnets in each panel make it easy to assemble and disassemble when not in use
• Bamboo and birch do not warp
• Genuine leather tab with copper mount
• Plexi-glass paneling for easy viewing
• Sliding door is easy to open and close in the refrigerator
• Breathable back panel
• Made in the USA (New York)
• Handwash only

Use & Care

• For long term storage of cheese, it is recommended to keep the Cheese Grotto at refrigeration temperatures (34ºF to 39º F, preferably 39ºF).  For 7 to 10 days, you can store cheese in the Grotto under 70ºF, like the French do. 
• Hand wash bamboo shelf with extremely hot water and a splash of distilled white vinegar. 
• Allow the Grotto shelves to air dry between uses
• For maintenance of the bamboo shelf, a monthly application of mineral oil is recommended

Dimensions

• 6.5 inches deep, 6 inches wide, 6 inches tall
• 2 pounds
• Materials designed for durability
• Powerful pre-installed magnets in each panel
• No tooling, just align the panels correctly and start using it

Long description

We designed the Cheese Grotto Piatto as a flatpack solution for your every day cheese storage needs.  Just because you have a small kitchen doesn't mean you don't also deserve the best way to store cheese, cheese expert approved.

The bonus is the the Piatto can be easily assembled and disassembled to be stored flat when not in use.  The pre-installed magnetic panels only require you to align each side of the Grotto properly for them to automatically lock into place.  No additional tooling involved!

Birchwood has been traditionally used in cheese preservation for hundreds of years. Its bark has been wrapped as a belt around soft cheeses for even ripening and added woodsy flavor, and has been made into barrels for the aging of Greek Feta.  It’s also been used during the smoking of Idiazabal cheese. Most importantly, birch has been used as shelves for aging in caves. Its tight surface is slower to absorb and release moisture, making it excellent for long-term storage. The finished birch featured in this model is sustainably made, and non-toxic. The finish on the birch makes it mold and stain resistant, both in the interior and exterior.

The architecturally handsome bamboo is extremely resilient, sustainable, and durable over a lifetime (3 X stronger than oak).

The Grotto Piatto is a one-shelf size that fits up to 1 pound of cheese of varying sizes and styles.   With a base of 6 inches by 6.5 inches and a height of 6 inches, the Grotto Piatto is an ideal storage solution for serving and storing cheeses throughout the week.  The back panel is breathable, making for a perfect climate for simple, long-term storage of wedges and wheels of cheese in the refrigerator or short term storage on the kitchen counter.

THE CHEESE GROTTO: A CHEESE PHILOSOPHY

Cheese - a live, fermenting product - is complex and nuanced. Its final quality relies on the soil, the grasses, the health and breed of the dairy animal, the way the milk is handled, the way the curd is set, the microflora (both ambient and purchased cultures), and its method of preservation. Over the past 11 years, I obsessively devoted myself to the craft. I continue to travel around the United States and the world with an unceasing curiosity on the diverse nature of specialty, artisan cheese. Cheese making is a transformative, alchemical process from start to finish, from land to table, and gives meaning to milk's romantic alter ego as "liquid gold."

This notion of cheese terroir is not solely a turophile's indulgence. At its heart, it’s not about snobbery or elitism. Rather, it is about local agricultural economies that sustain themselves from ecologically sound practices of land and animal management that can power an entire regional economy for hundreds of years. Through my professional travels, I have shared in farmers' solely unique styles of cheese. There's a world of difference between a goat milk tomme from the Alsatian hills and a sheep milk tomme from the Larzac plateaus. There are reasons behind these differences: the natural climate, the terrain, and the traditions of the locals.

Those stories are what I want to share with the world.  The Cheese Grotto provides a platform and an opportunity for that conversation.  Our products and our online community are an active hub for regional cheese thinking, and its capacity to change our agricultural landscape into something more holistic.

We produce the Cheese Grotto in the United States for that very reason: to emulate these values of the specialty cheese industry at large and to promote manufacturing systems that support our domestic communities.  In that way, we can see, smell, feel, and taste a direct, positive impact on our local economies and on the health of the environment that surrounds us.