my_psychosis
Senior Cook
what is a Mouli? I heard it's some kind of kitchen gadget. Just curious. Thanks 
What is a Mouli?
- Thread starter my_psychosis
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It's a type of hand-operated grater. Check out this one at Amazon.com.
ChefJune
Master Chef
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jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Mouli is short for Moulinex, which is a French manufacturer of all types of small kitchen appliances and gadgets.
ChefJune
Master Chef
Moulinex is a different company altogether. Mouli is an Italian manufacturer of small kitchen appliances.jennyema said:
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
ChefJune said:
The link you posted doesn't show anything relevant.
The "Mouli Grater" that Katie posted is made by Moulinex. They make food mills and other stuff, too. Here is their site
I have often heard people call that type of grater a Mouli grater.
OP
OP
my_psychosis
Senior Cook
Thanks all. Now I'm off to look for some Mouli gadgets to buy. "Makes note to self. I think I belong in that other thread about being addicted to kitchen tools" 
Now I'm off to look for some Mouli gadgets to buy. "Makes note to self. I think I belong in that other thread about being addicted to kitchen tools" 
GrillingFool
Head Chef
There was a food mill (and potato ricer) that was a popular
item in many antique malls.. and probably still is.
Never figured out if they were just that common, or if an old
warehouse of them got discovered.
Turns out my Mom had both in the back, dusty cobwebbed caverns
of her kitchen cabinets. I actually use the food mill occasionally.
The tater ricer was cheap and fell apart... maybe it was old and fell
apart, LOL!
item in many antique malls.. and probably still is.
Never figured out if they were just that common, or if an old
warehouse of them got discovered.
Turns out my Mom had both in the back, dusty cobwebbed caverns
of her kitchen cabinets. I actually use the food mill occasionally.
The tater ricer was cheap and fell apart... maybe it was old and fell
apart, LOL!
OP
OP
my_psychosis
Senior Cook
jennyema said:The link you posted doesn't show anything relevant.
The "Mouli Grater" that Katie posted is made by Moulinex. They make food mills and other stuff, too. Here is their site
I have often heard people call that type of grater a Mouli grater.
Thanks for the link. I just went there, man am I in heaven. My boyfriend thinks I've lost my mind.
ChefJune
Master Chef
I don't know how THAT link got attached! this is what I meant to post!jennyema said:The link you posted doesn't show anything relevant.
The "Mouli Grater" that Katie posted is made by Moulinex. They make food mills and other stuff, too. Here is their site
I have often heard people call that type of grater a Mouli grater.
Mouli
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
The new link says they are made in France!
Mouli Food Mills
Stainless Food Mill
8 Qt. [SIZE=-1]cost: $299.99 [SIZE=-1]ea.[/SIZE][/SIZE]
From France. Heavy duty. One 3mm grill included.
I still think my_psch was probably referring to a Moulinex "Mouli Grater"
Vintage NEW In Orginal Box Mouli Grater w/ Instructions - (item 180145571102 end time Aug-09-07 19:49:29 PDT)
Mouli Food Mills
Stainless Food Mill
8 Qt. [SIZE=-1]cost: $299.99 [SIZE=-1]ea.[/SIZE][/SIZE]
From France. Heavy duty. One 3mm grill included.
I still think my_psch was probably referring to a Moulinex "Mouli Grater"
Vintage NEW In Orginal Box Mouli Grater w/ Instructions - (item 180145571102 end time Aug-09-07 19:49:29 PDT)
oldcampcook
Senior Cook
I bought one of the Moulinex graters when I was stationed in Paris in 1961 and we still use it today. It makes great potatoes for hashbrowns. Back then, I wasnt able to afford anything that had an electric motor!!!
The only object I have ever heard specifically referred to as a Mouli, and I can't remember which cooking show I was watching at the time, but a picture of Sara Moulton comes into my head when I think about it, was, indeed, a food mill, not a grater. Either I was watching one of her old shows, or possibly she was a guest on someone ele's show. Ming Tsai perhaps?
ducdebrabant
Assistant Cook
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2007
- Messages
- 30
Whenever anybody I know speaks of a "Mouli" they are referring to a kind of grater that is apparently no longer made, and is pictured in none of these links.
It stands on three retractable legs (it folds pretty flat for storing, and you store the blades separately), has several removable circular blades close to the size of food processor blades (but only the sharpness of the sides of a box grater) which slip into a horizontal slot at the bottom of a medium-shallow well.
Whatever you're grating you put into the well, and there is a fitted lid-thing at the end of an arm that goes into the well. You press down on the arm and turn a crank to revolve the blade. When the lid is all the way in and the last bit of food either goes through or slips out of the side, you're done.
I was fortunate enough to buy mine when they still sold a blade with tiny tiny holes perfect for finely grating Parmesan cheese. Later they sold the graters without that blade. There are about four blades.
This is one of the loveliest cook's tools I've ever owned. It isn't scary, it can't hurt you (know how if you aren't careful you can scrape your knuckles on a box grater?). It gives you more control than a food processor, which gets carried away and seems to be less versatile. My food processor grates carrot, for example, more thickly. And there's no vessel to clean, since everything drops onto a plate or a piece of waxed paper.
It also gives more control than a box grater (which to me has an awkward design). To apply pressure, you don't have to touch the food directly as with a box grater. It's easier to press down on an arm than to press down on a bell pepper or a carrot or a wedge of Parmesan. And with a box grater you have to clean the other three sides afterwards, whereas with the Mouli you just slip the little blade out for cleaning and run a sponge around the inside of the plastic well.
Everybody I know who has one loves it. I discovered to my horror when I wanted to give one as a gift that they can be found nowhere. I couldn't even find a second-hand one on the Internet (****, I'd never re-sell mine). Why they discontinued it I haven't the slightest idea, but discontinue it they obviously did.
It stands on three retractable legs (it folds pretty flat for storing, and you store the blades separately), has several removable circular blades close to the size of food processor blades (but only the sharpness of the sides of a box grater) which slip into a horizontal slot at the bottom of a medium-shallow well.
Whatever you're grating you put into the well, and there is a fitted lid-thing at the end of an arm that goes into the well. You press down on the arm and turn a crank to revolve the blade. When the lid is all the way in and the last bit of food either goes through or slips out of the side, you're done.
I was fortunate enough to buy mine when they still sold a blade with tiny tiny holes perfect for finely grating Parmesan cheese. Later they sold the graters without that blade. There are about four blades.
This is one of the loveliest cook's tools I've ever owned. It isn't scary, it can't hurt you (know how if you aren't careful you can scrape your knuckles on a box grater?). It gives you more control than a food processor, which gets carried away and seems to be less versatile. My food processor grates carrot, for example, more thickly. And there's no vessel to clean, since everything drops onto a plate or a piece of waxed paper.
It also gives more control than a box grater (which to me has an awkward design). To apply pressure, you don't have to touch the food directly as with a box grater. It's easier to press down on an arm than to press down on a bell pepper or a carrot or a wedge of Parmesan. And with a box grater you have to clean the other three sides afterwards, whereas with the Mouli you just slip the little blade out for cleaning and run a sponge around the inside of the plastic well.
Everybody I know who has one loves it. I discovered to my horror when I wanted to give one as a gift that they can be found nowhere. I couldn't even find a second-hand one on the Internet (****, I'd never re-sell mine). Why they discontinued it I haven't the slightest idea, but discontinue it they obviously did.
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Is this what you're talking about ducdebrabant?
I grew up with one of these! Mom, her two sisters, and both of my grandmas had them ... the legs were not retractable as far as I remember - but maybe they did fold up - it's been a few years since I last used it. I remeber the disks were double-sided - slicing on one side and grating on the other. Sure beat the "knuckle buster" box grater. Was this the grand-daddy of the food processor?
I grew up with one of these! Mom, her two sisters, and both of my grandmas had them ... the legs were not retractable as far as I remember - but maybe they did fold up - it's been a few years since I last used it. I remeber the disks were double-sided - slicing on one side and grating on the other. Sure beat the "knuckle buster" box grater. Was this the grand-daddy of the food processor?
ducdebrabant
Assistant Cook
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2007
- Messages
- 30
This is what I'm referring to, except that my disks are not double-sided (I'm not quite sure how that is even possible) and my housing is heavy-duty plastic. My ex-roommate had an all metal one just like your picture, though. When I said my legs were retractable, I meant they fold, not that they are on springs or retract into the housing.
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At culinary school our French chef-instructor referred to a mouli as the food mill shown by jennyema but used the name as a noun, not the brand name. We used it for hand processing tomato and other creamed soups, etc. and even ricing potatoes to make a fluffier mashed potato. But when I went to buy one for myself, this item was simply called a food mill, even in the higher-end cooks' stores.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
It's not uncommon for brand names to become the product name. Consider Jell-O. Kleenex to mean all facial tissue or Xerox to mean all copiers.
Yvonne Toy
Assistant Cook
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- Dec 2, 2009
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UPSET OVER Mouli
Yes, the Chief has the correct picture of the mouli I love. I am upset because my mother threw my mouli in the trash while I was living in another city for a while. I have been crying ever since. It is the best thing ever! Mine had legs that bent under to flatten out to place in the drawer. I had the tiny disc for parmesan and all the others too. I did find a moulinex mouliware A445-08 moulit julienne. I have the site but since I am new member I am enable to give you the site. It is a new type of the old mouli we love. It has a plastic body, uggg but it looks pretty good.
Note: Chief would you read the inside of your mouli so I can buy one from the vintage utensil sites? I would love to know the original name. It looks like you have writing inside the frame of your mouli. Thank you for the picture. I am going to blow it up and frame it on the wall.
Yes, the Chief has the correct picture of the mouli I love. I am upset because my mother threw my mouli in the trash while I was living in another city for a while. I have been crying ever since. It is the best thing ever! Mine had legs that bent under to flatten out to place in the drawer. I had the tiny disc for parmesan and all the others too. I did find a moulinex mouliware A445-08 moulit julienne. I have the site but since I am new member I am enable to give you the site. It is a new type of the old mouli we love. It has a plastic body, uggg but it looks pretty good.
Note: Chief would you read the inside of your mouli so I can buy one from the vintage utensil sites? I would love to know the original name. It looks like you have writing inside the frame of your mouli. Thank you for the picture. I am going to blow it up and frame it on the wall.
ducdebrabant
Assistant Cook
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2007
- Messages
- 30
Yes, but ...
I looked up the mouliware A445-08 moulit julienne, and it's a mouli, all right. However, it appears to have only two blades, and it's hard to see how finely they grate, but I assume they're only for julienning salad ingredients (hence the name). Not only is the fine blade for shredding Parmesan apparently missing, but so is any slicing blade. I don't mind using my food processor for slicing, but mine just won't grate Parmesan or Romano finely.
I looked up the mouliware A445-08 moulit julienne, and it's a mouli, all right. However, it appears to have only two blades, and it's hard to see how finely they grate, but I assume they're only for julienning salad ingredients (hence the name). Not only is the fine blade for shredding Parmesan apparently missing, but so is any slicing blade. I don't mind using my food processor for slicing, but mine just won't grate Parmesan or Romano finely.
