Welcome home, cheese.

Calling all cheese connoisseurs: Let's tour the Cheese Grotto, shall we? Simply put, it's a house for your cheese—but thanks to a special design, it creates a controlled climate to prolong shelf life and help age your favorite snack to perfection. It's great for hard and soft cheeses, not to mention a much better alternative to plastic wrap (plus, it'll save you a pretty penny over time, as you'll never have to throw out a hunk of prized Camembert again). Handmade in East Durham, New York, in a classic Arts and Crafts design, the grotto looks just as beautiful in your refrigerator as it does on your countertop. It's available in three sizes—and although each has its own specific features (see below), all of 'em have removable shelves, a vaulted ceiling for condensation control, and a terra-cotta brick inside to keep humidity levels just right.

  • Food52 Serve & Store: Our exclusive take on the small mezzo cheese grotto, this wonder comes with an ultra-durable paperstone shelf that looks just like slate...and can glide right onto the table for serving. (It even comes with chalk for labeling!)
  • Small Mezzo: Our tiniest (but still so mighty) one-shelf size is ready to store up to 2 pounds of cheese. The back panel is breathable, making it the perfect place for Bries and Goudas to hang out. Plus, the size is just-right for countertops that are pressed for real estate.
  • Medium Fresco: A smaller version of the classic design, this "bungalow" (if you will) is made from birchwood—which is slower to absorb and release moisture as well as sustainably made, nontoxic and treated with a mold- & stain-resistant finish. Its teensier footprint holds 3 to 4 pounds of cheese and is perfect for small kitchens (city dwellers, rejoice).
  • Large Classico: The original, large size can fit in a medium to large-sized fridge and is roomy enough to hold 6 pounds of cheese. Crafted from breathable bamboo (that's both porous and unfinished to promote a healthy environment for cheese microbes), it has a pull-down door in front for easy access and an adjustable back panel for additional ventilation. It's great for at-home cheese aging projects (DIY cheese board anyone?).

Each Grotto is handmade to order, so slight variation in materials is to be expected.