I've only used this once so far, will update my review if needed once it's been used more. Out of the box, it was as expected. The suction did not hold on the first try, tried again and it held for the remainder of the time. Grated a block of sharp cheddar by breaking it into pieces that would fit the chute, didn't even need to dirty a knife. However, with the cheese so fresh and moist (even though it was cold), it immediately stuck and clogged up inside the grating cylinder instead of shooting out and into the bowl. It was a pain to dig all the cheese out BUT... partly my fault, I should have stopped and cleared it sooner. Aside from that, the block grated VERY quickly. All of the pieces then cleaned up much easier than expected.... hot water rinsed away any stuck on cheese and a quick wash with a soapy sponge quickly had it perfectly clean. It assembles / disassembles easily. I think it may be dishwasher safe (at least parts of it) but I'll be washing by hand since it's so easy, don't want to compromise the integrity by subjecting it to such high heat. Overall I'm happy with this item even though it gave me a little trouble, I'm confident I'll do better next time. No need to dread the work and clean-up typically associated with grating your own cheese any longer -- this gadget makes it easy! Definitely worth having nice, smooth, freshly grated cheese that will melt and taste better than any bagged stuff with the anti-caking additive. Two thumbs UP.UPDATE: I've now used this many times, it works great. Just be sure to clear the barrel after each chunk is shredded as the soft cheese will clog things up if you don't. Also, be sure your surface AND the rubber ring on the bottom of the grater are clear of debris so it can achieve a sturdy grip. I can cut a 16oz block into 3 pieces and have it shredded in about 90 seconds. I've changed my rating from 4 to 5 stars.