Prep Tools

Microplane

Ultra-fine rasp for citrus zest, garlic, and hard cheese

A razor-fine rasp that produces fluffy citrus zest, garlic paste, fresh nutmeg, and snowy parmesan. The fine teeth release maximum aroma. For citrus, take only the colored zest and stop at the bitter white pith.

The Microplane began life as a woodworking rasp and was rescued for the kitchen when someone discovered it zested an orange better than any tool ever made. Its photo-etched rows of razor-fine, ultra-sharp teeth shave whisper-thin shreds off whatever you draw across them — citrus zest in fragrant, fluffy clouds, garlic and ginger into instant paste, hard cheese into snow, and fresh nutmeg, chocolate, or whole spices into fine dust. Because the teeth slice cleanly rather than tearing, they release maximum aroma and don't bruise or crush the food.

It's a small, inexpensive tool that punches far above its size: it replaces a dedicated zester, a garlic press, and a nutmeg grater, and it does each job better. The one thing to respect is the edge — those teeth are genuinely sharp, and a careless swipe of a knuckle will draw blood. Used with a little care, it's one of the highest-impact upgrades a cook can make.

Types & varieties

Fine / zester grater

The classic and most useful blade — fine teeth for citrus zest, garlic, ginger, parmesan, nutmeg, and chocolate. If you buy one Microplane, buy this.

Ribbon / coarse grater

Wider teeth that shave longer shreds — better for melting cheeses, carrots, and vegetables you want with some body rather than dust.

Spice / extra-fine

The very finest etch, for hard nutmeg, cinnamon stick, dried chiles, and whole spices ground to a powder.

Handle styles

Long paddle (sweep over a bowl, two-handed control), or compact 'two-way' graters with a catch container and lid for measured zest and tidy storage.

How to use it

Hold it at an angle over the bowl or plate and draw the food across the teeth in one direction, with light, steady pressure. Let the sharpness work — pressing hard just bruises and clogs.

Citrus: roll the fruit a quarter-turn as you go, taking only the colored zest and stopping at the bitter white pith
Garlic & ginger: drag the clove or knob over the teeth to make instant paste — no peeling ginger needed if you scrape the skin off first
Cheese & nutmeg: grate directly over the finished dish so the aroma lands fresh
Tap, don't dig — flip it over and tap to release the catch of zest rather than scraping with a finger

Care & safety

The teeth are sharp and they clog fast with sticky zest and cheese oils, so clean it the moment you finish. Treat it like a small blade, not a gadget.

Rinse or brush it clean immediately — dried-on garlic and zest are stubborn
Grate from the back/blunt side toward you so your knuckles never ride over the teeth
Keep the plastic guard or sheath on in the drawer to protect the edge and your fingers
Replace it when it starts to drag and tear instead of shaving cleanly — the teeth can't be sharpened

Common uses

Zesting lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruitTurning raw garlic into smooth paste for dressings and marinadesGrating ginger, galangal, and turmericShowering hard cheeses — parmesan, pecorino, grana — over pasta and saladsGrating fresh nutmeg, cinnamon, and whole dried spicesShaving chocolate over desserts and hot drinksGrating frozen butter into flour for flaky pastryFine-grating fresh horseradish or wasabi root

Tips & pitfalls

Only the colored part of citrus peel is flavor; the white pith underneath is bitter. Take a light, single pass and turn the fruit.
Zest the fruit before you juice it — zesting a squeezed, floppy lemon half is miserable.
Microplaned garlic 'melts' into dressings and sauces without raw bite or chunks — better than a press, and one fewer tool to wash.
Grate frozen chiles, ginger, or even butter — a brief chill makes soft or fibrous foods rasp cleanly.
Hold the catch end over the dish and you'll lose far less zest than zesting onto a board and transferring it.
Those teeth take fingertips as easily as nutmeg. Go slowly at the end of a clove or wedge, and stop before the last sliver.

Good to know

Origin: Adapted from a stainless woodworking rasp
Material: Photo-etched surgical-stainless blade, plastic handle
Grate type: Fine / extra-fine (zest grade) is most useful
Best at: Citrus zest, garlic, ginger, hard cheese, nutmeg
Care: Rinse immediately; brush teeth clean; dishwasher-safe but hand-wash lasts longer
Price range: €12–25
Edge life: Stays sharp for years; not resharpenable — replace when it drags