Get a bunch of Test Kitchen editors in a room and mention the M-word, and it's like asking a roomful of twenty-somethings how they feel about Girls. We use our Microplanes to grate ginger, garlic, citrus zest, and hard cheeses into impossibly fine fluffiness. But as with anything so close, our love is not unqualified. Does it actually last forever? Is it really the best for grating cheese? And what about all the varieties? So, Microplane, here's how we really feel:
“Before the Microplane came along, there were some dark times in American kitchens. Finely grating citrus zest often involved a box grater and bloody knuckles. And then, before you knew it, we were using the Microplane on everything, even things that are arguably worse off for it. Wispy threads of Parmesan clump up and fail to deliver any real satisfaction. And if you're grating nuts, you have way too much time on your hands. That said, there is a real value in having at least two styles of Microplane, the finest one for citrus and other super hard stuff like ginger and lemongrass, and one with wider teeth, which is much better suited to hard cheeses.” —Chris Morocco, senior food editor
“If I want Parm to dissolve into a silky pasta sauce, I'll use the Microplane, which turns it into powder. But if I want grated cheese with some texture, show me the box grater. The Microplane also dulls and can't be sharpened, so don't go grating hard-as-wood ingredients like galangal. My one complaint is that I wish it stayed sharper longer.” —Claire Saffitz, senior associate food editor
“It’s my…fourth-favorite tool. But really, it’s indispensable! I look forward to a day when ‘grated garlic’ is a recipe term everyone understands. Microplaned garlic has the Goodfellas effect, when the garlic can just melt right into the sauce—without the razor blade.” —Andy Baraghani, senior food editor
“Citrus zest is never going to not be awesome, but I also love using it for chile peppers (the seeds come right out!) and dustings of chocolate. I have a nostalgic attachment to mine, but it must be dull by now. I envy the food stylists with the wide shaver—that’ll be my next one.” —Carla Lalli Music, food director
“I’ve gone through probably 10 Microplanes. I love them. Ginger, lemongrass, powdery Parm. But it is getting a little too big for it britches. All those different styles and sizes—too much. Give me the classic rasp; I don’t even need the handle.” —Brad Leone, Test Kitchen manager
“I personally like the handle.” —Amelia Rampe, Test Kitchen assistant