Pro Chefs Swear by This $15 Microplane Zester

Adding the right finishing touch to a dish makes all the difference in flavor. You can brighten your weeknight pasta primavera with a bit of lemon zest or grate frozen fruit over ice cream and suddenly have a fancy dessert. All of this can be accomplished with the humble yet versatile Microplane zester, which pro chefs swear by for instantly boosting flavor in dishes, including pasta, fish, sauces, desserts, and more. All the chefs I spoke to agree that the Microplane zester is a kitchen essential, and at only $15, it’s an inexpensive tool that delivers huge payoffs.

Microplane Classic Zester Grater

“I consider it one of the essential tools any cook should have,” says chef Lillian Lu, pastry chef and owner of Noisette Restaurant & Bakery in Denver, Colorado. Lu uses her Microplane to get delicate ribbons of lemon zest to finish off fish or infuse citrus into dairy for desserts without curdling it with juice. “With a peeler, you can’t get the thin, pithless exterior with all the essential oils. Microplanes are key to extracting that thin outer layer of citrus without any of the pith, which can be quite bitter and affect the taste of a dish.”

While zesting citrus is where a Microplane really shines, it can do much more. Brandon Boudet, executive chef and co-owner of Little Dom’s in Los Angeles, has been using a Microplane for over 25 years to mince, grate, and zest. He especially appreciates that he can mince garlic into salad dressings or grate nutmeg directly into a recipe. Plus, it excels at grating cheese to “achieve that light, feathery appearance on top of pastas or salads.”

“Microplaning takes seconds, and chefs know every second counts,” says James Beard Award-winning chef Galen Zamarra of Galen Hospitality Group. Zamarra appreciates that the stainless steel zester has finer holes compared to a box grater, allowing it to fully unlock the aromas from a wide variety of ingredients, including truffles and nuts. “You can very quickly make a huge impact on a dish with a Microplane.”

Just like these chefs, you can turn weeknight meals into fine-dining experiences with a bit of lemon zest or freshly grated spices by grabbing a Microplane classic zester for only $15.

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