Customer Reviews

Microplane 35002 Home Series Fine Grater

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This grater really produces a puree, rather than a fine grate, of garlic or ginger - but that's actually preferable because it's far less likely to burn if you're planning to throw either into oil in an early phase of cooking, as is common in Indian, Middle Eastern, or Italian cuisine; and if you hold a peeled garlic clove with your fingernails (I have short ones and it works fine - just be careful at the end to avoid trimming your fingernails), you can get almost all of the garlic pureed very quickly, and throw away only a very thin skin from the back edge of the clove. It is so much easier than cleaning a garlic press or mincing by hand, and it is rare that a hand mince provides any benefit over a fresh puree. A garlic press can't compete on any level and I haven't touched one since I bought this tool about six months ago.

As with the coarse grater, though, I don't think it's particularly good for citrus zest, which tends to clog - maybe it's the curve in the surface, as the size of the holes is about the same as on the citrus grater. With all 3 graters, I tend to end up with more than I planned to use because I still can't get over how easy it is. They are more specialized than I initially hoped, but once you buy one you'll probably decide you want the others, too - they really are that good.

As with the coarse grater, this is also much easier to clean than an old-fashioned grater, because the sharp edges all run in one direction - just scrub against the grain and everything will come off very quickly without tearing up whatever you're using to clean.

I know I sound like a publicist for these tools, but even my mother, who has few kitchen tools she didn't buy 20-40 years ago, far prefers all of the Microplanes to the graters she used to use - they just really are far better than what used to be out there.

These Microplane graters are wonderful, but I recommend the Professional versions instead. If you use your graters a lot, the plastic edges will eventually break, so spend the extra few dollars and get the steel edged Professional versions to start with. I just replaced two graters myself because they broke.

No kitchen--from the cramped apartment "aisle" kitchenettes to those of professional catering establishments and restaurants--should be without this wonderful implement.

Zesting fruit has never been so simple! Traditional zesters produce only limited quantities of fruity zest, scraping small bits of the rind away and leaving the cook with cramped fingers and often squashed, messy fruit. The Microplane simply zips across the rinds of oranges, lemons, limes, etc. without bruising the fruit or cutting away the bitter white pith beneath.

Cheeses are a snap as well, particularly if you like a finer shredding than you get with most traditional graters. Parmesan never tasted so good!

Additional uses include grating ginger and making fine chocolate shavings (make sure to keep the chocolate cold before grating to avoid breaking or melting it, though). I have yet to attempt making fine ice shavings or grating nutmeg or other hard spices yet, but likely the Microplane will tackle such tasks just as easily as it does zesting fruits and shredding cheese.

One of the chief benefits of this particular Microplane over some of their other models is that you can purchase a little guard that holds your cheese, nuts, or whatever against the grater and thus save your knuckles. I highly recommend purchasing that accessory should you come across it, as it only adds to the excellence of this wonderful kitchen tool.

Once you've tried a Microplane zester, you'll wonder how you ever got along without one.

Forget lotions and potions, pumice,blades and files. This is by far the most effective tool for my feet in terms of ease of use and results.It does the job quickly and leaves my feet with no tough callaused spots!

I was going to use mine to grate horseradish for my roast beef but I love it for my feet alot more. I also love that it's pretty hard to nick yourself, which sometimes happens with the foot blades.


I'm mad at myself for spending what I did on the Diamencel.

The Microplane grater is a shining example of the better mousetrap. There isn't a kitchen in the USA without some kind of grater, yet Microplane's products are selling like hotcakes. Why? They built the better mousetrap. This grater is easier to handle than anything I've used. It's sharper, holds an edge longer and just plain grates better than any grater ever made. Is it worth the price? You bet! (Just watch your fingers--this baby is REALLY sharp!)

My sister bought one of these the last time she was in San Diego at Williams/Sonoma. She ranted and raved about how great it was till I was practically FORCED to buy one! It's a winner! The zest stays on the slightly scooped, concave back, the blades are ultra sharp AND you don't leave 1/2 the zest on the blades as in an ordinary grater. It's even better than my individual zesters and I thought they were wonderful! It was odd, while watching the food tv channel last Sat., the hostess of "Barefoot Contessa" was using one of the Microplanes, the long, thin one shaped like a hasp and she commented on what a terrific tool it was. I have to agree! IT'S GRRRRR-ATE F/GRATING!

The only way to know the thrill you will feel - the awsome "wow" that will utter forth from your lips as you grate cheese or orange zest or any other food item you've only read about grating in the past - is to just say yes. Buy this grater.

Ever make an omlette or scrambled eggs and try to cut up or grate the cheese small enough so that it will melt in the limited cooking time there is to complete the dish ? - struggle no more! -
I have never seen food appear in this form as produced by this grater.

If you've never seen freshly grated parmesian cheese fall like snow on fresh hot spaghetti (much different and better than the grated stuff that comes in the can, and even better than you can get at a great Italian restaurant, where the waiter/waitress grates it over your pasta) - that melts into the spaghetti the second it hits the sauce, and forever changes the way your spaghetti tastes, then get one of these graters - (and a hard chunk of parmigiano reggiano cheese) - you won't be disappointed.

They don't teach people about these instruments in our culture, or what they can do or how they can help you in the kitchen. So here we are, reviewers from near and far, telling you now - just buy one, and very quickly you will see what a miracle piece of cookware - a secret ingredient - this particular microplane grater is.

And wait! There's more. It's incredibly easy to clean as well!

Definitely recommended. Enjoy!

I'm a big fan of Kitchen-Aid quality wares so I was loathe to try this new product from Microplane, but I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised! The grater makes short shrift of ginger, and citrus zest, and copes well with most hard cheeses. It failed the acid test, Brie, but I'll let it off as the pores are very fine. You can use it for grating garlic bulbs over freshly buttered toasted french bread as well, for a potent bite of garlicy goodness. As usual, take care not to slip, because the points are fine, and will easily shred flesh. A very good purchase.

As you've probably read elsewhere, the Microplane grater was born when a cook discovered how good a carpentry rasp was for zesting. It is indeed a superior tool, well worth the premium price, both in usefulness and in durability (someone I know who cooks all the time is still on her original one, which does NOT have the bells and whistles this one does!) In particular, I now prefer it to my garlic press as it is quick, thorough, and easy to clean. The "pusher attachment" is essential, and will amortize out because you will not stop with just one Microplane once you see how useful it is.

Beware: The Microplane Fine Grater actually snapped in half during use! While grating ginger, the black handle snapped off the grating blade at the plastic joint. Surprising and disappointing.