Microplane 39005 Rotary Grater with Coarse and Fine Blades

Other Microplane products

Product Features

• Left and right handed
• Razor-like edges are formed by a totally different process called photo-etching in which holes are dissolved with a chemical, leaving edges that finely slice the food instead of tearing or shredding.
• Dishwasher safe
• 18/8 stainless steel blades
• Large hopper and long handle for ease of use.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.8 x 3.7 inches ; 14.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002NSB0Q
• Item model number: 39005
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,853 in Kitchen & Dining (See Bestsellers in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

Amazon.com

Microplane kitchen graters came into being through a happy accident; a Canadian housewife used her husband's wood rasp to zest some oranges for a cake, and she that its sharp steel edges worked better than any of the standard graters she'd been using.

The Microplane 39005 rotary grater integrates the rasp's sharp steel blades into a safer, more powerful design. Use is simple. A hinged, black plastic handle opens and food may be placed in the hopper. Close the hinge to hold the food in place while keeping fingers safe from the razor-sharp blades. The slight pressure caused by holding the handle closed keeps food in contact with the grating surface. In addition, the grater’s long, curved handle is comfortable for left- or right-handed users.

Each blade drum has its particular strengths: the coarse drum is useful for soft cheese, while the finer drum has a delicate touch for spices such as nutmeg. Nevertheless, either blade works well for chocolate, nuts, or parmesan and other hard cheeses. Both are constructed of 18/8 stainless steel by a photo-etching rather than the typical punch-hole process. The superior result is edges as sharp as tiny knives for superbly-grated food.

Both handle and drums are dishwasher-safe. An enclosed nylon cleaning brush helps remove bits of cheese that might harden under extreme heat. The grater measures 7-1/2 by 5 inches when assembled, and each drum has 12-1/2 square inches of grating surface. A tough, nylon-bristled grater cleaning brush is also included. --Garland Withers

Product Description

When your life revolves around family let Microplane circle your table. The wonderful rotary grater comes with coarse and fine razor sharp Microplane blades. Sharper is better.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, with all the expected strengths and weaknesses, January 19, 2006

By	B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I got this Microplane rotary grater to replace a tired old Mouli rotary grater of a very similar design. I picked it for the famous 'Microplane' name which works so well in the form of a straight rasp shaped grater. I was also drawn to how neatly the three leaves of the holder fit so snugly together, holding the cylinder so firmly in place, unlike my wire / metal device which seemed to be in danger of falling apart with a slip of the hand.

Unfortunately, my anticipated reservations also came true, plus an unexpected glitch. First off, I missed a large holed grating cylinder for things like cheddar. The two barrels provided did a superb job on Parmesan and other hard or fibrous material, but made something of a mess of semisoft cheeses. I also found the plastic handle just a bit light, giving the appearance of iminantly sheering off in unexpected directions, in spite of the firm clasp fastening the top and bottom arms locking in the cylinder. I would have been happier with a bit more metal rigidity. I also found the grating cylinders a bit harder to clean, as they were closed at one end. This also made grating the semihard cheeses more difficult, as one had to spoon them out instead of simply being able to ram them out one end from the other.

The one unexpected problem was when I started grating when I didn't have the cylinder correctly seated and found I was grating black plastic into my classic Southern cheese spread! I suppose this is a testament to the sharpness of the grating openings, but I didn't like the job of picking out the plastic from the cheese.

If you limit your use to hard cheeses and nuts, I believe this gizmo is a reel (sic) winner. You just have to find something else for your cheddars, mozzarellas, and fontinas.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faboo!, February 21, 2005

By	Sara-s (New York) - See all my reviews

I just got the rotary grater and I am delighted. It is super-sharp and grates both hard and soft cheeses effortlessly. So far, I have tried it with parmesan and mozzarella. I have used both drums for the parmesan and both produce pleasing results. I like the fact that it can be used with the right or left hand. (I'm a lefty; my husband is a righty.) It also cleans well in the dishwasher.
The drums are quite sharp, so store it carefully, in its original box or a plastic storage box.
It is a little more expensive than some other brands, but it is worth it for the quality. It is s pleasure to be able to grate fresh cheese, whenever I want it. Yum!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Microplane Rotary Grater, December 30, 2007

By	Jimmy D - See all my reviews

I was disappointed by the flimsy nature of this product when being used with hard cheeses. Why not make the body more reinforced in order to not flex when being used? The actual grater mechanism did an excellent job cutting the cheese, but when the body flexes in your hands as you are using it, so much effort is being wasted instead of being transferred into grating that cheese!