Microplane Graters

[=Mark]

I have been looking to purchase a microplane grater. Anyone out there use them? Do you recommend the fine or coarse? What foods would each be useful for?

[Jonathan Day]

I have a "coarse" or "medium" microplane. I have used it for everything from parmesan (which it turns into feathery curls rather than chips) to horseradish. I microplaned carrots into a puree to add to a soffrito for rice, turning the rice a brilliant orange and giving it a lovely flaour. I've microplaned chocolate for finishing cakes. I've microplaned truffles. It is a wonderful gadget with a thousand uses. And cheap, to boot, for what it is.

[nightscotsman]

I love my two microplanes and would never consider being without them - essential kitchen tools. I use the fine one for citrus zest and the "coarse" one (just slightly less fine) for hard cheeses and fresh ginger.

One tip I picked up from Cook's Illustrated that is helpful is when you are zesting fruit, instead of resting the grater on the counter at an angle and running the fruit over it, it works better to hold the lemon or orange in one hand, hold the grater face down in the other hand and sort of stroke the fruit with it. Much easier to see when you are getting just the zest, and all the shavings end up on top of the grater ready to be dumped into the other ingredients.

[Suzanne F]

I guess mine is "fine" -- in any case, it makes the most wonderful fluffy shower of cheese for pasta; allows me to grate citrus zest with no nasty pith whatsoever (usually rather hard with limes); and grates fresh horseradish fine enough so that no one chokes on it in a creamy sauce. I love it. Box graters are as Model-Ts to the Porsche of a microplane.

[=Mark]

Well, for what it's worth you can scroll down and click on the Amazon link below, where they are on sale for $6.99 each...

[britcook]

Fine, medium and coarse. Different strokes for different folks. Get the man in the red suit to bring you all three. I wouldn't be without.

[Dana]

I use mine for grating whole nutmeg as well. What would egg nog be without it?

[charlotte baker]

I've been using the microplanes since Lee Valley began selling them and wouldn't be without them. In addition to all the uses everyone mentioned, I also use it for garlic cloves. You get a lovely puree which vanishes into whatever you're cooking but still imparts flavor.

[Steve Klc]

Suzanne, you are not kidding about the Model T--you know, it really hasn't been that long since these things got wide distribution. I was an early adopter but I can't even remember what I did before these things--I sure have zested alot more in recent years. Appreciating the excellence of a tool brings it out.

No one has mentioned whether they like the black handle or not? I use that overhand method where you rock the fruit along the zester as well.

The two most interesting uses of it I've seen are Jose Andres grating raw cauliflower over a salad--it looked and tasted like parmesan--and Alberto Adria grating long shavings of bright green Sicilian pistachios into a pile and then rolling a ball of white chocolate espuma (foam) in them. That was a very cool truffle. (Oh, and Ferran Adria shaves cauliflower--then sautes it in some butter and broth and turns it into a "cous cous.")

Mark, they're so cheap buy them all. I personally haven't used the small, narrow black handled one for "spices" yet but it sure is cute.

[wingding]

All of the uses above.In my pastry kitchen,the greatest advancement in tooldom of the past five years.It's made the formerly miserable job of citrus zesting easy...

[Really Nice!]

Survey says? Get one!

This is one of those gadgets that, once you have one, you can't live without; just like a mandolin.

[bripastryguy]

Seeing this post made me cash in my Bed Beth and Beyond credit, I opted for the ribbon grater...can't wait to use it for Chocolate, frozen bananas, anything

[plax]

I love my microplane graters & use them all the time, but I do notice that (being a little clumsy ) I'm always in danger of grating my fingers. I've seen ads for a gadget that attaches and protects the fingers... anyone tried it yet? Is it worthwhile?

Neil

[ahr]

The following product-line analysis is based upon the Microplane web site. Items are listed within each series in estimated increasing order of coarseness; suggested applications are lifted from the site. Clicking on underlined text will open the relevant Microplane page.

The 40000 series looks to be identical to the original 30000 woodworking series, right down to the last two digits of the part numbers. These are the long, skinny (generally about 1”) jobbies with plastic handles and naked blades.

40016 Spice grater: Finely grates nuts; grates nutmeg; purées ginger; grates other spices.

40020 Zester/grater: Grates Parmesan; zests citrus; grates chocolate; purées garlic, ginger; shreds coconut.

40001 Zester (no handle): Zests citrus; grates Parmesan, nutmeg; purées garlic, ginger.

40021 Medium ribbon grater: Grates soft cheese; shreds cabbage; grates butter, chocolate.

The 35000 series seems directed towards home cooks. These have shorter, wider blades (4 7/8" x 2") than the 40000 series, with plastic handles and blade surrounds.

35025 Spice grater: Same applications as 40016 spice grater.

35002 Fine grater: Zests citrus; grates Parmesan; shreds nuts; purées garlic, ginger.

35001 Coarse grater: Grates chocolate, Parmesan; shreds coconut; purées garlic, ginger.

35019 Fine ribbon grater: Shaves Parmesan; grates apples; shreds cabbage; grates carrots.

35009 Medium ribbon grater: Same applications as 40021 medium ribbon grater.

35037 Slider attachment: Protects fingers from those nasty little razors.

The 38000 series is labeled “Professional.” These have stainless handles and blade surrounds, with a rubber cushion at the end farthest from the handle. The blades are slightly larger (5 1/4" x 2 1/4") than those on the 35000 series.

38004 Fine/spice grater: Zests citrus; finely grates nuts; grates nutmeg; purées ginger.

38000 Coarse grater: Same applications as 35001 coarse grater.

38008 Extra coarse grater: Grates soft cheese, Parmesan, horseradish.

38002 Medium ribbon grater: Same applications as 35009 medium ribbon grater.

38007 Small shaver: Shaves chocolate, Parmesan.

38006 Large shaver: Shaves chocolate, Parmesan.

The 37000 series consists of two styles of handle with interchangeable blades. This seems like more trouble than the money or space it may save.

The 39000 series is the rotary grater.

Moving up the line from the 40000 to the 35000 costs about $2 per grater, and then another $2 to the 38000, making the cool stainless series an attractive choice but for one thing: there’s no fine grater. The teeth on the 38004 Fine/spice grater look identical in size, spacing, and shape to those on the 35025 Spice grater, rather than a compromise between that and the 35002 Fine grater. In fact, the size and spacing of the teeth on the 35025 Spice grater and the 35002 Fine grater also look identical, but those on the former are pointed and the latter flat.

As a result, the 38004 Fine/spice grater is not recommended for grating Parmesan cheese or puréeing garlic, whereas as the 35002 Fine grater is; conversely, the 35002 Fine grater is not recommended for grating nutmeg, whereas the 38004 Fine/spice grater is. On the other hand, both the 38000 and 35001 coarse graters are recommended for Parmesan and garlic, though it’s not clear whether the fine or coarse is preferable for these items. Similarly, it’s not clear from their descriptions which among the 38002 Fine/spice grater, 35002 Fine grater, and 40020 Zester/grater is best for zesting citrus. For that matter, is the 40020 Zester/grater an adequate, if smaller and less sexy, compromise (between fine and coarse) substitute for a pair of its more expensive brothers?

Subject to the answers to these questions, my own requirements (grate Parmesan, soft cheese, butter, chocolate; purée garlic, ginger; zest citrus) could best be satisfied by any of the following combinations, “best” meaning most functional, then most efficient in number of implements and cost, then coolest:

- 40020 Zester/grater plus 40021 Medium ribbon grater.

- 35002 Fine grater plus 35009 Medium ribbon grater.

- 38004 Fine/spice grater plus 38000 Coarse grater and 38002 Medium ribbon grater.

The table below, which should but does not appear on the Microplane site, summarizes most of the above. Further unfacetious comments from members who have used the products in question are hereby solicited.

Just to complicate matters, Williams-Sonoma offers its own 38000-like tools, manufactured by Accutec, with a slightly different selection of blades.

[Matt Seeber]

ahr, thank you for that thorough analysis!

for the life of me, i'll never understand why people think we egulleters are obsessive / compulsives!

[Schielke]

ahr, thanks for the great summary!

I was curious about one thing you listed that you grate with your microplane...butter. How well does it grate and what do you use grated butter for?

Thanks!

Ben

[ahr]

Chef Matt, what do you mean by we eGulleteers? You’re just a newbie here. (BTW, that last meal at Bid remains the stuff of legend. When do we get to taste your food again?)

The post was originally to be just a request to the knowledgeable for a comparison of the different Microplane series and of the different models within each. It evolved into a minor research project, toyed with parodying a certain kind of eGullet excess, realized that it was having fun, became serious again, and then, perhaps, veered into self-parody. I'm still hoping for some guidance.

Ben, I have no idea how well the thing grates butter or anything else; I’ve yet to purchase a Microplane. Aside from sounding like a cool thing to do, grating butter seems like a useful way to top pancakes (Atkins, of course), meats, salads, girlfriends, and all the other things that would be chilled or otherwise damaged when spread with fridge-temperature butter.

[Human Bean]

I visited my local kitchen gadgets retailer today, intent on the purchase of a Microplane for cheese grating and citrus zesting; they had a couple of Microplane models, but mostly Cuisipro/Accutec. As ahr said in the comprehensive summary, "Williams-Sonoma offers its own 38000-like tools, manufactured by Accutec, with a slightly different selection of blades." One of the Accutec models in the store explicitly mentioned Microplane on the label; the others didn't, but it seemed obvious where Accutec got their working parts.

I purchased a "Cuisipro" "Accutec Fine Grater" which seems to be more-or-less identical to the Microplane 38004, except for the words "Cuisipro" and "Accutec" stamped on the cutter.

Awesome tool; highly recommended, with the caveat that I just got it, and don't have much experience with it yet.

I expect that lower-cost manufacturers are even now working on clones; beware. Microplane appears to be a rather small company, and perhaps not able to defend patent-infringement lawsuits against the imitators.

Edited December 30, 2002 by Human Bean (log)

[Suzanne F]

Re: grating butter with a Microplane: How many times have you forgotten to take the butter out of the fridge ahead of time when you need it softened for a recipe? That's why G-d invented the Microplane (one reason, anyway). You grate the cold -- or even frozen -- butter, and bingo, it's usable. You didn't know???

[Human Bean]

Re: grating butter with a Microplane:  How many times have you forgotten to take the butter out of the fridge ahead of time when you need it softened for a recipe?  That's why G-d invented the Microplane (one reason, anyway).

Um, that's why the deity/ies invented the microwave 'defrost'/ low-power function?

Edited December 30, 2002 by Human Bean (log)

[ahr]

HB, does your "Cuisipro" "Accutec Fine Grater" have flat teeth like the 35002, or pointy ones like the 38004?

The puzzling thing about the 38000 series is that, unlike the 35000, it doesn't include a Fine model, going from Spice (which they call Fine/Spice) right down to Coarse.

[Human Bean]

HB, does your "Cuisipro" "Accutec Fine Grater" have flat teeth like the 35002, or pointy ones like the 38004?

The store had some genuine Microplane models, but I don't remember which ones. Given the choices, I'd have to say flat.

Maybe this will help, this is mine:

Edit: checked the links in ahr's comprehensive summary; couldn't tell the difference in the tooth shape between the different series.

Edited January 2, 2003 by Human Bean (log)

[JulieB]

fresh chilis have not been mentioned....I use the fine and medium blades...$6.99!!!I paid $15 a couple of years ago...

[ahr]

HB, I can't really tell from squinting at your photo, though if forced to guess I'd say pointy.

[Human Bean]

Thanks, ahr, that cleared it up; sorry I didn't get close enough in the pic to be clear.

Mine has flat teeth.