Microplane Graters

[dcarch]

Don't use woodworking rasp. They are made with hardened tool steel and can rust.

Try Pedicure Rasps, same thing as kitchen microplanes. May be cheaper.

 

dcarch

Edited January 4 by dcarch (log)

[rotuts]

this style seems to me to be most useful 

 

for the home cook , it was mentioned early on in this thread :

 

and 

 

this version has a more comfortable hand , and might be more slip resistant w wet hands .

 

then there is this style :

 

 

its fine , but has less functional surface , as your grating hand will hit the surface you are usinf

 

before you are able to use the entire grating surface / per grate.

 

indeed these are slightly curved.  but if you grate cheese , or other smaller items

 

thye item grated is conform to the grate's cure after a swipe or two.

 

my current  vote would be the second style pictured above 

 

better less slippery handle , grating area above the surface its used on.

 

Im surprised how cheap genuine microphone branded graters have become.

 

too bad I don't need any .

 

 

 

 

[rotuts]

P.S.:

 

don't over look this style , called ' ribbon '

 

 

its a back and forth style , cutting both up and down

 

it produces a very fluffy grate on hard cheeses.  

 

not essential , but interesting.

[Tropicalsenior]

36 minutes ago, rotuts said:

don't over look this style , called ' ribbon

I have one of those and about the only thing that I use it for is parmesan. That is, when I can find a good chunk of Parmesan.

[Tropicalsenior]

4 hours ago, dcarch said:

Don't use woodworking rasp. They are made with hardened tool steel and can rust.

An ordinary woodworking rasp perhaps, but this is a microplane rasp. Clearly marked microplane and it is stainless steel. I've used it for over 20 years and not a trace of rust. I checked online and unfortunately microplane no longer makes woodworking microplanes. They say because of production problems but they are probably making way more profit on the ones that they make for the kitchen.

[rotuts]

I have that same wood rasp.

 

probably.

 

I came from Lee Valley , Canada 

 

20 or more years ago.  probably mor

 

that one was SS  , made well before Microplane branched into the kitchen.

[dtremit]

On 1/4/2024 at 8:50 AM, Maison Rustique said:

I have the skinny type and it is increasingly difficult for me to hold onto with my arthritic hands. I'd trade it for a paddle type any day.

 

You can get the skinny type with a nice ergonomic handle: 

 

https://www.microplane.com/premium-classic-series-zester-grater-turq

 

This is the only kind I've ever had, but I've been pleased with it.

[FrogPrincesse]

1 hour ago, dtremit said:

 

You can get the skinny type with a nice ergonomic handle: 

 

https://www.microplane.com/premium-classic-series-zester-grater-turq

 

This is the only kind I've ever had, but I've been pleased with it.

That's the one I have. Love it!

[paulraphael]

8 hours ago, dtremit said:

 

You can get the skinny type with a nice ergonomic handle: 

 

https://www.microplane.com/premium-classic-series-zester-grater-turq

 

This is the only kind I've ever had, but I've been pleased with it.

I think I'll try one of these. 

[Annie_H]

I'm always annoyed by bad amazon reviews. I've had this one from LeeValley or maybe BroadwayPanhandler (back in the day) for at least 20+ years. Still sharp and my go-to. Two others are dull purchased just a few years ago and one in a plastic housing cracked in just a few months. Personal choice, I avoid handles as they tend to break and harbor bacteria and rust. I still use a paddle style that lost its handle but it is a bit dull. Used it for ginger for a while but a bit of a grind to get much out of it. 

This one is effortless...

 

 

[chromedome]

17 hours ago, Annie_H said:

I'm always annoyed by bad amazon reviews. I've had this one from LeeValley or maybe BroadwayPanhandler (back in the day) for at least 20+ years. Still sharp and my go-to. Two others are dull purchased just a few years ago and one in a plastic housing cracked in just a few months. Personal choice, I avoid handles as they tend to break and harbor bacteria and rust. I still use a paddle style that lost its handle but it is a bit dull. Used it for ginger for a while but a bit of a grind to get much out of it. 

This one is effortless...

 

Mine is the same, and at least as old. It was a gift from my father (a woodworker and a big fan of Lee Valley) a year or two before we moved to Alberta, and that was in 2003.

[btbyrd]

On 1/4/2024 at 10:35 AM, rotuts said:

this style seems to me to be most useful 

 

 

 

 

I have had many Microplanes through the years, but this style -- the paddle with a metal handle -- is my favorite in a home kitchen. I've broken the handles off of two of the plastic ones while not being especially abusive. The metal handled one is built to last. So are the rasps (no handles means nothing to break).

[cdh]

Now that the patents have gone, are there any makers whose quality competes with the original source?

[Dr. Teeth]

On 1/7/2024 at 12:19 PM, btbyrd said:

 

 

I have had many Microplanes through the years, but this style -- the paddle with a metal handle -- is my favorite in a home kitchen. I've broken the handles off of two of the plastic ones while not being especially abusive. The metal handled one is built to last. So are the rasps (no handles means nothing to break).

I have a similar one with a plastic handle and an after market rakish bend to it (customized by some combination of me and the kids) it’s at least 25 years old and going strong.

 

That said if I was buying again, I’d look hard at one of the ones with the metal handle due to the tendency of mine to harbor gunk at the point where the grater goes into the plastic handle.

 

That said, microplanes occupy a rare tier for me of items I can’t imagine replacing with another manufacturer.  

[Shel_B]

I came across this thread quite by accident, and I'd like to tell you a little story about my dealing with Microplane.

 

I had the standard, skinny grater and lost the sheath that protected the blade. I contacted the company and requested a new sheath. The woman I spoke with asked that I send her a picture of the Microplane for which I needed the sheath. At the time there were two similar versions and the sheaths were specific to each model.  I sent a pic, the woman acknowledged receipt, and I fully expected to hear back with a price and any other details.

 

A couple of days later I received a package from Microplane. It contained a brand new grater with the sheath, and a note thanking me for being a good customer. There was no invoice or mention of a charge. I contacted the woman, asked about the omission, and with what I swear was a big smile in her voice, she said it was compliments of the company.  Over the ensuing years, I've purchased other graters, every one of them from Microplane.

 

 

[chromedome]

On 9/7/2024 at 9:36 PM, Shel_B said:

I came across this thread quite by accident, and I'd like to tell you a little story about my dealing with Microplane.

 

I had the standard, skinny grater and lost the sheath that protected the blade. I contacted the company and requested a new sheath. The woman I spoke with asked that I send her a picture of the Microplane for which I needed the sheath. At the time there were two similar versions and the sheaths were specific to each model.  I sent a pic, the woman acknowledged receipt, and I fully expected to hear back with a price and any other details.

 

A couple of days later I received a package from Microplane. It contained a brand new grater with the sheath, and a note thanking me for being a good customer. There was no invoice or mention of a charge. I contacted the woman, asked about the omission, and with what I swear was a big smile in her voice, she said it was compliments of the company.  Over the ensuing years, I've purchased other graters, every one of them from Microplane.

 

 

That's such a power move by any manufacturer. I'm genuinely surprised more of them don't do that!

 

I had a similar experience with Sun Blaster, a grow light manufacturer. At our apartment a few years ago I had a windowsill where I thought I might try a few herbs and lettuces. So I bought one of their T-50 fluorescent tubes, but after a year or so it started acting up. I dashed them off a testy email, and a rep responded within the hour asking for my shipping address. A replacement light arrived two days later, with no mention of a receipt or a warranty or anything else. I had a problem, they dealt with it. Happy customer.