According to chef Keith Bernstein of Stella in New Hope, Pa., “The most overrated kitchen gadgets are the ones that only do one very specific job — garlic presses, avocado slicers, herb scissors … They sound convenient, but they take up drawer space and are usually more annoying to clean than they are worth. I would rather have a good microplane, [which] handles garlic, ginger, citrus zest, Parmesan, nutmeg and more, so it earns its space every day.”
Box graters are, well, “grate” and all, but if precision is what you’re after, this tool is what you want. “The microplane does more than just zest citrus — it’s my go-to for building flavor,” explains Natalia Lepore Hagan, chef and owner of Philadelphia’s Midnight Pasta. “I use it for lemons and oranges, but especially for garlic: It creates a light, airy texture that melts beautifully into the start of a pasta sauce.”
I’m also a fan of this multitasker, as it offers much more control than a box grater, and the blades are so fine that you don’t have to worry about bitter citrus pith getting into your food.
