Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A Must Have Kitchen Tool






Microplane has been around for 20 years now and the history is pretty interesting. In 1990 brothers Richard and Jeff Grace jointly owned a manufacturing facility in Russellville, Arkansas. It was there that they invented the first Microplane as a woodworking tool. But that is only the first part of the story. In 1994 Lorraine Lee, a homemaker in Canada, became frustrated with her traditional grater while making a cake. She noticed a new tool on the counter that her husband had brought home earlier from the hardware store. She took her orange that she was trying to zest and slid it across the blades of her husband's Microplane. She was amazed at how easily zest fell from the orange like snow. It was that moment that gave birth to the modern day Microplane kitchen tool.


What makes a Microplane different that other zester/graters you ask? Microplane tools have tiny razor-like edges that are formed by a unique process called photo-etching. During this process tiny holes are dissolved with a chemical, leaving edges that finely slice foods instead of tearing or shredding them. Microplane tools are safe, easy to use and indispensable in the kitchen.


I have a Microplane Classic Zester/Grater (pictured first) and it has become the go-to tool in my kitchen. I use it most frequently for grating cheeses onto things like pasta dishes and potatoes. My Microplane gets its second most frequent workout as it easily zests lemons, limes and oranges. Its unique design allows me to easily prop it up and zest/grate right onto a cutting board, over a pot or pan, or right onto my plate. I would highly recommend a Microplane kitchen tool to anybody that grates and zests. There are plenty of colors, styles and different options to fit your exact culinary need.

Shop all Microplane Graters, Zesters and Shavers

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