I resisted getting a Microplane grater for the longest time - but now it's one of the hardest working tools in my kitchen
And the rest of the Ideal Home team are huge fans too


I love cooking, but I have a few questionable culinary habits. If a recipe calls for any amount of garlic, I always double it. This mostly works out in my favour - bar a few notable exceptions (adding more garlic to a recipe that already calls for 8 cloves is a bad idea, FYI).
Another sometimes unfortunate habit is that I'm loyal to the bitter end to my existing kitchen gadgets, like my very affordable vegetable chopper. I would hate to have a kitchen full of things gathering dust - so much so that I resisted the allure of a Microplane grater for years. I was opting instead to use a mini grater that I'd pulled out of a Christmas cracker many years earlier, so you can see why there was room for improvement.
So, when Microplane offered to send me one of its graters, I decided to welcome a new addition into my kitchen. Here's why I swear by it now.
Microplane graters recommended by the Ideal Home team
This is a zester and a grater in one and the length of it allows you to get whatever cooking task you need done in quick time. It's a quality buy - the reviews on John Lewis say the same. Plus, I just love it with the Dusty Pink handle.
I've tried this Microplane too and loved its versatility, even though I have definitely not used it for truffle shavings (yet!). The grater element is a dream for hard cheese, garlic and ginger while the retractable slicer part can be changed to the right size to slice parmesan into shavings.
Is a Microplane worth it?
If you've already got a box grater that works perfectly well, upgrading to a Microplane might seem like a pointless expense. I can see why the price of one of these tools is offputting - you'll pay upwards of £20 for any given product from the brand.
If you can look beyond the initial outlay to the cost per use however, you might come around to investing in a Microplane. Since getting mine, I've used it pretty much every time I've cooked. And while I was mainly using my box grater for cheese, the coarse texture of the Microplane means I can use it for so much more.
In a given week I'll use it for garlic, ginger, lime zest, lemon zest and parmesan. It's also good for nuts and chocolate on sweet dishes.
I'm not the only fan of the Microplane brand on the Ideal Home team either. Rebecca Knight, our Digital Deputy Editor, has a very clever innovation from the brand: this Microplane bowl grater (£19.95 from Amazon) which fits over bowls for grating larger ingredients like potato, cabbage and apple.
Get the Ideal Home Newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter for style and decor inspiration, house makeovers, project advice and more.
You can also add our Deputy Print Editor Ginerva Benedetti to the list of Microplane devotees on the Ideal Home team. Gin says 'A microplane grater is one of my kitchen must-haves. I bought my first one - a Microplane zester/grater - in a Dean & Deluca store when on holiday in Washington DC eight years ago. It's still going strong and I use it for everything from grating parmesan (it grates so delicately, like snow!) to zesting citrus fruits and grating nutmeg.'
Gin adds 'I now have two of them, always on rotation, and a larger ribbon grater, too. They make excellent presents for anyone who likes cooking - I've given at least three as gifts - and because they come in loads of different colours, you can choose the handle to suit the recipient.'
Our Content Editor Sara Hesikova wouldn't be without her Microplane either. Sara says 'I'm a quite a recent Microplane convert but since Laura Jackson's influenced me to buy one after saying it's her number one kitchen must-have, I get what the fuss is about.'
Sara adds 'The way it zests my lemons so quickly, smoothly and effortlessly like it's nothing is just so satisfying. The same thing with hard cheese. I can't recommend it enough.'
You don't just have to take it from us either. This slim Microplane (with a gorgeous Dusky Rose handle) which I mentioned earlier has a near perfect 4.9-star rating, with one reviewer remarking that 'it takes the hard work of zesting and grating'.
I couldn't have put it better myself - if you're looking for a foodie gift to give this Christmas, this should be it.

Molly is Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor, the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Appliances. An all-around cooking and baking enthusiast, she loves finding the next must-have product for readers that will their kitchen a better place. She joined the team in September 2022 after working on the editorial teams of Real Homes, Homes & Gardens and Livingetc.
For the last 4 years, she's been reviewing hundreds of small appliances; conducting tests at home or in the Ideal Home test kitchen. She would be hard-pressed to pick a Mastermind specialist subject but air fryers are her ultimate area of expertise, after testing just about every single one released since 2022.
To keep ahead of trends and new releases, Molly has visited the testing and development spaces of multiple kitchen brands including Ninja Kitchen and Le Creuset as well as attended consumer shows such as IFA, hosted in Berlin to see the cooking innovations of the future.
-
The 6 outdoor lights from Habitat that I'm choosing between to make my outdoor space look more expensive this summer
I couldn’t believe some of the prices
By Ellis Cochrane
-
Joseph Joseph 3-piece Saucepan review – seriously space-saving
Small kitchen? I tested this innovative Joseph Joseph space-savvy set which has foldable handles — and I loved it
By Annie Collyer
-
Forget seating, this is how you should be making the most out of your kitchen island in 2025
Seating doesn't always have to be a necessity on an island when you can choose these ideas instead
By Holly Cockburn
-
I tried Joseph Joseph's pan set with foldable handles – the space-saving design is just one of the many highlights
Small kitchen? I tested this innovative Joseph Joseph space-savvy set which has foldable handles — and I loved it
By Annie Collyer
-
As a stylist, I spend hours looking for bedding for photoshoots, and I just spotted these 6 expensive-looking sets at M&S
Get a little luxury at a high-street price
By Laurie Davidson
-
I've been waiting to try out the Ninja Slushi for months – this is what happened the first time I tried it
The Ninja Slushi is the stuff of dreams for summer entertaining
By Molly Cleary
-
IKEA has drenched its BILLY bookcase in this year’s ‘it’ colour - but you’ll have to act fast if you want to get your hands on one
I'm obsessed with this gorgeous limited-edition colourway
By Kezia Reynolds
-
My go-to Ninja coffee machine just had a major price drop. It's more affordable than I've seen it before
It makes coffee shop quality achievable at home
By Molly Cleary
-
I'm a kitchen decor editor and didn't like this tableware trend - until I saw H&M Home's designer-look plates
They made it easy to justify a new crockery set
By Holly Cockburn
-
Have we just had a sneak peek at Ninja's plans for pastel air fryers? These new US-exclusive Crispi colours are giving us hope for the same in the UK
Ninja's spring colours collection i the US has sparked some serious appliance envy
By Molly Cleary
-
I'm suffering serious kitchen appliance envy over Ooni's new standmixer that sold out in 4 hours, but it's finally back in stock
Here's why the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral mixer is a big deal for at-home breadmakers
By Molly Cleary