Martha Stewart’s Genius Citrus Zesting Hack

Expert chefs tend to have a strong attachment to their kitchen tools and cookware. While they don’t always agree on which products and brands are best, there are a few items that seem to be stocked in every professional kitchen. There’s an unspoken consensus that certain products are the gold standard for their particular categories, whether that’s the Le Creuset Dutch oven or the Microplane zester. These time-tested items are popular for a reason — they’re reliable, effective, and last forever.

The Microplane grater is a celebrity chef favorite, recommended by Bobby Flay and featured in Martha Stewart and José Andrés’ new show, Yes, chef! Known for her many household hacks, Stewart introduced a genius method for zesting more efficiently, and I tried it for myself to see if it really works.

Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester

In a 2023 tiktok videoStewart claimed that her sous chef, Jude, “discovered the fastest way to zest a lemon.” While you might be tempted to grate with the teeth facing up to direct the zest into your prep bowl, Stewart suggests facing them down. In the video, Jude rotated the lemon and dragged the Microplane across it to get “a tremendously large amount of beautiful zest in the fastest way possible.”

I tested the hack out for myself, and I’ll never go back to my old method. Holding my Microplane face down increases efficiency and helps me keep an eye on my citrus at all times. When the teeth are facing up, I can’t see how much I’ve zested and risk digging into the bitter pith. Plus, the zester features a channel to catch fresh zest in heaps, so all I have to do is knock it against the side of my prep bowl when I’m done.

It’s not just celebrity chefs who love the classic Microplane. After testing 10 top zesters and graters, the Microplane came out as our favorite overall. Its medical-grade stainless steel blade has tiny, ultra-sharp teeth designed to slice into the peel without digging into the pith. It yielded fine, fluffy mounds of citrus zest and other ingredients like hard cheeses and whole spices.

The Microplane has over 42,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, with over 6,000 shoppers purchasing one in the past month. Customers love how sharp its teeth are. “The device is easy to hold and makes zesting a fast and easy activity,” according to one reviewer.

Ready to make grating feel less, well, grating? Grab an $18 Microplane from Amazon. Just don’t forget to turn it upside down for the best, Martha Stewart-approved results.

Shop More Graters and Zesters

OXO Good Grips Etched Zester and Grater

Joseph Joseph Handi-Zest Multi-Function Zester

Prepworks by Progressive Pocket Zester

Deiss Pro Citrus Zester

OXO Good Grips Citrus Zester With Channel Knife

At the time of publishing, the price was $18.