Microplane

Microplane is a registered trademark^[1] of Grace Manufacturing Inc., a company that makes photo etched steel tools (surform tools) for grating, grinding and sanding. It was created by brothers Richard & Jeff Grace in the mid-1990s. The Grace brothers set out to make a wood-carving rasper^[2] and ended up with a new invention, which in 1991 would come to be called Microplane.^[3]

A Microplane grater

Kitchen graters

A Microplane grater/zester in use

Microplane graters are used for the grating of various food items, such as nutmeg and cheese, and also as zesters for citrus fruit.

Wood rasps

Microplane originally made wood rasps and shaving disks, and they still do.

Further reading

• Edge, John T. (January 11, 2011). "How the Microplane Grater Escaped the Garage". The New York Times.
• Barber, Casey (October 6, 2016). "Do you really need a Microplane for your kitchen? Yes, and here's why". www.today.com. NBC News.