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In this guide
Microplane's zester started as a woodworking rasp and became a kitchen tool in 1994, when a Canadian home cook used one on an orange after a dull grater failed her. The Premium Classic Series is the current mainstream version of that tool: a 12-inch stainless steel rasp with an 8-by-1-inch grating surface, a soft-touch handle, rubber tabs at the far end and a plastic cover for the blade. Microplane's US store lists the black one at $17.95.
The decision is less about whether to own a rasp grater than which one. Microplane sells the same blade in a hard-handled Classic for $12.99 and with no handle at all for $12.50, so the Premium Classic is a $5 upgrade for comfort and stability. This review lays out what those five dollars change, what Microplane does and does not promise about the blade, and who should keep the cheaper one.
Our verdict
The default fine grater for citrus zest, hard cheese, garlic and ginger; the $17.95 black version buys the same blade as the $12.99 Classic plus a handle, feet and a cover that make it easier to live with.
- A good fit for
- A cook who zests citrus or grates Parmesan weekly and wants one narrow rasp that also handles nutmeg, garlic and chocolate.
- We would skip it if
- You already have a working rasp grater, or you mostly grate soft cheese and vegetables, where a coarse paddle or box grater does the job better.
Reasons to consider it
- Photo-etched stainless steel teeth, a process Microplane says leaves a far sharper edge than stamping
- Soft-touch TPE handle and non-scratch end tabs that let the grater rest across a bowl
- Dishwasher safe, with a reusable snap-on cover for the blade in the drawer
The compromises
- At 12 inches long it does not fit a standard utensil drawer lying flat in every kitchen
- Microplane publishes no fixed warranty term for kitchen tools, only a promise to help if there is a problem
- The black colorway is $17.95 while most colors are $18.99, and the price spread is not explained
What we have not verified: The zester was not run over a lemon for this piece; the rate at which the teeth dull with dishwasher use, how the TPE handle ages, and how the blade behaves on soft cheese were not assessed.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
Premium Classic Series Zester Grater · Black
Photo-etched stainless teeth on an 8-inch surface, a TPE handle, non-scratch tabs that let it sit across a bowl, a cover, and upper-rack dishwasher cleaning for $17.95 in black.
Before you buy: It is a fine grater only; coarse work still needs another tool, and Microplane gives no stated warranty length for it.
Price checked September 11, 2026. Retailer prices can change.Photo-etched teeth, not stamped ones
Microplane's pitch for every grater it makes rests on one manufacturing step. Most graters are stamped, so each tooth is as thick as the sheet it was punched from and the edge is blunt by definition. Microplane instead uses photo-etching, a chemical process that thins and defines the edge of each tooth, and the company's own explanation is that the sharper tooth gives a more precise result with less effort. Grating hard cheese into what the brand calls fine, lacy wisps is the demonstration it leans on.
The blade on the Premium Classic is described as surgical grade stainless steel and is made in the US, with final assembly in Mexico. The grating surface measures 8 by 1 inch on a tool that is 12 inches long overall, 1 5/16 inches in width and 1 inch thick. Listed weight is 142 grams, roughly 5 ounces, easy to hold over a pan with one hand while the other hand moves a lemon.
Nineteen colors, one care routine
The Premium Classic is offered in 19 colors on Microplane's US site, from Black and White through Dusty Rose and Eucalyptus Green. Prices are not uniform: Black is $17.95, Green, Orange and Red are $17.99, White and Denim Blue are $18.95, and the remaining colors are $18.99. The differences hardly matter, but they do mean the black version reviewed here is the least costly of the set.
Care is simple. The tool can go in the dishwasher, and Microplane's general guidance for its kitchen tools is top rack only, with covers and lids kept out of the machine. The company also recommends rinsing in warm water right after use so that particles do not dry into the teeth, then brushing in the same direction as the teeth if anything is stuck. The direction matters because the etched edge, not the tooth body, is what does the cutting.
A soft promise on the blade, a firm one on returns
Microplane does not publish a warranty term for its kitchen tools. The FAQ's answer to the warranty question is that the company wants customers to be thrilled and will do its best to resolve any problem, then points to the returns page. Read that as a goodwill policy administered by a 100% employee-owned firm, which is reassuring in tone and vague in substance; a buyer looking for a stated number of years in writing will not get one here.
Returns are more concrete. Purchases made on microplane.com can be returned in unused condition with all original packaging for 30 days, refunded less shipping, and an RMA number must be requested first by web form, email or phone. Items bought from other retailers go back to that retailer. Since a used grater cannot be returned, the decision to keep it has to be made without zesting anything.
Skip it if a rasp is already in the drawer
A fine rasp grater lasts years, and a second one adds nothing. If a working Microplane or a competent copy is already in the kitchen, the Premium Classic changes only the handle. Cooks who grate mostly cheddar, mozzarella, carrots or potatoes should also pass, because those foods want a coarse paddle or a box grater, and fine teeth like these are likely to turn soft cheese into paste.
The other case for passing is length. Twelve inches is long for a utensil drawer, and the tool is designed to stand in a crock or hang from a hook. If storage is tight, the handle-less Classic at $12.50 or Microplane's Flexi Zesti mini zester at $11.99 fit better. For the rest, who zest citrus, grates Parmesan or minces garlic with any regularity, this is the version of the tool to own, and the $5 over the Classic is money well placed.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- Microplane: Premium Classic Series Zester Grater product page (opens in a new tab)
- Microplane: FAQs (opens in a new tab)
- Microplane: About Us (opens in a new tab)
- Microplane: Black Classic Stainless Steel Zester and Cheese Grater (hard handle) (opens in a new tab)
- Microplane: Classic Series Stainless Steel Zester (no handle) (opens in a new tab)
- Microplane: Flexi Zesti mini zester (opens in a new tab)
