If any of you are Blue Apron subscribers you have no doubt seen their instructions for zesting a lemon.  They usually go something like this: peel the lemon being careful not to get the pitch, then finely mince the lemon skin.  This takes about a million years and is criminally frustrating.  It does however bring us to one of the simple tools that should be in every kitchen: a microplane.  These little puppies run about $12 from Amazon and are a complete hero in the kitchen.  Covering you on tasks such as zesting, and manner of fine grating, and even preparing spices like ginger.

When we recommend tools in the kitchen it generally comes from a place of “why did I not buy this sooner?” and this is very much the case, so much so I bought 3!  I know that seems a bit excessive.  However having to clean a microplane on the fly is a pain, it is easier to just reach for another.