# Graters, Peelers, Zesters & Corers

Start with the job: grating, peeling, veg noodles or coring. For grating, the split that matters is how the teeth are made: photo-etched teeth give fluffy zest and Parmesan, stamped teeth give thick cheddar and carrot shreds. For peeling, Y or straight is grip preference; blade steel and edge type change the result.

## How it works

Every tool here drags a sharp edge across food at a fixed depth. A grater is a sheet of holes, each with one raised, sharpened lip; hole size and how far the lip rises set the shred. Makers form the teeth in one of two ways. Stamped teeth are punched from thick, rigid steel and sharpened afterwards; they stand high, so food passes through in thick shreds and soft cheese does not clog. Photo-etched teeth are eaten out of thin steel by acid through a photographic mask, then pushed up; they sit low and very keen, so they shave fluffy zest, hard cheese and ginger paste, but thin sheets flex and soft cheese jams. A peeler is a slot: one edge rides the skin, the other cuts, and the gap sets peel thickness. Spiralizers and corers push or turn food through fixed blades. [1] [2] [12] [11] [20] [5] [6] [22] [8]

| Family | What it is | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Rasp grater (zester) | A long or paddle-shaped strip of photo-etched teeth; the woodworking rasp brought into the kitchen. | Citrus zest, Parmesan, garlic, ginger, nutmeg. |
| Box and paddle graters | A four- to six-sided box, or one flat coarse plate, with fine, medium and coarse holes and often a slicing slot. | Shredding cheddar, mozzarella, carrots and potatoes. |
| Rotary drum grater | Food sits in a hopper and is pressed against a toothed drum turned by a crank, so fingers never touch the teeth. | Hard cheese at the table, cooks worried about knuckles, children. |
| Peelers and channel knives | Y-shaped or straight peelers with smooth or serrated slot blades; channel knives cut narrow ribbons of citrus peel. | Vegetable and fruit skins, Parmesan shavings, cocktail twists. |
| Strand cutters | Julienne peelers that cut matchsticks, and spiralizers that turn a vegetable through blades into noodles. | Slaws, salads, courgette noodles. |
| Corers | Tube corers, push-down wedgers that core and slice in one press, crank peeler-corer-slicers, and pineapple corers. | Baked apples, snack wedges, pie batches, pineapple rings. |

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Job
    grating : ask Grate texture : skip Peeler shape, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel
    peeling : ask Peeler shape, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel : skip Grate texture, Tooth type, Grater format
    veg noodles or matchsticks : ask Strand cutter : skip Grate texture, Tooth type, Grater format, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel
    coring : ask Corer type : skip Grate texture, Peeler shape, Tooth type, Grater format, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel
  section 2 · Grate texture
    fluffy : ask Tooth type, Grater format
    thick shreds : ask Tooth type, Grating surface
    both : ask Tooth type, Blade styles
  section 3 · Peeler shape
    Y-shaped like a razor, or straight like a knife?
```

1. **Job.** Grating, peeling, veg noodles or matchsticks, or coring?
   The leaf bundles four tool families, including channel knives and loop zesters under peeling, that share no specs. One answer removes the other three families and decides which of the remaining questions mean anything.
   If grating: ask Grate texture; skip Peeler shape, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel.
   If peeling: ask Peeler shape, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel; skip Grate texture, Tooth type, Grater format.
   If veg noodles or matchsticks: ask Strand cutter; skip Grate texture, Tooth type, Grater format, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel.
   If coring: ask Corer type; skip Grate texture, Peeler shape, Tooth type, Grater format, Peeler edge, Peeler blade steel.
   Skip if already known: a query naming the tool (box grater, Y peeler, spiralizer, apple corer, channel knife), a query naming a rasp or loop zester specifically, as opposed to the bare word 'zester', a query naming the food and task, such as zesting lemons for baking.

2. **Grate texture.** Fluffy zest and Parmesan, thick cheddar shreds, or both?
   Within graters this is the expert's split: it decides tooth type, since etched suits fluffy work and ATK prefers stamped for thick shreds, though Reviewed's etched boxes also shred well. Box graters are the both answer.
   If fluffy: ask Tooth type, Grater format.
   If thick shreds: ask Tooth type, Grating surface.
   If both: ask Tooth type, Blade styles.
   Skip if already known: the food named in the query (Parmesan, zest, ginger, cheddar, potatoes).

3. **Peeler shape.** Y-shaped like a razor, or straight like a knife?
   The two shapes are the main division on the peeler shelf, and ATK names a winner in each. It is grip preference, so ask rather than guess.
   Skip if already known: a query saying Y peeler, harp peeler, straight peeler, I peeler, I and Y peeler, Euro peeler or Swiss peeler.

## What to surface

### Job

What the tool does to the food: grates it, peels it, cuts it into strands, or removes the core. A loop or rasp zester grates; a channel knife, or a zester combined with one, also peels. The leaf is four categories sharing a shelf. A box grater, a Y peeler, a spiralizer and an apple wedger have no spec in common, so nothing else can be compared until the job is known. Multi-tools carry more than one value: a box grater with a slicing side is still grating. [21] [20] [7] [17] [19]

Values: grating, peeling, veg noodles or matchsticks, coring.
Question to ask: Grating, peeling, veg noodles or matchsticks, or coring?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: The tool name in the title: grater, zester, peeler, julienne, spiralizer, corer, wedger. Amazon's Style row repeats it ("Box Grater", "Swivel Peeler").
Keyword map from the title. A plain 'citrus zester' maps to grating; titles that also name a channel knife or stripper, or combine one with a zester, add peeling. The bare word 'zester' alone does not decide this.

### Grate texture

What the grater produces: fluffy wisps (zest, hard cheese, ginger paste), thick shreds (cheddar, mozzarella, carrot, potato), or both from different sides. It sets the tooth type. ATK found stamped fine holes turn Parmesan to powder and trap zest, while etched teeth shave it into fluffy wisps. ATK also found etched teeth jam on mozzarella and push it through in pellets, but Reviewed's etched box graters gave the best mozzarella and potato shreds instead; that flip is contested, not settled. [1] [11] [12]

Values: fluffy, thick shreds, both.
Question to ask: Fluffy zest and Parmesan, thick cheddar shreds, or both?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the blade styles named in the title or bullets: fine, zester, spice mean fluffy; coarse, extra coarse, ultra coarse mean thick shreds; a box with both means both.
Rasp-format products are fluffy by construction; single coarse paddles are thick shreds. Multi-drum rotary graters (titles naming several drums or sold as a mandoline) default to thick shreds, not fluffy. Only box graters need the blade list read.
Chart: Grate scale.

### Peeler shape

Whether the blade sits across the top of a Y-shaped frame, held like a razor, or extends straight out of the handle, held like a knife. Reviewers call it personal: ATK slightly prefers Y peelers for the clear view of the cut and names a winner in each shape. Alton Brown likes Y peelers for their wider bite on heavy peels such as a big eggplant. The trap is the word 'swivel': it means the blade pivots, which every peeler ATK tested does, so a 'swivel peeler' can be either shape. [3] [20] [25] [19]

Values: Y-shaped, straight.
Question to ask: Y-shaped like a razor, or straight like a knife?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Titles say 'Y peeler' or 'Y-Peeler'. Straight peelers are usually titled 'Swivel Peeler', which is not proof of shape. Retail also uses 'I Peeler', 'I and Y' sets, 'Euro Peeler' (straight) and 'Swiss Peeler' (a Y peeler despite the name); the main photo settles it.
Photo-answerable, so the image pipeline should own it rather than a text field.

### Corer type

The tool type for removing cores: a tube corer that leaves the fruit whole, a push-down wedger that cores and slices, a crank peeler-corer-slicer, or a pineapple corer. Each makes a different end product. A push wedger cores and slices an apple into wedges in one press and works on soft fruit too. A crank machine peels, cores and spiral-slices an apple in seconds for pie batches, but needs crisp apples and a smooth counter for its suction base. A tube corer leaves the fruit whole for baking. A pineapple corer spirals the flesh and removes the core in one twist, after a knife removes the top. [8] [23] [20] [24]

Values: push wedger, crank peeler-corer, tube corer, pineapple corer.
Question to ask: Apple wedges, pie batches, whole cored apples, or pineapple?

Used as: filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words: wedger or slicer, peeler corer, corer, pineapple. Wedgers often state the slice count ('16 Slices').

### Strand cutter

The tool type for cutting vegetables into strands: a julienne peeler, a handheld spiralizer, or a crank spiralizer that clamps the vegetable against a blade plate. A julienne peeler is cheap, needs no set-up and cleans in seconds, but cuts straight matchsticks one stroke at a time. A crank spiralizer clamps a whole courgette and turns it into long noodles, usually with interchangeable blades for spaghetti strands, ribbons and wide spirals. On julienne peelers, a wider gap between the two blades gives square matchsticks rather than flat noodles. [6] [22] [16]

Values: julienne peeler, handheld spiralizer, crank spiralizer.
Question to ask: Matchsticks for slaw, or long curly noodles?

Used as: filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words: julienne, spiralizer, plus 'tabletop', 'countertop', 'handheld' or 'blade' counts.

### Peeler edge

Whether a peeler's blade is smooth or serrated (tiny saw teeth along the edge). A serrated edge bites through soft, slippery skins such as ripe peaches, plums and tomatoes without crushing the flesh. As an all-purpose peeler it cuts too deep and leaves grooves, so ATK treats it as a second peeler. Microplane disagrees and sells its serrated Y peeler for potatoes and carrots. [3] [15]

Values: smooth, serrated.
Question to ask: Firm vegetables, or soft skins like tomatoes and peaches?

Used as: filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Serrated peelers say 'serrated' in the title, but tomato/kiwi peelers are often serrated without the word (check product type). Multi-blade sets ('Straight & Serrated') carry both values.

### Works left-handed

Whether a left-handed cook can use the tool in their dominant hand without contorting. Several tools here are built for right hands. ATK found no channel knife that suits lefties, rotary graters whose crank only fits on the right, and a potato-eye scoop that favours right-handers. Double-edged peelers cut in either direction and suit both hands; single-edged straight designs may not. [3] [7] [5] [20] [18]

Question to ask: Left-handed?

Used as: filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Sometimes a bullet ('works in right or left hand', 'ambidextrous', 'reversible crank'); often absent. Reviewers record it per product.
Ask only when memory says the user is left-handed. Backfill rotary graters, channel knives and peelers in the top 50 from reviews and brand pages.

### Grater format

The body the grating surface sits on: a long narrow rasp, a wide rasp paddle, a box, a flat coarse paddle, a rotary drum with a crank, or a dedicated ginger grater. Format decides grip, speed and safety. Narrow rasp zesters are nimble on citrus; wide paddles grate more per stroke and clean more easily. Box graters stand upright and offer several hole sizes but take space. Rotary graters keep fingers away from the teeth and grated Parmesan faster than a rasp in ATK's test. In ATK's ginger test no dedicated ginger grater beat a fine rasp paddle. [2] [1] [5] [4] [21]

Values: rasp zester, rasp paddle, box, flat coarse paddle, rotary drum, ginger grater.
Question to ask: Handheld rasp, box grater, or a crank drum?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words: zester, rasp, paddle, box or 4-sided, rotary or drum, ginger. Amazon's Style row often says 'Box Grater'.
Photo-answerable as well; use the title first and the image pipeline as a check.

### Tooth type

How the grating teeth were made: photo-etched from thin steel by acid, stamped (punched) from thick steel, raised teeth and nubs as on Japanese ginger graters, or teeth studded on a rotary drum. Etched teeth make fine work fast and clean: fluffy zest without pith, Parmesan wisps, ginger paste with little fibre left behind. Stamped teeth make thick shreds on a rigid plate and handle soft cheese. ATK warns the type does not by itself set sharpness; it has tested sharp and dull graters of both kinds, and Serious Eats rated one etched rasp among its worst. [1] [11] [12] [13] [4] [10] [5]

Values: etched, stamped, raised teeth or nubs, drum (rotary).

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Etched graters say so in the title or first bullet ('Etched', 'photo-etched'); rotary graters say 'drum' or 'rotary' instead of any tooth word. Stamped graters rarely name themselves, and absence of the word is not reliable evidence of stamped (it mislabels the etched Cuisipro box, which carries no such word either).
Keyword rule only catches explicit 'etched' mentions, so absence does not imply stamped. For graters without the word, check the brand page, listing bullets beyond the title, or a review's spec table (ATK lists 'Tooth Type'); limit that to the top 50 graters.

### Peeler blade steel

Whether a peeler's blade is carbon steel, which takes a keener edge but rusts if left wet, or stainless steel. ATK's long-time winner has a carbon-steel blade, and in its tests carbon blades stayed sharp while a few stainless ones dulled. The cost is care: wash and dry it at once, and expect rust spots and patina, which are harmless and scrub off. A buyer who wants everything to go in the dishwasher should take stainless. [3] [18] [19] [20]

Values: carbon steel, stainless steel.
Question to ask: Carbon steel (stays sharp, must hand-dry) or stainless?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Amazon 'Blade Material Type' row (Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel), and usually the title or first bullet.
Brand pages carry it when the listing row is missing.

### Blade cover

Whether a fitted sheath or cover for the blade comes in the box. A rasp stored bare dulls against other tools in the drawer and cuts the hand that reaches for it. Serious Eats and ATK both say to keep it in its cover, and Microplane ships one with its rasps and box graters. Hand guards are different: ATK found the one sold with a box grater awkward to use. [10] [2] [14] [17] [1]


Used as: shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: A bullet or description line: 'protective cover', 'safety cover included', 'sheath'.

### Blade styles

The named hole sizes a grater carries, roughly finest to coarsest: spice, zester, fine, coarse, ribbon, extra coarse, ultra coarse, shaver, plus a slicer slot on many boxes. It tells the buyer what the grater will actually produce. The number of sides is the advertised figure but matters less: Reviewed says most buyers use only the coarse side, many ATK testers do too, and Reviewed found a 6-sided budget box no better on any side. Ribbon blades cut in both directions and give thin strips for zucchini and chocolate. [12] [17] [11] [1]

Values: spice, zester, fine, coarse, ribbon, extra coarse, ultra coarse, shaver, slicer.

Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Only a minority of titles name hole sizes (Microplane: 'Slicer, Fine, Ribbon, and Extra Coarse Blade Styles'); most box-grater titles give just a side count ('4-Sided') or nothing, so bullets or spec tables usually have to be read too.
Normalise brand names to the scale ('medium' to coarse, 'large shaver' to shaver). When a listing's title and bullets name the same blade differently (Microplane's box titled 'Extra Coarse' but bulleted 'ultra-coarse'), treat them as one value.
Chart: Grate scale.

### Grating surface

The area of the toothed part of the grater, in square inches, not the size of the whole tool. A bigger surface grates more per stroke, so it is faster and leaves fewer half-grated stubs. ATK measures it and sets minimums by format (figures in notes), Serious Eats preferred wider rasps, and Reviewed found a narrow box surface slowed testers down. Very long rasps are the exception: past about 12 inches overall they feel unwieldy. [1] [2] [10] [11]


Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Not on listings. Listings give overall dimensions (Amazon 'Product Dimensions'), which overstate it because they include the handle and frame.
ATK's box-and-paddle review also lists a 'Grating Surface Dimensions' row, not just rasp and ginger. ATK gives single-source minimums by format (about 15 sq in for box/paddle, 7.25 for rasps, 5 for ginger); each rests on one source, so no floor is set here. Reviewer spec tables cover only a few dozen models total, not 50, so take area where a table exists and leave it empty elsewhere rather than estimating from overall size.
Chart: horizontal bar per grater, grouped by format.

## What you give up

- Etched teeth give the cleanest zest, Parmesan and ginger, but the thin plate flexes on hard carrots. ATK found they also clog mozzarella into pellets, though Reviewed's etched boxes shredded mozzarella well, so that part is contested. [1] Board branch: "See more coarse shredders".
- Teeth that stand too high grate fast but dig into the bitter white pith and drag; teeth that lie too flat give ultra-fine shreds and grate much more slowly. [2] [10]
- Carbon steel stays sharp longest but must be washed and dried at once and will spot with rust if left wet. [3] [18] Board branch: "See more dishwasher-safe peelers".
- The snap-on bin lifts the centre of gravity, so the box tips and rocks as you grate, and the bin is too small for more than a little food at a time. [1] [11]
- A rotary grater keeps hands away from the teeth and grates Parmesan faster than a rasp, but its extra parts collect greasy cheese and need brushing out by hand without a dishwasher. [5] Board branch: "See more knuckle-safe graters".
- The crank machine is the fastest way to a pie's worth of apples, but it needs firm apples on its prongs and a counter its suction base can grip. [8]

## How to draw it

**Grate scale** (scale, shows Blade styles, Grate texture). One line from powdery spice grade to wide shavings, with each grater's blade styles ticked on it, shows at a glance whether a tool covers zest, shreds or both. Used today by Microplane's blade guide orders its blade styles this way; box-grater reviewers group sides as fine, medium and coarse.. [12] [11]

**Output photo strip** (swatch grid, shows Tooth type, Grate texture). Side-by-side photos of the same cheese or zest from each tool show shred thickness and pith better than any number. Used today by ATK and Reviewed both illustrate etched against stamped output with paired photos.. [1] [11]

## Words you will meet

- **ATK**. America's Test Kitchen, a US test kitchen whose equipment reviews measure and rank kitchen tools.
- **Rasp grater**. A long, narrow or paddle-shaped grater covered in tiny etched teeth, adapted from a woodworker's file.
- **Microplane**. The brand that first sold etched rasps for cooking; its name is now used for any rasp grater.
- **Photo-etched**. Teeth cut by acid through a printed mask on thin steel, which leaves very keen, low edges.
- **Stamped**. Teeth punched out of thick steel and sharpened afterwards, which stand high above the plate.
- **Zest**. The coloured outer layer of citrus peel, which carries the fragrant oils.
- **Pith**. The white, bitter layer under citrus zest that a good zester leaves behind.
- **Paddle grater**. A flat grating plate on a handle, either wide and fine (a rasp paddle) or coarse for shredding.
- **Rotary grater**. A grater where food is pressed against a toothed drum turned by a hand crank.
- **Ribbon blade**. A grater blade that cuts in both directions and gives thin, wide strips.
- **Y peeler**. A peeler with the blade across the top of a Y-shaped frame, used like a safety razor.
- **Swivel**. A blade mounted on a pivot so it follows curves; it describes the blade, not the peeler's shape.
- **Serrated peeler**. A peeler whose edge has tiny saw teeth for soft, slippery skins.
- **Carbon steel**. Plain steel without the chromium that stops rust, prized because it takes a very sharp edge.
- **Channel knife**. A small tool with a notched blade that cuts narrow ribbons of citrus peel for drinks.
- **Julienne**. Long, thin, square-sided strips, like matchsticks.
- **Spiralizer**. A tool that turns a vegetable against a blade plate to cut it into long noodles or ribbons.
- **Apple wedger**. A ring of blades around a central tube that you press down through an apple to core and slice it at once.
- **Oroshigane**. A traditional Japanese grater with raised metal teeth or nubs, used for ginger and daikon.

## Where we made a call

- Etched against stamped decides shred thickness and clogging more than sharpness; both kinds come sharp and dull. (confidence high). Sources disagree. Microplane says stamped blades are dull by construction. ATK has tested razor-sharp and dull graters of both kinds, and Reviewed rated a stamped box among its best for coarse work. We side with the testers. [1] [11] [13]
- Etched holes clog mozzarella and push it through in pellets; stamped holes shred it cleanly. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. This is ATK's finding. Reviewed's two etched box graters gave the best mozzarella and potato shreds of its test instead, so we flag this as contested rather than pick a side. [1] [11]
- 'Etched' on a listing no longer means Microplane quality; the etching patent has expired and copies vary widely. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. ATK says the patent expired in 2011; Microplane's catalogue says protection ran 1990 to 2010. Serious Eats rated OXO's etched rasp among its worst for too-small, too-flat teeth. [2] [12] [10]
- Most buyers use only the coarse side of a box grater, say testers; side count alone is a weak signal. (confidence medium). Reviewed says most people only use the coarse setting; ATK says many of its own testers do too. Reviewed's view that side count barely matters rests on one 6-sided budget box faring no better. [1] [11]
- Hand-wash bladed tools even when the label says dishwasher-safe; the dishwasher dulls the edges. (confidence high). Sources disagree. Microplane labels rasps and box graters dishwasher-safe and recommends hand washing. ATK's own spec row calls the Kuhn Rikon dishwasher-safe but its text says carbon-steel blades must be hand-washed; Kuhn Rikon's listing forbids the dishwasher outright. [2] [10] [3] [17] [18]
- A listing's 'swivel peeler' says nothing about shape; read the photo for Y or straight. (confidence high). ATK found every peeler it tested swivelled; Wikipedia defines swivel as a pivoting blade on either shape. [3] [20]
- Serrated peelers are a second peeler for soft skins, not an all-purpose one. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. ATK found a serrated 'universal' peeler cut too deep and grooved firm produce. Microplane markets its serrated Y peeler for potatoes and carrots. We side with the tester. [3] [15]
- Weigh grated cheese and zest rather than measuring by volume, because tooth design changes how fluffy the result is. (confidence medium). ATK recommends weighing for this reason. Microplane describes its zester output as ultra-fluffy, which is the volume effect. No source gave a volume-per-ounce figure we could check twice. [2] [12]
- Peelers and graters cannot practically be sharpened; replace them when they drag. (confidence high). ATK says a peeler's paired blades sit too close to reach; Reviewed says grater holes wear and cannot be sharpened. [3] [11]
- Dull blades cause more knuckle and fingertip cuts than sharp ones in this category. (confidence medium). ATK found dull graters skid and scrape knuckles and that sharp julienne blades are safer; atk_gloves lists a skinned knuckle as one of several kitchen injuries, not the worst. No safety standard covers grater or peeler sharpness that we found. [1] [6] [9] [5]
- Food-contact law, not a product standard, governs these tools; a grater needs no glass-and-fork symbol if its use is obvious. (confidence high). EU Art. 15(2) exempts an obviously food-contact article from any symbol or use indication. US law (21 U.S.C. 321(s)) treats a substance as a food additive only if expected to migrate into food and not GRAS or prior-sanctioned; graters rarely qualify. Absence of a symbol is not a warning sign. [26] [27]
- Channel knives suit right-handers only; left-handed cooks should zest twists with a Y peeler instead. (confidence low). One source: ATK found no ambidextrous channel knife. The Y-peeler workaround follows from ATK using peelers for cocktail peel in its peeler test. [7] [3]

## References

1. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Graters (box and paddle), 6 May 2026](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2131-graters) (specialist review). Supports: Stamped versus etched: how each is made and how shreds differ; Etched small holes better for zest and hard cheese; Collection bins make box graters tip; Dull teeth are more dangerous; Many cooks use only the coarse side; Hand guard awkward.
2. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Rasp Graters, 11 June 2025](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1798-rasp-style-graters) (specialist review). Supports: Zester versus paddle formats; Grace Manufacturing's etching patent expired in 2011; Teeth too high take pith; teeth too flat grate slowly; Weigh grated food; dishwasher dulls blades; store in sheath; Graters 13 inches or longer feel cumbersome.
3. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Vegetable Peelers, 27 June 2025](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2592-the-best-vegetable-fruit-peeler) (specialist review). Supports: Y and straight shapes; preference is personal; All tested peelers swivel; Carbon-steel blades stayed sharp; rust harmless; hand-dry; Serrated peelers for soft skins, not all-purpose; Peelers cannot practically be sharpened; lefty notes per model.
4. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Ginger Graters, updated 10 December 2024](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1869-ginger-graters) (specialist review). Supports: Etched holes fastest and least wasteful for ginger; A fine rasp beats dedicated ginger graters and oroshigane.
5. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Rotary Graters, 13 April 2020](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2153-rotary-graters) (specialist review). Supports: Rotary graters keep fingers away from teeth; Faster than a rasp on Parmesan; Some cranks fit only on the right side.
6. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Julienne Peelers, published 9 July 2025](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2636-the-best-julienne-peelers) (specialist review). Supports: Julienne peelers cheap, quick, no set-up; Wider gap between blades gives square matchsticks; Sharp blades are safer.
7. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Channel Knives for Cocktails, updated 22 January 2025](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1736-citrus-zesters-slash-channel-knives) (specialist review). Supports: No tested channel knife suits left-handers; Channel knives cut citrus ribbons for cocktails.
8. [America's Test Kitchen, Apple Corers/Slicers, 24 June 2025](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2362-apple-corer-slicers) (specialist review). Supports: Crank versus push styles; Crank models peel, core and slice fast but need firm apples; Push wedgers core and slice soft fruit too; Suction base struggles on granite.
9. [America's Test Kitchen, Cut-Resistant Gloves, published 19 August 2019](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2066-cut-resistant-gloves) (specialist review). Supports: Skinned knuckles from grating are a common kitchen injury; Gloves are cut-resistant, not cut-proof.
10. [Serious Eats, We Tested 12 Microplanes (Rasp-Style Graters), syndicated on Yahoo Lifestyle, 9 June 2022](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tested-12-microplanes-rasp-style-224738749.html) (specialist review). Supports: Teeth too high take bitter pith; too small give wet zest; OXO etched rasp among the worst; Preferred rasps about 12 inches long; longer felt awkward; Store covered; no dishwasher.
11. [Reviewed (USA Today), The Best Graters, updated 21 April 2022](https://www.reviewed.com/cooking/best-right-now/the-best-graters) (specialist review). Supports: Stamped fine holes turn Parmesan to powder; etched fine holes give fluffy results; Etched plates flex on hard vegetables; Most people use only the coarse side; 6-sided box no better; Grater holes cannot be sharpened.
12. [Microplane Product Catalog 2026 (PDF)](https://central.microplane.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Microplane-2022-catalog.pdf) (spec sheet). Supports: How photo-etching works; Patent protection 1990 to 2010; Blade guide from spice to shaver; Zester blade gives ultra-fluffy result.
13. [Microplane, About Us](https://microplane.com/pages/about-us) (spec sheet). Supports: Brand claim that stamped blades are dull and etched teeth sharper.
14. [Microplane, Premium Classic Zester/Grater product page](https://microplane.com/products/premium-classic-series-lemon-zester) (spec sheet). Supports: Ships with a reusable protective cover for safe storage and sharpness.
15. [Microplane, Professional Y Serrated Blade Stainless Steel Peeler product page](https://microplane.com/products/professional-y-serrated-blade-stainless-steel-peeler) (spec sheet). Supports: Brand markets serrated Y peeler for potatoes, carrots and parsnips; Spec fields: dimensions, blade length, dishwasher.
16. [Microplane, Jar Top Spiralizer product page](https://microplane.com/products/jar-top-spiralizer-black-html) (spec sheet). Supports: Handheld spiralizers exist as a format distinct from crank models.
17. [Amazon, Microplane 4-Sided Box Grater (B000W8AMOO)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W8AMOO) (retail listing). Supports: Title lists blade styles and photo-etched; Rows: Material, Style, Product Dimensions, Item Weight; Bullets: dishwasher safe, safety cover included.
18. [Amazon, Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler (B0000DE824)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DE824) (retail listing). Supports: Blade Material Type row: Carbon Steel; Bullet: works in right or left hand; Bullet: do not clean in dishwasher.
19. [Amazon, OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler (B00004OCIP)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004OCIP) (retail listing). Supports: Blade Material Type row: Stainless Steel; Straight peeler titled 'Swivel Peeler'; Style row repeats it.
20. [Wikipedia, Peeler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peeler) (primer). Supports: Straight and Y types; swivel means pivoting blade; Double-edged blades work in either direction and hand; Rex Y peeler has a carbon-steel blade; Crank apple peelers peel, core and slice.
21. [Wikipedia, Grater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grater) (primer). Supports: Box, paddle, rasp and rotary drum styles; Graters used for cheese, vegetables, zest and spices.
22. [Wikipedia, Spiral vegetable slicer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_vegetable_slicer) (primer). Supports: Spiralizers usually carry blades for spaghetti, ribbons and wide spirals; Vegetable clamped between blade and crank.
23. [Wikipedia, Apple corer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_corer) (primer). Supports: Tube corers keep apples whole; push-through corers also slice.
24. [Wikipedia, Pineapple cutter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_cutter) (primer). Supports: A cylindrical cutter spirals the flesh and removes the core in one motion.
25. [Tasting Table, Alton Brown's Preferred Type Of Vegetable Peeler](https://www.tastingtable.com/1141693/alton-browns-preferred-type-of-vegetable-peeler/) (other). Supports: Y peelers take a deeper, wider bite on heavy peels and large surfaces.
26. [Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (EUR-Lex, via Internet Archive)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32004R1935) (regulator). Supports: Article 3: no transfer of constituents that endangers health or changes food; Article 15(1)(a): 'for food contact', a use indication, or the symbol; Article 15(2): exempts obviously food-contact articles from any indication.
27. [21 U.S.C. 321(s), definition of food additive, via Cornell LII](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/321) (regulator). Supports: Food additive: a substance expected to migrate into food, unless GRAS or prior-sanctioned.