I use a lot of ginger, so much so that nearly every trip to the grocery store requires a quick pass through the produce department to grab a knob of it. I put it in stir-fries, I add it to my morning smoothies, I bake it into everything I can. Its bright, sweet-hot, slightly floral flavor goes with pretty much everything I want to eat.
The only problem is I loathe grating it. For years I’ve used the rasp-style Microplane zester-grater, which works great to cut through the root’s tough fibers. But within a few months those little rectangular teeth become so dull they stop cutting and start mashing. Instead of a nice pile of grated ginger I end up with juicy mush.
The mush still works in recipes, of course, but it’s problematic. First of all, I feel like I’m losing tons of precious juice to my cutting board. Second, it measures differently. It’s basically a puree. And one tablespoon of ginger puree has a lot more ginger in it than one tablespoon of fluffy grated ginger bits. (And, yes, I typically use ginger by tablespoon.)
Recently I noticed my rasp grater was getting dull once again. Before I forked over another $15 for a new one, I decided to find out if it really was the best option. A quick search revealed plenty of hardcore fans of old-school Asian-style ceramic graters. I gave up on mine long ago, but maybe I had a crummy one? And the Microplane website revealed the brand created a grater created specifically for ginger—one that Epicurious editor Joe Sevier had already praised. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a marketing ploy or if it really was better than my usual zester.
There was only one thing to do: try them all. With these three options in hand, I spent several weeks putting them to the test. Here’s how they stacked up.
The Best If You Want Ginger Puree: Ceramic Ginger Grater
Kyocera Ceramic Ginger Grater
Sorry, but I still don’t love this tool. It’s true that ceramic graters are fantastic at turning fibrous roots like ginger and wasabi into a puree. But when I’m grating ginger, a puree isn’t what I’m after. Admittedly the Kyocera ceramic ginger grater is definitely a step up from my decades-old Asian market find that’s currently gathering dust. Its rubber bottom kept it from sliding even when I applied a lot of pressure. And the little ceramic nubs in the center are really sharp and positioned in different directions for maximum shred. I had a lot of thoughts about this one, though, so let’s break it down.
What I liked:
- When I want fiber-less ginger puree and juice, this is the tool I'll use. All the fibers get left behind either on the root itself or the ceramic nubs, while the puree and juice gets funneled to the trough.
- It’s small, round, and easy to slip into a drawer, and cute enough to hang on display.
What I didn’t like:
- These days most recipes featuring ginger are developed using a rasp-style grater, which produces fluffy bits rather than a puree. The puree is more concentrated because it doesn’t have tiny bits of fiber in the mix. So with ceramic graters there’s a risk of using too much ginger in recipes (though admittedly that’s not really a bad thing in my book).
- It takes about three times longer to grate 1-inch of ginger on a ceramic grater than a rasp grater. I would cry if I had to use it to grate large amounts.
- It really works best with very plump and juicy ginger. It needs lots of moisture to push the ginger pulp out from the fibrous shreds and into the trough. I tried using a slightly sub-par root that was lurking in my produce drawer and it turned into an unusable tangle with all the goodness tied up in the shreds. (The Microplanes, however, could still make good use of that older knob.)
- The tiny ceramic nubs are hard to clean. I felt like they hijacked some of the ginger pulp and I couldn’t get it out. The nubs quickly became clogged with fibers too, and tore up my dish sponge when I tried to clean between them. Some ceramic graters come with a little brush with tiny bristles, but that’s just another tool to have to keep track of and store.
- It’s still possible to nick your fingers or knuckles on ceramic nubs. You may not bleed as much as you would if you cut yourself on a Microplane, but my skinned knuckle is proof that ceramic graters are not entirely pain-free.
The Best If You Want a Multi-Tasker: Microplane Zester-Grater
The Microplane Classic Series Zester
This is the workhorse I’ve been using for more than a decade. The tiny rectangular metal teeth are super sharp and cut through the ginger root’s fibers, rather than separating the flesh and juice from them as with a ceramic grater. The fibers end up too small to really be detectable in a dish, and it results in less waste. I was able to easily grate 1 inch of ginger in 50 seconds, and since the grater was new and sharp, I didn’t have to push too hard. My knuckles came through unscathed.
What I liked:
- I love that this grater is a multi-tasker that’s just as efficient at removing citrus zest and finely grating hard cheeses and garlic cloves. Its slim design fits pretty well in my utensil crock too.
What I didn't like
- What I don’t love is that it seems to get dull rather quickly. When it does, it has trouble cutting through the fibers without creating a gingery mush. I also don’t love how the edges along the back are curled over, so I can’t just swipe down the length of it to remove the ginger clinging to the back. I have to use the handle of a spoon to fit in between the edges and scrape.
The Best Ginger Grater, Period: Microplane 3-in-1
Microplane 3-in-1 Ginger Tool
One inch of ginger was all it took to tell me this is the most superior ginger grating tool out there. With very little effort I had that one nub grated all the way down in 30 seconds. I subsequently grated even more and found the tool never got clogged like my zester-grater.
