The 12 Best Zesters in 2023

With this tool, you can prepare your recipes fast and easy ranging from cheese, nutmeg, ginger, lemons, oranges, chocolate, citrus, and vegetables. The tool is dishwasher safe and comes along with a white cover for covering the blades when storing it on your drawer, minimizing any chances of injuring yourself.

Its blades are ultra-sharp and made from rustproof stainless steel for optimal zesting experience and durability. Do not get fooled by the name. Aside from grating lemon and cheese; you can also use the tool for zesting vegetables and citrus fruits. Once you are done with your zesting, you can clean it in a dishwasher and dry it.

A protective cover is also included for protecting your hand from the sharp blades. When storing your grater, you can either hang it on your shelf or drawer.

A non-sticky coating has been used to allow for a smoother grating even for the hardest to zest ingredients. The coating also minimizes the sticky recipes from getting stuck on the surface making cleaning a breeze. The tool includes a marked container which helps catch all the zested ingredients and allows you to keep track of your grated food. The container also facilitates easy pouring of your recipes on to your food making your cooking fun.

Factors to Consider When Buying the Best Zester

Once in a while, your meals will call for zest, and preparing your ingredients the traditional way is hectic, and time-consuming. At such scenarios, this is where your zester comes for your rescue. However, the question is, does the device have the capability to zesting your food? Note that not every zester out there will give you what you what. But with the right information, you can easily identify one that matches your cooking needs.

Quality

The quality of your zester determines your grating experience. Never fall for crappy deals. Some manufacturers tend to hype their products making it challenging for consumers to make decisions. But by checking out the features, you can quickly determine its quality.

One great way to identify a quality tool is by checking out the material used. However, while most manufacturers use stainless steel material to construct these tools, there is a reason why some will cost more than others. Quality goes hand in hand with cost.

To ensure you go for models that can withstand the test of time, consider tools that have rust-proof or coated surfaces.

Versatility

The versatility of your zester is one of the most critical factors to watch out for. When cooking, different meals will call for zest, and it can be very challenging when your zesting tool limits you from customizing your ingredients as preferred. Always get to know in advance what you can do with your tool.
It would help if you struck a balance between what you intend to use your tool for. For instance, if you only need a zester to garnish or add flavor to your drinks, then you should choose one that works best on the ingredients you intend to zest.
For baking or your cooking need, you ought to go for models that can zest your recommended foods.

Sharpness 

Quality zesters are made using surgical blade stainless steel with rustproof material to ensure you enjoy using the tool for years to come. Tools that have dull resistant blades and the ability to shear even the hard foods without calling for replacement or becoming blunt are also a good indicator of quality.
However, stainless steel is of different grades and not every model out there will have the capability to zest everything. This is why most manufacturers list the type of foods you can zest. For best results, avoid grating foods that are not recommended by the producer or else you will risk damaging your zester.

Zesting surface

Every zester out there features different zesting surface. And the bigger the gratings surface, the more the zest.

Handle material

While quality handle material plays a role in the durability of your tool, it should also have other features to help you complete your grating faster. A poorly designed handle will expose your hand and finger to injuries.

A good manufacturer designs a quality tool with the user in mind, and in this case, the material used should be slip resistant and comfortable. The handle should also take pressure from your hands allowing you to prepare your recipes effortlessly. These features minimize any chances of losing your tools grip while ensuring you do not strain your hand even when making large quantities.

Zest type

Zest type will vary from one person to another, and this is why the manufacturers design different tools to satiate all your zesting needs. However, you will be limited to specific zesting type depending on the device you choose. And before you can make your choice, you should know in advance the kind of zest you will get.
For instance, if you need to shear hard cheese, you should choose a tool that will allow you to attain an easy to melt zest. If you like slices or grated food, go for models which have blades designed for that purpose.
A curved zester with more blades is ideal for the hardest foods, and fewer blades are great for soft ingredients. For more customized foods, you may consider buying more than one model to help you achieve your designed results. However, never invest in more than one zester if you can get the same features in one tool.

Ease of use

A quality zester should have great features to facilitate easy preparation of your recipes. Smooth and coated surfaces offer smooth grating adding more fun to your cooking.

Other features

Some models have extra features which you cannot get from any standard zester. These features add convenience to your cooking making it more manageable. Tools with catching containers are some of the additional features which you can take advantage of for a mess-free zesting and convenience when quantifying your recipes.
Models with a squeegee offer you convenience by removing the wet zest without any need of using your fingers.
Ease of maintenance
Zesters require proper cleaning before storing. Models that are dishwasher safe make the cleaning process a breeze.

Warranty period

The warranty assures you of what you are buying; note that, not all manufacturers will cover consumers from across the globe. Some limit the geographical area and the warranty period. Get to know if your country is listed on the warranty and the cover period. Manufacturers who get you covered for a lifetime is a good indicator of quality products and are advocated for.

How to use a zester properly

Preparing your food requires proper use of your tools, or else you may risk contaminating your meals or drinks. Regardless of the model you use, this guide will help you prepare your zest as preferred.

Zesting your fruits

To prepare zest from your fruits, you need a citrus fruit zester which is recommended for the kind of fruit you intend to zest. Before making your zest, ensure the fruit is thoroughly washed and dry. Wet citrus can make your tool more slippery and can increase the risk of injuring your fingers.

Using minimal pressure, hold your handle properly with your less dominant hand and draw your fruit down on the sharp side to produce thin, curly and long strips for garnishing. This should be done carefully to avoid removing the bitter white part. It can be challenging at first, but with regular practice, you will perfect.

Zesting your fruits together with its white part will ruin your recipe.

Zesting hard cheese or chocolate

If you are looking for a fluffy cheese that melts easily for your salads and pasta, you should choose a tool that can shear your hard cheese faster. You will also need to apply more pressure, but that should not be anything to worry about.
Just rub your cheese in a down and upward motion and avoid applying excessive pressure that may break your handle or strain your hand. To prepare chocolate shavings for spicing up your deserts, all you need is to run it over your zester without using much strain and leave the blades to do the job.

Preparing other spices

When your meals call for zested recipes like ginger, garlic or cinnamon, all you need is to prepare them by removing the outer part using a knife and grind them along the tool. Be careful when making these spices as the blades may come into contact with your fingers. Remember to wash them before removing or peeling the outer part to prevent any contamination.

How to take care of your zester

The fact that you zester is made from high-quality rustproof material does not mean it does not require maintenance. Stainless steel requires proper maintenance to keep the chromium coating strong, and here is how to give your tool loving tender care.

Proper cleaning

After you are through using your zester, you need to toss it in your dishwasher and clean it thoroughly with hot water mixed with mild detergent. In case some of your zest is stuck on the blades, use a kitchen brush to remove it. Avoid using a scouring pad, stainless steel or steel wool to scrub off the surface or else you will end up with a rusted tool.

Rinse your tool in running water to ensure its sparkling clean. Use a clean towel and dry it. Avoid wiping your zester but rather pat it dry. Hang it for few hours to dry properly before putting the cover. If your tool does not have a protective cover, you can store it in a dry clean place away from any moisture. 

Tip: Kids should only use zesters with assistance but should never be allowed to clean them. 

Storage 

Every zester model will feature different storage options. Get to know the type of model you choose and its preferred storage mode. Zesters without protective covers require careful handling when removing them from your cupboard to avoid bruising your fingers.

Note that improper storage of your zester will risk damaging it or exposing it to rust.

Conclusion

Regardless of what you may be looking forward to zest, the market will have different tools to choose from. Each tool differs from each other, so you need to identify precisely what you would like in a zester. While some people will tend to give you suggestions on what worked for them, that does not mean is the right tool for you. Different people have different tastes and so do you.

Let your cooking help you identify the right tool. Best zesters are not hard to find. Only with the correct information and dedication, you can quickly identify a great tool. And with the help of our shopping guide, you will have all you need to choose that tool you have ever wished for.