Born in the workshop, the rasp was invented to shape or file wood; later it was discovered that a rasp could produce fragrant showers of fluffy zest. Since then it has evolved into a beloved kitchen tool. The 12-inch stainless-steel rasp provides a large surface area for zesting or grating and is amazingly light and easy to clean. It has hundreds of tiny, razor-sharp teeth that can transform hard Parmesan into airy, translucent flakes.

TO USE: Place the rasp on top of a lemon or lime and lightly stroke it back and forth. (Since you're not applying much force, you don't have to worry about scraping your knuckles.) The zest collects neatly on top so you can easily sweep it from tool to bowl. The zester is also excellent for grating ginger, chocolate, and whole spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Microplane zester, $10, www.amazon.com