Rant: That $80 microplane I bought from a fancy brand dulled in 2 months

I dropped 80 bucks on a high-end microplane because everyone online swore it was the best. After maybe 2 months of light use in my home kitchen, it's already struggling to zest a lemon through properly. My old 15 dollar one from the grocery store lasted years before getting dull like this. Has anyone else had luck with a specific brand that holds an edge longer?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahcraig8d ago

Is it bad that my first thought was maybe you could use it to file down my hopes and dreams? I totally get the frustration though, spending that kind of money and having it crap out so fast feels like a personal betrayal. I've been burned by the "you get what you pay for" logic before, seems like sometimes you just get burned. There's probably some weird marketing magic that makes expensive stuff fail faster so you buy another one. Maybe try giving it a really good scrub with a stiff brush, sometimes little bits of stuff get wedged in there and make it feel dull. If that doesn't work, I'd be tempted to write a strongly worded review about it, but I'm also scared of the internet mob coming for me.

cole_murphy8d agoMost Upvoted

The real issue nobody's talking about is how microplane blades come from the same few factories in China or Germany regardless of the brand. @hannahcraig hit on something with that marketing magic comment because you're basically paying for a fancy handle and a sticker, not a better blade. Some of those expensive brands actually use thinner steel which cuts great at first but dulls fast because it flexes more during use. You might have better luck hitting up a restaurant supply store where they sell the generic ones meant for commercial kitchens that actually hold up. Kinda wild how the cheap stuff sometimes outlasts the premium gear, right?

stella_scott967d ago

Nah, you're not wrong. I bought a fancy brand microplane once and it dulled after three limes. The restaurant supply one I got for half the price is still going strong two years later. Plus those expensive handles get greasy and slip out of your hand anyway. It's basically a scam if you ask me.