The $15 Kitchen Tool That Elevates Appetizers

3 holiday appetizer recipes + the zester that makes them shine.

December 10, 2025

Zest Up Your Appetizers!

A Christmas Cooking Dilemma: You're serving the “usual” appetizers again this year. Same old cheese plates and bland dips. It’s time to level up your starters for the next gathering! Here's the 60-second fix pros use to make the first course look and taste gourmet.

The secret? Microplane Premium Classic Zester, the $15 cooking-saver.

Why Your Box Grater is Sabotaging Your Starters

Most zesters either grate too deep (bitter pith) or too shallow (no flavor). The Microplane sits in the middle as it features 400 micro-teeth that shave only the flavorful, aromatic outer layer. 

Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester

Three Appetizers You Can Pull Off This Holiday

BAKED BRIE

Brie wheel wrapped in puff pastry with cranberry sauce.

The Zester Upgrade: Grate lemon zest over the cranberries to balance the brie’s richness.

SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Chilled shrimp served with tangy cocktail sauce over ice.

The Zester Upgrade: Stir fresh lemon zest into your cocktail sauce for instant bright flavor.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Mushroom caps stuffed with cream cheese and garlic.

The Zester Upgrade: Grate lemon and Parmesan zest on top before serving for some crunch and texture.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This plane/zester is great quality. It has about an 8 inch blade and 4 inch handle and comes with a plastic cover for the blade. It is very sharp but you can zest an orange or lemon quickly. I haven't tried it on cheese yet but I am sure it will do an excellent job on any block cheese... The blade is made in the USA and the handle is a sturdy plastic. I think it will last for many years." – Linda, Verified User

*this is a real review

Want to zest up more holiday appetizers?

We put together a recipe guide to Holiday Appetizers: Easy Crowd-Pleasers. It features baked brie, stuffed mushrooms, charcuterie boards, and more starters, all perfect for the festivities. Each recipe takes 30 minutes or less. Give your new grater a try!

P.S. Don't own a Microplane yet? Here's the Amazon link one more time before you forget and panic-order the night before your party.