Nigella Lawson never goes on holiday without this £25 buy
It turns out that Nigella Lawson’s enthusiasm for cooking never takes a backseat – even during her summer holidays. Set to star as a new judge in the upcoming series of The Great British Bake Off this autumn, the chef and cookbook author has been detailing the cooking essentials she can’t bear to part from, especially when making do in an unfamiliar holiday kitchen.
From her eventual conversion to using one of the best air fryers to the rice cooker she recommends as the ultimate foodie gift, Nigella has long been a source of inspiration for our kitchen buying decisions here at Ideal Home.
Now, writing in the Financial Times this weekend, comes Nigella’s admission that she takes not one, but two Microplane graterson her travels with her, alongside a host of other cooking gadgets. Here’s why she’s so attached to this specialist cooking must-have (and why the Ideal Home team love it too!).
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Nigella’s holiday essential
It seems that Nigella’s trusty pair of Microplanes (which, for the uninitiated, is a brand seen as the gold standard for grating in kitchens) are never far from her side, even when she’s meant to be taking a relaxing break.
She admits that while she ‘really should only take one Microplane grater’ on her travels, she’s fallen into the habit of taking multiple. Nigella says she uses ‘two, both fine, one of which I use for garlic and ginger; the other one for zesting lemons’.
Microplane
Stainless Steel Zester/Grater
This handheld grater is not only one of Nigella Lawson’s staples but it’s also a perennial John Lewis bestseller. An array of handle colours are available too, including Dusky Rose and Denim Blue. If it’s good enough for Nigella…
Though I can’t claim to have quite Nigella’s level of all-round food wisdom, I’m a total Microplane obessesive too – I recently cited as within my top 3 kitchen essentials that I’d never part with, even after a ruthless declutter.
My preferred design right now is this Grate and Store design (£39.95 via Selfridges) as I like using the container element to store leftover shavings. I use it for garlic, ginger, cheese and for zesting lemons when I need to. It’s never out of use in my house.
But Nigella’s insistence on a finer lemon zest, which means she probably uses the brand’s dedicated professional tool (£32 at Amazon), has me thinking that I might need to upgrade to a finer companion version too.
The difference between my grater and the brand’s tailor-made zester is that is has more packed in ‘teeth’ on its textured side for taking the outermost layer off a lemon, essential for not hitting the bitter white pith underneath. This more delicate tool is better for achieving a restaurant result when zesting – which explains why Nigella simply can’t choose between the two tools when she’s packing her bags to go away.
(Image credit: Future PLC/ James French)
I’m not the only member of the Ideal Home team to have joined the cult-following that Microplane tends to amass. Both our Digital Editor Rebecca Knight and Print Editor Ginevra Benedetti swear that a Microplane is worth it. Ginevra picked hers up over 9 years ago while on Holiday in Washington at Dean & DeLuca, and Rebecca has the handheld version and the Microplane mixing bowl grater (£26 at Amazon).
MICROPLANE
3-in-1 Wooden Grater
I love this multipurpose Microplane for everyday cooking. It’s like IKEA’s classic box grater design but elevated.
Microplane
Mixing Bowl Grater Fine Grater for Zesting & Spicing – Black and Grey
This is the bowl grater our Digital Editor Rebecca uses when grating large amounts of parmesan or zesting lemon into cakes. It fits neatly over a bowl so you don’t have to hold it when grating.
The other essentials that Nigella insists on accompanying her on her travels? She lists a ‘small Oxo handheld mandoline’ (like this one from Amazon for £16.50) as her next must-have, sensibly paired with a pair of cut-resistant gloves.
The final must-have? A garlic peeling tube (which you can pick up on Amazon for just £6, by Joseph Joseph) which allows you to peel a bulb without getting any garlicky residue on your fingers.
While plenty of people prefer the laid-back style of an all-inclusive, Nigella’s taking quite the treasure trove of cooking gadgets with her instead, which is just what you’d imagine for such a obsessed writer. I for one can’t wait for the return of Bake Off to our screens for even more inspiration from the nation’s favourite TV chef!
