Microplane - Since 1994

Based in Russellville, Arkansas, Microplane® - a division of Grace Manufacturing Inc., - is a premier global brand, renowned for engineering exceptionally sharp and effective culinary tools. It all started in 1967, when Chris Grace’s current CEO, grandfather Louis and father Richard opened their business in Michigan and then moved to Arkansas in 1976. The first product they made was a small component for computer printers. After the printer business started to change to laser printers in the early 1990’s, they had to think outside the box and come up with a new product. The company started to produce and specialize in sharp teeth for woodworking tools. In 1994, with a stroke of good fortune, a woodworking catalog in Toronto, Canada started marketing our Microplane® woodworking tools as food graters in their catalog and they became successful. At the time, many thought it was crazy to take a woodworking tool and market it as a food grater. However, by the late 1990’s famous TV Chefs like Martha Stewart and Julia Child had purchased Microplane® products. Then an article was printed in the "New York Times" food section about the woodworking tool that found its way into the kitchen, the business took off and the rest as they say is history…

Chris Grace joined the company in 2002 and in 2004 started to expand in Europe. With over 50 years’ experience of photochemical manufacturing, with North American and European operations, a worldwide distribution and a Mexico factory, the family-owned company, currently owns numerous process and design patents and designs and crafts successfully over 400 excellent products for its Microplane® kitchen, woodworking, and personal care division. Applying the most advanced technology and state-of-the-art engineering, Microplane® graters have revolutionized the way chefs and home cooks grate and zest a wide range of ingredients for flavorful, gourmet style cooking and baking. Microplane® is the original manufacturer of photo-etching cutting tools and continues to apply decades of expertise and food science to maintain its “cutting edge”, market leadership and stellar reputation for excellence among top restaurant chefs, professional bakers, cookbook authors and other culinary experts.

Microplane - History

The history of Microplane: From the workshop to the kitchen… By now, cooking aficionados worldwide are familiar with the story: The big moment came in 1994, when a Canadian housewife was making an orange cake. Out of frustration that her grater was tearing and shredding, she commandeered one of her husband’s favorite woodworking tools from his workshop. The blade slid effortlessly across the orange and the zest fell from its surface like snowflakes.

The discovery laid the foundation for the creation of Microplane® kitchen graters and an entire line of revolutionary graters was born. Globally recognized, Microplane is the original manufacturer to apply photo-etching technology to graters, an innovative process specifically designed to create ultra-sharp cutting edges. Made in the USA, the tiny teeth behave like extremely sharp knives to cut ingredients with precision rather than tearing or shredding like most stamped graters. The blade ensures that food does not stick or block, but instead gently slides along the cutting surface to produce perfect results every time. 50 years on and Microplane® is now the preferred grater of choice for professional chefs and cooking enthusiasts worldwide.