Quick Tip: Clean Your Zester With Heat Not Water

published Dec 10, 2010
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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

For the last several weeks we’ve been putting a new idea to the test when it comes to the cleaning of zesters. We’ve been zesting every chance we get (really it’s a rough job, but someone had to do it) and have come to the official conclusion — we don’t need water to clean our zesters or microplaners.

What? No water!? That’s ridiculous — which is what I thought too until I gave it a try. For the last several weeks anytime we’ve busted out our zester or microplaner, when we’re finished we haven’t washed it and instead of placed it near a heat source.

Someimtes that meant next to the stove, other times it meant across a pot on the stove top where the fan could recirculate the air around it, other times it simply meant leaving it in the window to dry out. After a small amount of heating or rapid air movement the left behind zested bits fall off, leaving the tool good as new. Sometimes it requires a light brushing, but we haven’t washed these specialized tools in a few weeks.

Sure it sounds kind of… well… dirty and we get that. But with a little dry time and a wipe down, they’ve been as good as new in our kitchen. Neat trick huh? Let us know if you plan on giving it a try in the comments below!