Victorinox 40493 5.3500-X1 Zester, Wood Handle, Stainless-Steel, Brown

Is this a joke?£58 for a zester?No wonder no one has bought it, ay?

Victorinox Zester with Wood HandleThis zester has a high carbon head with none of that flex that some of the cheaper versions have, this is not going to bend with vigorous use, and is a rugged and attractive tool that will last a long time.I do wish it didn’t have a wood handle so I could throw it in the dishwasher, and that it had a channel on the side for wider strips, but Victorinox also produce a more affordable zester with a polypropylene handle that still has the high carbon head (I didn’t see that one till after I purchased this one) so I am going to purchase that one too and will also review it. Victorinox also sells a channel knife for those who want twists of lemon.Despite the need to handwash it, this Victorinox zester is a keeper. The handle is very attractive for those who prefer tools with wood handles. It has beveled sharp holes unlike some inferior zesters that have punched (blunt) holes and is very sharp and creates even strips of very thin zest. I did need to press a tiny bit harder than with some of my other zesters, but those zesters had other downsides as I explain in my other reviews, so for now this is #2 on my list of preferred zesters out of the many I have tried.I have a feeling that if the Victorinox zester with the polypropylene handle works as well as this one, it just might tie for #1 position!Highly recommended!MY SEARCH FOR A ZESTER THAT (SHOCK HORROR) ACTUALLY ZESTS!!!I wanted to buy another zester because I use mine so much it is always in the dishwasher when I need it.I couldn’t find the same style as the old one that I have. I’ve had it for a number of years and it works amazingly well except for a small design flaw on the handle that I have been working around. I thought maybe in purchasing a superior version, my current one could be put on emergency standby. I thought it would be a simple process, but I was wrong.I have tested zesters that don’t zest at all, zesters that only produce horrible little wobbly looking, thin zest fragments, zesters that are hard to hold, zesters that produce great thin zest but don’t make good zest curls with the channel knife on the side, zesters that don’t have a channel knife at all etcThe journey has been so frustrating and disappointing I thought I should provide my zest research free of charge to assist you to make a good zester decision :)As for the 5 star reviews on some of these zesters that zest terribly, I have given a lot of thought to this and have come up with some reasons this could happen.Perhaps it is because a good zester is so hard to find that the people giving them a 5 star rating have never had the advantage of using a good zester?But, some of the zesters I tried could be considered “decorative only” as the holes are completely blunt, they don’t cut any zest AT ALL even with a lot of pressure, so they are completely useless. But they have good reviews. So either those particular reviews must be either fake, or by people who got it for free but never actually used it, or maybe the company started out with a good version and then cut corners and did the old switcheroo. This all makes me so mad.To date I have tried many zesters and have returned a few and kept a few and tossed a few in the trash. I am ranking them so you don’t get fooled by the good reviews on some of these, as I did.As a public service to all those hunting for a zester that zests, I have posted reviews on all of the ones I have tried so far and ranked them from best to worst. I still have a couple in my cart to try so keep checking back if you want the latest news.To read my other zester reviews navigate to my profile and scroll down my reviews to find them. Or go to my profile and click on my ideas list to see a link for each zester I have tested and reviewed. You can then click on the link to be taken to the product page to read my review there. You can also “follow me” from my review page to be notified when I post another review. I review a lot of cookbooks and kitchen products and ingredients, so if you are interested in this review you may enjoy many of my other reviews also.If this has been helpful to you would you click the helpful button? I spend a lot of time on my reviews and get a huge kick out of seeing that it helped like-minded customers filter through all the crap out there :)

I love this gadget. Years ago, it was recommended on one of those kitchen gadgets you can't live without lists. I thought I'd try it. So glad I did. I've never had this kind of zester before and it really makes such a difference. Works excellent for my household needs. I bought this one after I misplaced my last one. I'd buy another if I lost it tomorrow.

Nice sharp bladed holes and a comfortable sturdy wood handle make this a very nice tool. Use it for citrus zest, but its also a great way to shred a small amount of carrot for a garnish. What a great way to peel a cucumber, too, as it makes a beautiful gear-tooth design when you cut them into circles! one of the nicest kitchen tools I own.

Victorinox reliably makes durable, functional tools. Their kitchen items are no exception. This zester works well though you will have to 'hunt' a wee bit to find the angle that works best. It does require a bit of hand strength as well.

And works great. Makes long thin curls of citrus peel. Totally great!