The Surprising Tool Richard Blais Thinks Is 'Useless' In The Kitchen

While Chef Richard Blais' rise to fame was thanks to his win on the popular cooking-based competition show "Top Chef: All-Stars," he has since proven exactly why he deserved such a prestigious win. After finishing in first place in 2011, Blais authored three cookbooks, judged various cooking shows, and even hosted his own competition show called "Cook Your Ass Off." With all of his accolades, many prospective Food Network stars and at-home chefs alike trust his judgment when it comes to his sharp opinions on kitchen tools. That is why it may have come as a shock to many when Blais said that the microplane is the most useless tool in the kitchen.

A microplane is a very similar tool to a grater, but the difference is that it is longer and thinner than other grating tools. Compared to a box grater with larger holes, microplanes are used for zesting lemons and limes as well as providing a much finer and smaller grated cheese by using smaller holes.

Despite calling it useless, Blais admits that a microplane is still a fun tool to have. His disdain mainly comes from the fact that anyone who purchases a microplane most likely has other tools to complete similar tasks already in their kitchen, like a knife to mince garlic or a box grater to shred cheese. He definitely has a point, as the star-shaped side of a box grater can be used in a similar fashion to a microplane, rendering a whole new tool — as Blais says — useless.

Ironically, fellow chef Andrew Zimmern actually considers the microplane a "must-have" in his kitchen due to its versatility. And while you can mince garlic using a knife or a garlic press, a microplane will also do the job. A microplane is also unique in the sense that its smaller holes have the benefit of keeping an ingredient's aroma consistent since the food is not being directly sliced. While the utensil is definitely divisive, its usefulness (or lack thereof) comes down to the preference of the chef.