Favorite Equipment

It turns a hard block of parmesan or a stubborn nub of nutmeg into a soft drift in seconds, and it takes the zest off a lemon without ever dragging up the bitter white pith. Nothing else in the drawer does one job this well.

Zesting citrus for cocktails and dressings, snowing parmesan over pasta, and grating garlic and ginger straight into the pan when I don't want to reach for a board. Rinse it the second you're done — dried-on zest is the only thing that dulls it.

Double-wall insulated stainless steel, so it goes painfully cold in your hand and stays that way — and it never sweats a ring onto the counter. The lid seals 100% leakproof, which means you can shake as hard as you want without ice water running down your wrist. This is the one every lemon drop on this site gets shaken in now.

Build the drink straight in the tin, add ice, screw the lid down tight and shake hard for ten to fifteen seconds until it's frosted over. Pop the cap and pour through the built-in strainer — no separate Hawthorne, no towel, no mess.