Mash, muddle and grind with Motoshige’s hand-crafted mortar and pestle. Comprised of a suribachi, or bowl/mortar, and surikogi, a stick/pestle, this traditional Japanese tool is unlike American-made versions—the mortar has an unglazed interior finished with fine grooves. The sleek ridges aren’t just decorative; they grip ingredients to help bruise herbs, grind seeds and mash pastes much more efficiently than a smooth interior would and help ingredients release aromatic compounds. The sturdy base is finished with silicone to prevent slipping, making it easier to use. While mortar and pestles of this style are a staple in most Japanese kitchens, we like Motoshige’s because of its sturdy composition. The suribachi is made of robust, hard clay that has minimal water absorbency and is resistant to corrosive substances like salt and acid; plus, the ridges intersect in a unique pattern for easier muddling and mashing (no endless pounding here). The surikogi is made of sancho wood and easily takes on whole spices, chilies and more.

The bold flavor of fresh-ground spices is one of the simplest ways to change the way you cook, you just need a tool that can handle the job. This Danish-designed spice grinder is up to the task. One of the best manual grinders we’ve tried for performance, ease of use and durability, it works double duty, both as a day-to-day pepper grinder and as a whole spice grinder for your favorite spice blends and custom curry powders. The precision ceramic grinding mechanism is smooth, effective and micro-adjusts for an even grind, from chunky-coarse to a fine, powdery dust. And it produces a remarkable amount with each easy turn of the extra-long, leveraged handle—even for the densest spices. The easy-open hopper door also makes filling easy while its stainless steel surface is a breeze to clean; grease and fingerprints wipe right off.

After 18 months of testing in the Milk Street kitchen, we can honestly say the Cuisipro Dual Grater is the best wand grater we’ve ever used. It functions the same as any other standard wand grater, although with an ergonomically shaped handle that provides a more secure grip. But the real standout is how sharp it stays. Cuisipro’s exclusive technology relies on a repeated grooved pattern to strike the right balance to grate more with less resistance, which keeps the razor-sharp blades sharper, longer. This grater is also equipped with two grating sizes, coarse for cheeses and vegetables, and fine for citrus, hard cheese and ginger. Plus, the tool is protected with a plastic cover that doubles as a measuring device.

The moHA! ginger grater has blades that are arranged in all directions for steady grating, as opposed to a one-directional rasp grater. But like with a wand-style rasp grater, moHA!'s cutting surface is made of sharp and durable precision-cut stainless steel. When you rotate the device, an integrated cleaning arm sweeps in a circular motion to scrape shavings off the blade, so all of the grated food ends up in your recipe, not stuck in crevices. A small compartment catches food shavings, for less mess and easier measuring; plus, the concave sides are comfortable to hold and allow you to keep a firm grip on the grater during use. The moHA! Ginger Grater has pieces that detach easily for cleaning, but the device stays together during use. When you're done using it, simply disassemble and toss it in the dishwasher.

This box grater features four cutting sides—coarse grate, medium grate, fine grate and slice—all made from etched metal, which increases each blade’s sharpness and durability, and they won’t buckle under pressure. And unlike other brands, which often have a thick frame of metal or plastic between each cutting surface, Cuisipro extends each of their grater's cutting surfaces to the edge: more area means easier slicing, quicker grating and less work, so you can tackle soft foods like certain cheeses and sturdy veggies like carrots with ease. Plus, there aren’t any extra nooks and crannies for bits of food to get stuck in, making for easier cleanup. Its ergonomic top handle is coated in comfortable, nonslip rubber, and the grater has a rubberized detachable base that holds it steady, measures volume and collects the gratings. You can simply grate, measure, remove and dump directly into your pan without extra fuss.

The Garlic Slicer Mincer Set from Microplane perfectly marries form and function—with a shape that fits snugly in your hand and two different blades for mincing, grating and slicing notoriously unruly garlic into uniform pieces. Along with an integrated removable scraper and transparent collection chamber, it also features two different blades specially made for slicing and mincing. This tool can tackle three or more cloves at a time efficiently and safely without needing to contend with a heavy chef’s knife, precarious mandolin or even a cutting board, keeping your fingers away from danger (and that ever-lingering garlic odor).

And it’s not just efficient—thanks to Microplane’s thoughtful design, it’s also incredibly user-friendly: Simply attach the chute to your cutting plate of choice, then position both in the clear bottom cup. Add the peeled cloves to the chute and insert the plunger on the top handle into the shoot and then press gently with the lid and slide it back and forth along the cutting plate, watching as expertly-sliced garlic cascades into the cup—ready to be bloomed in butter to toss with pasta or pan-fried into savory garlic chips. When you’re done, use the scraper to sweep your fresh garlic from the cup and into your pan. Thanks to its stainless steel blades, the tool is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup—simply dismantle and toss in the top rack. You won’t have to worry about it’s pieces getting lost in your kitchen drawer either: Nestle the scraper back into the lid and click onto the base with the blades inside to compactly package the parts together.

The Aroma Grater from triangle Tools was designed for breaking down delicate aromatics—like ginger, garlic, citrus peel, wasabi and more—without leaving excess fiber in the pulp. The Aroma’s specially designed plastic teeth and stainless steel casing separate into two pieces, so any unwanted fibers—like the stringy ones from ginger—stay stuck on the plastic, leaving only smooth pulp for you to slide into your bowl.

This innovative peeler was developed with smart design elements after testing about 200 other different peelers. Don’t let its visual simplicity fool you—the Ever Peeler is a 2020 Good Design Award winner. The blade is made from 440A stainless steel, normally used for high quality knives, so it stays sharp with daily use and slices through produce with the utmost ease, unlike other flimsy brands. It makes quick work of even the toughest, hard-skinned foods like butternut squash, breaking it down into paper-thin shavings. Plus, it’s eco-friendly, too, featuring replaceable blade inserts that switch out easily. No need to throw away the whole peeler. Its handle also is ergonomically shaped and comes in different shapes for right handed and left handed users, making it comfortable to use no matter what.

This charming ceramic pot functions as a two-in-one garlic storage container and grater. Three holes in the side provide ample air circulation to keep garlic fresh, while the jar shields the cloves from light, which can lead to sprouting. Our favorite feature is the lid, which conceals a grating surface on its underside. The ceramic nubs are arranged in a spiral pattern reminiscent of Japanese-style ginger graters; Mason Cash's adaptation is highly effective and easy to scrape clean. And unlike with wand-style graters, there are no sharp teeth that will scrape fingers or snag sponges or towels—in fact, the whole product is dishwasher-safe.

The moHA! ginger grater has blades that are arranged in all directions for steady grating, as opposed to a one-directional rasp grater. But like with a wand-style rasp grater, moHA!'s cutting surface is made of sharp and durable precision-cut stainless steel. When you rotate the device, an integrated cleaning arm sweeps in a circular motion to scrape shavings off the blade, so all of the grated food ends up in your recipe, not stuck in crevices. A small compartment catches food shavings, for less mess and easier measuring; plus, the concave sides are comfortable to hold and allow you to keep a firm grip on the grater during use. The moHA! Ginger Grater has pieces that detach easily for cleaning, but the device stays together during use. When you're done using it, simply disassemble and toss it in the dishwasher.

This Mortar and Pestle's deep bowl, which is about 4.5 inches in diameter, will contain all of your spices as you're cracking or grinding, for fewer crumbs and bits on your kitchen counter. The pestle is 7 inches long and tapered to allow for comfort and control—a firm grip on the pestle makes grinding easier on your hand, and you won't have to worry about scraping it against the edges of the bowl. And, since the mortar is solid all the way through to its base, it provides a stable foundation for grinding spices finely or crushing herbs to release their aromas, as with our Italian-style Spicy Garlic and Herb Oil. This version, carved from unpolished granite, has a generous 2-cup capacity, which means you can make larger quantities of pesto or chimichurri at a time than with other brands.

This mortar and pestle set from German company Zassenhaus is durable, efficient and easy to use, with ergonomic handles and convenient pour spouts for less mess. The nearly indestructible cast iron is ideal for grinding foods, as its coarse surface creates more friction to release aromatic compounds from spices and herbs and achieve a finer texture. And because the mortar is made from a single piece of metal, it can be cleaned more easily and thoroughly than stone models. We also like that it's lightweight and more practical for daily use than cumbersome granite. And because it's thinner, both the sides and edge of the mortar are easier to grip while in use, for quicker, more effective grinding.