OXO Good Grips Citrus Zester With Channel Knife Review (2026)

Who this zester and channel knife fits

OXO built this tool for anyone who regularly needs citrus garnish, whether that is fine zest stirred into a syrup or batter, or a long citrus twist draped over a cocktail glass. Home bartenders making drinks that call for an expressed peel or a spiral twist, such as an Old Fashioned or a Martini, get direct use out of the channel knife side, while the zesting holes cover baking, cooking and drink garnishes that call for fine citrus strands rather than a twist. Anyone who only ever needs one function, either zesting or twists, could get by with a single-purpose tool, but combining both in one handle saves a drawer slot for anyone who uses both regularly.

What the dual-sided design includes

The tool measures roughly 8.8 inches long by 4.6 inches wide by 1.3 inches thick, with a stainless steel head built to resist rust over repeated use and washing. One side carries a row of small sharp holes for zesting, pulling fine strands of citrus peel away from the fruit without much of the bitter white pith underneath. The other side is a channel knife, a single sharp notch designed to cut a continuous strip of peel in one pass along the fruit, which is the cut used for long cocktail twists. The handle uses OXO's Good Grips soft, non-slip material, designed to stay comfortable and secure even with wet hands from citrus juice.

Using it and keeping it clean

For zesting, dragging the small-holed side across a citrus fruit in one direction pulls off fine strands quickly, useful for garnishing a drink or stirring zest into a syrup or dessert. The channel knife side takes more practice, since cutting a single, unbroken strip that spirals cleanly around the fruit means keeping steady pressure and a consistent angle as you rotate the fruit or the blade. The tool is listed as dishwasher safe, and the stainless steel head is built not to rust, so cleanup after citrus work does not require special hand washing, though rinsing it promptly after use keeps citrus oils from building up on the blade edges.

How it compares with single-purpose tools

Against a plain zester without a channel knife, this tool adds the ability to cut long twists in the same handle, which matters for anyone garnishing cocktails as well as cooking. Compared with combination citrus and cheese graters from other brands, this OXO tool focuses specifically on zesting and channel cutting rather than trying to also handle cheese or vegetables, which keeps the blade geometry better suited to clean citrus work. For someone who wants one dedicated tool that does both common citrus garnish jobs well rather than a multi-purpose grater that compromises on either function, this two-sided design is the more focused choice.

Verdict and who should pick something else

For home bartenders and cooks who need both fine citrus zest and clean peel twists from the same drawer tool, this OXO zester and channel knife covers both jobs with a comfortable grip and easy dishwasher cleanup. It earns its strong reputation as an everyday citrus tool. Anyone who only ever zests fine citrus and never needs long twists, or who wants a single tool that also handles cheese grating, would be better served by a simpler dedicated zester or a combination grater instead, since the channel knife side is extra capability that goes unused without cocktail garnishing.

Frequently asked questions