I was very excited to try this grater/zester. First I tried cheese and it shredded perfectly then I did slices. Perfect also. Lastly I tried lemon, at first I thought I would cut myself because this thing is obviously sharp because of the way it went right through the cheese. I had no such problems. I ended up with nice lemon zest and the little cup was perfect for catching the juice. I made a delicious lemon pie. This product is easy to use and I was grateful to have it for Thanksgiving.