Buying guide for Best garlic presses
If you don’t have the best knife skills – or the most patience – mincing garlic can be quite a chore. First, you have to peel it. Next, you have to crush it; most cooks use the edge of a knife to crush the clove. Then, you have to use that knife to mince the small, uneven garlic into minute slivers. That’s a lot of steps for one little garlic clove. As they say in the infomercials, “There’s got to be a better way!”
Enter the garlic press. This little contraption allows you to pop in a clove – peel and all – and squeeze a handle. This forces a piston to press the garlic (hence the name) through a grid of tiny holes with the peel left behind. The result is a gooey garlic paste that you can easily pop into a skillet or saucepan, no knife needed.
Garlic presses have been around for a fairly long time – they’ve been used commonly in both restaurants and home kitchens for decades – so there are plenty out there to choose from.
Pressed garlic vs. minced garlic
If you have a good palate, you might be able to detect a difference in flavor between garlic that has been put through a press and that which has been minced with a knife. Some tastemakers claim that pressing garlic releases more of the clove’s oils for a pleasantly intense flavor. Others claim that minced garlic has a “purer” flavor that’s superior to its pressed counterpart.
In truth, garlic presses produce a more-than-suitable flavor with very little effort. One drawback that critics of garlic presses point to is that they are one-dimensional tools that take up valuable kitchen space. But modern garlic presses are small enough to easily fit into a drawer and hide away amongst your can opener and your microplane.
It all comes down to personal preference. If you like the taste of minced garlic enough to whip out the knife and do the work, then by all means, have at it. However, if you like the flavor of pressed garlic better – or you simply can’t tell much of a difference – then a garlic press is the way to go.
We look for garlic presses with durable hinges and determine how much pressure they require to operate. Stiff hinges may be challenging for users with hand issues like arthritis.
Cleaning a garlic press is an important part of owning one. We research how difficult it is to remove pieces of garlic from the block and bin. We also check to see if the press is dishwasher safe.
Although stainless steel is the material preferred by most home cooks and chefs, garlic presses are also available in die-cast zinc, plastic, aluminum, and wood. We look for garlic presses made of durable materials that can withstand frequent use.
We research how many garlic cloves the bin, also called a hopper, can hold. Spacious bins appeal to consumers because they are easy to load.
We value garlic presses with comfortable handles, a secure grip, and adequate leverage. The easier handles are to hold and squeeze, the quicker the garlic can be pressed.
We find out whether the garlic presses we consider are backed by a warranty. Some models are covered for a lifetime against defects and breakage.
Some presses come with extras, such as peelers or cleaning brushes. We appreciate well-made products that include these bonus accessories.
Storage is a key consideration. We look at how trim or bulky each model is and how much space it consumes in a cabinet drawer or utensil receptacle.
The best garlic presses convert cloves to a slightly creamy, paste-like consistency. We look for garlic presses that turn out delicious results.
The packaging of a garlic press matters to some consumers. When researching products, we note whether the box it arrives in makes it worthy of gift-giving.
How a garlic press works
Almost all garlic presses have the same design. They consist of two handles attached via a hinge. At the end of one handle is a bin with holes cut into one of its sides. At the end of the other handle is a block, also called a piston, that fits squarely inside the bin when the handles are pressed together and the hinge is closed.
Using a garlic press couldn’t be easier. First, you open the hinge and place a garlic clove (or cloves) inside the empty bin. Then, you simply squeeze the handles together. The block crushes the garlic in the bin and passes the puree through the holes. Thus, the garlic is broken down and ready for use much faster than if it were minced by hand with a chef’s knife.
Garlic press materials
While most garlic presses have similar builds, they can be made from a variety of materials.
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Stainless steel
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Die-cast zinc
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Aluminum
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Plastic
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Wood
Stainless-steel garlic presses are the most coveted on the market, due in large part to their sturdy construction and unmatched durability. Presses made from die-cast zinc are also durable, but they’re usually a little pricier and harder to find. Aluminum and plastic garlic presses cost less, but they tend to break more easily. Most wooden garlic presses have a metal piston or block to force the garlic through the perforations in the bin. These wooden presses can be aesthetically appealing if you are looking for a rustic design.
Expert TIp
To easily release fresh sticky garlic lodged in the press, soak the hopper in cold water for ten or 20 minutes. This causes the garlic to shrink and makes it easier to remove from the tiny holes.
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Garlic press prices
Most garlic presses range in price from $5 to $45, but they can be more expensive. Here’s what you can expect to get for your money.
$5 to $15
You can purchase a no-frills garlic press in this price range. Many are plastic or aluminum, but you will find some made of stainless steel, as well.
$15 to $30
You get a few more bells and whistles in this price range. For example, garlic presses with silicone cleaning brushes, ergonomic handles, and stylish designs are found here. Most are made of stainless steel, but you will find some that are made of heavy plastic.
$30 to $45
Most garlic presses in this higher price range are made of stainless steel and are engineered to require less user force. You’ll also find many with beveled holes and stainless-steel sieves that swing out for easy cleanup.
Over $45
For more than $45, you’ll get a little more convenience and a lot more style. These top-of-the-line garlic presses are typically dishwasher-safe, require almost no effort to use, and come in a variety of shapes, designs, and colors.
Expert Tip
If you have leftover herbs dying in the back of your fridge, chop them up, mix with a couple of sticks of butter, add a LOT of salt, and squeeze two or three cloves of garlic through your press and into the mix. Combine well with a fork and wrap it in plastic wrap for amazing compound butter you can use on finished steaks, savory English muffins, and roasted potatoes.
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Cleaning your garlic press
Some garlic presses are dishwasher-safe for utmost convenience, but if yours isn’t, don’t worry; these helpful tools are still relatively easy to clean.
If your garlic press came with a silicone brush, use that to scrub the debris stuck in the bin and jammed in its holes. If you don’t have a silicone brush, a toothbrush or pastry brush will also get the job done.
For stubborn residue, try scraping it away with a toothpick. To make cleanup easier, think ahead and lightly coat the inside of the press with a flavor-neutral cooking spray before you use it.
Expert Tip
After washing your press, leave it open on a towel on the counter to completely dry all parts.
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Tips
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Garlic presses made of stainless steel are preferable because they help neutralize the garlic odor.
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Some nontraditional garlic presses are cube-shaped and come with a bin to collect the pressed garlic. Most of these are made of plastic, and users have reported durability issues.
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Choose a garlic press with a large hopper or bin so it will be easy to load the garlic.
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Passing garlic through a press ensures consistent texture, which results in an even distribution of flavor in whatever you’re cooking.
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A garlic twister is not the same as a garlic press, so don’t be fooled. A garlic twister is made of two detachable parts that rotate and cut – not press – the garlic. You might as well use a knife.
FAQ
Q. How do I know if I need a garlic press?
A. It’s estimated that garlic is used or called for in almost one-fourth of all recipes. So, if you’re an avid home cook, a garlic press will really save you time over the long run. If you prefer the flavor of minced garlic – or if you just want to work on your knife skills – a garlic press probably isn’t right for you.
Q. What should I look for when buying a garlic press?
A. Search out a press with handles that feel comfortable in your hand. Also, make sure the hinge opens and closes easily. If you don’t care for any of the dishwasher-safe models available, look for a garlic press that can be disassembled for easy cleaning.
Q. Does garlic have to be peeled before it is put through a garlic press?
A. No. One of the most convenient aspects of using a garlic press is that it removes the peel and leaves it in the hopper while the garlic itself is squeezed out through the perforations.
