Sure, you could use a chef’s knife to chop garlic into tiny bits or smash it into a paste, but if you’re aiming for speed (aren’t we all?), it’s a lot easier to use a press to crush garlic right into your salad bowl or frying pan. Plus, we’ve found that there’s also a huge difference in flavor. When we topped spaghetti with olive oil and garlic (some pressed, some minced with a knife), we found the flavor was far more intense in the batch made with the garlic press.
So which press is best? After testing 35 of them, we liked the Vacu Vin Garlic Press ($25, amazon.com) the most. Using the Vaci Vin, our tests showed you can press through almost all of a peeled and unpeeled clove (not having to peel equals more time saved!). Even better, this garlic press was large enough to hold a couple cloves at once.
And we know how getting out of the kitchen after dinner and onto helping with homework or curling up on the couch is also a priority, so we like to see a press that has a cleaning mechanism or scraper to help you get rid of any residue before you wash it. During our testing, we found it was rare for any press to come out of the dishwasher with all the little holes clean and clear. But the one that did was our winning Vacu Vin.
Another thing to think about when you’re out shopping is how you like your garlic chopped. If you like little cubes, look for a press with larger holes. For a finer, more “grated” chop, choose one with smaller openings.
Ready to get cooking? Once you’re in full garlic mode, keep these other useful tips in mind:
• The best place to store garlic is in a dry place at room temperature, not the fridge.
• If you need to peel the garlic before crushing it, use the flat edge of a large knife, and push down on a clove until you hear it crack. Then, peel away the skin.
• To get the garlic smell off your hands, wash them with soap and water, and then rub them over a stainless steel item, like a soup spoon or your faucet.
