The Best Garlic Presses

Buying Guide for Garlic Presses

Why buy a garlic press?

If you often use garlic in your cooking, it makes sense to buy a garlic press since one of these handy tools makes crushing the bulbs safe, effective, and fast. Some of us have tried instruments like a sturdy spatula or mortar and pestle. You can mince garlic with a knife, then mash it with a fork. However, garlic presses are explicitly designed to make the process quicker and easier on the cook and more successful for better cooking. Cooking with garlic pressed correctly with the right tool will also leave you with less intense garlic-smelling hands.

What should you look for in a garlic press?

• Design: The sheer variety of garlic press designs is impressive. Consider them all: rockers, levered presses, presses with containers. Some models feature ergonomic easy-grip handles; others store the garlic while pressing it.
• Accessories: The right accessories make an okay garlic press the best. Look for products that include a silicone peeler. These flat, rubbery devices make peeling more effortless and less stinky than other methods. For example, many garlic presses have cleaning implements like small brushes or angled devices to remove bits from mincers.
• Material: Look for corrosion and rust-resistant material like stainless steel, BPA-free plastic, or treated aluminum alloy. Zinc alloy die-casting makes an impressively durable material as well.  Easy-grip material often consists of durable and soft PVC or polyurethane.

Are garlic presses easy to clean?

Generally, yes, especially if the model is safe to wash in the dishwasher. However, no matter the design’s effectiveness, easy-to-clean garlic presses still need extra love. It’s easy for small stray pieces of garlic to get stuck and not get dislodged, even when washed thoroughly. Look for models that come with cleaning brushes or scrapers. Garlic presses with clean, streamlined constructions are often easier to clean than others because it’s easier to reach the leftover garlic pieces.

Our Picks for the Best Garlic Presses

Pros: The ORBLUE stainless-steel garlic press appeals to the oleophobic among us, individuals who acknowledge those with an aversion to oils like the scented oil in garlic. The press comes with a peeler, a squishy silicone tube in which you place a garlic clove, then press and roll to break the skin without using your bare hands. Once peeled, place the clove into the roomy basket, and squeeze the ergonomic handles. The included brush makes cleanup ridiculously easy and thorough.

Cons: Many have expressed disappointment with the tool’s performance, noting that it squishes the garlic instead of mincing it and requires too much pressure. Some have also had difficulty cleaning the tool properly.

Bottom Line: This affordable, quality-made garlic press is easy to operate and clean, and it comes in several colors, too, even multicolored. It’s certainly worth a look for anyone who wants to speed up the cooking process or has arthritis or similar hand weaknesses.

 

Pros: Gracula by OTOTO Studio is not just any ordinary garlic press—it’s a functional and adorable addition to your kitchen that makes meal prep quick, easy, and fun. Its unique and ergonomic design ensures that your hands stay odor-free while you mince garlic, ginger, nuts, herbs, and more in seconds. This makes it perfect for anyone who loves to cook and wants to add a sprinkle of fun to their kitchen. Not only is it easy to use, but its compact size means it will only take up a little space in your kitchen. And there are two alternate design styles, including a rocker, if you prefer a slightly different model of the garlic press. Overall it’s a versatile kitchen gadget that will help you save time while adding extra flavor to your meals.

Cons: This may not be as efficient as a traditional garlic press and can require extra effort to clean and get all minced garlic out. It’s also not great for high-volume cooking since it’s capable of mincing only a few cloves at a time, and it’s not recommended for those with arthritis or weak wrists.

Bottom Line: This garlic press is a cute and functional gadget that can make meal prep easier and more enjoyable. Especially since, unlike some other garlic presses, this model is multifunctional enough to use on other types of herbs and nuts. So, why not give Gracula a try and elevate your cooking game today?

 

Pros: Want the best of the best in garlic presses? This baby has a die-cast zinc construction and ergonomic, easy-to-grip handles. No patience? No problem. Squeeze two or more cloves at once thanks to the large-capacity garlic chamber, forcing them through the perforated grid to create uniform pieces. Then flip over the handle with the red rubber nobs, and squeeze again to push out any remaining garlic peels.

Cons: You can only fit one clove into the large-capacity chamber. Some users found the holes too small and difficult to clean properly.

Bottom: The OXO garlic press offers great leverage to crush bulbs, so much so that you may not need to peel cloves if you want to go rogue. It’s an all-around affordable, high-quality garlic press.

 

Pros: Peel, grate, dice, or slice garlic with this fun, colorful, BPA-free press and container combo. To operate the device, place a clove on the peeler, wrap it up, then roll it to crack the skin open. Select the dicing or slicing blade and set it on the container. Lower the lid and press. The perfect-shaped garlic pieces drop into the container, leaving your hand garlic odor-free. Alternatively, you can use the micro-grating surface at the container’s bottom to make a garlic paste.

Cons: One drawback of the otherwise handy container is that it’s more challenging to clean. This also has some flaws, such as being made of flimsy plastic, blades bending or breaking, difficulty cleaning garlic pieces out of the blade, and not mincing garlic finely enough. Some reported disappointment with the slicing option, and some had safety concerns.

Bottom Line: The innovative, self-contained garlic press makes a great conversation piece, gift, and a reliable tool for your kitchen. If you love garlic, this is the press to try.

 

Pros: This 2-in-1 garlic press may be better described as a 4-in-1. The lightweight, durable aluminum alloy press features two chambers—one with blades for slicing and the other with perforations for pressing. Then there are the silicone garlic peeler and cleaning brush. The silicone peeler features a textured rubber interior that keeps the clove under constant pressure as you roll. There is also a built-in cleaning tool that you can remove from storage under the top handle. It has teeth spaced to match the holes in the press for thorough cleaning. You can use the flat, angled end to clean the slicer.

Cons: This garlic press may be challenging to clean. There seem to be issues with the construction and durability of this garlic press set. Some reported that it broke or shattered during their first use or within a few months of use. Others mentioned that it is made of flimsy plastic and feels cheaply constructed.

Bottom Line: The Zulay offers everything you need to process a garlic bulb into a heap of juicy, delicious paste. You may even escape from the inevitable garlic-smelly fingers.

Final Thoughts

A garlic press is a handy kitchen tool for all your dishes that need the full flavor of this delicious vegetable. You can enjoy your food more by minimizing your time chopping and mincing and using a garlic press instead.