The Best Garlic Presses

Buying Guide for Garlic Presses

Why buy a garlic press?

It makes sense to buy a garlic press because it makes crushing bulbs safe, effective, and fast. Some of us have tried other 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 easier on the cook and more successful for better cooking. Also, cooking with garlic pressed correctly with the right tool will 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 you press it; you’re sure to find a design that works for you.
• Accessories: The right accessories can 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 come with 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 PVC or polyurethane, both durable but soft materials.

What characteristics make garlic presses easy to clean?

No matter how effective the design, easy-to-clean garlic presses still need a bit of extra love. 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 left-over 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: You may find the ORBLUE to be less quality overall than anticipated.

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: What a winning design. The arc-shaped rocker garlic press has a sturdy, nonslip handle on top and a curved stainless-steel perforated press. The included silicone-based peeler makes the garlic pressing process easy from the start. Just place one or two cloves on the peeler, wrap the edges around to create a tube, apply some pressure, and roll. Then grab the rocker and press the garlic, moving the press back and forth to make a garlic paste. The stainless-steel tool is corrosion and rust-resistant and easy to clean.

Cons: You may find that you must apply a lot of pressure.

Bottom Line: The rocker comes with a handy wood-handled scraper to remove the minced garlic from the rocker, a nice bonus item. Also, if you follow the instructions and cut off the garlic head, then cut the clove in half if you struggle to crack it with the rocker, you may come to love this kitchen tool.

 

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.

Bottom: The OXO garlic press offers great leverage to crush bulbs, so much so that you may not need to peel any 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 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, 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 difficult to clean than other models.

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. Use the flat, angled end to clean the slicer.

Cons: This garlic press may be challenging to clean.

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 have more time enjoying your food by minimizing your time chopping and mincing and using a garlic press instead.