Zulay Kitchen Premium Soft Easy-Squeeze Ergonomic Handle Garlic Press

If you love the flavor of garlic but are not quite sure how to include it in your cooking, using a garlic press can simplify the process. Instead of spending time peeling and finely chopping each clove, a garlic press can do the job in no time. This kitchen utensil minces and crushes garlic cloves by pressing them through a grid of small holes. An excellent alternative to mincing garlic with a knife, a garlic press ensures that you have even garlic taste throughout your dish. In fact, many cooks have found that garlic from a garlic press has a more intense flavor than if you were to manually mince it with a knife.

When shopping for a garlic press, one of the most important things to look at is the size of the holes. If you prefer a stronger garlic taste with larger pieces of garlic in your food, then you’ll want to look for a garlic press that has large holes. However, if you want a more delicate flavor and want finer pieces of garlic in your meal, then look for a press with small openings.

When you buy your garlic, be sure not to keep it in the fridge. It will have the best flavor and scent if kept at room temperature. In most garlic presses, you don’t need to peel the clove first before pushing it through with the piston. However, if you do need to peel your garlic, use the flat edge of a knife and push the clove until it makes a cracking sound. After that, you can just peel the skin away with your hands.

While it may seem odd to press the garlic with the peel on, in some cases this makes the press easier to clean afterward. The peel remains within the garlic press while the clove gets pressed out, so you don’t have to worry about getting garlic peel in your food.

• When you’re in the market for a garlic press, you’ll want to note what kind of material it’s made out of and how durable it is. Because it has a moving mechanism, you don’t want it to break after just a few uses in the kitchen. Look for a garlic press that has sturdy die-cast zinc construction or is made out of stainless steel. Be sure to get one that is rustproof, as it will be getting washed frequently.
• Depending on how much garlic you use in your meals, you may be looking for a garlic press that can crush more than one clove at a time or can accommodate large cloves. This can help you save time in the kitchen.
• The handles of the garlic press should offer both control and comfort. You don’t want to get a garlic press for your kitchen that hurts your hands when it’s being used. Aim for a garlic press with an ergonomic handle that is easy to hold and doesn’t require too much pressure when crushing the garlic.
• One of the key benefits of using a garlic press is that your hands don’t smell like garlic after you’re done cooking. When you’re using a knife to finely chop or mince your garlic, you can end up with a lot of garlic on your fingers, and it can be difficult to get rid of the smell, even after washing with soap. With the garlic press, you can minimize the number of times you actually touch the garlic with your hands.
• If you do end up with garlic on your fingers, be sure to wash your hands with soap a few times. A pro trick for neutralizing the smell is to rub your hands on a stainless steel item, like your kitchen sink faucet or a metal spoon. This will actually help to reduce the stubborn garlicky smell.