Ever painstakingly chopped up a garlic clove, almost sliced your finger off, had little bits flying everywhere, left your hands smelling of garlic for the next week and actually barely any garlic ended up in your meal?
The entire process is fiddly, challenging and pungent. Yet, we’ve all been there and learnt our lesson… buy a garlic press and they will crush your garlic in seconds, hands-free and hassle-free.
Garlic is the secret ingredient to so many home-cooked meals, a little clove here, a couple of cloves there – it goes a long way and can add a huge amount of flavour to your recipes. Garlic presses, therefore, are a must-have kitchen utensil in most households to provide an efficient way of adding the not-so secret but certainly essential ingredient to your dishes.
What is a garlic press?
Garlic presses are designed to make your cooking preparation easier, faster and cleaner. The clove is placed inside the chamber and two handles come together to squeeze it through a grid of small holes that mince it up into a finely pressed pieces to use for cooking. No sticky, smelly hands and no messy chopping board – but most importantly of all, no garlic wasted.
How to choose the best garlic press?
There a couple of things to look for…
- What is it made of? If it’s something like a strong stainless steel or zinc alloy, it is built to be robust and last. Opt for durable designs or you’ll end up needing to rebuy over and over again.
- Is it easy to use? Most should be a simple design where you simply squeeze two sides together and ooze out the crushed garlic product.
- How big is it? Can it crush a couple of garlic cloves at a time in its chamber? This will be time-saving. But too big and it will take up precious drawer storage space.
- Is it dishwasher safe? Or at least simple to clean? Anything to make your life easier!
Now see our pick of the best garlic presses to lend a hand in the kitchen…
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Joseph Joseph CleanForce Garlic Press Crusher
Joseph Joseph has created a vibrant lime green garlic press which is easy to use and clean, making it a favourite kitchen staple. Simply pop the garlic clove in the head, squeeze the handles together to crush, pull the trigger to release the produce and voilà.
It even comes with its own cleaning tool which is usefully stored inside the handle to remove any trapped garlic and skin. A bright and simple addition to your cooking prep.
Buy now £11.25, Amazon
Jsdoin Professional Kitchen Garlic Press
Aspiring chefs should get their hands on this garlic press from Jsdoin – an Amazon top-rated product. Made from zinc alloy, the ergonomic design is strong with a heavy-duty handle. It is also suitable to crush multiple cloves at once or even unpeeled garlic cloves to make your life that bit easier (and keep the garlic scent off your fingertips). Rinse clean or pop in the dishwasher.
Buy now £5.98, Amazon
Oliver’s Kitchen Premium Garlic Press
Avoid sticky, garlic-scented fingers with this super slick press from family-owned brand Oliver’s Kitchen. The large chambers allow you to crush multiple cloves at once, and you can also leave the whole skin on, saving you time on your food prep. The stainless-steel design looks great in your kitchen as well as being durable and strong. 100 per cent dishwasher safe to make cleaning easy peasy.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
OXO Good Grips Garlic Press
An Amazon top choice for a reason – OXO has produced another award-winning cooking tool for crushing garlic cloves efficiently. Hold the soft non-slip handles and squeeze multiple cloves at a time to add into your dishes cooking. It’s long-lasting and durable with its die-cast zinc construction and has a built-in cleaner to push out the peels. A great companion in any kitchen.
Buy now £10.00, Amazon
Zyliss Garlic Press
Save time on your food prep with this nifty garlic press from Zyliss. Lightweight but strong and easy to use, stick a couple of cloves in at a time and let the press do the hard work for you. It even has its own built-in cleaning tool and is dishwasher safe to take any stress away from the post-food coma clear up.
Buy now £14.99, Lakeland
Joseph Joseph 20062 Rocker Garlic Crusher
A quirky design from innovative brand Joseph Joseph, add this to your kitchen utensil cupboard for a helping hand with all your garlic crushing needs. Rock the design back and forth over your cloves and watch as the crushed remnants is cleverly collected in the bowl-shaped design. Scoop up and into your pan and get cooking. Dishwasher safe and BPA-free.
Buy now £9.75, Amazon
Jamie Oliver JB6300 Garlic Slice and Press
Press or slice garlic with this multifunctional tool, made from robust cast zinc with a shiny silver finish. It will remove the skin and slice cloves of all sizes up thanks to the large chambers – “this is a great little all-in-one slicer and peeler for your garlic”, explains Jamie Oliver himself.
Buy now £14.53, Amazon
John Lewis & Partners Stainless Steel Garlic Press
Take this press by its soft-grip TPR handles for comfortable holding while crushing your garlic and getting it ready to use for cooking. Made from 430-grade stainless steel, it not only looks smart and shiny but is super strong and hardwearing – and has a nice price tag. Rinses clean and has a useful hanging hole so you can store easily, no matter how much space you have.
Buy now £8.00, John Lewis
Le Creuset Garlic Press
Splash the cash a little more for Le Creuset’s garlic press – a top-notch cookware brand which delivers high-quality designs with every piece. Invest in this tool and it will last a lifetime – a stainless steel design will crush whole cloves in an instant, hassle and mess-free.
Buy now £27.00, Le Creuset
Brabantia Tasty+ Garlic Press
Brabantia’s Tasty+ collection brings colour to kitchen utensils – this garlic press in terracotta pink will be sure to liven up your kitchen palette. Easy to use with a sturdy grip, flavour up your meals with pressed garlic and then clean easily thanks to its removable perforated anvil. Attactive and effective.
Buy now £11.25, Amazon
