garlic press

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what is the best garlic press??
I have broken 2 recently, the last one whilst trying to squeeze ginger.
Thanks for any info.
Will

― willdabeast, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

For most things, chopping or finely slicing garlic is preferable to crushing, I think.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Squeezing ginger in a garlic press? What?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

use a garlic grater, which looks like a mini box grater. (antexit taught me this)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Or you could buy this, like my lazy ass do-

http://www.englishprovender.co.uk/productDetail.asp?ProductID=6

― Wooden (Wooden), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

finely chopping/slicing or grating will give you much more pleasure from your garlic.

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

every time I grate ginger it falls apart into stringy bits and liquid. I chop it finely instead.

I like garlic presses, but have never had a really nice one-- we have a good one now but it's the kind you can get at most kitchen supply type places.

― sgs (sgs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I only use my garlic press for ginger too. I either skin the garlic clove and leave it whole, crush it with the side of a knife blade, or chop it very finely. Finely chopped or grated garlic burns much easier and when not done right can lead to that unpleasant burnt garlic taste/smell.

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Mm, stringy ginger bits. Num.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

the problem with it is, the shredded bits end up on the outside of the little grating box, and the whole thing just gets mauled on the surface, impossible to scrape off and use for cooking, ginger then sticking in the metal teeth and lasting through repeated soakings.

I hate grating ginger. I'm making stir-fry prawns and bok choi tonight and will be chopping ginger and pressing garlic in a few minutes. Although smashing the garlic with the side of the knife works just as well for flavor, I think.

― sgs (sgs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't like ginger.

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I've used the garlic press for ginger too, but the skin is too tough and it'll kill yer press. We have a solid-metal press, brand-name unknown. All the ones we got from places like Ikea were solid-state junk.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

just cut the garlic up and bash it a few times with a mallet or dictionary, use a plastic bag if you want to keep it neat

i need an olive oil mister.

― kephm (kephm), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.vitaminstore.nl/image/1238b.jpg

― sgs (sgs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Anthony Bourdain is comfortingly hostile on this point. He says he feels sympathy for "any garlic that has been tragically smashed through one of those abominations." Personally, I'm always a little disappointed at how much of the clove stays behind in the press. It seems like you get a very low ROI. Maybe this is the real source of Bourdain's contempt.

Has anyone ever tried grating ginger on one of those "authentic" wooden devices which look like some kind of oversized Christmas ornament? The first time I tried it I broke the thing in two.

― You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (tracerhand), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

For ginger or garlic I always use my microplane grater/zester, it works pretty well.

― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Huk, you're crazy.

I need to get a zester.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

http://altura.speedera.net/ccimg.catalogcity.com/210000/214500/214519/products/7511716.jpg

― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I have a nice "Good Grips" garlic press. It works really well and looks like this:
http://www.oxo.com/catalog/imagesprod/1_28181_3a_1.jpg

Zester probably works better for ginger, though, you're right.

― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I have one of those too! OXO is the brand. It does work better than the cheap aluminum ones.

― nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Personally, I'm always a little disappointed at how much of the clove stays behind in the press. It seems like you get a very low ROI.

Hah, I was too until I realized I could just retrieve what was left in the press with the tip of a finger, and plonk it into what I was cooking! A nice chunk o' garlic remnants is always welcome in the roasted potatoes.

For most things I cook with garlic, though, it's thin slices or mincing with a knife.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm with Bourdain, garlic preses are evil. Slice the effin thing.

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

the one from IKEA is the best. mine finally broke after 2 years. i'm hopefully getting a car soon and thus will be buying a replacement again.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Your new car runs on garlic?

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

it runs on garlic presses, i attach one to the bottom of the car and they run like legs

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

That does sound good. I can't understand why Barry wanted to get rid of it.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

i used to be all anti-garlic press and then I bought one and was like, "hey, I can cook with garlic and not walk around with smelly garlic fingers for days afterward!" so now I use it all the time. you might loose a lot of garlic in the process but how much fucking garlic do you need anyway, stinkbreath?

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

finely chop

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

The objection to the garlic press isn't an efficiency one -- it's chemical. Pressed garlic has a lot of the juices and oils squeezed out of it, which in cooked recipes -- especially those exposed to high or dry heat -- means those oils are effectively destroyed, and their flavor components with them. Pressed garlic is more likely to be bitter, acrid, harsh, sour, or "hot" tasting.

That's not automatically bad -- there are no real rights and wrongs in cooking, or cuisines would just be lists of ingredients -- but it's what anti-pressers don't like about it.

A metal meat mallet does the job almost as quickly, is easier to clean, can't jam, and doesn't have those problems.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I love having garlic-smelling fingers.

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

and there is no such thing as too much garlic

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

H speaks much sense.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

i love having mushed up garlic in curries

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 22:06 (twenty-one years ago)

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