BEST garlic crusher?

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pot clanger

pot clanger

Senior Cook
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Messages
254
Location
In a van, down by the river.
I have one from Zyliss that has a plastic "cleaner" (that pokey thing-a-ma-jig) and the prongs haven't kept their shape and consequently the pokey dosen't pokey very well anymore! I moseyed over to Williams Sonoma, and they had (what appeared to be) a very nice crusher with a FORTY-EIGHT dollar pricetag! I will absolutely invest money in something that's well-made, but I was grouchy and just wasn't in the mood to shell out... so here I am, asking for your votes on your favorite garlic crushing implement! I look forward to your feedback.. ;)
 
Not sure down by which river your near (LOL on your location), but if you are in the USA, seek out a local Pampered Chef consultant or PM me and I can hook you up or find someone there for you to work with. It's under $20 and has a HUGE hopper for multiple or even the elephant cloves. You will likey! I know the one you have and also have one in reserve (we used to sell that too). We even carried replacement cleaning tools for awhile after we replaced with this one. Wish I had one for you.
 
I got this Japanese stainless steel baby in a thrift store for 99¢. Haven't seen another one like it of this quality. It is sturdy enough to do fresh ginger root, and the bucket pops out to clean, but I usually just wipe the inside of the bucket with a paring knife tip and toss the stuff in the mix. The bucket is 1" deep and 1-1/8" wide. Holds plenty.
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I've become a big fan of microplane grating my garlic (& ginger & shallots...)
Very creamy!
 
Some good suggestions here... I like my finger tips too much to get into microplaning - unless I'm missing some technique that prevents bloody food! But thank you, everyone, for your help and advice... I think I'll stay away from Zyliss replacement parts - purchasing a "new" pokey doesn't seem to make any sense if the design/materials are (in my experience) flawed in the first place...

My apologies for not researching the thread for garlic "press" as opposed to garlic "crusher".
.
 
On second thought, I'm just being grouchy - I just don't understand why folks don't make things well enough in the FIRST place... I guess I'll fork over a couple of bucks and get the new pokey from Zyliss. (dumb piece of plastic) **grumble**
=end of rant=
 
Some microplanes actually come with a "food holder" to save your fingertips. I keep hoping/suggesting to product development that we come out with a coarse cut one with a food holder. I'd probably never put that baby away!

I have to say I'm amazed your cleaning tool is mangled. Mine is still pretty firm after 12 years. Zyliss has been very good about replacement parts over the years, so you might wanna buy a couple of them as long as they're cheap and you have to pay shipping (which is probably more than the cost of your part).
 
pot clanger said:
On second thought, I'm just being grouchy - I just don't understand why folks don't make things well enough in the FIRST place... I guess I'll fork over a couple of bucks and get the new pokey from Zyliss. (dumb piece of plastic) **grumble**
=end of rant=
Click to expand...

You want the truth? My personal experience with this press (we used to have in the catalog) has been that people LOSE that part, or don't store it with the press like it's intended. It's a slick value added feature, but not a dealbreaker on the function of the press. Zyliss makes sure the press is the bombdiggity, while the cleaning tool is a "nice, but not essential" accessory (for most people). I'm impressed you keep it and USE it.
 
A chef's knife and a garlic press yield two completely different results ... and considering that many a home cook is intimidated as the day is long by a long sharp knife, garlic presses do have their place. There's no disputing the speed aspect of using a press. And then there are people who don't want to "touch" the garlic, don't want to smell it on their hands, don't want that sticky mess on their cutting board. A garlic press is very non-threatening and packs a real flavor whollop. Fresh garlic is amazing. That press is like an introduction to the real world for some people!
 
I'm not sure I'm following this.... are you talking about cleaning that pulp out from the inside of the chamber? I just used my garlic press yesterday. I dug out the "pulp" with a fingernail and used the spray attachment on the sink to squirt out the rest, from the outside back through. Same as I do with a cheese grater. I had no idea that some came with cleaning attachments :mellow: , but I don't know that I would use it if it did. Mine is a hand-me-down. No writing on it, so I don't know the make. Probably a K-Mart special ;)
 
pot clanger said:
On second thought, I'm just being grouchy - I just don't understand why folks don't make things well enough in the FIRST place... I guess I'll fork over a couple of bucks and get the new pokey from Zyliss. (dumb piece of plastic) **grumble**
=end of rant=
Click to expand...
I have the Zyliss susi but it did not come with the pokey, so I use either a toothpick or a wooden skewer.
 
pacanis said:
I'm not sure I'm following this.... are you talking about cleaning that pulp out from the inside of the chamber? I just used my garlic press yesterday. I dug out the "pulp" with a fingernail and used the spray attachment on the sink to squirt out the rest, from the outside back through. Same as I do with a cheese grater. I had no idea that some came with cleaning attachments :mellow: , but I don't know that I would use it if it did. Mine is a hand-me-down. No writing on it, so I don't know the make. Probably a K-Mart special ;)
Click to expand...
I have that one as well as the Zyliss.
 
AMSeccia said:
A chef's knife and a garlic press yield two completely different results ... and considering that many a home cook is intimidated as the day is long by a long sharp knife, garlic presses do have their place. There's no disputing the speed aspect of using a press.
Click to expand...

The results can be the same, depending on how you use the knife. I usually crush the clove with the flat side of the knife, then cut it into smaller pieces as needed. As I see it, I have more control over the result. re: the speed aspect, using it to crush is certainly faster than chopping, but then you have another tool to clean, which negates the advantage.

AMSeccia said:
And then there are people who don't want to "touch" the garlic, don't want to smell it on their hands, don't want that sticky mess on their cutting board.
Click to expand...

Those people shouldn't be allowed to use garlic! :glare: Just kidding. :LOL: I'll never forget, though, I was in the grocery line once and the woman ahead of me was buying a head of garlic, apparently for the first time. She was fussing at the clerk about having to buy a whole head when she only needed a few cloves for her recipe. I sometimes wonder if she ever bought another one :ermm:
 
What I don't like about garlic presses is all the wasted garlic goodness
that remains in them after you squish.
If the "nutrients are near the skin" theory holds true for garlic, all those
healthy things are going to waste! ;)
 
GF, I think someone on here said that they toss those into the dish, too.
Thing is, if the "pulp" is OK to toss in the dish, then you probably didn't need to get out the press in the first place :huh:
 
Yeah, but if you toss in the pulp, you need to chop it a little first,
so why not just chop it all?
(He says in his best Devil's Advocate voice, LOL).
 
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