Garlic Press

corblimey

Okay, I give up, how do you use a garlic press? I bought one ages ago in Tesco on the cheap and it was bad, the pressed garlic never came out the holes properly and would all just bunch up around the press part. So I chucked it. Then last weekend, I went into a specialist shop, figuring they'd have good quality stuff, bought the second most expensive one in there, took it home and tried it this evening.

Exact same problem. Minced garlic kind of comes out the holes a little better, but I still needed a knife to scrape it off and the vast majority of it ended up squashed into the pressing part.

Is there a skill to pressing garlic of which I am bereft, or am I being the bad workman? Whenever Jamie does it on the box, the garlic fair flies out.

duploelabs

the key is don't use a garlic press but use salt. A good Maldon type is better. Put the peeled clove on your board and give it a sprinkle of salt. Then put the thicker flat part of your chopping knife (nearer the handle) resting on the clove and the tip of your blade on the board.
With your spare hand, give the blade a whack at the point where it's resting on the clove. It should smash, but not cream altogether.
The next point is important, sprinkle a bit more salt on your smashed clove. This will make it grip.
Then, with your blade parallel to the board, use the tip of the flat of your blade to mash the clove into your board. You do this by holding the handle of your blade in one hand and the making a fulcrum with the palm of your other hand on the flat of your blade, you press down using that palm of your hand to put pressure on the garlic.
Don't make the distance from the tip of your blade to your fulcrum too long as you'll snap your blade.
hope that all makes sense, and the key is practice....

corblimey

Tks duploelabs, that's what I've always done with garlic, and it's grand, but it seems like a garlic press should cut all that out and just give me nice mashed garlic on my plate.

diddlybit

I peronsally really dislike them and stick with a knife. More trouble than they're worth, especially when it's time to clean up and you have to get all teh garlic out of the little holes. Ugh.

duploelabs

Yup, unless you've a dedicated toothbrush, a dishwasher's never gonna get that waste out

Alun

duploelabs wrote: »

Yup, unless you've a dedicated toothbrush, a dishwasher's never gonna get that waste out

Never have any such problem with mine (made by RÖSLE) to be honest. The plate with the holes in hinges out and is easily cleanable under the tap. Does exactly what it says on the tin although they're not cheap.

http://www.roesle.de/epages/Roesle.sf/en_GB/SuggestProxy&ObjectID=7631&/Categories/de_DE/?ViewObjectID=371875

xxdilemmaxx

I got one in Ikea recently and it's the only one I have ever had that works properly, the garlic doesn't get stuck at the edges at all. I throw in a clove unpeeled and then you just pull the skin out, leaves nothing in the garlic press.

It was only about a fiver as well...

Anyone

+1 for the Ikea press, went through a few other ones, but the Ikea one does a great job.

Little Alex

I have the IKEA one too and it's great. The first press I bought was absolutely useless, like the one you have.

HeisenbergBB

Ya I always find theres alot of waste with garlic presses!

corblimey

Tks for the tip on IKEA, I won't be near one for the forseeable, but I'll check it out some day. Good to know that it's not me being a spaz anyway

Alun

If it's this one http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/10082651 it looks very like my Roesle one, i.e. with the flip-out bit to make cleaning easy. A lot cheaper though

Little Alex

Alun wrote: »

If it's this one http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/10082651 it looks very like my Roesle one, i.e. with the flip-out bit to make cleaning easy. A lot cheaper though

I have this one.

Fajitas!

You need plenty of elbow grease for them. I've a stainless steel one, can't remember the brand, but it's basically just a case of putting garlic in, crushing as much as possible, putting another clove on top of the crushed one, and crush that through it... and repeat.

Mine has a built in 'declogging' head on the other angle of the crusher, which makes crushing/cleaning easier. It still does need plenty of force to get results though.

corblimey

Fajitas! wrote: »

You need plenty of elbow grease for them. I've a stainless steel one, can't remember the brand, but it's basically just a case of putting garlic in, crushing as much as possible, putting another clove on top of the crushed one, and crush that through it... and repeat.

Mine has a built in 'declogging' head on the other angle of the crusher, which makes crushing/cleaning easier. It still does need plenty of force to get results though.

So you're sort of using the crushing of the second clove to force the first clove out through the holes? Might be worth a try, not ready to give up just yet.

Faith

I crush as much as I can, then scrape out the remains and give it a quick chop. Does the job for me.

Dizzyblonde

I have the same Ikea one as Little Alex and it's the best garlic press I've ever had

Kenny_D

Another +1 for the ikea one. I absolutely love garlic but I hate touching the stuff haha. The ikea press does a great job and is nice and easy to clean

chopsocky

I agree with one of the posters here who advocates the salt/knife method - it's really lovley in terms of being theraputic - but I find it easier to just lash the garlic clove through a lemon zester - saves all the arsin' around.

xxdilemmaxx

Mine's the same as Little Alex's too, it's brilliant!

longshanks

I got one (prestige I think) in D.I.D. Electrical for about 6 euro. Works a treat, the same one was in Debenhams for 20 odd euro. Yet another reason to hate Debenhams.

nesbitt

xxdilemmaxx wrote: »

I got one in Ikea recently and it's the only one I have ever had that works properly, the garlic doesn't get stuck at the edges at all. I throw in a clove unpeeled and then you just pull the skin out, leaves nothing in the garlic press.

It was only about a fiver as well...

+1 Ikea one is really good and only cost a few euros.

Depending on my mood I will use the press or mince manually with knife and board...

unkel

nesbitt wrote: »

Depending on my mood I will use the press or mince manually with knife and board...

Same here - I use either. For salad dressing I always use a press (mine's a 40+ year old metal one - working ok), but for most other occasions I use the knife. Time for a trip to Ikea though for that fab cheap press

Kat1170

longshanks wrote: »

I got one (prestige I think) in D.I.D. Electrical for about 6 euro. Works a treat, the same one was in Debenhams for 20 odd euro. Yet another reason to hate Debenhams.

But without them you wouldn't feel as good about your bargin :D

xalot

I got a fantastic garlic press in Clery's a couple of years back. I cant remember the brand but it was something like this

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Master-Class-Cast-Heavy-Duty-Garlic-Press-/220686733998?pt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&hash=item3361f452ae

It is dual sided and one of the sides has little spokes that makes cleaning the holes that the garlic gets stuck in super easy. Its hard to explain but the picture should give you the idea.

highly recommended.

missgroovy21

xalot wrote: »

I got a fantastic garlic press in Clery's a couple of years back. I cant remember the brand but it was something like this

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Master-Class-Cast-Heavy-Duty-Garlic-Press-/220686733998?pt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&hash=item3361f452ae

It is dual sided and one of the sides has little spokes that makes cleaning the holes that the garlic gets stuck in super easy. Its hard to explain but the picture should give you the idea.

highly recommended.

what you are looking for is the oxo good grips garlic crusher with the red non slip surface at the top......as far as i know clerys dont do that range anymore but have something similar in the brand colour works

olaola

The Ikea one is great, but I find grating the garlic the easiest. I have a small grater that I use for ginger, garlic and parmesean. Very handy and easy to clean.

35notout

I also have the same one as Little Alex! Best garlic press I have ever used - however I still tend to use the sea salt/knife method a lot as I can never find the press

rgiller

We've got a garlic zoom like this one:

Garlic zoom

You put the peeled garlic clove in the top, close it and wheel it back and forth on the counter top. The wheels spin some blades inside that chop the garlic up as fine as you want it. Great little gadget and very easy to clean!

martic

I sometimes use a fine grater for my garlic if I can't be bothered using a knife and it works perfect, a grater for nutmeg is too fine so make it a size bigger, also seen somewhere before and I always do it now is wash your hands in cold water afterwards as using hot water cooks the garlic on your hands and leaves the smell behind were with cold there is no smell.

Dizzyblonde

rgiller wrote: »

We've got a garlic zoom like this one:

Garlic zoom

You put the peeled garlic clove in the top, close it and wheel it back and forth on the counter top. The wheels spin some blades inside that chop the garlic up as fine as you want it. Great little gadget and very easy to clean!

Now be honest - do you go 'vroom vroom' when you're doing it?