Bought a fancy garlic press for $25 and now I just chop with a knife anyway

I was at Target in Austin last weekend and saw this OXO garlic press that had rave reviews. Figured it would save me time but the cloves kept getting stuck in the little holes. I spent 10 minutes picking garlic mush out of it and realized I could've just used my chef's knife in half the time. Has anyone else bought a kitchen gadget that seemed great but ended up being more hassle than it was worth?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah83819d ago

You mentioned "picking garlic mush out of the holes" and that's actually the problem right there. Most people don't realize you're supposed to leave the skin on when you press garlic. The press squeezes the clove right out of its skin and keeps the skin trapped inside instead. I learned this the hard way too after buying a similar press at HEB in Dallas. Once I stopped peeling first, the cleanup got way easier and it actually saved me time over chopping. Your mileage may vary but it's worth trying with one clove just to see if that fixes your frustration.

dixon.ryan19d ago

Start by chucking that garlic skin myth right out the window because I actually tried @noah838's trick with the peel on and it helped a little but still wasn't perfect for me. The bigger pattern I've noticed is that kitchen gadgets usually solve a problem that doesn't actually exist. We see a shiny tool and think it'll make cooking faster or easier, but in reality most tasks just require a basic skill and a decent knife. I think the garlic press industry has convinced people that pressing is somehow superior when a quick mince with a blade takes 30 seconds and cleanup is just a quick rinse. It's the same with avocado slicers and those spiralizer things, you end up with more parts to wash and less control over the result. Save your money and stick with what works, that's my take after years of falling for this stuff.