Are garlic presses evil?

June 18, 2012·Lindsay

garlic press
In the world of elite cooking there is a conception that garlic presses are evil. A press supposedly crushes the garlic to mush, while using a knife keeps the garlic edges even and sharp, allowing for full flavor to come out. But over at America's Test Kitchen (aka Cook's Illustrated), they not only only disagree, but argue that a good garlic press produces more flavorful garlic than a knife. Plus, they have two suggested presses to consider buying. They explain in this video.

3 comments

lizziewiltshireJune 22, 2012

I love this garlic crusher:
http://shop.royalvkb.com/shopexd.asp?id=384&menu=3
It has a flat side so that you can squash the clove, which quickly and easily removes the skin, and then you just roll the ridged side over the garlic cloves a few times and it crushes it into minced pieces. It doesn't have any moving parts, so won't fall apart, it is incredibly easy to clean, and because it is stainless steel it removes the smell from your hands when you wash it! Perfect!

tsusanJune 18, 2012

I totally agree with ATK. There are all kinds of times when a garlic press is the best way to get the maximum effect from a clove. Plus the mash you get out of a press I find to be much more tolerant of warmer oil temperatures than minced garlic. Garlic presses are only evil insofar as they may make you lazier than you already are.

ellabeeJune 18, 2012

Pressed garlic is just a different ingredient than minced garlic -- it's more like the paste you can get with a knife by mashing minced garlic w salt. It's not evil, and it makes the most sense for dishes where the garlic needs to be evenly distributed and totally mashed (pesto, hummus, ...).