You would think that was an easy question, but it is very hard to get a clear answer from chefs. Some swear by the sharp knife, whereas others have their own special favourite machine, which they cannot wait to tell you about.
One thing that fits with my own experience and was echoed by the chefs, is get the best that you can. The best kitchen knife and board combination, or my preference - the very best garlic press. The price should not come into it, if you want something to work and to last, you have to pay for it. I remember that my grandmother would say "buy cheap, buy twice".
This is proved every time I look at the number I have thrown away over the years, as being useless, too hard to squeeze, broken, or simply too small. I could have easily bought one good one.
Why go for a garlic press? The scientific reason to press or crush your garlic, is that its flavor and aroma only come out fully when the cell walls are broken.
This is why a crushed or grated clove gives you more garlic flavor in your finished product.
With the most efficient garlic presses, you do not even have to stop and peel the cloves, which saves time and avoids the smell on your fingers.
Another very important benefit when you use a garlic press, rather than a knife, is that the garlic comes out in even sized pieces. These are much easier to incorporate evenly into the food you are mixing. If the pieces of garlic are of uneven sizes, then the largest pieces of garlic can drop to the bottom of the mixture, making the flavor uneven.
I think first of all, before you buy, you must decide what qualities you are looking for in a garlic press.
The chefs came up with the following list.
1. It presses garlic
2. It takes more than one clove at a time
3. It can deal with unpeeled garlic
4. It cleans easily
5. It is not too hard on the hands
Zyliss garlic presses come out very well, when you are judging by these categories. They are efficient, dishwasher proof and large enough. The Zyliss even comes equipped with its own cleaning tool.
A friend of mine said, 'The Rosle is the best garlic press I've ever seen, with its built-in lever, it presses the garlic much harder than when you simply press the handle. This means it is less of a strain on the hands, if you are pressing a lot of garlic.'
My recommendations: if you cook often and use a lot of garlic, then invest in the 'Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press.'
If you only use garlic occasionally, then choose a cheaper model, but stay with the good brands like Zyliss, or Oxo Good Grips.
From the above, I think you can see that you 'pays your money and you makes your choice.' Which one you choose is probably a very personal decision.
For more information on a selection of the best garlic presses, go to http://www.squidoo.com/best-garlic-crushers-and-graters
You will find some great recipes there too.
