4 Best Garlic Presses of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
We minced multiple bulbs of garlic to find the top garlic presses on the market.
Our Top Garlic Press Picks
- Best Overall: Zulay 2-in-1 Garlic Press
- Best Stainless Steel: ORBLUE Garlic Press
- Best Rocking Garlic Press: Joseph, Joseph Garlic Rocker
- Best Garlic Twister: NexTrend Garlic Twister, 4th Generation
Tested by Regina Ragone for Food Network Kitchen
A garlic press is the type of gadget you don’t think you need until you find a great one, and then you can’t live without it. Let’s face it, if you cook with a lot of garlic, it takes time to chop and leaves your hands smelly (sometimes for days, even with the right products). We tested 10 garlic presses and several garlic mincing products (including rockers and twists) with multiple bulbs of garlic, to find the best garlic presses on the market.
Photo by Regina Ragone
What to Know Before Buying a Garlic Press
The whole point of having a garlic press is to make your life in the kitchen easier, so it’s important to find a press that addresses your priorities.
We hate peeling garlic skins, and while some presses don’t require you to take the skin off, it’s always easier if you do. Some presses include a silicone garlic tube, which removes skins and is easy and effective.
Since the holes of a garlic press are tiny, bits of garlic can sometimes get lodged in the mesh. Usually, a quick rinse or brush will remove them. If drawer space is a consideration, you may not appreciate the added cleaning brushes if they aren’t attached to the press.
The most important thing to consider is the type of pressure you need to apply to use the press. If hand strength or arthritis is an issue, you will want a press that is light and doesn’t require a strong grip.
Photo by Regina Ragone
How We Tested
We scoured reputable buying guides and retailer best seller lists to find 10 garilc presses to put to the test. First, we evaluated the specs of each press noting its style, materials and pricepoint. Then we tested its performance: Each press was tested using two to four cloves of garlic to see the type of mince it produced and how much. We also took into consideration the type of pressure needed to use each press as well as how easy it was to clean and store.
We love the fact that this press does it all. The silicone garlic tube enables you to easily peel off the skin by just rolling a few cloves inside, under the palm of your hands. There are two garlic chambers which can work simultaneously or separately to both slice and mince cloves at the same time. Once you’re done, there is a cleverly placed, built-in cleaner that pushes out excess garlic from the slots and a brush to clean out everything else. Both light to hold and easy to press, this was also the least-expensive garlic press we tested.
If all you want to do is press a few cloves of garlic to extract a fine mince, you won’t be disappointed with this solid, stainless-steel press. The grip is comfortable and still crushes cloves completely with minimal effort. The press leaves very little of the clove, but whatever is left is easy to clean. This product comes with a cleaning brush and silicone tube garlic peeler and is dishwasher safe.
Like most garlic rockers, this one works by pressing down a peeled clove under a mesh center of holes, then pressing down with your hands on each side and rocking it back and forth. For people who suffer from arthritis or have trouble with their grip, this is the perfect solution. This stainless-steel rocker quickly and easily minces garlic into the curved design, allowing it to be spooned conveniently into a pan afterwards. The added benefit of a stainless-steel tool is that after you wash it, you can rub your hands on the smooth edges to remove any garlic odor from your hands.
If you’re looking for a gadget that can mince all kinds of ingredients from garlic to ginger and herbs to nuts, you may want to give this twister a try. This rotary tool is made in the U.S. from polycarbonate plastic, and it’s already won six industry awards. The device uses mincing teeth beveled in two directions that you twist back and forth to crush the ingredients. You will need to apply some force to get your garlic to a fine mash, so this one isn’t for anyone with grip issues.
