Garlic fans...the last garlic press you'll ever buy

[joboo]

Gone through about half a dozen garlic presses over the years, as I end up breaking them all.

I've had one of these things for two years now, and I use it often. This thing is indestructible, and the consistency of the crush is the best I've seen yet. You don't even have to peel the garlic. $15.

http://www.zylissusa.com/cgi-bin/v1/index.cgi?main=987654323&sub1=539000013&sub2=539000041&product=930251195



http://kitchenkitchen.com/products/images/zyliss_susi_garlic_press.jpghttp://www.kitchenwaresuperstore.com.au/images/1057_BoxLarge.jpg

I now return you to your regularly scheduled afternoon festivities.

/end public service announcement.

[Shami-Amourae]

Why do you need a garlic press? Just bash the base of your knife with the base of your hand. Problem solved.

This is how you do it in professional kitchens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvBjK9Q5Sg4

I can do it 4x faster than you see it in this video. The guy demonstrating it is slow on purpose so you can understand what's happening.

[joboo]

Why do you need a garlic press? Just bash the base of your knife with the base of your hand. Problem solved.

This is how you do it in professional kitchens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvBjK9Q5Sg4

I can do it 4x faster than you see it in this video. The guy demonstrating it is slow on purpose so you can understand what's happening.

Crushing and hand chopping garlic v.s. a press? You're kidding right?

Lots of time, and chunky v.s. a quick squeeze of finely pulped perfection.

There's no comparison to hand chopping v.s. a high quality press.

[Shami-Amourae]

Crushing and hand chopping garlic v.s. a press? You're kidding right?

Lots of time, and chunky v.s. a quick squeeze of finely pulped perfection.

There's no comparison to hand chopping v.s. a high quality press.

It is faster if you're good at it. I've NEVER seen a garlic press used in a professional kitchen in my life, and I've cooked at plenty, (besides the few newbs who brought them got laughed at and never brought them back, hehe.) They do it two ways:

Small Quantities: By knife/hand.
Large Quantities: Robot Coupe.

http://static.flickr.com/75/190029239_260e293c18.jpg?v=0 <---Best processor out there!

[Heimdhal]

I second Shami's statement. I've got one like you have above, never use it, always use my knife or the food proc. Part of that is I too am from proffessional kitchens and we just dont use those things. Every tool should have multiple uses, those that dont take up space and time.

However, I realize the home kitchen is MUCH different. If you like it, go for it, theres nothing wrong with using one. Im just used to my knife and board and can quickly transition from choppin garlic to say onions or celery etc and have one less utensil to clean afterwards.

We do have a slap chop though :D

[Neuro]

My wife likes garlic presses, but I have never seen any use of it. Especially when you are frying something, I think it is beneficial if the garlic is chunky, crush it first like Shami said with the blade of the knife... For every other garlic need in food (aioli etc), I think it is ok if it is finely chopped which is much less of an effort compared to using a garlic press, with the cleaning effort added. Maybe you need to use a bit more to get the same oompf, but garlic is healthy, and not that expensive... IMHO...

[milehi]

I have a Pampered Chef press but use it more for opening beer bottles.

[Old Herb Lady]

Oooooohhhh Aaaahhhhhhh. I love me some garlic too !! I get lots of kitchen gadgets as gifts all the time & have several garlic presses & don't use them either. Ha !
Being a garlic freak, I enjoy "the smash" & chopping & the smell. Garlic is seriously one of the best foods on earth. I love it so much I make cough medicine out of it.
Thanks for reminding me that I need a garlic fix. Uhhhhhh.

ETA : It doesn't matter if u slap chop it, press it through a press, just as long as you're eating it any way you can !
I have tons of it for SHTF.

[Hatha Sunahara]

The knife method is a bit more effort, but a knife is a multitasker, whereas the press is a single function tool. I have a good press like that, but I seldom use it because I have the board and the knife out for most meals. I always remove the peel before I do anything else to a garlic clove. I have lately been buying Chinese garlic lately because the peel comes off without any struggle at all. It just occurred to me that when the day comes that I can no longer control the knife, I will stop cooking. Somebody else can choose between a knife and a garlic squeezer.


Hatha

[BabushkaLady]

Ditto! I love the smell on my hands!!!

Just took advantage of the mild 40 degree temps today and planted three rows of garlic. Yum!

[joboo]

I crush it raw on brocolli, and brussel sprouts pretty often with olive oil just before eating so I don't cook the garlic. I like the perfect consistency of the crush, and the fact that all the juice goes directly on the food instead of all over the cutting board.

This press is unlike any other press, if the garlic is fresh, it finely sprays the garlic on the food without peeling with only the peel left inside the press. Insert, bam, repeat up to 4 cloves before flipping out the peels.

I used to waste my time cutting & crushing on a board for years, forget it.

[Dogman]

The ancient romans had it right.

Garlic is money!

[Old Herb Lady]

Ditto! I love the smell on my hands!!!

Just took advantage of the mild 40 degree temps today and planted three rows of garlic. Yum!

Three rows ? Uhhh garlic heaven !! I think I only planted about 2 dozen.
The garlic lover in me bows to the garlic lover in you Babushka Lady.

[Old Herb Lady]

I crush it raw on brocolli, and brussel sprouts pretty often with olive oil just before eating so I don't cook the garlic. I like the perfect consistency of the crush, and the fact that all the juice goes directly on the food instead of all over the cutting board.

This press is unlike any other press, if the garlic is fresh, it finely sprays the garlic on the food without peeling with only the peel left inside the press. Insert, bam, repeat up to 4 cloves before flipping out the peels.

I used to waste my time cutting & crushing on a board for years, forget it.

I think I just got hypnotized reading that. Is there such a thing as garlic porn ? Joboo makes it sound so intoxicating. Is there something wrong with me ?
Never mind-don't answer that.

[Dogman]

I think I just got hypnotized reading that. Is there such a thing as garlic porn ? Joboo makes it sound so intoxicating. Is there something wrong with me ?
Never mind-don't answer that. Fresh sour dough bread still warm, seeped garlic with extra virgin olive oil, need I go on? :D

[Shami-Amourae]

The knife method is a bit more effort, but a knife is a multitasker, whereas the press is a single function tool. I have a good press like that, but I seldom use it because I have the board and the knife out for most meals. I always remove the peel before I do anything else to a garlic clove. I have lately been buying Chinese garlic lately because the peel comes off without any struggle at all. It just occurred to me that when the day comes that I can no longer control the knife, I will stop cooking. Somebody else can choose between a knife and a garlic squeezer.


Hatha

Do you notice though that in the video he kept the peel on and smashed it WITH the peel on? This is a quick way to remove the peel, on top of crushing the garlic.

[joboo]

I think I just got hypnotized reading that. Is there such a thing as garlic porn ? Joboo makes it sound so intoxicating. Is there something wrong with me ?
Never mind-don't answer that.

I just read that back to myself, oh my, it is all rather sensually erotic.

It must be all that fresh Ecuadorian cacao stimulating my brain in all the right places.

ROTFL...

;D

[joboo]

Do you notice though that in the video he kept the peel on and smashed it WITH the peel on? This is a quick way to remove the peel, on top of crushing the garlic.

I look at the peel like clothing of the clove. Never to be smashed off but rather delicately undressed by hand, or tightly squeezed until the clothing falls away.

[Heimdhal]

I look at the peel like clothing of the clove. Never to be smashed off but rather delicately undressed by hand, or tightly squeezed until the clothing falls away.


....ok official creep out starting now..... Lets see, you're very passionate about your garlic preperation and you like to squeeze things until their cloths fall off..... do you have body parts in your freezer too?








>.>

[Old Herb Lady]

I look at the peel like clothing of the clove. Never to be smashed off but rather delicately undressed by hand, or tightly squeezed until the clothing falls away.

OMG. Dying !

[Dogman]

Joboo

You may need to look into writing historical romances, seems you can word smith with the best of them.


1506

[joboo]

....ok official creep out starting now..... Lets see, you're very passionate about your garlic preperation and you like to squeeze things until their cloths fall off..... do you have body parts in your freezer too?

>.>


Uh...you had to be there. ;D

Anyhow.

Ok so, consistency is big for me as I prefer raw garlic in 95% of my applications. Cutting is wasteful, not consistent, time consuming, so it's no longer an option that appeals to my flavor curve, or practicality level, and I could care less about being a "purist".

Apparently this is the latest list. Confirmed by America's Test Kitchen also (vid below). They are evaluating away from their previous favorite, Zyliss, due to the finish wearing in some areas. I have noticed this somewhat as well.

The three entries above the Zyliss score lower in quality of consistency, so I may check out the Kuhn Rikon.

This may be the quintessential last press you will ever buy.


http://bookofjoe.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/15/1atkuku.jpg



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RyfVmTcJUo

[chad]

how about you just smash it on a board with a big ass rock?

[Hatha Sunahara]

I got in the habit of cutting off the tops and tails of the garlic cloves, and peeling off the skin. Then I chop it like in the video. Very little remains on the board if you scoop up the chopped garlic with a really sharp knife. I consider the peeling by crushing the clove with the side of the knife a Neanderthal practice--but it works just as good. I actually like granules, and I get each clove and score it with a mesh pattern, and slice it across the mesh. Smashing the garlic releases the oils all at once, and they start to oxidize faster. But if you are consuming it immediately, that's the way to go.

I think if you demand instant fresh garlic at the table--as joboo does, it makes more sense to get the single-tasker -- the squeezer, I call mine Julius.




Hatha

[Korbin Dallas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQhBfRDd6GM

[k-os]

I love garlic so much, that I like to spend my time with it, and I love the way it smells on my hands, too! :)

I have had many garlic presses, and I have broken one or two as well. Ugh. Now, I really like chopping with a sharp knife.

I do have this weird slicer thing that shaves really thin slices of the clove - and that's pretty awesome. Still, I prefer chopping. I like the chunks.

http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com/images/1060.jpg

[SLV^GLD]

We have that slicer and we never use it since we got a press.

I think there is a time and a place for a press (in the home kitchen). They can also be used to smash blueberries for inclusion in pancakes and such.

Peeling garlic is as simple as holding each end of the clove between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and twisting each end the opposite direction. No knife or other tools needed.

[dys]

Uh...you had to be there. ;D

Anyhow.

Ok so, consistency is big for me as I prefer raw garlic in 95% of my applications. Cutting is wasteful, not consistent, time consuming, so it's no longer an option that appeals to my flavor curve, or practicality level, and I could care less about being a "purist".

Apparently this is the latest list. Confirmed by America's Test Kitchen also (vid below). They are evaluating away from their previous favorite, Zyliss, due to the finish wearing in some areas. I have noticed this somewhat as well.

The three entries above the Zyliss score lower in quality of consistency, so I may check out the Kuhn Rikon.

This may be the quintessential last press you will ever buy.


http://bookofjoe.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/15/1atkuku.jpg



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RyfVmTcJUo

I've never cooked a thing in my life but I found the video very entertaining and informative.

dys

[Santa]

Garlic eaters are typically known as Luciferians.

[Santa]

Garlic eaters are typically known as Luciferians.

No, wait... I meant Epicureans. Yeah, that's it, Epicureans.

"Epicureanism is a system of philosophy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy) based upon the teachings of Epicurus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus), founded around 307 BC. Epicurus was an atomic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomism) materialist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism), following in the steps of Democritus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democritus). His materialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism) led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention."

Sorry, I confused Lucifer with The poet Lucretius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretius), the most well-known Roman proponent of Epicureanism.

LOL....

[TheNocturnalEgyptian]

No, wait... I meant Epicureans. Yeah, that's it, Epicureans.

"Epicureanism is a system of philosophy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy) based upon the teachings of Epicurus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus), founded around 307 BC. Epicurus was an atomic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomism) materialist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism), following in the steps of Democritus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democritus). His materialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism) led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention."

Sorry, I confused Lucifer with The poet Lucretius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretius), the most well-known Roman proponent of Epicureanism.

LOL....


“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?”

Epicurus – Greek philosopher, BC 341-270

[joboo]

No, wait... I meant Epicureans. Yeah, that's it, Epicureans.

"Epicureanism is a system of philosophy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy) based upon the teachings of Epicurus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus), founded around 307 BC. Epicurus was an atomic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomism) materialist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism), following in the steps of Democritus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democritus). His materialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism) led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention."

Sorry, I confused Lucifer with The poet Lucretius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretius), the most well-known Roman proponent of Epicureanism.

LOL....

Sweet, now I'm for sure picking up the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean press.

Dark force enchanted garlic. Winning. ;D

[osoab]

Enough about how to cut the garlic. What about the variety of garlic?

I planted 8 different varieties this fall along with 2 different shallot varieties. I only know the taste of one variety of shallot.

Piss and moan about how to get your garlic suitable, but shouldn't the variety be more important?

[Dogman]

Enough about how to cut the garlic. What about the variety of garlic?

I planted 8 different varieties this fall along with 2 different shallot varieties. I only know the taste of one variety of shallot.

Piss and moan about how to get your garlic suitable, but shouldn't the variety be more important? Yes,

It is called Zest and gusto !

[k-os]

Enough about how to cut the garlic. What about the variety of garlic?

I planted 8 different varieties this fall along with 2 different shallot varieties. I only know the taste of one variety of shallot.

Piss and moan about how to get your garlic suitable, but shouldn't the variety be more important?

I, sadly, know nothing about the different varieties of garlic. I am jealous of the garlic diversity in your garden.

[Heimdhal]

I grew some garlic two years ago, in pots none the less. I havent grown it since as garden space is at a premium in my little plot, but I will say its a good thing to grow. It benefits many other plants in the garden and its easy as hell to grow. If I had more space I'd certianly grow a wider variety.

[joboo]

Flavor synopsis of the different varieties.

[beefsteak]

Speaking of "garlic fans"...

would anyone have any garlic bulbils or garlic cloves they KNOW were harvested prior to 3/11/2011 when Fukushima blew?

The garlic I saved out is kickin' my backside and won't germinate. Any garlic growers around there with some "older, decorative" garlic I could purchase?

Thanks.