Is a garlic press essential?

[tarannau]

Nah, I understand that. Someone gave me a heavy-duty garlic press with an industrial action, capable of squirting through skin and hitting a baby in the eye from 50 paces or something.

To be fair though, the skins always stick limpet-like to the grate afterwards and are a pain to remove/wash up. If I really need to puree a load of garlic I'll use it, but otherwise it's a one of those gadgets jamming up the drawer.

My main objection is that the garlic gets too pureed and tends to go much more bitter than if you slice it, partly because it's harder to brown without burning. In general, if it's subtle garlic hints (eg a cream sauce) I need I'll never go to the press, but other stuff seems to taste fine whatever.

 

[ChrisFilter]

I must be lucky 'cos with my press, when I pull the plunger out it takes the skin out with it so it's all dead easy.

 

[tarannau]

Well, my la-de-da version came with a little cleaning brush. Its bristles stuck exactly in the squeezing holes for easy cleaning.

I got the fucking brush jammed in the drawer and bent it out of shape after a week or two.

 

[Part 2]

How long does it take to chop garlic? It's literally about 10-15 secs a clove. By the time I set about looking for a grater in a drawer I could have pretty much grabbed the knife off the wall and chopped the garlic.

And if you grate it, don't you have to peel it? In which case you may as well use the knife that you have to hand. And is the garlic from a grater really pulpy and prone to burning and going bitter?

My grater is hanging above where I cook, like your knives are on the wall. Each to their own innit. Never had problems with grating, done it for years.

 

[fredfelt]

Crush under big knife.


Slightly different subject - I'm amazed that supermarket garlic can be so bad. The cloves are often very small. Now only buy it bulk from local shop. Much cheaper and better!

 

[Part 2]

Just open the box on the special roasting/Finest garlic, or pull one off a plait and put it through like it was in the tray with the little bulbs.

 

[Y_I_Otter]

I'm of the peel and grate or chop school.

But, if you're set on getting a press, blow the budget and get a good one-- one that doesn't require you to peel the cloves and is made of steel instead of white metal. The best of the bunch are made by the Swiss company, Zyliss