# To press or not to press garlic...that is the question! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623 "2011-07-28T15:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/21 "2011-07-28T23:48:59Z")
If it’s for a sauce or a soup, I started shaving my garlic in a twist shaver. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/22 "2011-07-29T04:53:08Z")
Moving from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/23 "2011-07-29T05:10:58Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > I just lay a chef’s knife over on the flat and whomp the garlic flat first, then chop it up. I **loathe** cleaning garlic presses. This is what I have done for years. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/24 "2011-07-29T06:11:18Z")
I use my microwave to remove the skin from the cloves, 3 or 4 seconds and the little buggers pop right out with a squeeze, after that I just chop. Owning a press is a pain in the ass. I was going to say “cleaning a press is a pain in the ass” but even keeping it in your kitchen is a waste. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/25 "2011-07-29T06:35:14Z")
I use a press if I’m making something like guacamole and want it reduced as much as possible, or if I’m going to make a vindaloo and need ten cloves and just want to be lazy. Otherwise, a chef’s knife makes short work of it. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/26 "2011-07-29T08:24:32Z")
I have not too long ago discovered fresh garlic, a totally different thing from dried ones. Just peel off the outermost layer and chop it up, bulb, blades and all. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/27 "2011-07-29T12:29:43Z")
I grate it. It’s easy, works well, and the grater is easy to clean; rinse it under the tap after use and wash it properly later. Garlic from a jar isn’t real garlic, it’s just the sad decayed remains of something that was once garlic. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/28 "2011-07-29T13:26:47Z")
My current chef crush, Chef Ann Burrell, has this technique where she pushes her knife blade forward as she whacks the garlic, which sort of smears the garlic across the cutting board, breaking it down further than just a simple whack. Then just a few chops through et voila, minced garlic. It seems way more efficient than my straight-down whack and then chop, but I haven’t been cooking much lately to try to perfect her method. Anyway, thought I’d share. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/29 "2011-07-29T16:40:27Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > I have not too long ago discovered fresh garlic, a totally different thing from dried ones. Just peel off the outermost layer and chop it up, bulb, blades and all. An excellent use for dried garlic bulbs that have gotten old and started to sprout. Plant outside, water, then a while later: fresh garlic greens! ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/30 "2011-07-29T16:49:19Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > I grate it. It’s easy, works well, and the grater is easy to clean; rinse it under the tap after use and wash it properly later. This. I saw them doing it on _America’s Test Kitchen_, and I’m sold. I have a microplaner which does treble-duty: it grates garlic, ginger and parmesan cheese. And the garlic and ginger are grated to a nice fine paste, which releases the most flavor of any method I’ve tried. After using it, a quick rinse under cold water gets most of the crud out, and then it can be washed easily in the dishwasher. I used it just last night for the garlic I added to my tomato/basil/garlic bruschetta topping. ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/31 "2011-07-29T16:51:15Z")
I got one of these as a gift, and it works great: [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-GZM-CDU12-Garlic-Zoom/dp/B000ZM7CV8) ---
**Author:** ![smaje1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@smaje1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaje1)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/32 "2011-07-29T17:33:32Z")
I love this little guy for dicing garlic quick and easy (and it’s kinda fun to use). My chef bro-in-law gave it to me for Christmas. It’s called the Garlic Zoom. [http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-GZM-CDU12-Garlic-Zoom/dp/B000ZM7CV8](http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-GZM-CDU12-Garlic-Zoom/dp/B000ZM7CV8) ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/33 "2011-07-29T17:41:41Z")
We have one that we use when we are using a lot of garlic for a recipe, or when the application is raw (like the ones mentioned above). It’s also helpful when we make seitan, because it needs to be particularly fine to mix into the paste well, but we’ve also used the microplane for that as well. If it’s just a couple of cloves and we’re already cutting up a lot of vegetables anyway, then I’ll just run a knife through it. Disclaimer: I pay the roommate extra to do all the dishes, so that part doesn’t matter. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/34 "2011-07-29T17:44:50Z")
I annihilate garlic presses (even solid metal ones); **Eva** uses one every so often, but I am banned. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623/35 "2011-07-29T18:18:38Z")
Another garlic grater here. I use one of those flat little “flyswatter-type” graters for fine grating of small quantities of things like garlic, fresh ginger, lemon peel, Parmesan cheese, and so on. Easy, fast, and washes clean easily, and the garlic comes out more uniform-textured and “smooshy” when grated than if I just mince it with a knife. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-press-or-not-to-press-garlic-that-is-the-question/590623.md?page=1)