Hi rfc'ers,

I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend who has never owned a
decent one, but I don't know which one to buy. I've been thinking of
getting him either a Zyliss or a Pampered Chef press, but wanted to ask
the experts on this group which of these (if not another) is best.

And just to head off any comments of "garlic presses are useless, just
smash the cloves with a knive and etc. etc. etc.", I am quite a fan of
garlic and often use it chopped/sliced/crushed (and even whole & raw,
the garlic-method of choice in NW China), but my friend is not as much
of an afficionado as I am. He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
jar (I hate the way the acids they use to preserve the stuff affect the
flavor). After spending many years living in China, a wonderfully
garlic-friendly nation, I just can't bear using pre-processed crushed
garlic out of a jar.

If any of you could give me a recommendation for a good garlic press, I
would really appreciate it!

Best wishes,

Adilah

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi rfc'ers,
>
> I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend who has never owned a
> decent one, but I don't know which one to buy. I've been thinking of
> getting him either a Zyliss or a Pampered Chef press, but wanted to ask
> the experts on this group which of these (if not another) is best.
>
> And just to head off any comments of "garlic presses are useless, just
> smash the cloves with a knive and etc. etc. etc.", I am quite a fan of
> garlic and often use it chopped/sliced/crushed (and even whole & raw,
> the garlic-method of choice in NW China), but my friend is not as much
> of an afficionado as I am. He's actually a pretty decent chef,

He may be a pretty decent cook, but he isn't a chef. I have had very good
use out of my Zyliss and have no problem recommending it.

Charlie

> wrote in message
> . He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
> hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
> jar

Then don't load him down with another gadget. Just show him how to smack it
with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for years.

I have two crusher that sit in a drawer.

"Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote in message
m...
>
> > wrote in message
> > . He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
> > hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
> > jar
>
> Then don't load him down with another gadget. Just show him how to smack
it
> with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for years.
>
> I have two crusher that sit in a drawer.

I'm not sure what a two crusher is. For the last 20 years or so I've used
my old trusty Swiss garlic press- - sort of like my most favourite wooden
spoon - I woudn't be without it. But since accessing this ng I've come to
wonder whether I'm missing out -

I tried various suggestions - mashing; clobbering; smacking , chopping, etc.
etc.

All things considered though, I haven't really noticed a whit of
difference, except using a garlic press is more convenient and faster. So
back to the press.....................

Elaine

"Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote in message
m...
>
> > wrote in message
>> . He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
>> hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
>> jar
>
> Then don't load him down with another gadget. Just show him how to smack
> it with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for
> years.
>
> I have two crusher that sit in a drawer.

Amen!

I think I have at least 3 - I should just throw them out or put them into
the garage sale box.

Thanks for the reminder.

Dimitri

Dimitri wrote:

>
> Amen!
>
> I think I have at least 3 - I should just throw them out or put them into
> the garage sale box.
>
> Thanks for the reminder.
>
> Dimitri
>
>
I tossed the two that I had 7 years ago when we moved.

--
Steve

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence.

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 00:22:08 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>Just show him how to smack it
>with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for years.

I saw that on TV and have been doing ever since. So quit and fast.

And fun!

Mark Ferrante

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 00:22:08 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>Just show him how to smack it
>with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for years.

I saw that on TV and have been doing ever since. So quit and fast.

And fun!

Mark Ferrante

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 00:22:08 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>Just show him how to smack it
>with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for years.

I saw that on TV and have been doing ever since. So quit and fast.

And fun!

Mark Ferrante

> wrote:
> I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend who has never owned a
> decent one, but I don't know which one to buy. I've been thinking of
> getting him either a Zyliss or a Pampered Chef press, but wanted to ask
> the experts on this group which of these (if not another) is best.

I've had the Zyliss one for a couple of years and am very happy with it. It
gets the job done very well and is sturdy. Years ago I had two that
eventually failed due to fatigue. After those I got another one that I used
for quite a long time that was very sturdy. I know it must have been a
while, as it said "W. Germany" on it. I've still got it, but the Zyliss is
slightly bigger and slightly easier to use.

wrote:
> Hi rfc'ers,
>
> I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend who has never owned a
> decent one, but I don't know which one to buy. I've been thinking of
> getting him either a Zyliss or a Pampered Chef press, but wanted to ask
> the experts on this group which of these (if not another) is best.


If you need minced garlic and HAVE to get him a gadget, a microplane
works just as well and will sever more than one purpose.

but then again you give a man fish he eats for one day...


~john

I have both a microplane and a Zyliss. This is a pretty good
suggestion.

If you really want a press, I'd recomend the Zyliss, having tried some
other models over the years.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi rfc'ers,

> And just to head off any comments of "garlic presses are useless, just
> smash the cloves with a knive and etc. etc. etc.", I am quite a fan of
> garlic and often use it chopped/sliced/crushed (and even whole & raw,
> the garlic-method of choice in NW China), but my friend is not as much
> of an afficionado as I am. He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
> hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
> jar (I hate the way the acids they use to preserve the stuff affect the
> flavor).

That stuff is horrid. If you're going to cook something with garlic, do
it right. As in, buy some garlic and crush/mince/whatever for your
dish. I do also like granulated garlic for some applications.
However, I have no fondness for garlic presses. Wind up with
garlic goo. I use a knife to mince or crush.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>
>>Hi rfc'ers,
>
>
>>And just to head off any comments of "garlic presses are useless, just
>>smash the cloves with a knive and etc. etc. etc.", I am quite a fan of
>>garlic and often use it chopped/sliced/crushed (and even whole & raw,
>>the garlic-method of choice in NW China), but my friend is not as much
>>of an afficionado as I am. He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
>>hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
>>jar (I hate the way the acids they use to preserve the stuff affect the
>>flavor).
>
>
> That stuff is horrid. If you're going to cook something with garlic, do
> it right. As in, buy some garlic and crush/mince/whatever for your
> dish. I do also like granulated garlic for some applications.
> However, I have no fondness for garlic presses. Wind up with
> garlic goo. I use a knife to mince or crush.
>
> nancy
>

I don't end up with garlic goo. Perhaps because I put the clove in with
the skin on. Crush, open the press, reach in the the point of a knife
and it all comes out into the trash. Fast rinse.

Simple.


jim

Nancy Young wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>
>>Hi rfc'ers,
>
>
>>And just to head off any comments of "garlic presses are useless, just
>>smash the cloves with a knive and etc. etc. etc.", I am quite a fan of
>>garlic and often use it chopped/sliced/crushed (and even whole & raw,
>>the garlic-method of choice in NW China), but my friend is not as much
>>of an afficionado as I am. He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
>>hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
>>jar (I hate the way the acids they use to preserve the stuff affect the
>>flavor).
>
>
> That stuff is horrid. If you're going to cook something with garlic, do
> it right. As in, buy some garlic and crush/mince/whatever for your
> dish. I do also like granulated garlic for some applications.
> However, I have no fondness for garlic presses. Wind up with
> garlic goo. I use a knife to mince or crush.
>
> nancy
>

I don't end up with garlic goo. Perhaps because I put the clove in with
the skin on. Crush, open the press, reach in the the point of a knife
and it all comes out into the trash. Fast rinse.

Simple.


jim

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 20:25:47 -0500, "Nancy Young"
> wrote:

> However, I have no fondness for garlic presses. Wind up with
> garlic goo. I use a knife to mince or crush.

Garlic goo has its place. I prefer it when making garlic
butter.

sf

On Sat 08 Jan 2005 12:57:56p, sf tittered and giggled, and giggled and
tittered, and finally blurted out...

> On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 20:25:47 -0500, "Nancy Young"
> > wrote:
>
>> However, I have no fondness for garlic presses. Wind up with garlic
>> goo. I use a knife to mince or crush.
>
> Garlic goo has its place. I prefer it when making garlic
> butter.
>
> sf
>

Sometimes after I coarselyh mince it, I combine it in a mortar with a small
amount of salt from the recipe I'm using and mash it to a paste.

Wayne

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 20:25:47 -0500, "Nancy Young"
> wrote:

> However, I have no fondness for garlic presses. Wind up with
> garlic goo. I use a knife to mince or crush.

Garlic goo has its place. I prefer it when making garlic
butter.

sf

On 2005-01-05, > wrote:

> If any of you could give me a recommendation for a good garlic press, I
> would really appreciate it!

I've had several garlic presses over the years. The one I have now is by
far the best:

http://www.greenfeet.com/stainless-s...lic-press.html

This sucker is built! The ad says it's 7" long, but it's really 7-1/2"
long. This gives the user a lot of leverage, making crushing effortless.
The press cup is 1-1/2" dia x 1-1/2" deep. It's also a 3-piece articulated
press. NEVER buy a 2-piece press. 2-piece presses have insufficient
leverage. I'm confident this'll be the last press I buy.

nb

notbob wrote:

> On 2005-01-05, > wrote:
> > If any of you could give me a recommendation for a good garlic press, I
> > would really appreciate it!
> I've had several garlic presses over the years. The one I have now is by
> far the best:
> http://www.greenfeet.com/stainless-s...lic-press.html
> This sucker is built! The ad says it's 7" long, but it's really 7-1/2"
> long. This gives the user a lot of leverage, making crushing effortless.
> The press cup is 1-1/2" dia x 1-1/2" deep. It's also a 3-piece articulated
> press. NEVER buy a 2-piece press. 2-piece presses have insufficient
> leverage. I'm confident this'll be the last press I buy.
> nb

I have one like that too. I would appreciate a better method of smootching out the
leftover peels or whatever. Mine is also aluminum which means it can't go in the
dishwasher. I actually like the Pampered Chef one - when I wear this one out, I'll get
one of those. On some occasions I like a "riced" texture and strong flavor to the
garlic. And sometimes not.
Edrena.

On 2005-01-05, The Joneses > wrote:

> one of those. On some occasions I like a "riced" texture and strong flavor to the
> garlic.

Yes. Riced garlic is the only way to go when making garlic bread. It
provides superior dispersion in soft butter or when using ginger in a way
that doesn't entail heating in oil. For everyday cooking, though,
I just use a knife to smash/chop or slice.

As for ginger, even this heavy-duty crusher is inadequate. For that I cut
1/4" peeled medallions and smash 'em with a 8lb chrome dumbell, then chop.
Even the most fibrous ginger is no match for that.

nb

notbob wrote:

> On 2005-01-05, The Joneses > wrote:
> > one of those. On some occasions I like a "riced" texture and strong flavor to the
> > garlic.
> Yes. Riced garlic is the only way to go when making garlic bread. It
> provides superior dispersion in soft butter or when using ginger in a way
> that doesn't entail heating in oil. For everyday cooking, though,
> I just use a knife to smash/chop or slice.
>
> As for ginger, even this heavy-duty crusher is inadequate. For that I cut
> 1/4" peeled medallions and smash 'em with a 8lb chrome dumbell, then chop.
> Even the most fibrous ginger is no match for that.
> nb

That dumbell idea is different for sure. Maybe I should get a shiny hammer just for the
kitchen. I love fresh grated ginger. Makes a lovely house plant too.
Edrena

The Joneses wrote:
> notbob wrote:
<snip>
>>As for ginger, even this heavy-duty crusher is inadequate. For that I cut
>>1/4" peeled medallions and smash 'em with a 8lb chrome dumbell, then chop.
>>Even the most fibrous ginger is no match for that.
>>nb
>
>
> That dumbell idea is different for sure. Maybe I should get a shiny hammer just for the
> kitchen. I love fresh grated ginger. Makes a lovely house plant too.
> Edrena
>
>

Bang bang, Maxwell's silver hammer came down... oh wait... that's
something else. Nevermind.

--
Steve

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence.

In article >, The Joneses
> wrote:

> I have one like that too. I would appreciate a better method of smootching
> out the
> leftover peels or whatever. Mine is also aluminum which means it can't go in
> the
> dishwasher. I actually like the Pampered Chef one - when I wear this one
> out, I'll get
> one of those. On some occasions I like a "riced" texture and strong flavor
> to the
> garlic. And sometimes not.
> Edrena.
>
>
The Zyliss Jumbo garlic press comes with a clever little tool that
removes garlic fragments from the holes and can smootch out the
leftover peels.

What do you mean it can't go in the dishwasher? My Zyliss is aluminum
and I always put it in the dishwasher. Has lasted for years and still
looks and works great.

anthonyd wrote:

> What do you mean it can't go in the dishwasher? My Zyliss is aluminum
> and I always put it in the dishwasher. Has lasted for years and still
> looks and works great.

Mine got ugly white spots and eroded pits in the d/w. Don't use it so
often that it worries me alot tho.
Edrena

anthonyd wrote:

> What do you mean it can't go in the dishwasher? My Zyliss is aluminum
> and I always put it in the dishwasher. Has lasted for years and still
> looks and works great.

Mine got ugly white spots and eroded pits in the d/w. Don't use it so
often that it worries me alot tho.
Edrena

wrote:

>Hi rfc'ers,
>
>I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend who has never owned a
>decent one, but I don't know which one to buy. I've been thinking of
>getting him either a Zyliss or a Pampered Chef press, but wanted to ask
>the experts on this group which of these (if not another) is best.
>
>And just to head off any comments of "garlic presses are useless, just
>smash the cloves with a knive and etc. etc. etc.", I am quite a fan of
>garlic and often use it chopped/sliced/crushed (and even whole & raw,
>the garlic-method of choice in NW China), but my friend is not as much
>of an afficionado as I am. He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
>hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
>jar (I hate the way the acids they use to preserve the stuff affect the
>flavor). After spending many years living in China, a wonderfully
>garlic-friendly nation, I just can't bear using pre-processed crushed
>garlic out of a jar.
>
>If any of you could give me a recommendation for a good garlic press, I
>would really appreciate it!
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Adilah


Take a look at the Oxo press. I like mine, but do also use the smash
it on the cutting board method.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral, 48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend

Sledge-o-matic will work, as will the side of a chef's knife.

We've got the Pampered Chef one, and it works just fine. While I know
and use all the other smash and chop methods, when I need a lot of
garlic fast (like when the onions are starting to brown and I realize I
forgot the garlic), I can pop a bunch of unpeeled cloves in there and
be done with it.

C

> wrote in message
> . He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
> hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
> jar

Then don't load him down with another gadget. Just show him how to smack it
with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for years.

I have two crusher that sit in a drawer.

> wrote in message
> . He's actually a pretty decent chef, but I'm
> hoping to break him of the habit of spooning crushed garlic out of a
> jar

Then don't load him down with another gadget. Just show him how to smack it
with the side of a chef's knife and he will appreciate the tip for years.

I have two crusher that sit in a drawer.

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend

Sledge-o-matic will work, as will the side of a chef's knife.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi rfc'ers,
>
> I want to buy a garlic press for a good friend who has never owned a
> decent one, but I don't know which one to buy. I've been thinking of
> getting him either a Zyliss or a Pampered Chef press, but wanted to ask
> the experts on this group which of these (if not another) is best.
>
> And just to head off any comments of "garlic presses are useless, just
> smash the cloves with a knive and etc. etc. etc.", I am quite a fan of
> garlic and often use it chopped/sliced/crushed (and even whole & raw,
> the garlic-method of choice in NW China), but my friend is not as much
> of an afficionado as I am. He's actually a pretty decent chef,

He may be a pretty decent cook, but he isn't a chef. I have had very good
use out of my Zyliss and have no problem recommending it.

Charlie