My OXO Garlic Press Review – The Best Garlic Press I Ever Owned

         What is garlic press? With OXO garlic press so easy to smash garlic when we need it in a dish, I just clear if you don’t know and didn’t use this gadget in the past. If we do canning or use garlic often in cooking a garlic press is must to have in any kitchen, in my opinion.

         My first must to have in garlic press gadget is cleaning feature what makes cleaning easy and my OXO has it. A simple but useful piece of red plastic on the photo helps to clean my garlic smasher. Easy clean garlic by press garlic press in reverse direction. It really makes my life easier when cooking with garlic. No toothpicks to push out garlic out of small holes or additional parts what easy to lose. Just love it!

        We can use our garlic press for other uses as well. Because of OXO garlic press very well build we can use as a nutcracker for small nuts like hazelnuts. Another use I don’t try personally but I read online and going to mention. We can use to decorate cookies. For example, make a hair like an effect on the cookie.

        I also used my garlic press to get a few drops of juice from the onion. However, I can say it is an unusual use for my garlic press.

       This method is super easy and my favorite because my hands stay garlic odor free. I wash well cloves before use but don’t peel it, just cut off the bottom of the cloves for 2 reasons. The first reason is not easy to clean and be sure soil is not there, so I just cut it. Another reason is easy to smash because the garlic meat has an easy exit from hard skin. Place unpeeled cloves (the best works for me 1 or 2 at the time) in a garlic masher and press it. The peel remains in the press and the garlic is ready to use in my dish.

On the photo, check the recipe →  Russian Korean Carrot Salad Morkovcha

     Wash, peel and dry with paper towel garlic cloves. Place in a press garlic cloves and press it. In my opinion, this extra step of peeling garlic absolutely not necessary. However, some people say we got out more garlic with this method. In my opinion, with OXO garlic press if it is so, not a big difference.

           When I am done with pressing garlic, just open OXO garlic smasher in reverse direction and built-in cleaner pushes out garlic peel. So easy after to wash the garlic gadget under running water and clean with warm soapy water. I very seldom use a dishwasher to clean it. However, OXO garlic press is dishwasher safe and not going to discolor after dishwasher.

           I like non-slip handles and like the OXO garlic press has weight compared to my old light garlic pressers. When I press garlic, mashed garlic doesn’t come out from the top only juice. My OXO is really good garlic press!

           The garlic press weighs 367 g, it really has weight in it and I personally like. However, different people different preferences. If you are going shop online, it good to know, so no surprises.

         If I need a smooth paste of garlic and don’t have garlic press yet, use a cutting board and knife. Place the clove on cutting board and place knife on top by flat side of a knife and smash slightly garlic clove. It will be so easy to peel. After sprinkle lightly with a coarse salt surface of a cutting board, keep making moves like spreading garlic. I like to add salt it helps to smash faster garlic. For a large amount of garlic, we can use a mortar and pestle. Just remember when going to salt the dish, garlic paste already includes salt.

               I had a few garlic presses in my life. I am going to share my personal opinion and preferences when was shopping for my favorite garlic press. So, you don’t make my mistakes! I bought my garlic press when came to the USA just because I must to have it, I left my garlic press in Russia. I had 2 teenagers and didn’t have time for shopping and research. I just bought first what I saw at a store. As a result, instead of buying the right one first time and enjoy it, I bought 2 before I bought my Mr. Right garlic press!

              The first my garlic press was so primitive and looks not good and cleaning so complicated. Learned what I need from this one and found one with cleaning addition. Second garlic press looks not pretty but has an addition to makes cleaning easy (dark red plastic). I learned another lesson! Separate addition part always easy to lose! I kept in a zipper bag and it was so inconvenient. If you have a helper in your kitchen always look out. Not a big deal but I never ever consider after garlic press with 2 parts anymore. My last is OXO garlic press. Really good garlic press! So simple gadget and always makes me happy when I press my garlic!

           I kept all 3 my garlic presses. I just had a hard time to say, “Good Buy!” to my old gadgets. But I am learning now from great Japanise organizing consultant Marie Kondo how to say “Good Buy!” to my old gadgets. She teaches just say, “Thank you!” to old unwanted things in our house and let it go! I leave in the USA and we have Goodwill thrift store, what is a great way to give away kitchen gadgets what we don’t need but someone may need it.

          I didn’t buy my silicone garlic peeler really, this garlic peeler tube came as a gift with another gadget. I saw on the Internet many times but always thought, it will be just another useless toy in my kitchen. One day I ordered some kitchen gadget and it came with this garlic peeler tube. Who cooking with garlic knows, not so easy task, especially with a lot of garlic. We can smash with a knife garlic but it isn’t going to work if we need to slice garlic or whole garlic cloves. It really works and speed up peeling garlic peel!

         I saw also garlic hacks with a jar to peel garlic and tried. I don’t like this method, it didn’t work for me in the practical kitchen. I need to put a lot of effort to shake a jar and don’t like it. It not easy how it looks in videos but going to mention, it may work for you.

     I don’t think anybody needs instruction. However, I am going to tell. Just place a few garlic cloves inside the garlic peeler tube and roll it. Super fast and easy!

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       If garlic has inside noticed sprout on the center it should be removed before use it in cooking. The sprout is called the germ. The germ gives dish unpleasant bitterness. We can cook and use garlic in dishes without the germ usual way.

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        Remove garlic (onion) odors from knife or cutting board surface we can easily with lemon wedges. Just wipe the surface with lemon and wash it with warm water.

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        I love garlic! However, sometimes don’t eat it because of garlic odor. Remove garlic odor we can simply brush teeth and after rince mouth with a milk. Milk very well absorbs odors!

Another use of milk to eliminate odor. If fish has very strong specific odor, chefs recommend before cook it soak fish in cold milk.