More chefs agreed that the garlic press was useless than any other tool.“I don’t know anyone that uses one.” — John Stage, Dinosaur BBQ (New York City)
“It seems like every home cook has one or wants one, but here are two simple techniques for crushing garlic without a press: The first, I learned from my mother. Simply place the peeled garlic clove in a small bowl (or use a mortar and pestle), add a small pinch of salt and take the end of a knife or the pestle and pound it until it's mashed! It's easy, fast, and better than punching a pillow (great for relieving tension)! The other method uses the flat side of a chef's knife and a cutting board. Smash the clove with the flat side of the blade (safely, using your fingers to guide the blade) until it's thoroughly crushed. A bit of salt on the garlic helps with this too.” — Cynthia Kallile, The Meatloaf Bakery (Chicago)
“What did that poor garlic do to you? Just throw [that garlic press] away. Now.” — Greg Baker, The Refinery (Tampa, Fla.)
"A knife does a better job. And most of the time you need a knife after using the device to chop the garlic finer. So we are wasting energy and creating more things to wash.” — Christopher Lee, The Forge (Miami, Fla.)
See the other tools chefs don't use here.
