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Every time I have to cut up garlic for a dish, I remember the late Anthony Bourdain’s thoughts on garlic preparation from his book, “Kitchen Confidential.” He believed the only way to chop garlic was with a knife, and that using a convenient and time-saving tool like a garlic press was evil because it would somehow corrupt the allium’s flavor. I don’t subscribe to Bourdain’s dictums, but his disdain for garlic presses has made me wonder if they might have room for improvement.
I’ve seen garlic rockers and garlic peelers, but I just found a gadget that does something no other garlic tool can do: slice! That means you can get perfectly even slices of garlic cloves in seconds and don’t have to use a knife or cutting board. Plus, this device also minces garlic, so you basically get two tools in one. I don’t know if world-renowned chefs would approve of it, but I know it will help me finish dinner more quickly, and that’s what’s really important.
This multifunctional garlic press has two slots, one for producing minced garlic and one for producing sliced garlic. Because the slots are separated, you can choose to use just one of them or use them simultaneously if you’re cooking a dish that calls for garlic to be prepped multiple ways. There are plenty of recipes that take advantage of sliced garlic — cheesy bucatini, charred broccoli rabe, buttery rice — so you’ll have lots of opportunities to put this tool to use.
I appreciate the accessories that come with this press and make it a well-rounded garlic prep system. It includes a silicone tube for peeling garlic cloves, a cleaning tool you can store inside the handle, and an additional brush in case you need it. The attached cleaning tool has firm little nubs that fit into the holes of the mincing head to push out bits of garlic, and the other end of it can slide in between the slicing slots to remove any debris that gets caught there. Garlic presses don’t have a great reputation when it comes to cleaning them, so these little tools ensure you’ll have a better experience than with most other garlic presses.
With an average 4.4-star rating from Amazon shoppers, this gadget makes good on its promise of delivering neatly minced and sliced garlic. “Does what it is supposed to do,” one reviewer wrote. “I prefer the slice feature, for sure. Serious time saver in the kitchen, and built well enough.” Another reviewer wrote that they bought this for its mincing function, but ended up preferring the slicing option: “I chose this one because of the versatility, thinking I’d like the smaller holes better, but I like the slices.”
Save yourself the trouble of having to cut up one more ingredient and clean one more cutting board with this handy tool. I’m looking forward to trying it out myself and finally having a quick and easy way to get perfect garlic slices every time.
Nic Dobija-Nootens
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