Well, I’ve decided to set aside Fridays to share a few of my favourite things. “Friday’s Favourites” will be about things that I love (or really like a lot) and use around the house.
Today’s item is a handy kitchen gadget; the Garlic Press.
Over the years I have owned a few garlic presses, nothing high-end, just the kind you’d buy at a department store (like Walmart). Some were better than others, but I never loved any of them. They were either a pain to clean, too hard for me to press, or left behind/wasted too much garlic.
A few years ago, I pretty much gave up on garlic presses and relegated mine to the far corner of the gadget drawer. That’s when I started buying bottled, chopped and minced garlic. I don’t think it really tastes as good as fresh garlic, but it sure is EASY (and no messy cleanup involved).
That is until recently…
A few months back, I went to Ikea with a friend, and she raved about how much she loved their garlic press. Of course I had to buy one! I brought it home, put it in the drawer and promptly forgot all about it. Then a couple of weeks ago, I was making a recipe that called for minced garlic, and I really thought fresh would taste better. Digging through the drawer, I discovered my “new” garlic press.
I was really impressed by this garlic press! I mean, about as excited as one can get regarding a kitchen gadget. Not only did it actually use all of the clove (just leaving the skin behind), I was able to press it with one hand (my left hand at that; since I am right-handed). It was also super easy to clean.
I am sure there are plenty of expensive great garlic presses out there, but if you are looking for a new one, I recommend you give this one a try.
It’s very affordable, and well-built. It’s completely made of metal; Stainless steel, Zinc, and Matt chrome-plated (according to Ikea’s website). It’s easy to clean, with a removable insert. It’s really easy to use, and you don’t even need to peel your garlic cloves!
I just visited Ikea’s website and notice they carry two garlic presses. The one I have is the KONCIS. I did notice it is handwash only. This is not a problem for me, since we don’t have a dishwasher, but I realize it might be for some people. Their other model, the IKEA 365+ Garlic Press is dishwasher-safe, but I obviously have not tested that one!
Have you tried any of the the IKEA Garlic Presses? What did you think? Do you have a different favourite?
Teatime with Tina 
I stopped buying fresh garlic a few years ago because it hurt my wrist to use the garlic press. I’ve recently switched from the bottled garlic to freeze-dried, which seems nicer, but I will definitely look for one of these the next time I’m at IKEA. Fresh is better than packaged, hands down!
Hi Janet,
Thanks for stopping by! I haven’t tried freeze-dried garlic, but I do have the minced dried onion. I rarely use it. I must have bought it for a recipe! LOL We do use a LOT of garlic powder though. One thing we discovered is dried garlic in slices (we call them garlic “chips”). They are fantastic with sauteed veggies. They get a bit brown and chewy. Delicious! I LOVE Garlic!
Sounds yummy!