The best garlic press has a hopper that opens wide, a flat plunger that meets the screen evenly, and comfortable handles. America's Test Kitchen's long-running winner is the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press. Serious Eats names the OXO Good Grips Garlic Press as the best for most households.
A press is faster than a knife, but it does change the garlic. Serious Eats found knife-minced garlic the mildest and microplaned garlic the harshest, with pressed garlic in between. In a long braise, the difference disappeared.
This guide covers how a press compares with a knife, a microplane, and a rocker, how to handle unpeeled cloves, what hopper size you need, how to clean one, and which models testers recommend.
| Garlic press | Chef's knife | Microplane | Garlic rocker | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Seconds per clove | Slowest | Fast | Slow in testing |
| Texture | Uneven squiggles to fine paste, depends on the screen | Small, separate pieces | Wet purée | Coarse, often half-crushed |
| Raw flavor (Serious Eats) | Stronger than knife-minced | Mildest | Harshest | Not taste-tested |
| Unpeeled cloves | Works in many presses | No | No | No |
| Cleanup | Screen and hinge need scrubbing | Wipe the blade | Rinse the back of the grater | Rinse the holes |
Press, Knife, Microplane, or Rocker
Serious Eats editor Daniel Gritzer tasted garlic prepared five ways (updated September 11, 2023). The more cells you break, the more allicin forms, and the more pungent the garlic tastes.
Garlic press
Pressed garlic tasted more aggressive than knife-minced, with a burn that started after about five seconds, but Gritzer did not find it as bad as its reputation. Cooked briefly in butter, it was stronger than knife-minced, a little sweet and a little harsh.
Chef's knife
Knife-minced garlic had the largest, driest pieces and was the mildest raw and quick-cooked. It takes the most time and some knife skill.
Microplane
Grated garlic was by far the most pungent raw, and still the strongest when cooked quickly. Gritzer suggests it where you want a strong hit, such as mayonnaise.
Garlic rocker
A rocker is a curved, perforated bar you roll over the clove. Serious Eats found the Vantic and Joseph Joseph rockers hard to push and left a lot of garlic unpressed, and America's Test Kitchen needed full body weight to work the Leifheit Knobi-King.
Long cooking evens it out
In a three hour braise, Gritzer could not taste a difference between knife-minced and microplaned garlic. The method matters most for raw and quick-cooked dishes.
Hole Size Changes the Flavor
Serious Eats' garlic press review (updated August 14, 2026) found that screens with larger holes produced larger pieces with less bite, while very fine screens nearly juiced the garlic and made it sharp.
Larger holes
The OXO Good Grips Garlic Press, with larger holes, produced fragrant, even bits that were not too punchy. America's Test Kitchen also noted the OXO's larger square holes gave a slightly bigger mince.
Smaller holes
The Männkitchen and Zyliss Susi 3 presses had the smallest holes in the Serious Eats test. They took more effort and produced sharper garlic.
Where the testers disagree
America's Test Kitchen found the presses it tested made a mince uniform enough that it noticed no flavor or texture differences in its infused oils and pasta. Serious Eats noticed differences when tasting the garlic raw.
Unpeeled Cloves
Most of the recommended presses can take a clove with the skin on. The skin stays in the hopper and the garlic comes out the screen.
It saves time
Serious Eats found unpeeled cloves took a little more force, and when the skin did not catch, the output was close to what peeled garlic gave.
It wastes some garlic
Some garlic always stayed behind in the chamber with the skin. How much depended on how tightly the plunger met the screen.
Which presses handle it
America's Test Kitchen says its winner, the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean, handled unpeeled cloves well. With the Orblue press, it found a lot of garlic was left behind.
Hopper Size
Most presses take about two medium cloves at a time. If you press several cloves for one dish, a bigger hopper saves refills.
Small
Serious Eats lists the Zulay Kitchen press at 1.5 to 2 medium cloves. America's Test Kitchen found the OXO Good Grips hopper too small for more than one clove at a time.
Larger
Serious Eats lists the Joseph Joseph CleanForce at 3 medium cloves and the Dreamfarm Garject at 2 to 3. America's Test Kitchen found the Garject handled multiple cloves easily.
Opening width
America's Test Kitchen preferred presses that open wide for loading. One model it tested had only a 1 1/4 inch gap between plunger and hopper, which made cloves hard to insert.
Cleaning a Garlic Press
Serious Eats says cleaning a garlic press is never fun, and even a dishwasher will struggle to get every bit out of the screen and hinge. Design makes the biggest difference.
Flat, smooth plunger
America's Test Kitchen liked plungers with no nubs. Textured plungers trapped garlic.
Few parts
Presses that had to be taken apart to wash were impractical. One model in the America's Test Kitchen test had six parts.
Clean it right away
Rinse the press before the garlic dries in the holes. A small brush or the tip of a paring knife helps clear the screen.
Check the dishwasher rating
Serious Eats lists the OXO, Garject, and Zulay presses as dishwasher-safe and the Joseph Joseph CleanForce as hand-wash only.
What to Look For
These points come from the two most detailed garlic press tests.
A plunger that sits flush
Serious Eats found presses with a gap between plunger and screen needed more force and left garlic unpressed.
A solid hinge
Look for a hinge pin that runs through both arms. Serious Eats rejected one press for a thin hinge pin and broke a tab on another.
Comfortable handles
Wide, padded handles give leverage without digging into your palm. Two presses in the America's Test Kitchen test needed full body weight.
A hole size that suits you
Larger holes give a milder, coarser mince. Smaller holes give a finer, sharper one and take more effort to clean.
A wide-opening hopper
A hopper that opens wide is easier to load and easier to scrape out, especially with unpeeled cloves.
No extra gadgets
Built-in brushes and ejectors often got in the way in testing. A simple press with few parts is easier to keep clean.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels
Tester Picks
These are the presses the major testers recommend, with the date of each review. We did not test them ourselves.
Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
America's Test Kitchen's winner for many years, retested in its review published June 24, 2025. Testers found the stainless steel press opened wide, produced a uniform mince, handled unpeeled cloves well, and rinsed clean quickly. Serious Eats did not recommend it, finding garlic smashed around the edge of the plunger and made cleanup longer.
Look for
- Stainless steel build
- Handles that open wide
- Smooth, flat plunger
Watch out for
- Testers pinched fingers between the handles a couple of times
- Garlic can squeeze up around the plunger with several cloves
OXO Good Grips Garlic Press
Serious Eats' top pick (updated August 14, 2026), and a winner there since its first test in 2022. It was the easiest to use in that test, produced balanced, even garlic, and was among the easiest to clean. America's Test Kitchen recommended it with reservations, finding the hopper small and the arms loose.
Look for
- Large, rubbery handles
- Stainless steel where it touches the garlic
- Dishwasher-safe
Watch out for
- Bulky handles take up drawer space
- Holds about 2 medium cloves
Catch the Garlic Skins: Get the ROO Mat
ROO is a silicone mat that sits under your cutting board. It grips the counter so the board stays put, and its 7-cup pouch hangs over the edge to catch papery skins, root ends, and other scraps as you work. It fits boards up to 16 inches, including the one you already own.
Shop the ROO Mat →Dreamfarm Garject
Serious Eats' best self-cleaning press (August 14, 2026). It found the Garject had the torque and capacity for bulk garlic and needed the least cleaning effort of the presses it tested. America's Test Kitchen (June 24, 2025) recommended it with reservations, finding it heavy and its scraper and ejector unhelpful.
Look for
- Peel eject lever
- Holds 2 to 3 medium cloves
- Dishwasher-safe
Watch out for
- Heaviest press in the America's Test Kitchen lineup
- Long handles and a high price
Upgrade Your Prep Workflow: The ROO Bundle
Garlic prep leaves a mess of small, papery scraps: skins, root ends, and the flattened husk a press leaves behind. The ROO Mat sits under your cutting board and grips the counter, so the board stays put while you smash, peel, or mince. Its built-in pouch hangs over the edge and catches up to 7 cups of scraps, so you can knock the skins straight off the board instead of chasing them across the counter. The ROO Bundle pairs the mat with a rubberwood board that fits it.
Upgrade Your Prep Workflow: Get the ROO Bundle
A rubberwood board that is gentle on knives, a non-slip silicone base, and a 7-cup scrap pouch.
Check out the ROO Bundle →How This Guide Was Put Together
This guide is built from Serious Eats' garlic press review (updated August 14, 2026), America's Test Kitchen's garlic press review (published June 24, 2025), and Serious Eats' comparison of garlic mincing methods by Daniel Gritzer (updated September 11, 2023), all checked October 12, 2026. We did not test these presses ourselves. ROO makes a rubberwood cutting board and a silicone mat, not garlic presses.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a garlic press better than mincing with a knife?
It is faster. Serious Eats found knife-minced garlic milder and sweeter, while pressed garlic was stronger with more burn. In long-cooked dishes the difference faded.
Can you put unpeeled garlic in a garlic press?
Yes, in most good presses. Serious Eats found it saves time but leaves some garlic behind with the skin. America's Test Kitchen's winner handled unpeeled cloves well.
Is a garlic press or a microplane better?
It depends on the dish. Serious Eats found microplaned garlic far more pungent than pressed garlic, which suits a sauce like mayonnaise but can turn bitter in a quick sauté.
How do you clean a garlic press?
Rinse it right away, before garlic dries in the holes, and use a small brush or a paring knife tip on the screen. Check whether your model is dishwasher-safe.
Are garlic rockers any good?
Not in testing. Serious Eats found two rockers took a lot of force and left much of the clove unpressed, and America's Test Kitchen needed full body weight with another.
What garlic press do testers recommend?
America's Test Kitchen's winner is the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean (June 24, 2025). Serious Eats' top pick is the OXO Good Grips Garlic Press (August 14, 2026).
If you use garlic most nights, a press with a wide hopper, a flush plunger, and a simple design earns its drawer space. Keep a sharp knife for dishes where you want a milder, sweeter garlic, and a microplane for the few that need a strong hit.