Garlic press
298214
221719613
2008-06-25T19:55:56Z
LaFoiblesse
1206229
that wasn't really notable, unless you'd care to explain its significance...
[[Image:Garlic Press and Garlic.jpg|thumb|right|Garlic being crushed using a garlic press.]]
A '''garlic press''' is a [[kitchen utensil]] designed to crush [[garlic]] cloves efficiently by forcing them through a grid of small holes, usually with some type of [[piston]]. Many garlic presses also have a device with a matching grid of blunt pins to clean out the holes.
Garlic presses present a convenient alternative to [[mincing]] garlic with a [[knife]], especially because a clove of garlic can be passed through a sturdy press without even removing its peel. The peel remains in the press while the garlic is extruded out. Some sources<ref>For example, the [http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/how_to/food_dictionary/entry?id=2683 Epicurious Food Dictionary]</ref> also claim that pressing with the peel on makes cleaning the press easier.
Garlic crushed by a press is generally believed to have a different flavor from minced garlic; since more cell walls are broken, more of garlic's strong flavor compounds are liberated. A few sources prefer the flavor of pressed garlic. [[Raw food diet|Raw-foods]] chef Renée Underkoffler says "a good garlic press makes dealing with garlic a clean pleasure. Pressed garlic has a lighter, more delicate flavor than minced garlic because it excludes the bitter center stem."<ref>{{cite book|author=Underkoffler, Renée|title=Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods|publisher=Avery|year=2004|id=ISBN 1-58333-171-9}} p. 179.</ref> The magazine ''[[Cook's Illustrated]]'' says "a good garlic press can break down cloves more finely and evenly than an average cook using a knife, which means better distribution of garlic flavor throughout any given dish."<ref name="cooks">Wu, Sandra. "Notes from Readers", ''Cook's Illustrated'', Sept. & Oct. 2006 p. 3.</ref>
On the other hand, some chefs say garlic crushed in a press has an inferior flavor compared to other forms of garlic. For instance, chef [[Anthony Bourdain]] calls garlic presses "abominations" and advises "''don't'' put it through a press. I don't know what that junk is that squeezes out of the end of those things, but it ain't garlic."<ref>{{cite book | author=Bourdain, Anthony | title=Kitchen Confidential | publisher=HarperCollins | year=2001 | id=ISBN 0-06-093491-3}} p. 81.</ref> The British cookery writer [[Elizabeth David]] once wrote an essay titled 'Garlic Presses are Utterly Useless'; <ref>{{cite book | author=David, Elizabeth | title=Is There a Nutmeg in the House? | publisher=Viking | year=2000 | id=ISBN 0-670-03033-3}} p. 51.</ref> [[Alton Brown]] has expressed suspicion towards them on account of being "unitaskers" for the most part.
''Cook's Illustrated'' lists some additional uses for a garlic press, such as mashing other small items (including [[olive]]s, [[caper]]s, [[anchovies]], and canned [[chipotle]]s) or pressing out small quantities of [[onion]] or [[shallot]] juice.<ref name="cooks"/>
== Notes ==
{{commonscat|Garlic press}}
<references/>
[[Category:Food utensils]]
[[de:Knoblauchpresse]]
[[es:Prensa de ajos]]
[[fr:Presse-ail]]
[[lb:Knuewléckspress]]
[[nl:Knoflookpers]]
[[zh:蒜茸鉗]]