Garlic Twist

We’ve always used a standard, run-of-the-mill garlic press, probably just because it was what was in the drawer. It only used half the clove. It was a pain to clean. And stinky hands were hard to avoid. It’s a device whose engineering is outdated.

We were downtown recently, just having finished brunch, and decided to walk around the square. Just a couple of doors down we have a cute little kitchen store. It’s always a fun place to cruise, and as I’m checking out, with a brand-spanking new garlic press in my hand, there at the register is a box labeled Garlic Twist. It was the same price as the garlic press so I swapped.

This thing is awesome. Give the cloves a whack with the bottom of the press (it’s nice, sturdy acrylic). Remove the outer layer and toss them in the garlic twist. Slip the lid on and twist the top and bottom in opposite directions. Stop twisting when the garlic is the desired consistency. It works equally well with a single clove or a handful.

The package says you can also do ginger or olives or cherries. I haven’t tried that, but it should work just as well.

-- Melissa

Garlic Twist
$17

Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Garlic Twist

Know of a better tool, or need a recommendation? Submit a review or request!

MORE: cool tools • garlic • vampires

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hassan-i-sabbah

So, its a pot grinder for garlic then ?
- http://twitter.com/fossilfuels Funk Daddy
  
  bout to say, got a few of these already, different drawer.
- Recluse
  
  If you haven’t vaped garlic, you haven’t lived! :)
  - http://ok-cleek.com/blogs cleek
    
    holy crap. could you imagine…
  - irksome
    
    I’m old-school; I prefer to cook it, tie off and boot it directly into a vein.
    - http://profile.yahoo.com/ASYOOK4KQ4FQH4ZDONKUOJGA5Y Gene Eric Name
      
      I hear that will turn you into a zombie and make you eat some guy’s face. At least, that’s what the cops told me.
      - Felton / Moderator
        
        Vampire propaganda.
      - Diogenes
        
        But it will be the tastiest face-flesh you’ve ever eaten.
    - chgoliz
      
      We are still talking about garlic, right?
    - er0ck
      
      just don’t cook with fresh lemon juice…
http://www.facebook.com/jeroen.donker.94 Jeroen Donker

Whoa, too expensive. In the Netherlands it’s one Euro at the Eurostore…
- Paul Renault
  
  Does the Eurostore only sell stuff designed and built in Europe?
  - http://twitter.com/lewisjamieson Lewis Jamieson
    
    I assume it’s a shop that sells everything for just a euro.
    - https://twitter.com/PhoetrySlam Cyran0
      
      Euro K, man.
      - mccrum
        
        Strange things are afoot at the Euro K.
      - snowmentality
        
        http://inspiredlivingnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/logo20circle20k.jpg
arp

I was looking through the reviews when I came across this: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAVZLVALA6T9A/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0044TLKMK&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag= I don’t know if the complaint this product contains BPA is valid but the apparent response by the company is pretty concerning and really unprofessional if it’s true.
- Spezz
  
  Agreed, this sounds like the response of an entitled executive.
- http://disqus.com/Kimmoth/ Kimmo
  
  Too retarded to make up.
  
  These guys can take a flying fuck off a cliff of broken glass IMO.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1230706273 Ernesto Beckeringh

i use the Droog-design garlic ’press’:
http://www.droog.com/store/tableware/garlic-crusher/ Great functional design, works fine, and being able to both rinse the crusher while getting rid of the garlic smell on your fingers is amazing.
http://twitter.com/jonny_boy27 Jon Massey

Just crush it with the back of a knife, people!
- MaximumOvertroll
  
  This. If I was gonna use a grinder on my garlic id just get a cheap plastic one from a head shop.
  - http://disqus.com/Kimmoth/ Kimmo
    
    Harder to clean.
    
    The plastic becomes problematic over time; I suspect the same would hold for garlic. A metal one, you can scrape clean no worries.
http://twitter.com/incarnedine_v Dan Hibiki

That’s just a lame knockoff of the Garlic Chop

Bet it doesn’t even have an ejector.

http://www.kitchenniche.ca/images/garlic%20chop.jpg
MaximumOvertroll

You can always count on stoners to repurpose everything. Especially when it comes to food.
jsandin

Two words: Chinese cleaver.
pjk

Garlic twist: $17

Knife I already have: $0
- robdobbs
  
  If you already had the Garlic Twist – it would be $0 too.
- http://twitter.com/Sightlab75 Thom
  
  Does a $0 knife keep a decent edge? OR even a $7 one?
  - bolivar13
    
    Doesn’t matter. When you smash garlic with a knife you don’t use the edge.
- http://disqus.com/Kimmoth/ Kimmo
  
  Can of stuff Ima put the garlic with – $0
http://www.kmoser.com kmoser

Like most garlic presses, it contains all sorts of nooks and crannies that would be difficult to wash thoroughly. I’ll stick with a good knife that lets me do anything from thin, wide slices to fine mincing.
- http://twitter.com/Sightlab75 Thom
  
  I’ve never tried mincing with a knife. Usually movement clothes and a strong Cosmopolitan are enough.
SomeGuyNamedMark

Does the skin just get ground into the garlic?
princessalex

Since you’ll probably have a knife out to cut off the bottom end of the cloves, anyway, why not just use the one tool for everything? If you’ve never tried smashing-and-mincing garlic with a knife, here’s how: http://chaosinthekitchen.com/2008/07/minced-garlic/
Boundegar

“The package says you can also do ginger or olives or cherries” …if you like garlic-flavored cherry relish.
habbi1974

I’m sorry but this does not look easier to clean than the standard press…
- JPW
  
  I’ve owned it for years and rarely use it. you’re right on. Cleaning takes longer than any other implement.
  - http://dreadpiraterobert.blogspot.com dreadpiraterobert
    
    Slap-Chop! Same. Glad to see that Boingers don’t fall for this crap… but our gift-giving relatives do.
    - Quiche de Resistance
      
      your gonna love Vince’s nuts
      
      http://youtu.be/UWRyj5cHIQA
  - Quiche de Resistance
    
    Cleaning is super easy. a little bit of soapy water inside and spin it. meshing teeth+soapy water = clean instrument, maybe using a dishwasher brush if necessary.
snah

Smash and chop with a knife takes just moments.

And here’s a great trick for removing the skin of a single clove or entire head of garlic in a few seconds:

http://www.saveur.com/article/video/video-How-to-Peel-a-Head-of-Garlic-in-Less-Than-10-Seconds
Quiche de Resistance

I have one of these and I love it. you do have to use a knife to cut off the clove bottoms. But put in a bunch of cloves and you’ve got minced garlic in a minute. And then you can turn the press to get a couple of nice little minced garlic wedges that are very easy to remove from the grinder. Clean up is easy with a little warm soapy water, just turn the mincer and the teeth clean each other.

I know a bunch of people are bitching about just smash with flat of knife and then slice, but for me this is much easier than mincing a bunch of cloves. It’s a cool little gadget.
picaflor

I am old-school – love my pilón
Daniel Saraga

I have one of these – it’s not bad if you want seriously well mashed garlic, and it’s definitely easier to clean than a traditional press. Definitely gets all the juices out.
gellfex

Putting aside the minced vs pressed argument, I’ve found one of the best presses to be $3 from Ikea. It has a removable stainless perforated basket that makes it easier to clean. I used to use a self cleaning die cast zinc one but pressing ginger would blow out the perfed section. I now use a microplane for ginger anyway.
gwyllion

wanna know whats REALLY awesome? Take your garlic cloves put two glasses or little bowls rim to rim (like a cocktail shaker) and vigorously shake your garlic cloves. The garlic
peel magically comes off leaving you with perfect peeled garlic cloves no knife smashing needed! It is AMAZING!!!!
Steve Taylor

Kitchen gadgets are to be resisted. They sit around cluttering up the kitchen drawers and laughing at you.
- http://disqus.com/Kimmoth/ Kimmo
  
  A not-so-distant cousin to exercise machines.
Ben Handel

I use one of these to grind up dried chiles!