Best way to crush/chop garlic?

[OlgaFjeldso]

I’ve always just chopped garlic - we have a garlic crusher, but it always seemed to me it’s a huge effort to squeeze it, you waste most of it getting it stuck to the holes, and it’s a faff to wash.

Yesterday I was at my friend’s house, and she has a formidable blackened old metal garlic crusher that weighs a ton and looks like it’s about 100 yrs old (belonged to her Italian grandma apparently). It effortlessly squeezed out completely puréed garlic leaving only the papery skin behind.

So I have been wondering whether I just have a faulty garlic crusher, or if they don’t make them like that any more. I recognise crushed is better than chopped.

Anyone have the definitive brilliant garlic preparation tool that I need in my life?

I just use a chopping board and scrape/squash it with the flat of a knife until it’s paste. A sprinkle of coarse salt helps.

I've always found using a microphone grater the best method. Give the clove a slight bash to loosen the papery skin, and then grate away.

The video makes it seem to take longer than it actually does
www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-crush-garlic-video

I no longer bother. It comes in jars, called really lazy garlic.

Autocorrect - microplane

I've tried the jars of lazy garlic but didn't think it gave as good a flavour.
I've got a thing like a mini cheese grater that I use for garlic and wouldn't use anything else now,

I do own a micro plane grater, never tried using that. I’d be worried for my fingers a bit.

I’ve tried the lazy garlic and tubes of garlic but I prefer the taste of fresh.

We have a garlic grater plate.
Just peel the skin, rub the garlic around the plate and it purees it as you do so.

Works very well with ginger too.

I like the rocker ones, I don't have the thumb strength for the squeezing but you can lean both hands on these if needed and get great result.

Like this one but you can buy just the rocker bit too in lots of kitchen shops https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ever-Crusher-Stainless-Ergonomic-Cleaning/dp/B087FY3M1M/ref=asc_df_B087FY3M1M?mcid=6315cbfc13013f148282509192515ab6&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697251570715&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6928556486365219676&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9217610&hvtargid=pla-940805130428&psc=1&gad_source=1

I just chop, and bash it with the back of the knife a bit. It takes seconds. It is peeling the bastards that is the time consuming part!

Zyliss garlic press. Is the absolute best. No peeling, no messing. Drop a whole clove in, squeeze effortlessly into pan, lift remains in 1 easy piece to compost bin.

Zyliss one is on Amazon. (Sorry I can't do links.) You won't look back OP!

If you bash it hard with the flat of a knife, the papery skin usually just slips off. If there's bits left on, I often just throw them in the dish along with the garlic anyway. You'd never know when you eat it.

I buy frozen crushed garlic. Taj brand, I think it's available in most supermarkets. I think it's better than the jarred stuff, tastes the same as fresh to me.

My favourite method - I blitz (using food processor) 2 heads of garlic at a time and keep it in a jar, and top with oil so that no garlic is exposed to air. Then I just use it out of fridge for a week or two.

Zyliss crusher is good as well.

I have this from IKEA, easy to use and easy to clean, Wouldn't be without it

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/koncis-garlic-press-stainless-steel-00089163/

I get a razor and slice it like Ray Little does in Goodfellas.

Not really, I buy it as puree in jars