If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind peeling and chopping garlic by hand, this list might not be for you. But if you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by sticky garlic fingers (and still having them smell hours later), welcome! You’ve come to the right spot.
A garlic press can be a game changer for anyone tired of trying to perfectly mince garlic without making a mess. “I know most trained chefs would prefer to just chop or mince by hand with a good, sharp knife,” says Yumna Jawad, chef, recipe developer, and founder of the cooking blog “Feel Good Foodie.” “But I prefer crushing garlic using a garlic press because it’s faster and more efficient, especially when crushing many garlic cloves—I’m Lebanese, after all, and we use a lot of garlic in recipes.”
If you, too, want a quick, no-fuss way to crush a lot of cloves, these tools will save you time—and your fingers from the mess.
Our top picks
- Best overall: Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Garlic Press
- Runner-up: KitchenAid Classic Garlic Press
- Best splurge: Männkitchen Stainless Steel Garlic Press
- Best budget: Cuisinart Garlic Press
- Most aesthetic: Caraway Stainless Steel Garlic Press
See the best garlic presses
We spoke to Jawad and other chefs for their tips on what to look for in a quality garlic press, plus tested gadgets from top-rated brands to see which ones live up to the hype.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Durable
- Wide, soft-grip handles
- Easy to press
- Swing basket for easy cleaning
- Fits multiple cloves
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons:
- Bulky (takes up some space in the drawer)
Materials
Stainless steel, rubber
What we love: I’ve used a lot of garlic presses over the years, but the Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Garlic Press trumps them all. It’s got everything you need in a quality press, plus the handles are comfy, so it’s easy on the hands. It’s Jawad’s favorite too: “I’ve had [it] for over 10 years, and it still works like a charm to press garlic cloves evenly, smells clean, and hasn’t corroded or shown much sign of wear and tear.”
The chamber is roomy enough to handle two to three cloves at a time, even if you don’t peel them, and the press still manages to squeeze out an even paste with minimal effort. I don’t have to do the awkward two-handed push or wrestle it over a bowl—just a firm, comfortable press with the wide handles, and I’m done.
What sealed the deal for me is the built-in cleaner. Garlic skins tend to get stuck in the holes of most presses, but the little ridged grid on this one flips down and clears out everything in one go. It’s dishwasher-safe, but honestly, it’s so easy to rinse off that I just will clean it by hand. For under $20, it’s a must.
What we’d leave: It’s a bit of a space hog. The rubber handles make it sturdy, but also slightly bulky, and it doesn’t exactly tuck neatly into a crowded utensil drawer. If you have limited kitchen storage or prefer more compact tools, this one might feel clunky. Still, for me, the performance outweighs the clunk.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Durable
- Wide variety of colors
- Removable basket
- Sturdy and well-balanced
- Dishwasher-safe
- Fits multiple cloves
Cons:
- Not as comfy as the Oxo
Materials
Stainless steel
What we love: This garlic press felt solid and dependable the moment I picked it up. It has a clean, streamlined look and a satisfying heft—nothing flimsy or fussy.
What I love most about this press is the removable stainless-steel basket, which makes all the difference. Once you’re done pressing garlic, you just pop the basket out and rinse it under warm water. There’s no need to jab at clogged holes with a toothpick or deal with stuck-on bits, which means less lingering garlic smell.
During testing, I found the press produced an even mince with minimal mess, even when working through multiple cloves. It’s not quite as effortless as the Oxo when it comes to pressing power—you’ll need a little more muscle—but for a well-designed, easy-to-clean press that looks good on your counter and holds up to regular use, it’s a close second.
What we’d leave: The only reason this wasn’t No. 1 was that the handles aren’t as ergonomic as the Oxo. They’re a bit firm, so if you’re someone who presses a lot of garlic, you might want to opt for the comfier option. Otherwise, it’s a solid, affordable bet.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Durable
- Lever assist requires less force
- Fits multiple cloves
- Sleek and powerful
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons:
- Expensive
- Bulky
Materials
Stainless steel
What we love: If you’re the kind of cook who minces garlic daily and wants a press that satisfies in use and looks, this gadget is for you. It’s made entirely from stainless steel, and everything about it—from the weighted feel to the mechanical precision—screams “serious kitchen tool.” The standout feature is the lever-assisted action, which uses a clever multi-hinge design to multiply your pressing power. No slipping and no awkward angle-jamming—just a smooth, solid press that produces a fine, even mince with almost no hand strain.
Another big win: The design is nearly seamless, which means nothing gets trapped in corners and cleanup is ridiculously easy. I didn’t have to pick at stuck garlic skins or run it through the dishwasher three times. A quick rinse and you’re done.
What we’d leave: It’s expensive. For a single-use kitchen tool, the $50 price tag is hard to justify. But if you’re serious about your garlic, it’s an investment that delivers on both performance and design.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- Dishwasher-safe
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Smaller garlic chamber
- Harder to squeeze
Materials
Stainless steel, rubber
What we love: For under $15, the Cuisinart Garlic Press punches way above its weight. It’s not fancy—and it’s not engineered with bells and whistles—but it gets the job done, which is exactly what I want from a budget-friendly kitchen tool. The rubberized handles mean it’s comfortable to hold and maneuver, even with smaller hands, and it doesn’t tire you out after a few cloves. If you’re just looking to skip the knife and avoid garlic-scented fingertips, this little press is a reliable sidekick.
What we’d leave: The garlic chamber is on the small side, so you’ll need to work in batches if you’re prepping for a crowd. And while it handles peeled cloves pretty well, it struggles with unpeeled garlic and thicker cloves that don’t fit neatly in the chamber.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Sleek and attractive
- Durable
- Dishwasher-safe
- Comes apart for easy cleaning
- Fits multiple cloves
Cons:
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Sometimes it inadvertently comes apart when you open it
Materials
Stainless steel
What we love: This thing is just chic, like something you’d find in your trendy home chef friend’s kitchen. It brings an intentional, curated vibe to even the most boring weeknight dinner, and honestly, it’s the only garlic press I’ve ever considered leaving out on the counter just for the aesthetic value.
Functionally, it holds its own too. It has a solid, well-balanced feel and handles peeled cloves easily, with smooth pressing action and minimal sticking. It’s completely dishwasher-safe, but if you’d rather hand-wash it, the pieces come undone at the hinge to make cleaning easier. If you care deeply about the look of your kitchen (and perhaps already own a matching Caraway pan), this garlic press is the final, fabulous detail.
What we’d leave: It’s significantly heavier than most of the presses I tested, and slightly bulky to press too. It’s also pricey—$45 for a garlic press is steep. Lastly, the handles can accidentally come undone when you’re trying to fill the chamber with cloves. If you open it too far, they’ll separate completely, which is great for cleaning but is annoying if you’re in the middle of cooking.
How I tested these garlic presses
I got my hands on a bunch of garlic presses and put them to work—pressing peeled and unpeeled cloves, cleaning out the chamber (and stubborn bits of stuck garlic), and seeing how much hand strength each one required.
I paid extra attention to how comfy they were to hold, how easy they were to clean, and whether the garlic came out nicely minced or in sad little chunks. I also tapped pro chef Yumna Jawad for her take on what makes a garlic press actually worth using.
What to consider when shopping for a garlic press
Materials and feel
Not all garlic presses are built to last. According to Jawad, stainless steel is the gold standard. While aluminum and plastic options may be lighter and more affordable, they’re more prone to bending, rusting, or warping over time.“The stainless-steel material usually means that not only is it durable, but it also won’t corrode and won’t hold on to garlic smells after washing,” she says.
However, your garlic press should still be comfortable to hold and easy to squeeze. “I usually look for one that has a comfortable grip that’s nonslip,” Jawad says. Especially if you’re pressing multiple cloves, a cushy rubber or silicone handle makes a big difference.
Chamber size
Pressing individual garlic cloves by hand isn’t speedy or convenient, and pressing anything more than four just leaves a mess. Look for a hopper that can hold two to three cloves at a time without overflowing to expedite pressing power.
Easy cleanup
The real deal-breaker for a garlic press? If it’s annoying to clean. “From the couple I’ve tried, I think that the hinged presses with flip-out baskets or removable plates tend to be the easiest ones to clean,” Jawad says. These allow you to pop the pulp out and rinse without having to dig garlic goo out with a toothpick. Look for a design with minimal crevices, or better yet, one you can toss in the dishwasher without worry.
Do I need to use a garlic press to mince garlic?
No, but they can be helpful. That said, many professional chefs prefer mincing garlic by hand or using other gadgets they already have in their kitchen cabinets. “Honestly, I’d rather use a microplane or zester,” suggests chef and cookbook author Nini Nguyen. “It’s faster, easier to clean, and you can use it for citrus, cheese, ginger…all kinds of things. If I’m working with a ton of garlic, I’ll throw it into a food processor. I know some people love garlic presses, but to me, they’re just not worth the hassle of cleaning.”
Can I put a garlic press in the dishwasher?
Many garlic presses are dishwasher-safe—especially stainless-steel models—but always check the manufacturer’s instructions. Presses with removable baskets or flip-out plates are usually easiest to clean. Whatever you do, rinse it immediately to get any stuck-on bits out.
Can I press unpeeled cloves?
Some presses are strong enough to crush unpeeled cloves, but peeling first usually gives a cleaner press and prevents clogging (and makes cleaning by hand way easier).
Other garlic presses we tested
The Zwilling Pro Garlic Press is built like a tank, with a streamlined all-stainless-steel design that looks and feels premium. It’s one of the most elegant garlic presses I’ve tested, and the quality is undeniable. That said, it’s not the easiest to use: The pressing mechanism requires more hand strength than expected, and the curved chamber tends to trap garlic remnants unless you immediately rinse it. If you’ve got large hands or a minimalist kitchen aesthetic, you might love it.
This budget-friendly set from Zulay Kitchen includes a garlic press, silicone peeler, and a cleaning brush, making it a decent starter kit for new home cooks. The press itself is lightweight and gets the job done, though the aluminum build doesn’t feel as sturdy as some of the more expensive options on this list. I also found the chamber a bit on the small side, which means you’ll be pressing in batches if your recipe calls for more than a clove.