I have had my old Brabantia garlic press since I first left home and the poor thing has split at the seams on the handle and started to rust. It still works to mince garlic but I felt it was time to look for a new one. That is the problem as you age...stuff wears out and needs to be replaced!
I can't get the Brabantia brand locally and even though I really love how their products have lasted, I decided to just grab a new press at the fancy kitchen supply store in town. I asked for the best model they had and the clerk recommended the Kuhn Rikon brand. This is a Swiss company (Brabantia is Dutch) and I have always appreciated the quality and design of products from that country. In fact, Kuhn Rikon is the #1 Swiss brand of cookware and cooks' tools. The Easy-Clean press was CDN$22.95 so not exactly inexpensive in comparison to what you could pick up in the mass discount chains. If it lasts as long as my old one though, and performs well without aggravation, it is money well spent.
The first time I tried it I was not disappointed. I actually prefer it to my old one because the award-winning design of the press requires even less force and cleanup is so easy. The beveled holes cut finely instead of crushing (which can lead to bitter or stronger garlic, apparently) and it is easy to grip and squeeze. Although it is dishwasher safe, hand wash and dry is recommended. I think that is how my old garlic press started to show its age - the heat of the dishwasher is probably not a good thing. I definitely plan to gently wash and immediately dry this tool so it doesn't rust and stays sharp. It was super easy to clean since the sieve part flips open and can be rinsed clear under the tap. I love that it is attached too since I was always digging around the drawer looking for the insert on my Brabantia model.
We cook with a lot of garlic so having an easy-to-use and clean garlic press for the times I don't want to chop with a knife is a must. The opening is really large on this new one and I can easily fit whole cloves of garlic in there without halving them first like I used to (I LOVE that! No touching!). For the past year or so I have been buying the larger Spanish garlic so I am very happy with my new, bigger press.
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