The Best Garlic Press for Crushed Cloves Without the Mess (2025)

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

Shop 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.

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 don’t love: 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.

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 don’t love: 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.

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.