Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
Customer Review: Makes garlic prep easy
Summary: 5 Stars
I love garlic and usually put in at least twice whatever is suggested in a recipe. I don't really like mincing it, though. I'd used another more basic press before and it was okay - although the hopper was a bit small. Then I heard about this one via Cook's Illustrated and researched it - it is pretty expensive. However, I appreciate good tools and this looked like just such a thing. I've been VERY happy with it. It's sturdy and well-built and I expect that it will last for years.
The hopper is much bigger than most presses I see on the market. I can usually fit a couple or a few cloves in there (unless it's one of those super huge cloves - those I just cut in half). Plus - and this is the cool part - it flips open to make cleaning easier...which it really does. You do still have to clean it, but it isn't hard. I usually let it soak in soapy water as I finish my dinner prep and then wash it. No biggie. It can go into the dishwasher as well.
I'm not particularly strong, and my hands are much smaller than my husband's, but I have had no problems working this press. I will say that the handles do overlap so if you're not careful, you could pinch your hand a bit. However, I've had this press about a year and use it all the time and have never had that happen.
Highly recommended.
****update****
KR also makes a version with plastic handles for less money. (Kuhn Rikon Easy-Squeeze Garlic Press, Black) I saw this at a store recently and picked it up and handled it. I have to say that I'm very glad I got the stainless steel one. It feels much, much sturdier.
Customer Review: Kuhn Rikon tops the Rosle!
Summary: 5 Stars
Since I own both this Kuhn Rikon and the Rosle garlic presses, I have posted this comparison on the Rosle reviews, as well:
There's no doubt that the Rosle is extremely good--in fact, I would have given it five stars just a few weeks ago. But then I purchased the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press (#2315), after reading a recent review of it in Cook's Illustrated. After repeatedly comparing the two side-by-side, the Kuhn is unquestionably the better press. It was also about $8 cheaper here on Amazon, but that doesn't seem to be the case any longer--in any event, I didn't consider price for this review.
What's strange is that the crushing mechanisms on both presses appear to be identical. In fact, prior to crushing with the Kuhn, I felt disappointed when I received it, convinced that I had just bought the same garlic press twice. However, for whatever reason (and it remains a mystery to me), the Kuhn's crushing of garlic is clearly superior in two ways: 1) It produces a more beautifully consistent mince of the garlic, whereas the result from the Rosle seems more "smashed" by comparison. The difference isn't subtle--I was honestly shocked by it. 2) The pressing is more complete, with less left behind in the hopper, and it presses unpeeled garlic better, as well. (That said, I get a much better press from either unit with peeled cloves.)
Ergonomically, the shape of the Kuhn also handles better, although I never had a problem with the Rosle. And I'd say both units have stainless steel construction of equally high quality. For me, it was the crushing performance and not the handling that has sadly relegated my Rosle to the drawer, since I now always reach first for the Kuhn.
Customer Review: Kuhn Rikon Delivers
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted the best garlic press there is so after reading the many reviews here (thanks everyone!) I decided to take the $30+ plunge. I've added raw garlic to my daily diet and knew there had to be something much better than my grocery store bought garlic press which requires an extreme amount of force to use. The first thing I notice about the KR unit is that not only is it a beautiful and sturdy design, but what the pictures don't show very well is the complex linkage inside. It reminds me of the rear suspension on my motorcycle ha ha! This press uses no less than four pivot points to gain a mechanical advantage, a very clever design. Just like how bolt cutters can easily cut through a padlock, the KR feels almost effortless when squeezed compared to single pivot point designs. Everyone knows pressing garlic through tiny holes normally requires strong hands and high effort. Not with the KR. When preparing my garlic I always peel the white, dry flaky skin off of the cloves. Then I throw the cloves into the hopper one after the other with no stopping and no problems. The mince comes out nice and clean just like it should. The perforated hopper conveniently swings out to retrieve the garlic remnants (I use every bit of the clove) and for easy cleaning.
I didn't want to waste time and money searching and trying out different presses. I just wanted the best. I believe the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean is truly the best garlic press out there. I have been using it daily for about a month and I totally love it. As is typical in life, sometimes you have to pay more to get the very best.
Customer Review: nearly perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been managing with a couple of aluminum garlic presses that I've had for years, but they hurt my hands, and they require so much pressure that I have to cut the medium and big cloves up into halves or thirds, or I can't press them at all. One press in particular allows unpressed garlic to work its way out around the edges. And sometimes I wonder how much aluminum ends up in my food, especially when I have to poke and scrape with a knife. It was time for a good stainless steel press.
This little gem is definitely better than any garlic press I've ever used! I am now able to press a good-sized clove all at once. None of the garlic escapes around the edges of the plunger, the pressed garlic is nicely minced, and very little remains in the hopper. The screen part flips out for easy cleaning---no need to poke at the holes with a knife tip, or dig out the bits from between the "fingers" on a cleaner mechanism (like with my others).
My only complaint is that it's still a bit of a stretch to get the pressing started (my hands are on the small side, and using both hands simultaneously works best). But the well-designed handles don't hurt, and the pressing is definitely easier than with the others.
Considering that most garlic presses cost $12 to $15 and don't work nearly as well, it's worth it to get this one instead.
Customer Review: Not as Good as the Zyliss
Summary: 3 Stars
This garlic press is reasonably easy to use, although as with most such presses people with small hands, such as my wife, will have a hard time squeezing the garlic through the holes.
Aside from that, I liked the Kuhn Rikon Garlic Press at first, but I soon discovered its major flaw: there are small gaps between the screen through which the garlic is pressed (i.e., the part with the holes) and the frame around it. That's because the screen flips up and out of the frame for easy cleaning, a plus that attracted me to this press. However, those gaps allow pieces of garlic peel to be pushed through the press and into your food. Although those small pieces of peel may dissolve during cooking, I prefer that there be no peel in my food, especially in raw dishes such as salad dressings. And even if you peel the garlic before pressing it, large flat uneven pieces of garlic pass through the gaps.
Two of the main benefits of a good garlic press are 1) you don't have peel the garlic and 2) the pressed garlic is of uniform size. The Kuhn Rikon fails on both counts, IMHO, and I've therefore gone back to my trusty old Zyliss Susi DeLuxe Garlic Press (which Amazon carries). Granted, the Kuhn Rikon is easier to clean than the Zyliss, but it simply isn't as good as the Zyliss when it comes to the one thing it's designed to do.