Chixe

I have an "Oxo" brand one that I bought at Macy's that works great.

I also have one I bought at crate&barrel.com which works great.

Zyliss makes a good one...I have it, too...and both the Zyliss and Oxo can be bought at amazon.com

Thanks Lorri.

I had actually had an OXO Good Grips model that worked pretty well, until it completely snapped in half on me one day.

Pampered Chef!

My mom bought 5 different presses in about a month, and none worked like the one from Pampered Chef.

Very lazy garlic

The best garlic press ever by Rosle

You don't have to peel first, though I do anyway (unless time is short), super easy to clean the bits out, goes in the dishwasher. What's not to love?

Andrew --

To put this in perspective, using bottled, minced garlic as opposed to freshly pressed by own effort, would be akin to me using "theater" when referring to the London stage with you. ;)

Dreamweaver --

That Chefs store reminded me there is a place here in town where they sell professional kitchen supplies. I might need to go check that out, though that Rosle brand does look pretty impressive.

Alisa --

My wife buy all kinds of stuff at Pampered Chef occasionally, I don't know why it never even crossed my mind to take a look at what they might have.

I know it's weird, but I need to experience cookware first hand before purchasing it. It's one of those things I just cant trust to buying online.

I'll second the pampered chef press. Most of their stuff is just "ok," but they've got a few gems in there, this is one of them. Very solidly built, easy to clean. I like the clip on scraper/poker tool to make sure you've got everything out after using it.

Their stonewear is also very nice for overn work.

The Pampered Chef garlic press looks good.

But, like you fuscom, I am a hands on person when it comes to kitchenware, preferring to touch, feel and see it first.

"Please, treat your garlic with respect. Sliver it for pasta, like you saw in Goodfellas; don't burn it. Smash it with the flat of your knife blade if you like, but don't put it through a press. I don't know what that junk is that squeezes out the end of those things, but it ain't garlic."

-Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

Screw Bourdain. There are plenty of applications where garlic is better sliced, chopped, or minced. There are also plenty of places where a press is the preferred method.

I've never seen a press in any of the kitchens I've worked/been in. Never used one either. The thread just reminded me of the quote.

I don't have a brand to recommend, but I bought a plastic one from either World Market or Williams Sonoma, and it's flimsy and difficult to clean. Make sure whatever you get is stainless steel and has some weight to it. But personally, I go for the smashing with the knife method.

When I want to know what happens in world , going to cnn.com or bbc

I love the press, myself, but that is my opinion. I don't use my press all of the time, but about 50% of the time. I never take Bourdain's word on anything, anyway.

I always find that it depends on the situation. Mostly though, I like to shop, mince, etc. on my own as opposed to using a press. But, if you're going to go for presses, any of the middle-higher priced Oxo stuff is great.

I bought a cheap press from Target a while back and never really used it a whole lot. It didn't work very well anyway. I guess you get what you pay for sometimes.

Lately I have pretty much just been smashing it with my knife. If I want it really smooth, I grind it up in my mortar and pestle. I've also seen Alton Brown on Good Eats smash it with a marble sample--seems like a good idea.

Good luck with your press buying. You'll have to keep us updated on what you end up going with and how you like it. :)