A couple of coworkers wanted me to try a garlic twister that they absolutely love, and I can see why. NexTrend’s tool minces several garlic cloves at once while keeping hands relatively clean and odor-free.
I had two versions to try — a fourth generation and an earlier model. The newer one is bigger, but more importantly heavier, so it can be used to whack a clove to remove its skin, akin to using the flat side of a knife to separate clove from skin. The cavity of the latest version is also slightly bigger, so more cloves can be minced at once.
On my first try, I filled the tool to the top with cloves, but it took more muscle than I had to twist the pieces to grind the garlic. When I lessened the number of cloves it worked, but I couldn’t decide if I loved the tool.
Then after a few more tries I realized I wasn’t wasting garlic with the NexTrend tool, as I normally did using a microplane or my multipurpose spoon with its built-in grater. Using those tools I could never grate a whole clove. Once I grated it down to a nub close to my fingers, I threw away that tiny remaining piece. They also could only grate one clove at a time (it would take forever to make my dad’s shrimp scampi, which calls for mincing two full garlic bulbs). And with this device my hands don’t get sticky, so I don’t have to wash them before moving to my next task. This is a pretty good tool.
How it works: Place cloves in the bottom half of the tool, cover with the top, then twist the halves in opposite directions. The plastic teeth inside masticate the contents, letting you control the consistency — fewer twists leave bigger pieces. Open the device and slam each side onto a flat surface to remove the bits. (Some always got stuck between the teeth so I used a fork to push them out. If I was using broth or water I poured it into the cavity to swish out the pieces.)
You can also turn the halves gently to push the minced pieces to the sides of the teeth, which makes the garlic easier to remove.
Does it work?: Yes. I also used it to grind peanuts to sprinkle over my leftover Thai food.
Pros: Easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Helps remove garlic skins. Minces at least three to four cloves at a time, depending on their size, making it faster than most other methods, including using a knife. I like to twist both top and bottom halves at the same time (I think the end result is better), but it also works if just one half is twisted.
Cons: My hands started to get tired after mincing one bulb of garlic. Users who have carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis might find the twisting difficult.
Cost and availability: $19.95 at nextrendproducts.com, $19.95 to $21.95 (depending on color) on amazon.com and $19.95 at walmart.com (shipping is additional on all sites). Amazon also sells the third- generation version for $17.99 to $18.49, but I say spend the extra $2 for a sturdier product.
Worth it?: While I do think it’s worth the price, I’m not running out to buy one just yet. I just don’t mince a lot of garlic these days. But if I can think of other uses (besides peanuts) it will deserve a space in my kitchen.
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