I’m a gadget minimalist in the kitchen – thoroughly in the camp that believe a sharp knife is all you really need.

However, there is one lone kitchen uni-tasker, that for approximately $3, is worth every penny to me.

No, I’m not talking about a garlic press. Those things are way too annoying to clean. Plus, in the case of minced garlic, a good slap of your chef’s knife will get that pesky skin off no problem (and get you halfway minced too).

But what happens when you don’t want to mince your garlic? You want it thinly sliced and  golden, sauteéd with green beans or as a garnish for creamy cauliflower soup. For even the most adept cook, it’s difficult to get just the right amount of knife pressure with the slap technique to avoid pulverizing the whole thing.

While I love the idea of that Saveur garlic shaking video that’s made the rounds in the past, I personally had very little luck with the technique. When you’re only looking for one or two cloves of garlic, I find my preferred tool much easier and just as fast. Continue reading The $3 kitchen uni-tasker I adore →