Inxens Garlic Press Rocker, Stainless Steel, with Silicone Peeler

How does a garlic press rocker work?

A garlic press rocker is a curved stainless steel plate with an open hole pattern. You set it over peeled cloves on a cutting board and rock it with downward pressure from your palm, and the garlic pushes up through the holes as a crushed paste. This one measures about 7.5 x 1.65 in (19 x 4.2 cm) and comes with a black silicone tube peeler.

Unlike a squeeze-style garlic press, it has no hinge and no basket to dig pulp out of, so it stores flat and rinses quickly.

Peel, rock, scrape: step by step

1. Peel: drop one or two cloves into the silicone tube, press down and roll it back and forth on the counter. The skins loosen and slide out, and your fingers stay off the raw garlic.
2. Set a peeled clove on a cutting board and center the rocker over it.
3. Press down and rock from side to side a few times until the clove has gone through the holes.
4. Scrape the garlic off the top with a spoon or the back of a knife, straight into the pan or bowl.

The rocker is designed for peeled cloves, so always peel first. For ginger, peel it and cut it into small pieces about the size of a clove before rocking.

What texture to expect

The rocker crushes and presses. You get crushed garlic or a coarse paste that melts into sauces, marinades, dressings and stir-fries. It does not make evenly diced cubes; if a recipe needs neat minced pieces, a knife is the right tool.

Rocker or squeeze press?

Because the work comes from pressing down rather than squeezing, some cooks find a rocker more comfortable than a lever press, and others prefer the lever. If your hands get sore, try the motion on a single clove before a big batch.

Cleaning and storage

Rinse the rocker under running water right after use while the garlic is still wet, or put it in the dishwasher. A narrow brush from our straw cleaner brush set can push any stubborn bits out of the holes. The silicone peeler only needs a rinse.

The rocker also has a bottle opener cutout, and both pieces together weigh 3.52 oz (about 100 g). That slim, flat profile suits small kitchens, apartments and RV drawers. See more prep tools in kitchen and baking.