I’m by no means a prolific chef, but like many people, my culinary pursuits have expanded immeasurably during the pandemic — more as a way to pass the time than solely as a means of subsistence. And now, I think of concocting new recipes in the small kitchen of my apartment as a real hobby. But there’s one thing I learned quickly as a burgeoning home cook: most recipes call for garlic, and I absolutely hate chopping garlic.
While initially I painstakingly minced the garlic with a knife (hello, garlic fingers), I eventually resorted to buying chopped garlic in a jar. That is, until I discovered Chef’n Garliczoom last fall, and I’m still obsessed with it months later.
I’ll be the first to admit that my knife skills are poor, and the garlic cloves are already so small that I really had a hard time chopping them evenly (and safely) by hand. As a result, I got used to finding unsavory bits of garlic in the dishes I prepared and the occasional cut finger. The practice was simply not sustainable.
And if you’ve ever used minced garlic in a jar, you know it’s not good. The pre-made stuff just isn’t as tasty as the real thing, so you end up using a lot of it. Even then, it doesn’t quite taste good.
Eventually, I figured there had to be a better way. Since my job is to research and review products, I’m always scouring the internet for a gadget that will change my life. In this case, I think I just opened amazon.com and typed “garlic chopper” into the search bar.
The Chef’n Garliczoom was one of the first hits, and it stood out because it really doesn’t look like other choppers. And hey, does it have wheels? I was intrigued. At only $13, I didn’t hesitate to add it to my cart.
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The Chef’n Garliczoom is incredibly easy to use: insert a few cloves of garlic into the round chamber, then roll the green wheels along your work surface to chop. More rolling means a finer mince, while less translates to a coarser chop.
When it’s time to clean up, the Chef’n Garliczoom’s blades easily pull out of the chamber – I usually throw both pieces in my dishwasher. And in terms of storage, this unit is ultra-compact, so you don’t have to worry about adding another bulky tool to your kitchen arsenal.
I find myself pulling out the Chef’n Garliczoom several times a week now, and I haven’t bought another jar of minced garlic since I bought it. My fingers never smell like garlic (and they’re immune to my sloppy chopping skills), and my food is delicious – if I do say so myself.