# Mashers, Ricers, Presses & Mortars

Name the job first, potatoes, garlic, or spices and pastes, because each wants a different tool. For potatoes the texture you want picks the tool: a ricer for fluffy, a food mill for silky, a masher for rustic. For mortars, rough heavy stone and real capacity matter more than looks, and listed capacities are often wrong.

## How it works

Every tool here crushes, and crushing breaks plant cells; whether that is the goal or the defect separates the families. Garlic, spices and curry pastes want cells broken: a press forces cloves through small holes and a pestle crushes them against stone, releasing more aromatic oil than a knife's cut. Cooked potatoes want cells left whole, because each holds swollen starch that turns the mash gluey once it bursts, which is why a food processor fails. A ricer or food mill pushes each piece through holes once, so the mash stays fluffy; a masher presses repeatedly and leaves lumps. In a mortar the working surface does the work, so rough, heavy stone grinds while smooth steel or porcelain lets seeds skitter. On metal heads the alloy sets how the tool ages: aluminium darkens in a dishwasher, and aluminium and zinc shed more metal into acidic food than stainless does. [4] [10] [5] [22] [11] [13] [16]

| Family | What it is | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Masher | A handle with a wavy wire or a perforated plate that you press down into cooked food in the pot. | Rustic mash, beans, guacamole, breaking up ground meat. |
| Ricer | A hinged press that pushes cooked potato through rice-grain-sized holes in a hopper, like a giant garlic press. | Fluffy, lump-free mash, gnocchi, squeezing water from spinach. |
| Food mill | A bowl with a crank-turned blade that presses food through a perforated disk and holds back skins and seeds. | Large batches, tomato sauce, applesauce, silky mash without peeling. |
| Garlic press | A small lever press or rocker that forces cloves through a grid of holes, often with the skin left on. | Minced garlic and ginger without knife work. |
| Mortar and pestle | A heavy bowl and club for pounding and grinding, in granite, volcanic basalt (the molcajete), marble, clay, ceramic or steel. | Spice blends, curry paste, pesto, salsa and guacamole. |

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Tool
    masher / ricer / food mill : ask Mash texture, Head metal : skip Mortar capacity, Press style, Presses unpeeled cloves
    garlic press : ask Press style, Presses unpeeled cloves, Cleaning access, Head metal : skip Mash texture, Mortar capacity, Hopper capacity
    mortar and pestle : ask Mortar capacity, Mortar interior, Mortar stone, Mortar weight : skip Mash texture, Head metal, Press style, Presses unpeeled cloves
  section 2 · Mash texture
    rustic and chunky / smooth with a few lumps : skip Hopper capacity, Disks included, Cleaning access
    fluffy and lump-free : ask Number of holes, Hopper capacity, Cleaning access : skip Masher head
    silky, skins and seeds strained out : ask Hopper capacity, Disks included : skip Masher head, Number of holes
  section 3 · Mortar capacity
    A pinch of spices, guacamole for two, or party batches?
```

1. **Tool.** Potatoes, sauce, garlic, or spices and pastes?
   The leaf bundles five tools that share no buying criteria. Answers map to values: potatoes, vegetables, or sauce to masher, ricer and food mill; garlic to garlic press; spices and pastes to mortar and pestle.
   If masher or ricer or food mill: ask Mash texture, Head metal; skip Mortar capacity, Press style, Presses unpeeled cloves.
   If garlic press: ask Press style, Presses unpeeled cloves, Cleaning access, Head metal; skip Mash texture, Mortar capacity, Hopper capacity.
   If mortar and pestle: ask Mortar capacity, Mortar interior, Mortar stone, Mortar weight; skip Mash texture, Head metal, Press style, Presses unpeeled cloves.
   Skip if already known: a query that already names the tool (ricer, garlic press, molcajete), an earlier answer naming the dish, though guacamole fits masher or mortar and garlic paste fits press or mortar, so an ambiguous dish alone does not decide.

2. **Mash texture.** Chunky, mostly smooth, fluffy, or silky with skins strained out?
   Texture is the only thing that separates the three potato tools. Chunky accepts any masher, since plate heads mash chunky well too; smooth needs a plate head; fluffy needs a ricer; silky needs a food mill.
   If rustic and chunky or smooth with a few lumps: skip Hopper capacity, Disks included, Cleaning access.
   If fluffy and lump-free: ask Number of holes, Hopper capacity, Cleaning access; skip Masher head.
   If silky, skins and seeds strained out: ask Hopper capacity, Disks included; skip Masher head, Number of holes.
   Skip if already known: the tool already named as ricer or food mill.

3. **Mortar capacity.** A pinch of spices, guacamole for two, or party batches?
   Capacity splits mortars into three working sets, but testers disagree on the floor: ATK says 1.5 cups, Reviewed 2. Spices and guacamole both need the everyday band; party batches need four cups or more.
   Skip if already known: a query naming a dish with a batch size, such as guacamole for a party.

## What to surface

### Tool

Which of the five tools this is: masher, ricer, food mill, garlic press, or mortar and pestle. Each tool does a different job and is judged on different things, so nothing else can be compared until this is fixed. A ricer and a food mill both make smooth mash, but only the mill strains out skins and seeds; a garlic rocker and a lever press both mince garlic, but testers found rockers need far more force. [1] [3] [6] [29]

Values: masher, ricer, food mill, garlic press, mortar and pestle.
Question to ask: Potatoes, sauce, garlic, or spices and pastes?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: The product noun in the title: masher, ricer, food mill, garlic press or crusher, mortar and pestle, molcajete.
Read the title noun. 'Food Mill & Ricer' or 'Rotary Food Mill Potato Ricer' titles combine two tools; file by the tool named first. 'Meat & Potato Masher' titles with cutting blades are bladed meat choppers, not mashers; exclude as an unclaimed tail, like tortilla presses. 'Garlic Masher ... Rocker' titles are rocker presses, not mashers. Molcajete in a title names a shape, not always volcanic stone. Exclude pill crushers and lab mortars (small mL sizes), and exclude electric tomato strainers, mixer attachments and grain mills, none of which are hand tools.

### Mash texture

The finest texture the tool can reach in cooked potato, from chunky to silky. It is what the buyer will taste. Testers found wavy-wire mashers never got potatoes close to smooth, while perforated plates mash both chunky and smooth well, and ATK's plate winner suits both. A ricer gives the fluffiest result and a food mill a slightly less fluffy but smoother one. Electric mixers and food processors burst the starch cells and turn mash gluey, so no tool here should be swapped for one. [2] [4] [10] [3]

Values: rustic and chunky, smooth with a few lumps, fluffy and lump-free, silky, skins and seeds strained out.
Question to ask: Chunky, mostly smooth, fluffy, or silky with skins strained out?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Not a field. Derive from tool_family and masher_head.
Wire masher to rustic and chunky, plate masher to smooth with a few lumps, ricer to fluffy and lump-free, food mill to silky. Depends on masher_head, which is researched (photo), so for mashers this derivation is only as good as that backfill.
Chart: Mash texture scale.

### Mortar capacity

How much the mortar bowl holds, sold in cups or by the outer width in inches. Too small and food flies out before it is ground. ATK puts the floor at 1.5 cups; Reviewed puts it nearer 2. About 2 cups handles guacamole or pesto for a few; 4 cups suits a crowd. Listed capacities are often wrong, so check the measured figure before filtering. [5] [7] [9] [24] [25] [22]

Values: small, under 1.5 cups, everyday, 1.5 to under 4 cups, party-sized, 4 cups or more.
Question to ask: A pinch of spices, guacamole for two, or party batches?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Amazon's Capacity row and often the title (2-Cups, 4 Cup). Outer width in inches is also common but does not convert reliably to cups.
Listed values disagree with measured ones on several bestsellers. For the top 100 mortars, take capacity from a test review or the brand page and record it as unverified otherwise.
Chart: Mortar map.

### Press style

Whether a garlic press is a two-handled lever press, a rocker you roll over the clove, or a push-down chopper. Lever presses with long handles need the least force. Two test teams found rockers need hard pressure: America's Test Kitchen used full body weight, and Reviewed also calls them hard to clean. Push-down cube presses had the most parts and one cut a tester's finger. [6] [8] [29]

Values: lever press, rocker, push-down chopper.
Question to ask: Squeeze-handle, rocker, or push-down chopper?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title word rocker or chopper; default lever press.
Title words cover nearly every case.

### Presses unpeeled cloves

Whether the press handles cloves with the skin on, leaving the skin in the hopper. Skipping the peel saves most of a press's time, and Wikipedia notes a sturdy press can take an unpeeled clove. Claims outrun performance: America's Test Kitchen found one press's 'leaves the peel inside' claim left much of each unpeeled clove behind. [6] [11] [19] [21]

Question to ask: Peel the cloves first, or press them skin-on?

Used as: filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Bullets and titles: No Need To Peel, Press Peeled or Unpeeled, leaving the skins behind.
Take the claim from the listing; for the top 30 presses, check it against a test review. 'Peeler' in a title is usually a bundled accessory, not proof the press itself handles unpeeled cloves; read the bullet claim separately.

### Masher head

Whether a masher's head is a wavy wire or a flat plate punched with holes. A perforated plate mashes smoother and faster because the potato is pushed up through the holes; a wavy wire leaves untouched chunks between its loops and catches on round pan walls. Wire suits buyers who want rustic mash. [2] [29]

Values: wavy wire, perforated plate.

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words wire, grid or smooth; otherwise the product photo answers it.
A photo settles it. Leave to the image pipeline where titles are silent.

### Mortar stone

What the mortar and pestle are made of. Material sets roughness, weight and care. Granite and volcanic basalt are the testers' favourites; marble is smoother and chipped in one test; Thai som tam mortars are unglazed clay with a wooden pestle; suribachi are ridged ceramic. Cast iron mortars also exist, heavy and prone to rust if left wet. A true molcajete is carved basalt, but imitations are pressed concrete with volcanic grit and many listed molcajetes are granite. [5] [9] [12] [22] [14] [29]

Values: granite, volcanic basalt, marble, unglazed clay, ridged ceramic (suribachi), porcelain or stoneware, wood, stainless steel, cast iron.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Amazon's Material row (Granite, Stone, Lava Stone) and the title. Sellers of real basalt often add 'Not Concrete' to the title.
Map Stone and Lava Stone rows using the title. Treat a basalt claim without a maker or region named as unverified.

### Mortar interior

How rough the inside of the bowl is, which decides whether it can grip and grind dry spices. Three test teams agree that rough granite and volcanic rock grind spices and shred herbs fastest, whether polished or not. ATK found smooth steel and stoneware let seeds skitter, though Reviewed calls stoneware only lightly rough. Rough stone needs seasoning by grinding rice first, and is harder to clean. [5] [9] [7] [14] [23]

Values: rough (granite, basalt, cast iron), textured (marble, unglazed clay, ridged ceramic, wood), smooth (steel, stoneware, glazed porcelain).

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words textured or ridged hint at the middle band; Amazon's Finish Type row often describes the outside, not the bowl, and does not reliably predict grinding on granite or basalt.
Title words plus a photo of the bowl settle most cases. Default granite and basalt to rough regardless of polish (ImportFood's polished Thai granite and Tera's 'Polished Granite' both grind well); steel and glazed porcelain default to smooth.
Chart: Mortar map.

### Mortar weight

How heavy the mortar is, which decides whether it stays put while you pound. A light mortar has to be held down with the other hand and tips food out. ATK's recommended stone mortars all weighed 5 lb or more; Reviewed states weight for only two of its five picks, both above that floor. The largest exceed 14 lb, hard to move and wash. [5] [7] [9] [24] [23]


Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Amazon's Item Weight row; sometimes in the title (8 pounds). May include the pestle or packaging.
Brand pages and test reviews give mortar weight; reviews, brands and listings disagree by several pounds on the same model, so round to the nearest pound.
Chart: mark size on the mortar map.

### Head metal

What the part that touches food is made of: stainless steel, cast aluminium, die-cast zinc, chrome-plated steel, or nylon and silicone. It decides how the tool ages and what pans it can touch. Aluminium darkens in a dishwasher, and Zyliss's own page calls its cast-aluminium press dishwasher safe yet recommends hand washing. Aluminium and zinc release metal into acidic food more than stainless does. Nylon heads are sold for nonstick pans, but testers warn they can melt on a hot pot base. [13] [19] [16] [17] [2] [8] [27] [28] [29]

Values: stainless steel, cast aluminium, die-cast zinc, chrome-plated steel, tinned steel, nylon or silicone.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Amazon's Material row and the title (Cast Aluminum, Die-Cast Zinc, Stainless Steel, Nylon, Tinned Steel). Rows can be wrong: Norpro's chromed ricer is listed as Tin.
Use title words before the Material row. Where a head is coated, record the base metal and note the coating. Norpro's 'Tin' row is wrong for that model, which is chrome-plated steel; tinned steel is a real material on Louis Tellier mills and ricers.

### Hopper capacity

How much cooked food a ricer's hopper or a food mill's bowl holds per load. It sets how many refills a batch takes. Ricer listings state about 15 to 22 oz, roughly 2 to 3 cups, while food mills hold several times that and suit big batches of sauce or mash. Food mill capacity is listed inconsistently, so treat it as approximate. [28] [26] [3] [29]


Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Ricer titles often give ounces (15oz, 22 oz); food mills use Amazon's Capacity row in quarts, which can disagree with measured cups.
Convert stated fluid ounces and quarts to cups; titles carry this more often than the Capacity row; prefer a test review's measured figure for food mills.

### Number of holes

How many holes the ricer hopper or masher plate has. More holes of the right size mean less squeezing for the same mash, which matters to anyone with weak hands. ATK's easiest ricer had 459 holes and geared hinges for extra leverage; the most-holed model (569) was not the easiest, so hole count alone does not guarantee ease. [1] [2]


Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Rarely stated. Test reviews count them.
Take counts from ATK-style reviews for the top 30 ricers and mashers only; leave the rest blank rather than estimate from photos.
Chart: bar length, one bar per model.

### Disks included

How many swappable perforated disks come with a ricer or food mill, for fine, medium and coarse results. On a food mill the disks are the point: every tested mill came with several, for fine to coarse purees. On a ricer they are mostly clutter, since almost none of America's Test Kitchen's cooks had used anything but the fine disk, and extra disks add parts to wash and lose. [1] [3] [26] [15]


Used as: shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Bullets such as 3 interchangeable disks with sizes in mm; often in the title too (e.g. '3 Interchangeable Discs', '4-Disc').
Brand pages list disk count and sizes; titles and bullets usually state the count directly.

### Cleaning access

How the hopper of a press or ricer is cleared: a basket that swings or pulls out, a built-in pin cleaner, or a fixed basket. Cleanup is where presses and ricers fail in daily use. A swing-out or removable basket rinses fastest. America's Test Kitchen kept knocking the built-in pin cleaner out of one popular press and Reviewed lists the same flaw, textured plungers trap garlic, and fixed ricers with no removable parts are tricky to clean. [6] [8] [1] [20] [27]

Values: swing-out or removable basket, built-in cleaner, fixed basket.

Used as: shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Bullets: pull-out sieve, built-in cleaner, removable hopper.
Bullets and brand pages state it; a photo confirms a swing-out basket.

## What you give up

- A ricer gives the fluffiest mash and costs less and stores smaller than a food mill. A food mill is a little less fluffy but smoother, takes big batches and strains skins and seeds from sauces. [4] [1] [3] Board branch: "See more food mills".
- Rough granite and basalt grind fastest, but they shed grit until seasoned with rice and hold food in their pores. Smooth mortars wash easily and cannot grind spices fine. [5] [9] [12] Board branch: "See more easy-clean mortars".
- A heavy mortar stays put and does more of the pounding, but the biggest ones are a chore to lift into the sink and store. [5] [9] Board branch: "See more lighter mortars".
- A nylon or silicone head will not scratch a nonstick pan, but it can melt against a hot pot base, where a stainless plate will not. [2] [29] Board branch: "See more nonstick-safe mashers".
- Extra ricer disks allow coarse purees and spaetzle, but most cooks use only the fine disk and the rest add parts. [1] Board branch: "See more one-piece ricers".

## How to draw it

**Mash texture scale** (scale, shows Mash texture, Tool). One line from chunky to silky with each potato tool placed on it, so a buyer sees that the tool choice is the texture choice. This is a proposal, nobody draws it this way yet. [4] [2]

**Mortar map** (two axis map, shows Mortar capacity, Mortar interior, Mortar weight). Capacity across, roughness up, weight as mark size. Spice-grinding mortars sit high, guacamole and party mortars sit right, and the smooth small ones that fail spices cluster bottom left. This is a proposal, nobody draws it this way yet. [5] [9]

## Words you will meet

- **Ricing**. Pushing cooked food through small holes once, so it comes out in thin, separate strands.
- **Food mill**. A bowl with a hand crank and blade that presses food through a perforated disk and holds back skins and seeds.
- **Hopper**. The perforated basket of a ricer or garlic press that holds the food before you press.
- **Plunger**. The flat plate on the other handle that pushes food through the hopper's holes.
- **Gluey mash**. Mashed potato that turned sticky because overworking burst the starch-filled cells.
- **Perforated plate**. A masher head made of a flat plate punched with holes, as opposed to a bent wire.
- **Seasoning a mortar**. Grinding handfuls of uncooked white rice in a new stone mortar until the powder stays white, to remove loose grit.
- **Molcajete**. The Mexican mortar, traditionally carved from volcanic basalt, broad and shallow, often on three legs.
- **Tejolote**. The short stone pestle that comes with a molcajete.
- **Khrok**. The Thai mortar: tall granite for curry paste, or unglazed clay with a wooden pestle for papaya salad.
- **Suribachi**. A Japanese ceramic mortar with a ridged, unglazed inside, used with a wooden pestle for sesame.
- **Die-cast zinc**. Zinc alloy poured into a mould, a common heavy, cheap body for garlic presses.
- **Specific release limit**. The most of a metal that a food-contact item may shed into a kilogram of food under a standard test.

## Where we made a call

- Listed capacity for mortars and food mills is often wrong, so filter on a measured figure where one exists. (confidence high). Sources disagree. Cilio's Goliath lists 8 oz; ATK's page says both 'held 3 cups' and 'Capacity: 4 cups'; Reviewed says about 3. Cole & Mason's row says 2 cups, its bullet '3 cup (20oz.)', though 20 oz is 2.5; ATK measured 2.6. Cuisipro: 6 qt listed vs 12 cups measured. [24] [5] [7] [25] [26] [3]
- For fluffy mash, a ricer or food mill beats any masher, and a food processor or electric mixer makes it gluey. (confidence high). ATK's mashing test and Wikipedia's ricer entry give the same reason: passing each piece through holes once leaves starch cells whole. [4] [10] [2]
- A perforated-plate masher mashes smoother and faster than a wavy-wire one. (confidence medium). Only ATK's test could be read directly; other reviewers' pages blocked fetching. Wire still suits rustic mash. [2]
- Rough granite or basalt mortars grind spices fastest; polished steel is too smooth. (confidence high). Sources disagree. ATK, TechGearLab and Reviewed agree on granite and basalt. ATK alone calls stoneware smooth; Reviewed calls it lightly rough and prefers unglazed ceramic. One textured porcelain did better than its material suggests. [5] [9] [7]
- Washing a stone mortar with soap is fine. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. ATK washed every mortar with soap and tasted no carry-over; TechGearLab says wash granite and marble without soap. We side with ATK because it tested the claim. [5] [9]
- A molcajete listing is not proof of basalt: many are granite, and imitations are pressed concrete with volcanic grit. (confidence medium). Wikipedia describes the concrete imitations; sellers of real basalt now add 'Not Concrete' to titles, and granite sets sold as molcajetes appear in the same search. [12] [29] [5]
- Cast-aluminium presses and ricers labelled dishwasher safe should still be hand washed. (confidence high). Sources disagree. Zyliss's page says dishwasher safe in its specs and recommends hand washing in its FAQ. Dishwasher detergent discolours aluminium. [19] [13]
- For food that is acidic or salty, stainless steel is the safer head metal than uncoated aluminium or zinc. (confidence medium). CoE's 2013 guide sets a non-binding guideline, not a cap; a 2024 edition exists but was not read. BfR found hot acidic trays held 2 hours exceeded it by up to six times. The zinc limit is CoE-only. Lead in glazed ceramic mortars is not covered. [16] [17] [18]
- Rocker garlic presses take more force than lever presses. (confidence high). ATK testers needed full body weight on a rocker; Reviewed lists significant force and hard cleaning as a rocker's cons. [6] [8]
- Built-in cleaning pins on garlic presses tend to fall out in use. (confidence medium). Both ATK and Reviewed say so of the Zyliss Susi 3, one model, so this may not generalise. [6] [8]
- Cooks disagree on whether pressed garlic tastes better or worse than knife-minced garlic. (confidence high). Sources disagree. Cook's Illustrated prefers a press's finer, even mince; Bourdain and Elizabeth David dismissed presses. We do not take a side; the press still saves peeling. [11] [6]
- Extra disks on a ricer add little; a single fine disk is all most cooks need. (confidence medium). ATK surveyed its cooks and found almost none had used another disk. Wikipedia gives the fine hole size as about a grain of rice. [1] [10]

## References

1. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Potato Ricers (June 2025)](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1389-potato-ricers) (specialist review). Supports: Fine holes of about 1.5 mm; more holes need less force; Only one ATK cook used a disk other than fine; Fixed ricers with no removable parts are tricky to clean; Ricer is cheaper and smaller than a food mill.
2. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Potato Mashers (October 2026)](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1713-potato-mashers) (specialist review). Supports: Perforated plates mash smoother and faster than wavy wire; Plastic heads can melt on a hot pot base; Masher hole counts per model.
3. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Food Mills (November 2024)](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1705-food-mills) (specialist review). Supports: Food mills hold back skins and seeds, so produce need not be peeled; Every mill tested had at least three disks; Cuisipro Deluxe measured at 12 cups.
4. [Cook's Illustrated, Which Mashing Method Is Best?](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/5808-which-mashing-method-is-best) (specialist review). Supports: Burst starch granules make mash gluey; processors guarantee it; Ricer fluffiest, food mill smoother, masher leaves lumps.
5. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Mortars and Pestles and Molcajetes (June 2025)](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2140-mortars-and-pestles) (specialist review). Supports: Coarse granite and volcanic rock grind; smooth steel and stoneware fail spices; Recommended capacity 1.5 to 4 cups; mortars under 5 lb tipped; Coarse mortars must be seasoned; soap left no off flavours; Cilio Goliath measured 4 cups; molcajete is broad, shallow basalt.
6. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Garlic Presses (June 2025)](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1857-garlic-presses) (specialist review). Supports: Rocker press needed full body weight; Built-in cleaner kept falling out; textured plungers trap garlic; Swing-out hopper eases cleaning; one peeler-press wasted unpeeled garlic.
7. [Reviewed, The Best Mortars and Pestles](https://www.reviewed.com/cooking/best-right-now/the-best-mortars-and-pestles) (specialist review). Supports: Two cups makes a two-avocado guacamole or four servings of pesto; Four cups for a crowd; granite grips best; Picks weighed 7 and 14.5 lb; Goliath holds about 3 cups.
8. [Reviewed, The Best Garlic Presses (July 2025)](https://www.reviewed.com/cooking/best-right-now/best-garlic-presses) (specialist review). Supports: Rocker presses can need significant force and are hard to clean; Susi 3 cleaning tool may fall out; Stainless preferred; plastic holds garlic odour.
9. [TechGearLab, The Best Mortar and Pestle Set](https://www.techgearlab.com/topics/kitchen/best-mortar-and-pestle) (specialist review). Supports: Textured granite grinds best; stainless too smooth; One-cup mortars too small for guacamole or pesto; Granite and marble need seasoning; marble chipped; advises no soap; 4-cup molcajete about 8 lb and a pain to wash.
10. [Wikipedia, Potato ricer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_ricer) (primer). Supports: Holes about the diameter of a grain of rice; Ricing smashes potato once, so cells stay whole and mash is fluffy.
11. [Wikipedia, Garlic press](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_press) (primer). Supports: A sturdy press takes unpeeled cloves; the peel stays behind; Chefs disagree on pressed garlic's flavour.
12. [Wikipedia, Molcajete](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molcajete) (primer). Supports: True molcajetes are basalt; imitations are pressed concrete with volcanic particles; Season new basalt with rice; porous stone cannot be fully cleaned.
13. [Wikipedia, Dishwasher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher) (primer). Supports: Aluminium, brass and copper items discolour in a dishwasher.
14. [Wikipedia, Suribachi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suribachi) (primer). Supports: Suribachi: ceramic bowl with a rough unglazed ridged inside and a wooden pestle.
15. [Wikipedia, Food mill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_mill) (primer). Supports: Food mills remove seeds from cooked tomatoes; interchangeable plates of different hole sizes.
16. [Council of Europe (EDQM), Metals and alloys used in food contact materials and articles, 1st edition](https://www.icoval.org/files/documentacion/documentos/metalls_alloys.pdf) (standards body). Supports: Aluminium release limit 5 mg/kg food; Uncoated aluminium should be labelled against acidic, alkaline or salty food; Zinc dissolves easily in dilute acids.
17. [Sander et al. (BfR), Release of aluminium and thallium ions from uncoated aluminium food contact materials, PLoS ONE 2018](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6056035/) (academic). Supports: Confirms the 5 mg/kg aluminium limit; acidic foods exceeded it when heated; Advises against frequent use of uncoated aluminium for acidic food.
18. [US FDA, 21 CFR 174.5, General provisions for indirect food additives](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-174/section-174.5) (regulator). Supports: US rule: food-contact components must be of a purity suitable for intended use.
19. [Zyliss, Susi 3 Garlic Press product page](https://us.zyliss.com/products/zyliss-susi-3-garlic-press) (spec sheet). Supports: Cast aluminium with Ilaflon coating; Specs say dishwasher safe; FAQ recommends hand washing for the aluminium; Presses unpeeled cloves.
20. [Kitchen Conservatory, Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press](https://www.kitchenconservatory.com/Tools/Garlic-Tools/Epicurean-Garlic-Press-in-Stainless) (retail listing). Supports: Stainless steel; sieve swings out for cleaning; air drying recommended.
21. [Amazon listing, Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press (B0000CD0HX)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CD0HX) (retail listing). Supports: Bullet: press peeled or unpeeled; Material row Stainless Steel.
22. [ImportFood, Solid Thai Granite Mortar and Pestle](https://importfood.com/products/thai-cookware/item/mortar-and-pestle-solid-thai-granite) (spec sheet). Supports: Sized by outer inches: 6 in holds 1.5 cups and weighs 7 lb; Som tam mortars are unglazed clay with a wooden pestle; Mortars bruise rather than cut, releasing oils.
23. [Masienda, Molcajete product page](https://masienda.com/products/molcajete) (spec sheet). Supports: Lava-rock molcajete weighs 20 lb; season with rice until powder shows no grey.
24. [Amazon listing, Cilio by Frieling Goliath Mortar and Pestle (B00133Q3S6)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00133Q3S6) (retail listing). Supports: Capacity row reads 8 ounces; Item Weight 11 pounds; Material Granite.
25. [Amazon listing, Cole & Mason 5.5-inch Granite Mortar (B00EAU5VQE)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAU5VQE) (retail listing). Supports: Capacity row 2 cups, bullet 3 cups (20 oz); unpolished interior; season with rice.
26. [Amazon listing, Cuisipro Deluxe Food Mill (B000G18A3W)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G18A3W) (retail listing). Supports: Capacity row 6 quarts; three disks of 2, 3 and 4 mm.
27. [Amazon listing, OXO Good Grips Garlic Press (B00HEZ888K)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HEZ888K) (retail listing). Supports: Material row Zinc; die-cast zinc; built-in cleaner by flipping the handle.
28. [Amazon listing, Norpro Potato Ricer (B0000VLUM6)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VLUM6) (retail listing). Supports: Material row Tin despite a triple-chromed finish; capacity 2.5 cups (20 oz).
29. [Amazon search result titles for ricer, masher, garlic press, mortar and molcajete queries](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=molcajete) (retail listing). Supports: Titles carry tool noun, material, ounces or cups, rocker, nonstick-safe nylon; Basalt molcajete titles add 'Not Concrete'; granite sets sold as molcajetes.