I Tried 10 Garlic-Peeling Hacks—This One Is My Forever Favorite

After smashing, shaking, poking and prodding, I found the fastest, most effective way to clean those cloves.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Garlic is a staple ingredient in the author's Italian American cooking, but peeling it can be a messy and frustrating task. After trying 10 different garlic-peeling hacks, the author found that using a chef's knife to smash the clove is the fastest and most reliable method, even if it's not the neatest. The article also covers other popular techniques like shaking the cloves between two bowls, blanching, and using a silicone garlic peeler tube, ranking them from worst to best.

Why it matters

Peeling garlic is a common kitchen task that many home cooks struggle with, leading to frustration and wasted time. Finding an efficient and effective method can make meal prep faster and less of a hassle, allowing cooks to focus on the actual cooking rather than the prep work.

The details

The author tested 10 different garlic-peeling methods, timing how long it took to peel 6 cloves with each technique and evaluating factors like effectiveness, mess, and whether the clove stayed intact. The methods included microwaving, hand-crushing, stabbing with a knife, cutting the root end and rolling, soaking in water, using a silicone garlic peeler tube, trimming both ends, blanching, shaking between two bowls, and smashing with a chef's knife. The author found that the chef's knife method was the fastest and most reliable, even if it resulted in slightly crushed cloves.

  • The author tested all the methods over the course of one day.

The players

Jo Ann Liguori

The author of the article, a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and editor who is an avid home cook.

Lidia Bastianich

A renowned TV host, restaurateur, and Italian cooking authority whose advice the author followed for breaking up the garlic heads.

Cara Mangini

The author of The Vegetable Eater, who the author interviewed and who also dislikes peeling garlic.

Todd Coleman

The former executive food editor at Saveur who demonstrated the bowl-shaking garlic-peeling method in a viral video over a decade ago.

Nini Nguyen

A former Top Chef contestant who prefers the chef's knife method for peeling garlic.

Thomas Perone

The chef/owner of Brooklyn Roots Italian and The Corner in Brooklyn, NY, who also endorses the bowl-shaking technique.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I don't love peeling garlic, and I know many people feel the same.”

— Cara Mangini, author of The Vegetable Eater (Parade)

“There's no better way, as long as the garlic is dry and hasn't been stored for too long in the fridge.”

— Todd Coleman, former executive food editor at Saveur (Parade)

“After separating the cloves, I place a clove on the cutting board and give it a firm smash with the flat side of my knife. The peel usually slips right off, no special tools needed.”

— Nini Nguyen, Top Chef alum (Parade)

“When the knife hits the garlic, it extracts even more flavor.”

— Thomas Perone, chef/owner of Brooklyn Roots Italian and The Corner in Brooklyn, NY (Parade)

The takeaway

After extensive testing, the author found that using a chef's knife to smash garlic cloves is the fastest, most reliable, and most satisfying method for peeling garlic, even if it's not the neatest approach. While other techniques like shaking the cloves between bowls or blanching can be effective, especially for larger volumes of garlic, the classic smash with a knife remains the author's go-to for everyday garlic prep.