Just Trust This Garlic Lover, You Need This $8 Kitchen Tool

There’s one ingredient in the kitchen that I absolutely cannot live without: garlic. Now, as some of you may know, I’m well-versed in the world of ingredient substitutes. My background in restaurant kitchens helped me learn how to provide ample replacements for missing ingredients at a moment’s notice — plus, my celiac diagnosis caused me to relearn almost everything there is to know about baking and snacking. So, while there are definitely ingredients I have learned to go without, I can say with certainty that garlic is a cooking component I’ll never give it up.

There’s one teeny little problem with my garlic obsession, though: The ingredient can be a huge pain to peel and work with. So, if you also find yourself stomping your foot as you prepare dinner, wondering why those precious, fragrant cloves have to be so infuriatingly encased within layers of impossible-to-peel paper husk, I’m about to change your world. Why? Well, because until I discovered the Sinnsally Garlic Peeler, I also stood by my cutting board cursing the very ingredient I hold most dear.

How does this colorful, simple gadget work? Allow me to explain! Just pop a clove or three (any size will do) into the center of the tube and use the palm of your hand to roll the clove-filled-tube against your countertop or cutting board. The textured interior of the cylinder will grip and tear the husk away until the clove is free. The result? After a couple passes back and forth, just tilt the thing to the side and watch as perfectly peeled garlic rolls right out. Then, if you’re me, repeat the process until you’ve peeled the entire head, so you can make your weekly batch of garlic confit —  a non-negotiable Sunday task in my household.

And, no, you don’t have to worry about meticulously collecting the peels from inside the food-grade, BPA-free silicone tube — just tap the peels into the garbage or compost, give the inside a rinse, then toss the tool straight into the dishwasher for the easiest cleanup ever. Plus, if you’ve got a drying rack with all the bells and whistles, you can tack up the peeler by its little hanging hole for an uber-fast, towel-free dry.

The very best part about these handy things (besides making the process of peeling garlic unbelievably speedy, a breeze to clean up, and frustration-free) is that they keep the stubborn, stinky allium oils from penetrating your skin. In fact, over the holidays — as I peeled and peeled head after head of garlic — I was left with odorless fingers. No more prolonged scrubbing, scented lotion, or secretly sitting on my hands. Listen, even if I weren’t garlic’s number one fan (which I am), I’d shell out the $8 for that feature alone!

Buy: Sinnsally Garlic Peeler, Pack of 3, $7.95