Genius 7: This garlic slicer is pretty - and that's pretty much it
Cutting garlic cloves with the Genius 7 should be child's play. At least that's what the manufacturer promises. However, after buying and testing the kitchen gadget, I am disappointed.
Gadgets that chop or press garlic cloves are rarely found in a professional kitchen. It's a thing for amateurs. And with well over 100 products in this category in our shop, there's plenty to choose from. The best-selling and best-rated products are those that press the cloves. In the garlic community, there is always a discussion about whether pressing, slicing or grating is better. You can start the discussion in the comments below. This is about a test
If you are a slicer, you should invest in a good knife rather than the Genius 7.
Complicated to use
Admittedly, it looks good: a mixture of stainless steel and black plastic. Plus a clear cylindrical shape. Already much prettier than its predecessor, the G5.
The Genius 7 is reminiscent of a pepper mill. And it's supposed to work a bit like one. The only difference is that with a pepper mill, I fill the top with grains, turn the head and get ground pepper. This is more difficult with the Genius 7. To open the cylinder, I have to hold the lower part and then turn the black ring in the centre anti-clockwise. Sounds easy, but in practice it's difficult. All it takes is one wrong quarter turn and I have individual parts in my hand. Even if it's just that the lower lid falls into the pan.
Once I've got the hang of it (pun intended!), I can pull off the top part of the garlic mill. I then throw the garlic cloves into the lower part. Wait a minute! No, just one, because the Genius 7 can't handle too much material. To close it, I have to put the upper and lower parts back together again. I turn the locking ring again, this time clockwise.
If I now turn the upper part clockwise, the Genius 7 cuts the inserted toe. I have to hold the lower part while doing this. This slowly pushes the toe towards a blade sieve. A ring with a cross blade rotates underneath it. This is how the cubes are formed from the initial garlic sticks. Got it? A picture illustrates the mechanism.
I got the hang of it (pun intended) after three or four uses. Nevertheless, I keep thinking about which direction I need to turn where.
Tiresome cleaning
After producing garlic cubes, I have to dismantle and clean the Genius 7. Six of the seven individual parts get dirty. I can quickly rinse away the garlic residue under the tap. For the grid and the ring with the cross blade, I also need a brush to get the gaps clean. It is best to soak the parts in lukewarm rinsing water immediately after use. Garlic is very sticky. A simple knife would be clean again more quickly.
Doubtful quality
When washing, I notice that the knife grid and the cutting blade are of poor quality. Nothing is really sharp. The garlic is pressed through the grid rather than being cut into sticks by the grid. And the blade at the end - well, my grandmother would blissfully say it's so blunt that you could ride it all the way to Texas.
Could I at least get spare parts if the grid or blade were ever really blunt? I asked the manufacturer's customer service - they didn't even respond to this enquiry. This only leads me to the conclusion that the production takes place in a Chinese factory. There are probably just as few spare parts available there as from the manufacturer itself.
In a nutshell
Good for the show kitchen at best
The idea of the Genius G7 sounds good: insert the garlic clove at the top, twist, and perfect garlic cubes come out at the bottom. Too good to be true. The grid and the cross blade are no good, and there are no spare parts. Cleaning is tedious and assembling is a pain. You can certainly impress guests in your show kitchen with the Genius 7. Provided you have practised beforehand and don't let them see how annoying it is to clean up afterwards.
Pro
- Good design
- Comprehensible instructions
- produces uniform cubes of garlic
Contra
- Inferior cutting elements
- time-consuming cleaning
- Assembly and operation not really intuitive
- No spare parts available
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Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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