The best knife sharpener IMO is a DMT 10x4" Diamond stone with the base you can buy extra.

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-W250EFNB-10-Inch-DuoSharp-Extra-Fine/dp/B00004WFUI/ref=pd_cp_hi_2

Nothing better to sharpen your knife with.

As for immersion blender the best IMO is the Bamix Professional Immersion Blender, all the rest do not compare.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/bamix-professional-immersion-blender/?pkey=e:bamix%2Bprofessional%2Bimmersion%2Bblender:2:best:0:1:24::1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH::NoFacet--NoFacet--NoMerchRules-_-

As for a Garlic press, I just put it on my cutting board, lay my 10" Chefs knife on it flat and then whack it hard, throw on a pinch of kosher salt slide the flat of the knife over it a couple of times and it is as good as garlic gets.

A chef friend gave me a Susi garlic press about 20 years ago, and it's still going strong. It's aluminum so it has a finish I don't love, but at least there's no peeling paint and the thing is strong, works great.

I have a Bamix blender (mentioned above) that I bought from a huckster at the state fair in about 1985. It works well, but I rarely use it.

I received a Chef's Choice electric sharpener as a gift, and it is pretty impressive if you can handle yet another electric appliance!

Here is a link that might be useful: susi

I've been using the Chef's Choice for many, many years. It works.

I have the Bamix Professional immersion blender which replaces a very old Braun. What a machine!!!! Very good, I can puree soups, mostly cold in a very short time. Excellent quality, also quite expensive, but I don't ever plan to have to replace it.

You don't say what kind of knives you have but "German" makes me think something with a 22-degree edge. The Chef's Choice electric sharpeners do a wonderful job, and quickly, but are expensive.

Where I live, quite a few hardware stores offer knife sharpening services using the Chef's Choice machines for a couple of bucks per blade. If your blades are made of decent steel, such sharpening shouldn't be needed very often. Competent steeling should keep them in fine shape for a long time after a decent sharpening.

If you check over in the Kitchens forum there have been several threads recently on this general topic.

Was your OXO garlic press the current style with the great big handles? Because I've seen the development of the garlic press and it's by far the best I've ever used. Have you contacted OXO? Maybe they'll send you a new one to replace the one that broke. My OXO does a much better job than the whack it with a knife method, releases a lot more of the juice and oil than mincing, takes a lot of hand strength, but is one of my most enthusiastic recommends for the quality of the result.

A few people I know like the little wheelie garlic mincer. I don't know what it's called, but if you search Amazon I'm sure you'll find it.

Knife sharpener -- a good two sided whetstone, followed by a not too old steel for straightening the edge. Automatic knife sharpeners often take too much metal off the edges and can really screw up your knives if you don't use them just right. That said, I've heard similarly good things about Chef's Choice as the others have said. I think they also have manual ones. Have you seen the book An Edge in the Kitchen? If you want to learn about your edges and honing, that's a great resource.

Most people agree that Bamix is the best immersion blender. I like a lighter, smaller one in general, but I use a food mill for fine pureeing of fibrous things so don't need more power in my blender, and I don't use it for ice. In specific, I have the old Braun. The mini-chopper is also excellent. Reviews of the KA say that the mini-chopper for that has the blades too high to really work well. Braun is out of the kitchen biz, but I've recently seen a version of the same unit--it looks just the same, though I don't know if it really is, and if it works just as well--under the Sharper Image brand. Amazon and a number of other sellers have that.

Summary: Bamix for the workhorse. Worth trying the Sharper Image for a simple, lightweight unit.

I have a previous generation (I guess, based on plllog's post) OXO and I don't love it. Too much squeezes up and out instead of through. Maybe that's changed. Cooks Illustrated recommended Zyliss for years; don't know if it's still their favorite.

If you have any interest in your garlic being more minced than smooshed, I highly recommend the Joseph Joseph garlic rocker.

I have a Chef's Choice 120 and it does a good, quick job. Not as good as a brand new or professionally sharpened edge though. I've been meaning to upgrade to a stone system. There are several different systems and everyone seems to swear by a different one. A former poster here (anyone "old enough" to remember cpovey?) used to recommend EdgePro, and that's the one I keep going back to - if only because he seemed extremely anal about his knives.

Here is a link that might be useful: joseph joseph

Pro chef here. Can't help with garlic peelers-ours come pre-peeled in gallon bottle. Immersion blender? I have one and hate it, so I will not tell you the brand, but I can say it was made in Canada. The entire problem with the unit is the type/grade of plastic they used. Way too brittle-it has cracked/broken several times, and I keep repairing it. And it was not a cheap unit.

However, I know something about sharp knives-I am fanatic about using only very, very sharp blades. I used to use a Chef's Choice-it was OK, but that is all. It is harder to control the knife than it appears, and it cannot get down to the heel of the knife.

For just a few bucks, an Accusharp is not a bad device, it puts a good but not great edge on a knife. Combined with a steel and some practice (buy a juner knife to practice on) and you can get a good edge. But it cannot put a great edge on a knife.

Personally, I use an EdgePro Apex, which does a great job. It is slow to use, but your knives come out razor sharp.

BUT, if I were to buy another device today, it would be the Wicked Edge Knife Sharpener. It does everything that the EdgePro does, only faster and requires less skill. It is a few bucks more, but just a few.

Below is a link to a YouTube video.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wicked Edge

I get my knives literally scary sharp using the DMT 10X4" Diamond stone, fine/extra fine.
After I get it just right with the diamond stone I have an old leather belt that I made a strop out of, I put a drop of metal polish or Jewelers rouge on the leather and then strop it until it has a mirror finish on the edge, then I have a F. Dick 11" Multicut Steel, Fine Cut that I use every day to keep the edge straight.
I run it a few strokes lightly over the steel and at that point the knives are so sharp that I can take a tomato, pick up the knife just pinching it lightly between thumb and index finger and run the blade slicing over the tomato using just the weight of the blade and it slices right through it likes its not even there.

Only need to use the diamond stone at most once a year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Steel

Even though I probably get the same edge with my fine/extra fine diamond stone and finish with my leather strop.
I must say though after looking at the video of the "Wicked Edge" sharpener that looks like a really good alternative for those that might lack a bit of skill needed to use just a stone.
That looks idiot proof.
Does the exact same thing as a plain flat stone does. just takes all the skill out of it so probably a monkey could get a great edge.

Looks like a great system, but to get it set up properly (the Pro-Pack1) cost $390.00
Bit steep for me but I would have to say that looks like the best knife sharpening system I have seen.

Here is a link that might be useful: wicked edge

With respect, this is all blade-head stuff. I don't dispute anything you said. In particular, I am very familiar with the edge-finish knowledgeable stropping can deliver. However, did you get the impression OP was that into it? I didn't.

Could be wrong. OP has not returned.

Well, give the OP a day. I was interested in the Wicked Edge stuff, because it's a hard sell to get people interested in using a stone. I had to get four stitches once when I was prepping in someone else's kitchen and the knife that seemed sharp enough for slicing onions hit a hard spot and diverted sideways right into my finger. No wonder so many chefs carry their knives with them and don't let anyone touch them. :)

FOAS, it seems I don't have the latest OXO press either! Mine looks like this:

If I overfill the well I can get a little stuff squeezing up instead of out, but mostly it goes very efficiently out, completely crushed and releasing all those good liquids. All that's left in the well is a thin layer of edges, which can be piled up and squished through. My big objection to it is that I have small hands and not a lot of hand strength, so I have to use two hands and push really hard.

Amazon currently have these, which don't have the narrow part of the shaft (maybe what broke?). The new ones look like the handles aren't as far apart, so easier to squeeze. I LOVE my OXO garlic press. When I want pressed garlic, I want it all mushed up like you get from this. For minced, I'll use a knife :)

plllog - I've got the one on the right. I see it's highly rated on Amazon, but I have to agree with comments in the lower reviews about terrible handle design (water gets in there), corroding metal (the "works" are chrome or something, not stainless) and the surprisingly few comments about garlic pushing up through the sides.

The joseph joseph does somewhere in between a press' smoosh and a knife's mince. IMO a fine microplane rasp does a good job for smooshed and is less cumbersome to clean.

"With respect, this is all blade-head stuff. I don't dispute anything you said. In particular, I am very familiar with the edge-finish knowledgeable stropping can deliver. However, did you get the impression OP was that into it? I didn't."
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Sounds to me like he/she has some nice German knives and needs a nice way to sharpen them.
The question was "What are your favorites?"
A nice diamond stone and a leather strop with some jewelers rouge is mine.
The 10x4" diamond stone is much easier to use than a standard small whetstone, the larger surface plus being diamond makes short work of a dull knife and it is much easier to maintain the proper angle.
Any body can run a knife over a leather strop for a few licks to polish the edge, so its actually rather easy to obtain a very sharp edge.
Most electric knife sharpeners I wouldn't let my knives get close to one, can ruin the blade.

"Most electric knife sharpeners I wouldn't let my knives get close to one, can ruin the blade."

I think I know where you're coming from. All I can say is proper use of the the upper-level Chefs Choice units can, indeed, produce a fine new edge with the proper angle and minimal removal of metal. However, I, too, have seen careless use of even good machines do damage. Some people seem not to understand how to use them properly....and that's a risk, especially if you're working with expensive blades.

And, you are correct, the question was "What are your favorites." Glad to know yours.

This is the best garlic press I've ever used, and the only one I didn't throw away. It's highly recommended by Cook's Illustrated testing.

Billy

Here is a link that might be useful: Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press

This is the best garlic press I've ever used, and the only one I didn't throw away. It's highly recommended by Cook's Illustrated testing.

Billy

Here is a link that might be useful: Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press

For knife sharpening i do them myself with whetstone.
I have the oxo garlic press but i rarely use it, i find it easier to mince it with my knife.

Things that actually use that make my life easier... instead of using small utility knife i have a peeler which is fantastic!! I am converted and can never leave home without my peeler in my knife bag.

Immersion blender is good for soups and or sauces that may have bits that i need to blend and i just do it right in the pot.

My garlic press is from Ikea. Stainless, and has lasted me a good 10 years so far.

How are the manual pull through knife sharpener's? I need to buy a sharpener and refuse to buy an electric gadget. I want something small and simple. I'm not a "blade-head" as mentioned above. Just want something that works reasonably well on a few Wusthof knives. I'm looking at the Wusthof 2 stage sharpener. I already use a steel, although not as often as I would like.

Advertguy, I did a quick look for an old knife sharpening thread and couldn't find it. From what I remember the gist was that the ones who make good electric ones, make good manual ones: Chef's Choice three stage manual was one I remember was well liked.

I would hope that the Wusthof would be good. I like that they have a different color, separate unit for Asian knives, which have a different edge angle, whereas the Chef's Choice has both together. One should always be alert and paying attention when sharpening knives, but the Wusthof system is more ergonomic.

Or you could get a good stone...

WOW, thanks for all these great suggestions. Easy issue first: for the garlic press, my OXOs broke at the thin part of the handle. The new design, thank you pillogg, is the latest version, and I am reluctant to purchase because of the previous difficulties with OXO (those sturdy handles you see in the photo pull back to reveal a narrower attachment to the head, which I worry will also break like my previous models). But otherwise I liked it, even though it did waste some of the garlic out of the sides, I liked the "juiciness" too. But am intrigued to try the Joseph Joseph rocker, thank you foodonastump, assuming it is reliable, there are some tasks where mincing is preferred. Will probably take the suggestion to purchase the Kuhn Rikon for the juicy tasks, thanks billy g!, I think the problem may be too much stress on the cheaper items.

Immersion blender: the Bamix looks great, thanks kcmg and deeebert, it also looks expensive and I will likely only want it for gravy and soups, not ice. I already have a good food processor for ice and don't need that task very often anyway. Will probably go with inexpensive cuisinart.

Knife sharpening: Wow, thank you cpovey and asolo and others, your suggestions give me lots to think about. My "nice german knives" are a basic set, house brand purchased from the Hoffritz store about 25 years ago. Humble stuff relatively speaking, I'm sure there are nicer german knives out there, but I've never even enjoyed the full benefit of using these because the highly pleasurable hobby of home cooking has always taken a lower priority to other basic life stuff. So the knives went dull, I never found the sharpening steel very effective, had them professionally sharpened once long ago, ended up using a cheap serrated knife whenever I did venture into the kitchen, which was not often because at that time I had very young children. Now I'd like to use them more often, though, and I find I like to cut things myself rather than use the food processor--I just find it very enjoyable to stand in my kitchen with my family around, chopping, stir frying, puttering, etc. A long way of saying, I just might be ready for something more than the accu-sharp. So I'll take a look at wicked edge, chef's choice, and your other options. Thanks for your suggestions!

I don't use a garlic peeler or a garlic press. I peel garlic with a quick press of the flat of the blade on a chef's knife. It's easy and quick. Chop or mince with the blade. Mash quick with the side of the blade or better with a pestle; or go fine with the micro-plane. If I want to cook on very high heat, I might take the planed garlic, put it in a ramekin with olive oil, nuke for one minute, and then run through a small sieve.

I know I could do a little better with considerably more time and trouble, but I get good results with the chef's choice electric sharpener (get one of the good ones) on my German knives. In between honing (not sharpening) is done with a steel. The small manual chef's choice Asian sharpener does a surprisingly nice job on a Japanese blade IF you have a compatible blade.

No recommendations on an immersion blender -- mine is just ok and I've pondered alternatives.

To the OP - the reason you never found the sharpening steel very effective is because a steel does not sharpen, it hones; there's a difference, and its simple and important to remember.

Basically, the edge of a knife is very very thin. German knives, in particular, use *relatively* soft metal in their blades (compared to modern Japanese knives, especially). Just in normal use, the edge deforms on a microscopic level, interfering with cutting ability...when you hone using a steel, you are essentially bending the edge back into shape. You are not, however, removing any metal at all. You should hone often. Doing it everytime you start a job is not too often. If you do this, you will maintain your initial sharpness much much longer. Note that on many of the manual pull-through systems, and some electric, the "final" sharpening level is actually a honing level, so you can use that instead. Note also that "diamond steels" are a different beast entirely; they are much more abrasive, and are best treated as true sharpeners.

Regardless of how often and religiously you hone, however, at a certain point the edge will still get dull...and at that point, you need to sharpen by actually removing some metal to reshape and sharpen the edge. To do this, you need something more abrasive than a steel - a diamond rod, ceramic rods, stones, a mechanical sharpener, etc. Practically speaking, this is something you probably only *have* to do once or maybe twice a year.

Learning to use sharpening stones is relatively easy, and they can be relatively affordable, but it does take some commitment and a bit of practice to be able to hold the correct angle. The systems like the the EdgePro and Wicked Edge get you the same results consistently without requiring as much user skill/commitment, but they are a bit expensive initially. For a cheaper option that still requires less commitment/skill than flat stones, and is very well reviewed, you might look at the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker. Note, however, that all of these methods take a while to use - they aren't a quick 5 minute task.

The electric sharpeners are quicker and have almost no learning curve. The downside is they are harder on your knives (removing more metal more quickly), and the edges they produce are serviceable but not at the same level a skilled manual sharpener can achieve. For many people, the tradeoff is worth it.

Do you live close to a Williams Sonoma? I believe they are currently offering to sharpen one knife free, with an electric sharpener (Chef's Choice, I think) on Saturdays. I would recommend you take one in to them and get a hand's on demonstration, and then you will have an actual edge on your own knife to test with. If possible, I would also take another of your knives to a good professional hand sharpener (will probably cost between $1 an $2 per inch). Then, I would see whether the difference is worth it, to you.

I'd also second the recommendation for the "An Edge in the Kitchen" book. There is also a book you can get a Sur la Table called "Knives Cooks Love" which is a good overview and is currently on sale for $4.99.

I invested in the Edge Pro a few years ago and haven't looked back since. Once you sharpen your knives with this, whether they'er cheap stamped Chicago Cutlery or forged Wuesthof blades (I have both but only the forged ones live in the maple block on the island), an occasional touch up with a ceramic hone or steel is all they'll need to stay that way, barring a major dulling.

The Wicked Edge wasn't on the market when I bought my Edge Pro from Ben Dale (the designer/owner, who you can actually call on the phone and talk to) - I'd have to look at it if I were buying today. But I can't imagine anything much easier to use than the Edge Pro.

And the results will amaze you and anyone else who uses your knives.

Here is a link that might be useful: Edge Pro Sharpener Site

A note about harder vs. softer knives: The harder ones hold an edge longer, but they chip. I can straighten wiggles, so I prefer the German knives. :)

Eggpainter, I seriously do believe that the Sharper Image immersion blender is a prettied up version of our favorite old Braun. If so, it would be perfect for your purposes.