A garlic press is a kitchen tool used to crush and press fresh garlic cloves, separating them from their skins. It typically consists of a metal or plastic base with small holes or ridges that the garlic is placed into, and then a lid is pressed down to force the garlic through the holes, leaving behind the skin. This makes it easy to use freshly minced garlic in cooking without having to deal with peeling and chopping whole cloves of garlic.