#14: Buy a cheap blender and use it to finely chop onions (it saves on time and tears).
Urs Truly isn’t very good at chopping onions. This is probably a combination of using not-sharp-enough knives and he being an A-1 Schimel. I’ve watched all the videos of the cooking pros on how to properly cut onions; they all manage to take an unpeeled onion and turn it into homogenous diced bits as fast as lighting, but it hasn’t helped honed my skills. No matter which great expert’s advice I take my grates aren’t so great. So the notion of a mechanical device sounds attractive.
I take umbrage at the notion of having a ‘cheap blender’. Mine is a king-sized-titanic-unsinkable-molly-brown contraption that laughs at onions. I confess I’ve never used it to dice onions (fine or otherwise) so I shouldn’t judge its efficacy until I try it and compare it to my amateurish attempts on the cutting board. On the other hand, isn’t The Cuisinart designed for this sort of thing? I have two of them: a large and a small. I will see if either is preferable when it comes to finely chopping onions and saving time.
Ah, but let’s look at the big picture on the ‘saving time” part of the equation. Perhaps a motorized chopper (blender or Cuisinart) may save time to dice, but there is also the time factor to get it out and set up the thing and more time to disassemble it for the dishwasher – and you better have a dishwasher as washing The Cuisinart parts by hand is a tedious and time-consuming job. Talk about penny-wise/pound-foolish.
I suppose I don’t bother to use the appliances as chopping onions seems to be something a budding chef like myself should be able to do. How does one get to finely chopped onions? Practice. I recall a scene in a movie about Julia Child in the kitchen is inundated by the aroma of cut onions as she tearfully cuts away at a basket of them. Oh the pain.
I tear up quickly when chopping onions. So far as I can tell all hacks to discourage this happening don’t work, other than having a sharp knife and cutting longitudinally rather than across the latitudes so as not to break as many cells. Less time on the cutting board helps too so this gets back to the pros and cons of using that cheap blender. I will keep hacking away at the alliums until I get it right enough, tears be damned. Besides, wielding a large knife is less tidy-up than The Cuisinart and jolly more fun to boot.
Sometimes improving life slightly isn’t worth the tears.
How do you cut your onions?
Does anyone do this in a blender or Cuisinart?
48 comments
May 16, 2022 at 11:02 AM
David Godfrey
Nice shallots in the photo above. I chop onions by hand, I have to think the cuisinart would mince them, not chop them. A sharp knife and practice.
May 16, 2022 at 11:13 AM
Urspo
Mince vs. diced – I need to look that up
I want our knives sharpened by a pro – unfortunately they are only open M-F when I can’t get to them.
May 16, 2022 at 11:15 AM
Debra She Who Seeks
I use a sharp chef’s knife and chop onions by hand. It’s not that hard if you’re not being a perfectionist about it. I don’t own a blender, a stand mixer, a cuisinart or any other kind of food processor. I don’t have the counter space or storage space for them and besides, anything they can do can be done by hand. That’s half the fun of cooking and baking, in my opinion. Besides, why dirty a big appliance for one tiny little job?
May 16, 2022 at 12:11 PM
Urspo
That’s what I think: a good chef’s knife can do a lot with practice.
May 16, 2022 at 11:39 AM
Old Lurker
Even if you use a blender you still have to peel the onions. Can you peel them effectively?
May 16, 2022 at 12:12 PM
Urspo
Peeling them is actually more difficult than dicing them.
May 16, 2022 at 3:13 PM
Old Lurker
Really? What is your technique? I chop off the top and the bottom of the onion, slice the skin once lengthwise, and peel the rest off. Probably I am doing it wrong, but it seems fairly quick to me.
May 16, 2022 at 3:22 PM
Urspo
That is what I am trying now – it seems to work better than my old way of cutting an onion in half down from pole to pole and then trying to peel off the papery husks starting at the north pole.
May 16, 2022 at 6:52 PM
Old Lurker
I observed myself cutting an onion, and apparently I do a hybrid: first I slice from pole to pole, and then cut off the ends, and then peel. Slicing from pole to pole gives me a flat surface that I can lay across the cutting board.
May 16, 2022 at 11:39 AM
rjjs8878
By hand with a sharp knife.
May 16, 2022 at 12:12 PM
Urspo
A testimony! Thank you
May 17, 2022 at 6:48 AM
rjjs8878
yw
May 16, 2022 at 12:35 PM
BadNoteB
The goal in chopping onions is pieces of uniform size to promote even cooking (or to promote an even texture/mouthfeel if using raw). Though the knife cut is referred to as “cube”, as opposed to “batons” or “sticks”, there is no way you’ll ever achieve perfect cubes from a multi-layered sphere. The method demonstrated by “the pros” is efficient when prepping onions by the 25# bagful and saving the resultant ends for a restaurant stockpot. Not so much in the home environment where we tend rely on the full onion’s yield for a single recipe.
While blenders may have a “chop” setting on the control panel, they universally fail the test for uniformity. Generally speaking, they were made to blend – who’d have thought? – and purée rather than chop. While they turn out a mean pina colada, smooth cream soup, or perfectly emulsified mayo, I can’t imagine a usable result with an onion. But I have two of them – an Oster and a Hamilton Beach – stored in a garage cabinet next to a jazzy looking Nutri-Bullet that’s never been out of the box…
You prompted a guilty chuckle regarding equipment ownership and usage. My full-size processor, with all optional shredding/slicing discs, is in the back of a cupboard and hasn’t seen a countertop in over a decade. I have a mini that is far more functional for select purposes but is such a hassle to clean it is rarely used. Then there are three Hobart stand mixers that I love equally but only one of which is frequently used for baking. The non-mixing attachments for grinding, pasta cutting, and tooth brushing (kidding) are all in a box in the back of the appliance shelf, used only once due to disappointing performance. All this multi-tasking equipment marketed as labor saving but sitting unused because it’s usually more convenient to use and clean a whisk, wooden spoon or knife – like the cavemen used to do.
May 16, 2022 at 12:43 PM
Urspo
I thank you for taking the time to write this; it was fine reading.
I’ve longed to get a mixer – with a bread hook. What holds me back is the terrible intuition I will use it a few times and than it sits unused with the other appliances.
May 16, 2022 at 3:25 PM
David Godfrey
My kitchen aid stand mixer gets used at least weekly, occassionaly for bread dough
May 16, 2022 at 3:33 PM
Urspo
Oh to have a mixer to make bread! I would make it a point to make some regular, even though I would be the only one that eats it.
May 16, 2022 at 4:39 PM
Old Lurker
No bread! Not homemade and especially not fresh rye bread from that bakery in Michigan! You are living the virtuous life now — no snacks, no sweets! I imagine this extends to no bread, no pasta, no potatoes, no joy.
May 16, 2022 at 12:46 PM
Will Jay
It all depends. I agree with you that in most cases it is simply easiest to just pull out the knife and be done with it. However in a few rare circumstances I will get out the chopper attachment for the stick blender when I need a very finely chopped sofrito that is beyond my patience. I have only recently had issues with tearing up – I had cataract surgery which means that I no longer need glasses to work at that distance. The solution for me was a pair of inexpensive computer glasses with no vision prescription.
May 16, 2022 at 1:15 PM
Urspo
Clever!
I tend to lose patience when chopping so my end bits aren’t as tidy as the starter ones.
May 16, 2022 at 2:21 PM
Sluggy
A trick to keep from weeping when working with onions….pretend you are holding a match lengthwise between your front teeth. This position makes you partially open your mouth and the chemicals in onions that cause tears to attack to the mucous membranes in your mouth instead of the ones around your eyes. Folks have actually held a match but if you just maintain that facial position it works just as well.
May 16, 2022 at 2:47 PM
Urspo
I have heard of this; I didn’t know it was based on the position of the mouth rather than the sulfur element of the match. I learned something.
May 16, 2022 at 2:38 PM
DwightW.
A motorized chopper is used for onions and nuts in our house. Thems’ nuts that these ,are, are sufficiently deserving.
May 16, 2022 at 2:47 PM
Urspo
I have a vague memory my mother had one of these. It was sort of fun to watch things get ground up that way.
May 16, 2022 at 5:00 PM
Steven
If it’s just an onion that needs chopping/dicing, I take my chances using the butcher knife. But I won’t mess with a blender. We purchased a “Food Prep Machine” made by “Prepworks by Progressive”. It also serves as a salad spinner (which we don’t use). But you toss chopped pieces of onion into the unit and rotate the handle on top about 5-6 times and you have perfectly diced onion. And the fact that it is contained, it keeps the crying at bay. The unit is easy to disassemble and clean, too. Very easy to chop other vegetables, too.
May 16, 2022 at 7:36 PM
Urspo
that sounds useful and handy. I like appliances that actually do their job and are easy to use and tidy up.
May 16, 2022 at 5:06 PM
Debbie W.
I cut onions with a sharp knife, using great care. Wearing regular glasses, reading glasses, goggles, or anything to block my eyes GREATLY reducing tears. 😉
And just to chime in on the Kitchen Aid stand mixer: mine is 41 years old, and I use it at least twice a week. It is the best small appliance that I own, and the only small appliance on my kitchen counter. About 10 years ago, the motor started making a funny noise. I found a YouTube video on how to take it apart and oil the motor. It has worked fine ever since!
May 16, 2022 at 7:36 PM
Urspo
Clever to have done so! doesn’t it give you a marvelous feeling to fix something yourself?
May 16, 2022 at 5:09 PM
Pipistrello
Knife and cutting board. I once impulse-bought a gadget called a Hacker that purported to chop half an onion under a springy lattice of blades. Seconds of fun, it promised! It was only used once for it was just hopeless. Not only did it not do what it promised on the box, viz chop an onion, washing it up was the biggest pain. #14 sounds like scratching around to fill the list – plus written in an era of cheap electricity.
May 16, 2022 at 7:37 PM
Urspo
I suspect a lot of kitchen gadgets are like this; our drawer in the kitchen is filled with things we don’t use much if any.
May 16, 2022 at 6:46 PM
Linda Practical Parsimony
I use a knife and do not worry if the dices are even. I really don’t want them too large, so I might go over some pieces again. Tonight, I have three pounds of Vidalia onions to dice for the dehydrator. I put these in pint jars and shake out what I need rather than dicing onions all year long.
May 16, 2022 at 7:37 PM
Urspo
that sounds quite sensible and with Vidalia! my favorite!
May 17, 2022 at 4:27 AM
martin
I bought an “onion chopper” some years ago. It’s basically a multi-blade guillotine. It works well on onions and other vegetables but it is also a pain to clean. Given that I rarely chop more than one onion or vegetable at a time, it rarely sees use.
May 17, 2022 at 7:10 AM
Urspo
Now that you mention it, I had one of those once upon a time. I wonder what happened to it? I sense it broke, or I gave it away when chopping seemed easier.
May 17, 2022 at 4:42 AM
wickedhamster
I find the machines tend to “chop” too thoroughly and produce a lot of onion slush instead of chapped onion. I use a knife in the traditional manner; David uses a chef’s method that sliced the onion with several cuts from top to bottom, but the cuts stop short of the bottom of the bulb. He then lays the onion on its side and cuts lateral to the bulb, producing nice square cubes quite quickly. I haven’t used the technique myself, since what I do deems tio work fine for my purposes.
May 17, 2022 at 7:11 AM
Urspo
Good for you!
I envy a man with good chopping skills.
Whenever I get to being in a kitchen with someone I want to watch you do this.
That sounds a bit scrulious?
May 17, 2022 at 4:43 AM
Catrina
I usually chop, dice and mince mine by hand (I’m a bit of a knife snob and have to have them sharp). But I bought a $5 chopper from Dollar General once when I had to dice three pounds of onions, and I love it.
May 17, 2022 at 7:12 AM
Urspo
I daresay you’re right. My chopping skills aren’t ‘bad’ but my knives are.
My next step ilearning how to sharpen them
May 17, 2022 at 4:44 AM
wickedhamster
PS: Because the onion is till holding together at the bottom, the bulb stays together when it’s cut laying on it’s side.
May 17, 2022 at 7:12 AM
Urspo
I am all for one’s bottom holding together; this makes preparation more easy.
May 17, 2022 at 5:01 AM
johnmichael42003
I have never used a blender to chop onions. I suck at chopping onions. And yes, I tear up while chopping. And mine don’t come out fine. It’s uneven and oftentimes just a mess. I would say it looks like a four year old hacked away at them.
May 17, 2022 at 7:13 AM
Urspo
Happily I’m learning this is like any other skill. It can be learned and over tmie improved. Or so I hope.
May 17, 2022 at 8:44 AM
jefferyrn
My mother would use dehydrated onions and soak them in water before use. But she didn’t really like to cook.
May 17, 2022 at 12:16 PM
Urspo
I’ve done that route too: dried minced onions add a bit of flavor without having to chop anything.
May 17, 2022 at 6:02 PM
Richard Portman
I have tears to spare and plenty of them. An onion is not going to stop me. Cut the top end off, cut the root end off, peel it like old lurker suggests, and you are good to go. Some recipes call for grated onions. I would only do that for special occasions, because I know i am going to cry.
May 17, 2022 at 6:04 PM
Urspo
sometimes crying is the right response.
May 17, 2022 at 8:34 PM
Pat
I use what is called an Old Fashioned Onion Manual Food Chopper on the Amazon for @ $13 except mine is just old, I just quarter an onion and this plunger in a glass jar works. It also chops nuts when needed,
May 18, 2022 at 6:54 AM
Urspo
Thank you for the recommendation. I will have a look-see on Amazon.
May 18, 2022 at 7:33 AM
Robzilla, Native Of Slam Diego
I use a very sharp chef’s knife. I’ll chop off the top so I can peel it, and afterward I start chopping it so I can either make rings or dice it. With practice, I’ve gotten quite good at it.