WHAT IS THE BEST ONION CHOPPER?

Onions are a popular vegetable for spicing up meals and garnishing entrees — the average American eats 20 pounds of onions each year. But preparing onions can be messy, and as many people know, cutting them releases sulfuric compounds that cause our eyes to water. So slicing onions can be a tearful kitchen adventure. Onion choppers save the day by not only easily dicing onions but also trapping the eye-irritating odor in the machine.

What to know before you buy an onion chopper

Manual vs. electric onion choppers

Choppers are either manual or electric.

Manual choppers work by pushing the onion through the blade grid or pulling a string that rotates blades around the onion or other vegetables. They are usually less expensive, but the cutting can be inconsistent, which is a problem if the presentation is important.
Electric choppers have powerful motors that are more reliable and simply require pushing a button. They are more expensive but can handle larger quantities and offer different cutting styles.

Sizes

Many choppers are designed for slicing one onion, which typically meets the need of a single meal at home. If you need to chop a lot of onions at once for a party or larger meal, look at choppers that can cut multiple vegetables simultaneously.

Chopping options

The most basic choppers dice onions as they pass through the blade grid. If you need a thinner cut, you may need to manually cut the onion before putting it in the chopper, or put the first cut of onion through the chopper again.

Many choppers come with multiple blades that can be interchanged for different styles of cuts. These choppers cost a little more than basic ones that only dice.

What to look for in a quality onion chopper

Blades

All choppers have stainless steel blades for easy slicing. The blades in manual box choppers are not removable, so they dull over time. When that happens, it is usually time to purchase a new chopper. Other choppers feature blades that can be removed and sharpened, extending the chopper’s life. Consult a professional knife or blade sharpener to maintain your safety and ensure the blades are properly sharpened.

Base

Chopper bases are either plastic or stainless steel. The steel bases are naturally heavier and help hold the machine in place. Regardless of base material, look for choppers with rubberized bottoms that add an extra layer of grip when the chopper is in use.

Container

The container that comes with a chopper is usually plastic, although high-end units have glass bowls. The container size varies, so look for the size that fits your cooking needs. Some hold a small quantity of around 1 cup, while others are designed for larger meal preparations and hold over a quart of onions and vegetables.

Dishwasher-safe

Nearly all chopper components, including the blades, are dishwasher-safe, which makes for quick and easy tear-down and cleanup. Use caution when removing the blades, and always unplug the chopper beforehand. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for additional suggestions about proper cleaning techniques.

How much you can expect to spend on an onion chopper

For $15-$30, you will find basic manual choppers made of plastic with stainless steel blade grids. More powerful choppers with multiple cutting styles cost $30-$60, and for the serious chef who often chops large quantities of onions, commercial-grade choppers are $60-$120.

Onion chopper FAQ

Can the onion chopper be used with other vegetables?

A. Most onion choppers are advertised as vegetable choppers. Most vegetables will work with them, but check the manufacturer’s list of recommended vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, radishes and carrots. Also, consider whether you want to cut vegetables together or separate each kind of vegetable.

What is the best way to remove the onion smell from the container?

A. Even with regular cleaning, the container can take on a slight onion smell over time. Try soaking the bowl in vinegar and then rewashing it. This should help remove the onion odor.

Do all onions taste the same?

A. There are many varieties of onions. Popular Valencia, Spanish and yellow onions, for instance, each have a distinct flavor. Use your chopper to taste-test them and pick your favorite.

What’s the best onion chopper to buy?

Top onion chopper

Alligator Stainless Steel Chopper

What you need to know: This premium chopper is made from stylish, strong stainless steel and has a stellar reputation.

What you’ll love: The chopper has three interchangeable blades for different types of cutting, including a mincer. The blades are beveled for easy cutting, and the cleanup is easy with dishwasher-safe pieces.

What you should consider: You must turn the cup upside-down to get the onions out.

Top onion chopper for the money

Fullstar Vegetable Chopper

What you need to know: This affordable chopper has seven interchangeable blades for easily cutting onions and other vegetables.

What you’ll love: The 1.2-quart tray holds a lot of chopped onions. The chopper has a molded finger guard and a rubber base to prevent slipping. It is dishwasher-safe and can be completely taken apart.

What you should consider: The blades are extremely sharp, so you should be extra careful when using or cleaning it.

Worth checking out

Oxo Good Grips Vegetable and Onion Chopper

What you need to know: This chopper’s simple push-down design makes it easy to cut onions and pour them out without disassembling.

What you’ll love: The stainless steel blade pattern quickly cuts vegetables with one push. The 2.5-cup container pours easily without having to lift the lid. The bottom is rubberized to prevent slips, and the components are dishwasher-safe.

What you should consider: Some consumers found it challenging to remove the blades for cleaning.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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East Davis Street in Luling is lined with low-slung brick mom-and-pop shops. One, a cafe, is actually called “Mom’s Front Porch”. But the road deviates from a classic Main Street feel with its centerpiece: a massive tin-roofed pavilion topped with an ornate green sculpture, marking it as the home of the Central Texas town’s longrunning “Watermelon Thump” festival. 

The pavilion is a permanent fixture; in fact, the nonprofit that runs the Thump owns a good portion of the street. The festival takes place the last full weekend of June, and the street becomes a beacon for watermelon lovers. Light poles, trash cans, storefront windows— anything that can be adorned with watermelons surely will be. Luling’s population is under 6,000, but the annual event—with carnival rides, contests, and live music—draws about 30,000 visitors.

It’s a lot for first-time attendees, or even casual melon enthusiasts, to take in. Nicole Smith, photographer and writer for thelocal weekly Luling Newsboy & Signal, offers to guide me through the weekend. “I will be here, needless to say, because this is the thing in town,” she tells me. “No other news can happen.”

Growers can rake in thousands of dollars for a single fruit during the high-energy melon auction. (Michelle Pitcher)

Industrial fans line the pavilion to beat back the 5-o’clock heat ahead of the opening ceremonies: the watermelon weigh-in and, of course, the Watermelon Thump Queen’s coronation. In front, this year’s entries in the growing competition line the stage. The imposing melons will be auctioned off the next day, proceeds going to the growers and scholarships for local high schoolers. I’m told the all-time auction record was around $35,000 for a single fruit. 

The official weight announcer—who’s been doing the job for 44 years—stands onstage behind a folding table, as growers hoist melons onto the scale. Pregnant seconds pass as the scale calibrates, then the official weight is announced. 

The second melon in line is a commanding fruit I feel compelled to call The Big One. It hasn’t hit the scale yet, but it’s clearly the largest of the bunch. As its grower lifts it to the scale, someone in the crowd shouts, “Don’t drop it!” The Thump has an established policy for dropped melons: If it makes it through the door, it’s entered into the contest; with witnesses, festival staff weigh the dropped melon’s remains, and the result goes into the record books. One grower suffered that fate this year: His knee gave out earlier that day, and he and his 105-pound watermelon hit the ground. 

The Big One, unscathed, weighs in at 125.1 pounds. It was grown by Paul Mikesh, co-owner of an eponymous fruit and vegetable company, over the course of 130 days. 

Sporting a well-worn Mikesh Produce hat, he says he learned the secret to growing super-sized watermelons from his late friend, who was tight-lipped about the technique with everyone but him. In the glow of his second Grand Championship win, Mikesh shares the secret: Prune all but one fruit off of each vine. This way, each vine can focus its resources on one melon. Even then, a lot can go wrong.

This year, only seven growers entered the contest. In years past, the Thump had so many growers they had to limit the auction to the top 15. You have a lot of enemies as a melon grower: wild hogs, deer, too much rain, too little rain. “Everything’s against you,” says Bubba Damon, a Watermelon Thump board member. Many local growers have turned to less-fickle crops or livestock. 

Bubba is a realist, but he’s also a devotee. He grew up working in watermelon patches. His wife and daughter, both former Watermelon Thump Queens, are bustling around the adjacent pavilion preparing for this year’s coronation as we talk. 

Part of the previous queen’s court carries this year’s queen’s crown before the results ceremony. (Michelle Pitcher)

Next door, more than 100 seats face a stage and flank an elevated runway. Bleachers line the perimeter, but even those overflow seats aren’t enough, and spectators spill into the adjacent pavilion, eager to see which Luling high schooler will be Queen. The title comes with a crown, a sash, and a time commitment: The winner will spend the next year traveling to various festivals around Texas. The 2023 queen reportedly traveled over 4,000 miles during her reign. 

Before this year’s winner—voted in by the 2,546 Luling residents who cast ballots—is announced, the outgoing queen speaks. She recalls talking with her grandfather after winning in 2023. He was brought to tears, she says, because when he immigrated to the United States, “He never would have imagined his granddaughter becoming queen to represent a whole town.” 

A social media threat is circulating about local schools, which St. Paul police said they don’t believe is credible.

The threat led two charter schools in St. Paul to close on Thursday. Community School of Excellence and HOPE Community Academy both posted on social media that they made the decision to close “to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”

St. Paul Public Schools are open. The district was “made aware of nationwide rumors circulating within our school communities, alleging possible violence at schools throughout Minnesota and the Twin Cities,” the district said in a Wednesday night letter to parents. “The information is spreading through social media, primarily on TikTok and Snapchat.”

Investigators have been working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and St. Paul Public Schools security, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul Police spokesman.

“We will continue to monitor and work with our law enforcement partners,” he said. “We are prepared to take steps, if needed, to make sure the children in our schools remain safe.”

Hmong College Prep Academy, a charter school in St. Paul, is open Thursday, writing to parents they’ve have “a police presence on campus as an extra precaution.”

Many of the messages being shared on social media are copied from posts outside the SPPS district, according to the district’s letter.

The district said they take “every alleged threat seriously. We work closely with our local, state and national law enforcement partners to evaluate every threat. We do not believe that this threat is credible, and there is currently no danger to any SPPS campus.”

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