Onion chopper

[Cuckoomama]

Although I enjoy cooking, I absolutely hate chopping up onions. Can anyone recommend a decent onion chopper? Don't want to pay a fortune, but I do want something that does a good job. I've had one of those contraptions that you have to keep pressing down on. Not only was it hard work, it didn't chop finely enough. I ended throwing it in the bin I was so frustrated with it.

I have got one from the pampered chef. It was £25 i think and I love it. You just push the handle down a few times and voila, chopped onions, no tears. The you can put it in the dish washer. What's not to love?

Is it the one with a sort of continuous wavy blade. You have to quarter the onion, put it under the plastic cover and punch the handle up and down?

See, I have one of those press down contraptions and it's great for onions or carrots or whatever. I bang it with the heel of my hand several times and that's it. I only actually use it when I want to chop something fine-ish (v. fine would use processor but normally just have things hand chopped 'rustic' style!)

When I really can't be arsed to peel/chop an onion though I resort to Delia's method of just scissor snipping in spring onions. Won't work for everything but pretty good approximation for many midweek dinners!

Oh...and also I've vaguely been wondering this week whether you could do a big chop of onions, carrots, celery mixed together and then freeze them so that you can use them as a base for stuff. Haven't tried it yet, but might be good for time saving/hated onion chopping....

Maybe the one I chucked out was just a rubbish one. I bought it from Lakeland and I haven't used it much. Last time I used it I ended up bending the blade at one end. That's the reason it got binned!

Could you just buy frozen ready chopped onion?

Didn't even know you could buy frozen onions! Are they any good? I bought some fresh chopped onions in a bag last week from Tesco ( lazy I know) they were rubbish, all dried up and horrible. .

yes it is cuckoomama. I saw it but didn't buy it because I thought it would be one of those things that just sits in you kitchen cupboard and never used. My mum got it for me for christmas a couple of years ago and I use I all the time. I do peel and quarter the onion first, but even then it makes life sooo much easier.

I have the Pampered Chef one and it is brilliant.

Maybe I'll give one of those a try. Thanks everyone for your comments.

Kenwood mini chopper is brilliant and under £20! Like a teeny food processor.

Cuckoomama, I hate hate hate chopping garlic because the smell never leaves me. I just wanted to let you know about Frozen chopped garlic because it is amazing and reasonably priced! Love it.

No onion solutions from me as we don't have a dishwasher so hate to create extra washing up.

Nice to know the pampered chef one works, I bought one from a cookware shop and it was pants.

I bought it for the children to help cook, I personally love chopping onions, and have a pair of onion goggles to stop my eyes watering mine are pink

If I am batch cooking and need 6 onions I just blitz them in a food processor. I have used frozen ones before but I hate all the water that comes out of them.

I really wanted the pampered chef choppy thing but thought £25 was too pricey, I found a JML one in asda for £4

Also interested in knowing whether the frozen chopped onion is minging, have always wondered.

I think I'm seriously allergic to onions, I don't just have mild stinging, the tears stream down my face and the pain is terrible! I have a red face for about an hour afterwards.

I have to wear swimming goggles, but of course when we have guests round it's a bit embarrassing

Sainsburys frozen onions are fantastic. I rarely use anything else now

Another vote for the kenwood mini chopper here!!! AMAZING for batch cooking and not only chops onion but carrot and celery too! LOVE IT!!!!

Good tip onelastsoul will try that.

I love my alligator style onion chopper. I use it loads. Be careful as they are really really sharp - the man who demonstrated it to me in John lewis cut himself! So far, I've not cut myself and I'm pretty clumsy at times.
This is the style and I think it's exactly the same as mine:
www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Chopper-Storer-Set/dp/B002TJEJ3O/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1344887657&sr=8-9
Failing that, try these onion goggles:
www.johnlewis.com/231281852/Product.aspx

Onion goggles!!
Slightly more stylish than my yellow speedos.

The chopper looks good, think I'm either going to go for that one or the Kenwood which was recommended. And my current offenders are waiting in the fridge to see if that tip works too!