Not everyone was meant to be the next Julia Childs or Joël Robuchon. To be an expert in kitchen knife work takes a lot of practice. But if you’re willing to compromise, consider getting a quality vegetable chopper. These devices are best for those cooks who are short on time but still want to create high-quality meals. A vegetable chopper will speed up your prep time while providing the expert cuts needed for meals. Here are some of our favorites.
Heavy-duty construction
When shopping for a vegetable shopper, consider the sturdiness of the blades, the container’s capacity and the cost. This chopper from Fullstar is tops in those categories. The blades are stainless steel. The built-in tray holds just over a liter of food. And the price tag is hard to beat. It can be fully disassembled for cleaning and even is appropriate for the top shelf of the dishwasher.
Smaller container
I’ve owned a variation of this vegetable chopper for years though I used it for chopping dried beef for a party dip (add sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice and salt and serve it with Bugles). Each time you press down on the handle, stainless steel blades make quick work of your food and then rotate before chopping again. Use it for onions, tomatoes, celery or even herbs like cilantro and parsley.
Versatile tool
I have a miseducating history with mandolins and a few scars on my thumb as proof, so I can’t stress this enough: Use the slicing guard (included) at all times. But once you master this tool, you’ll never go back to your old ways. It’s designed to slice vegetables at a set and consistent size. Grab a red onion, slice it into super-slim pieces and scatter it on salad with gorgonzola cheese with a red vinegar and oil dressing – it’s heavenly. This model from Mueller has five interchangeable blades along with an easy dial control you use with your thumb.
Easy pulse control
That dried beef and sour cream dip I mentioned with the Cuisinart chopper now gets made – more quickly I should add – with my Black + Decker electric chopper. The container has a 1.5-cup capacity, but that’s ideal for smaller meals and households. It even has oil holes so you can add liquid ingredients while you chop.
