A device for an amateur cook to cut up vegetables very small.

[jabbur]

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/vidalia-chop-wizard/1014556052

I have this that I use for a lot of dicing. It's quick and easy. I hate dicing. I can do it with a knife no problem but just dislike doing it. This gets pulled out at least once a week or more to do veggies for salads or soups.

 

[skilletlicker]

I generally agree that a sharp chefs knife is the tool for the job. On those exceedingly rare occasions that I feel great precision is required on a fine dice or mince, the tip I'd suggest is limiting the number of strips you are trying to work with at one time.

If you're looking for a gadget type answer. One old school solution, older than Veg-O-Matic, is a mezzaluna.

 

[dragnlaw]

Skilletlicker - a mezzaluna is for mincing not dicing! Although I love my mez aluna, it is a double blade one, only one I could find when shopping at the time. I would prefer a single blade (like my mommy had ) and now of course, I see them everywhere.

 

[taxlady]

I love the idea of the mezaluna. A single bladed mezaluna is also called an "ulu". It's an Inuit women's knife. I actually found out about ulus before I found out that white people had a similar knife.

Ulu on Wikipedia.

 

[larry_stewart]

ive had a French fry cutter for years that I never opened . Honestly, I dont even remember buying it. Recently, having harvested my first batch of potatoes, and knowing I wanted to find a way to store some since may sprout in my basement over the winter, I figured let me try luck at freezing French fries for future use. Anyway, the freezing the fries thing worked out much better than I expected, But getting back the point of my post, the French Fry cutter worked exceptionally well. No effort at all, and it cut a whole potato in a second. Also, doesn't look like something ill injure myself with ( which I usually do with many other gadgets). On tomorrow list is actually making more fries to freeze.

 

[dragnlaw]

I never thought freezing french fried could actually be done (outside of commercial).

Are they partially cooked? raw?

 

[RCJoe]

I just love how much there is to learn here

 

[Landj3612]

Before Ron Popiel was introducing his gadgets there was the Blitzhacker! Sounds like it would take off an arm.

Google it, it's pretty tame but it keeps the bits contained like when chopping nuts.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Both of these items are available from Amazon Fresh. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! And you get to keeep all of your fingers.

 

[larry_stewart]

I never thought freezing french fried could actually be done (outside of commercial).

Are they partially cooked? raw?

Better late than never.

they are sliced , he boiled for a few minutes, shocked in ice water , dried, lightly coated with oil and salt, placed single layer on a sheet pan ( with parchment paper ) to freeze, then dumped portion size in a ziplock , placed in the freezer for future use.

I cut them shoestring sized.
Bake at about 450F for about 20 minutes +/- depending on how hot or cold your oven runs.

I usually flip , shuffle and resalt halfway through.

My wife likes them crispy, I prefer them more potatoey. Thats when the fight breaks out.

Only once did I have an issue, I think I boiled too long and they kinda fell apart. There is a sweet spot as far as time to boil. Kinda like boiling pasta too gettin al dente . Brief window between too little and too much. Too little and they will discolor when frozen, too much and they will not hold shape.

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-freeze-your-own-french-fries-235216

 

[larry_stewart]

It's been my experience that any time saved using a gadget or machine is lost when you take into account the time to clean and wash it.

Not to mention the time it takes to find it, cause its at the bottom of a drawer, all the way in the back on a top shelf or in the basement somewhere, where all the ' I only use them a few times a year' gadgets wind up. Or, my favorite, the ' forget you even have it until you find it when spring cleaning a year later, after only have used it once or twice ' .

Just found a bunch of those and donated them.

 

[buckytom]

I used to love gadgets. But the older I get, the more simple I've been trying to make my life because of the obvious increase in complexity on many levels, if that makes any sense.

One of the best things that I've done is give up almost all social media. Funny enough that this is one of one of the 2 platforms that I still use. That says something to me. (OK, don't get all flustered. I'm still not tied to the place)

However, I've also been getting back to cooking from scratch, and trying to make most dishes with just simple utensils and cookware. Grinding spices in a mortar and pestle; thinly slicing or julienne-ing things without a mandoline; butchering larger creatures into servings, deboning, filleting, and so on.

It's remarkably rewarding to just focus on the task at hand. Giving up (most) social media has made me kinder to the people that I encounter in my real life. They matter in real time when that is your world. The virtual world has corrupted something so simple.

Learning how to cook; to really cook with basic skills becomes another important part of it.

I rest my case.

You may have your soap box back.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I use my chef's knife for nearly all cutting chores, However, if you really want a mandoline that wo't take off finger tips, this - https://www.amazon.com/DASH-DSM100GBAQ04-Mandoline-Vegetables-Thickness/dp/B07XZYV3WJ looks like a very good option.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[karadekoolaid]

I agree with Bucky and the Chief. There´s nothing like a chef´s knife to sort out most problems in a kitchen. As long as you´ve learned how to use it properly, of course.
The only kitchen gadgets I regularly use are a processor (for turning chunks of veg into smooth cream) and a spice grinder (the pestle and mortar - just too much hard work for the poor old tendons in my wrists!)

 

[Andy M.]

I have just started to learn how to cook Spaghetti Bolognese but would like to find a device that would help me in cutting up carrots and the like into small pieces as advised by the recipe. Can anyone help?

As you can see from the responses, most of us don't use a chopper. I recommend you google "vegetable chopper". You'll get lots of choices.

 

[Aunt Bea]

These days my first question is what would my hero Jacques Pepin do.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Other than honing your knife skills the only other thing I can think of is a Mandolin - which is also something that needs careful attention while using.

Yes, be careful. I bought this one last year and cut my finger the first time I used it. Just like the Y peeler. Removed the very tip of my finger. But I was in a hurry and had never used one before. I have used it since, but with caution and I pay better attention to what I am doing.
https://www.amazon.com/Benriner-BN3...0048&sprefix=Japanese+mandolin,aps,155&sr=8-5

I don't know the recipe but my food processor grinds, slices and shreds with different blades and is safer to use - to me anyway - than a mandoline.

Mine does too. But I'm not gonna break out the food processor as it then needs to be washed. Just adds more work in most every instance.
In fact I bought a very good food possessor and expected to use it a lot. I have had it 3 or more years and its only been used about 3 times.
My wife asks me why I buy these things just to take up valuable counter space. So I moved it to the pantry where the front door does not close because of it. If I were to move it downstairs, it would sit with all the other kitchen stuff I have bought over the years.
So I see it all the time, but rarely have the gumption to use it.

I agree that for the average home cook all that's needed is a sharp knife or two.
It's been my experience that any time saved using a gadget or machine is lost when you take into account the time to clean and wash it.
This video is a good place to start.
Good luck!

Its all about clean up. Its all about clean up. For me.

 

[blissful]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WBXRBMN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Mr bliss will slap chop in the slap chopper for me once I peel and cut to size. Get this! It's fabulous. It's loud. It does the trick in small dice and larger dice. Since I can large quantities of veg, for say veg soup, 20 potatoes, 10 onions....lots of things, we get it done in some short time. My son also will slap chop for me.



If it is JUST 3 potatoes and 2 onions.....I do it with a knife but if I have LOTS to do, the slap chopper is my friend.

 

[blissful]

Wow, the price jumped 20 dollars. I bought it at $20 and some cents.

 

[larry_stewart]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WBXRBMN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Mr bliss will slap chop in the slap chopper for me once I peel and cut to size. Get this! It's fabulous. It's loud. It does the trick in small dice and larger dice. Since I can large quantities of veg, for say veg soup, 20 potatoes, 10 onions....lots of things, we get it done in some short time. My son also will slap chop for me.



If it is JUST 3 potatoes and 2 onions.....I do it with a knife but if I have LOTS to do, the slap chopper is my friend.

My wife uses something like this, especially with onions. She has issues with onions and her eyes.

I use It sometimes, like you said, If I have piles of stuff to do, or if I want extreme consistency.