Onions are a staple ingredient in many dishes across cuisines worldwide. Their savory, pungent flavor adds depth and complexity to sauces, soups, salads, and more. While essential, onions can be tedious and time consuming to prep. Chopping onions by hand requires skill to dice them uniformly. The process also leads to teary eyes. So, many home cooks and professional chefs wonder: is there a machine that can quickly and easily dice onions?
Why Dice Onions?
When a recipe calls for diced onion, uniform and small cuts are ideal for even cooking and an appealing texture. If the pieces are too large or uneven, the onion will not cook through at the same rate. Small, evenly diced onions incorporate seamlessly into dishes. Large, ragged chunks can lead to a disjointed end result. Diced onions are called for in recipes like:
- Salsa
- Salad
- Soups
- Casseroles
- Sauces
- Stir fries
- Guacamole
- Pasta dishes
- Pizza
- Omelets
- Quesadillas
- Meatloaf
- Meatballs
Finely dicing onions by hand takes skill and time. So a dedicated onion dicing machine can be a useful kitchen tool.
Onion Dicing Machine Options
There are a variety of electric devices designed specifically for dicing onions. Here are some popular options:
Electric Onion Chopper
This type of machine dices onions with spinning blades attached to a small electric motor. There are different blade configurations, but many can produce small dices, chops, and slices. To use an electric onion chopper:
- Place onion half or quarter onto machine over top of blades, pushing down onto spikes to hold it in place.
- Operate machine, holding onion in place, until desired dice is achieved.
- Remove diced onion and repeat process for additional onions.
- Disassemble machine and wash blades thoroughly after use.
Electric onion choppers provide fast, hands-free dicing. Models with containers can collect the diced onion directly. They take up minimal space and many are quite affordable. However, these machines can sometimes produce inconsistent dices.
Food Processor
A food processor equipped with a chopping or slicing blade can also dice onions. To use this method:
- Peel and quarter onion.
- Place pieces in food processor fit with chopping blade.
- Pulse 5-10 times, until desired dice is achieved.
- Remove and repeat with additional onions as needed.
- Disassemble processor parts and wash thoroughly.
The rotating blade of a food processor evenly dices onions in batches. It offers speed and uniform cuts. However, food processors are bulkier and must be taken apart and cleaned after onion dicing.
Mandoline
A mandoline slicer can produce perfectly uniform diced onions with its adjustable blades. To dice onions with a mandoline:
- Adjust mandoline to needed dice thickness.
- Place onion half or quarter on mandoline surface and push back and forth to slice.
- Rotate onion 90 degrees and slice again to produce dices.
- Remove diced onion and repeat with additional onions.
- Clean mandoline blades thoroughly after use.
Mandolines quickly produce uniform onion dices. However, they can present some safety concerns. Mandoline blades are extremely sharp and requireguards and handling precautions to prevent cuts.
Criteria for an Onion Dicing Machine
When selecting a device for dicing onions, keep the following criteria in mind:
- Dice uniformity – Evenly sized dices are essential for proper cooking.
- Adjustability – Ability to adjust dicing thickness provides versatility.
- Ease of use – Simple operation allows for quick onion dicing.
- Safety features – Guards and proper blade enclosure improve safe use.
- Easy cleaning – Machine should disassemble easily for thorough washing.
- Compact size – Allows for easy storage between uses.
- Affordability – Best value for investment in machine.
Consider which features are most important based on your needs and frequency of onion dicing when selecting a machine.
Top Recommended Onion Dicing Machines
Based on customer reviews and ratings, here are top recommended machines for dicing onions:
| Machine | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Mueller Austria Onion Chopper | German engineered. BPA-free plastic housing. Dishwasher safe removable cups and blades. Easy press operation. Comes with cleaning brush. |
| Brieftons QuickPush Food Chopper | Powerful suction base for stability. Quad stainless steel blades. Large 3 cup capacity. Quick push button operation. Opens easily for cleaning. |
| Ninja Express Chop Food Chopper | 200 watt motor. Stainless steel chopping blades. Splash guard lid. Ergonomic handling. Dishwasher safe parts. |
| Cuisinart Elemental Food Processor | 500 watt motor. 9 cup work bowl. Stainless steel chopping blade. Simple press operation. Dishwasher safe parts. |
| Progressive International Mandoline Slicer | Stainless steel V-shaped blade. Adjustable thickness settings. Food holder for safety. Non-skid feet. Dishwasher safe. |
Based on key features suited for onion dicing, any of these machines could be a wise investment for home cooks or professional chefs.
Onion Dicing Machine Alternatives
While there are many worthwhile electric onion dicing machines available, some alternatives include:
Manual Food Chopper
A manual pull string or lever operated food chopper can also dice onions without electricity. They have a similar operation method to electric choppers but require more physical effort to operate the blades.
Knife Skills
Of course, knife work is the original method for dicing onions. With a sharp chef’s knife and some knife skills, uniform dices can be achieved. This manual approach requires more time and skill but needs no special equipment.
Prepared Pre-Diced Onions
For maximum convenience, pre-washed and pre-diced onions can be purchased ready to use. These eliminate onion tears and dice onions perfectly uniformly. However, they cost more and some texture and flavor is lost from fresh onion.
Conclusion
From electric choppers to mandolines, there are several appliances available for dicing onions quickly and uniformly. Models like the Mueller Austria Onion Chopper, Brieftons Food Chopper, Ninja Express Chop, Cuisinart Food Processor, and Progressive Mandoline Slicer are top rated choices. Key criteria for selecting an onion dicing machine include uniform cuts, safety, ease of use, and versatility. Investing in one of these handy devices can simplify onion prep for home cooks and professional chefs.
