r/Frugal • u/wearslocket • 1d ago
š Food Anyone have a kitchen device to suggest for dicing a whole bag of onions???
I am getting serious about saving time, and money when it comes to cooking, preparing, storing, and freezing.
I have found Iād rather do up a lot of onions at once so I can make quick use of them on demand. I bought a countertop dicer chopper from that big online place that begins with an A, and the blade part is the size of a yellow Post-It. 3āx3ā. Iād have to Ā¼ an onion to put it onto the dicer to have it fit so I could press down. Donāt get me started on dicing potatoes.
Iām looking to take advantage of sales and do a bag when I can and store the diced in the freezer. I already do it with bell peppers and green onions. It makes it worthwhile when it goes on sale or I find some good quality fresh at a farmerās market.
Anyone have a suggestion for a brand of dicer that isnāt the size of two Triscuits? Links canāt hurt the helping if it is in your good nature.
I also donāt mind if it has other added features. Iām likely to see if one has a mandolin option. The brand I picked up was Fullstar and it really seems well-made. It just didnāt have a big enough blade for my purposes.
A wise man doubles his money by folding it over and putting it back in his pocket.
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u/dailydillydalli 1d ago
I use a slap type chopper. Wish I would've invested in one long before.
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u/DylanAthens 1d ago
These are great for getting veggies the perfect size for high volume chopping like chicken/tuna salad. Perfect size pieces with precise control. Itās too easy to overdo it in a food processor IMO, but if anyone has recommendations for a precise one, Iām all ears!
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u/ColorMonochrome 1d ago
The added benefit of this gadget is that you also get pieces which are more consistent in size.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
I love mine. It is great because all of the mess stays right inside and when you are done it is confined. Still looking for something that can do a consistent cut for a larger quantity and I only pull out the slap chop for nuts, garlic, maybe some shallots, and donāt see myself even messing with it for an onion. I can do one onion quickly with a knife and donāt have to mess with washing the slap chop. Good suggestion though thanks.
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u/po_ta_to 1d ago
Slam whole onions through a French fry cutter.
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u/klamaire 18h ago
Oh my. Why have I not thought of this? I'm trying this out in the morning. Thank you for the suggestion!
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u/Tickly1 1d ago
I use a french fry cutter to chop and freeze my month's worth of veggies
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
This has been my fall back thought. Probably going to have to get something like it for the larger format dicing grid I am wanting.
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u/RallySausage 1d ago
A decent knife..
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u/Grilled_Cheese10 1d ago
It took me so long to figure this out. My mom always used choppers for everything, so I just followed suit, I guess. Then someone gifted me a nice chef's knife (which I do not think I had ever used - I was well into my 30s). So I tried it out. I never looked back. It's just so much easier to clean, that it's easier for me to use that baby for almost everything.
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u/Lazy_Tell_2288 1d ago
Slicing veggies is so therapeutic! I always bag a bunch up for freezing for soups and such. Nothing says inner peace like peeling and slicing a 5lb bag of carrots.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Not a bad suggestion. I have great knives actually. I have a Cuisinart and a KitchenAid with attachments. I am looking for evenly diced and very little clean-up.
Mandolins scare the F*** out of me. Iāve done kitchen prep and have great knife skills for an amateur. I am just looking to do it, get it done, and not suffer the onion fumes.
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u/NetOne4112 12h ago
I use a mandolin, always always always with the guard. It gives me much better and consistent results. Does not replace knife skills
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u/riovtafv 17h ago
If I'm looking for a good uniform size for a dice and as little released liquid as possible, I'm using my knife. Doesn't really matter how large the pile of veggies.
If I'm looking for grated veggies, say for a batch of relish I'm canning, food processor.
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u/substandardpoodle 1d ago
And really learn how to use it properly. I got lucky ā I was so stupid in my teens that I could only get jobs in kitchens. I learned how to cut an onion up lickety-split.
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u/Cool_Cartographer_39 1d ago edited 1d ago
A chef's knife. Seriously, if you hone your skills, it's less trouble than setting up and cleaning any gadget.
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u/02meepmeep 1d ago
So, when you thaw these onions they are not in any shape to be used raw. Theyāll have to be cooked. Donāt food processors dice?
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
I am cooking with them. I donāt do raw onions actually. I just canāt see buying bags of frozen diced when I can do it myself. Just thought I would reach out to the sub and see what others are using. I have an older Cuisinart, a KitchenAid Pro with attachments, a Ninja (which is pretty quick to get out and put up), but I am looking for a large open to slap half an onion onto and boom a bin of diced onion all even and consistent. Iād use it for carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, and lots of etc.
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u/WittyCrone 1d ago
I love caramelized onions and use them a lot. I do use a mandolin and got over my fear of slicing my fingers with protective gloves. I do 10-12 big sweet onions in the crock pot. A stick of butter, stir it now and then, freeze.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
You are speaking sweetness in my ear! I make a caramelized onion pasta sauce that will make you smack your grandma! I love the idea of doing that. How do you portion it out so you can use it when you want?
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u/WittyCrone 14h ago
Oh that sounds fabulous! I am not very meticulous when portioning it out- maybe a cup? Roughly 2x the number of onions I started with. I throw it in a zippie, then freeze. They thaw quickly too.
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u/g4m3cub3 1d ago
For dicing a whole bag of onions quickly, you might want to look into a food processor with a dicing attachment. Brands like Cuisinart and KitchenAid often have these available, though the attachments are usually sold separately. They can handle larger quantities much faster than manual dicers. Alternatively, for a manual option with a larger capacity than what you tried, check out commercial-grade food choppers. Some restaurant supply stores or online retailers specializing in professional kitchen equipment offer models designed for more substantial tasks. Look for ones with a larger cutting grid.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
The larger cutting grid is exactly why I posted. You are spot on. Hoping someone has already found the Winner Winner! Chicken Dinner! product and can share it here.
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u/klamaire 18h ago
I was going to suggest this. A friend has the dicer attachment for her KitchenAid mixer and uses it often. I'll have to look into the cuisinart options because I have friends with arthritis who might love that as a gift.
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u/Nowayucan 16h ago
Iāve got a Breville with the dicer. I buy onions, carrots and celery and chop up gallon-sized ziplock bags of mirepoix that I use as needed over weeks or months.
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u/mckulty 1d ago
I saw a chef cut an onion radially, all the way round, like cutting a "blooming onion."
The he turned it sideways onto a mandoline and every slice fell perfectly diced.
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u/SunBelly 1d ago
I've tried this and couldn't hold the sliced onion together firmly enough to slide it across the mandoline without my fingers getting really close to the blade. Screw that. It's already halfway to being diced at the blooming onion phase; just finish dicing it with your knife instead of risking cutting yourself on the most dangerous tool in the kitchen.
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u/lifeuncommon 1d ago
If you donāt know how to dice yourself, a slap chopper can help.
But I find it faster to dice with a knife and cutting board that to load/unload choppers.
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u/Sirefly 1d ago
I used to work at a restaurant where we would dice many pounds of onions per day.
We used a french fry cutter.
Peel and half the onions (across the middle) and put them cut side down in the cutter.
The commercial cutters are huge, with big levers. Probably too big for a hume kitchen unless you have a place to mount it on a wall.
They sell smaller ones but they may take more effort to use.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
This is what I was thinking for a back-up plan. I figured someone out there is already doing what Iād like to and Iād rely on the good wisdom of the collective pool.
Iāve seen a couple of them that would work and could be stored easily only to have to pull it out when I needed to. Like canning equipment or a camping stove. Only when necessary.
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u/BreakingBadYo 1d ago
I sometimes use my vitamix. Fill the vitamix about half full of onions. Add water to 3/4 full. Hold your hand on the lid and pulse/chop until desired size. Drain. Also works for carrots, cauliflower, etc.
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u/VernalPoole 1d ago
This may not be helpful, but it my area potatoes and onions are two of the cheapest fresh vegetables out there. I just buy them as needed -- but I'm blessed with 3 grocery stores along my commute.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Well it isnāt all about the frugality of the money, but also being frugal with oneās time. I am a very active and thoughtful cook. I prep, plan, and produce like a homemaker with 7 kids, but Iām a simple man that prefers to eat well at home and donāt find restaurants enjoyable unless it is something I donāt cook for us.
Did I mention I have a sweet deal on farm direct onions? These are beautiful and delicious, but more importantly I know how they are grown.
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u/klamaire 18h ago
Farm direct onions sound like a dream. :) I need to find those in my area. The past several months, I can barely get a bag of onions not to spontaneously go bad within days or weeks when they used to store for months.
I'm planning to chop and freeze over half of the next bag.
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u/wearslocket 17h ago
This is exactly why. I canāt believe the number of ājust learn knife skillsā responses.
Shhh. Donāt tell anyone. I get dozens (meaning a couple or a few) of farm fresh eggs given to me when I go pick up the produce. They taste amazing.
The backstory: I did something for a little girl in a family. I knew someone who had an elaborate quality play set in their yard that their son had outgrown. This other family of a single mother and daughter had an empty backyard. I offered to take the play set down and mentioned I had a play set to the mother. Soon the hubby had a few of his buds coming and six guys showed up and moved the play set in one day.
The little girls mother was on the verge of tears and everyone was feeling the doing some good vibe.
The little girls grandpa shows up and starts scratching his head as to the why and the what, but thanks me and tells me to come by his place and get some fresh vegetables.
Turns out heās got a small hobby farm across the county line a little and his one and only granddaughter had a place to play safely in her backyard. Now she was very popular in her new home and making a few new friends her own age.
He has been overly generous and wonāt take money.
I believe thereās local honey in my future as well. š«£š
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u/klamaire 17h ago
That's amazing! The secret benefits of a kind gesture. It was so sweet of you to find that solution. Good vibes all around!
There is such a draw to being "the house" where kids can play. It set parents up for knowing their kids' friends so much better.
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u/wearslocket 17h ago
Thanks. It felt good. Even the son of the family that outgrew the play set made his parents incredibly proud. He was the one that suggested giving it to her. His father was super surprised, and a little conflicted as the idea of the win-win set in. He was taken aback by the generous nature he obviously had been responsible for teaching his son, and the moment he realized his son was saying he didnāt play on it anymore and had grown out of it.
We didnāt talk about it, but we both knew we knew. Weād been neighbors so long I knew them before she was pregnant with their son.
The little girlās mother has found a friend group as well with the other parents.
(We dismantled the elaborate play set and moved it five backyards down. It was like watching cutter ants back and forth on the forest floor. David Attenborough would have narrated if we could have secured him.)
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u/klamaire 17h ago
Lol. Attenborough. They raised a very thoughtful son. That's so sweet! It sounds like you have a wonderful community there.
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u/intellidepth 1d ago edited 1d ago
V-slicer. itās fast and efficient for bulk loads by hand. Absolutely fantastic blades and thatās the difference compared to cheap knockoffs. The width of the cutting surface means it fits the widest part of most large onions flat on its surface. You insert whichever blade type you want, a thick slice, thin slice, thick chop, fine dice chop.
The best part about the v-slicer is the v-shape of the blades which is vastly superior to mandolins with a single flat blade. The c V shape basically means the cutting blade has about 4 times as much surface area while cutting the onion compared to other mandolins, so is much faster, and takes less physical effort per cut due to those angles.
Itās also strongly made due to the excellent design. I have the steel version and have had it for at least 15 years.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Thanks! I will keep that in mind. I am hunting something that will dice though. Even squares of potato, onion, bell pepper, etcā¦ and has a larger surface for, as you described, large onions and root vegetables.
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u/mikedt 1d ago
Have you checked out the price of frozen diced onions? It's possible they're cheaper than you're getting fresh onions.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
I have looked. I usually buy frozen pearl onions and keep them on hand for stews and shepherdās pie. I am getting a sweet deal on farm direct onions and want to take advantage of it while the getting is good.
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u/bf-es 18h ago
Itās a plot point in Julie & Julia where Julia Child buys a huge bag of onions and works on her knife skills to the point that sheās chopping tons of onions in no time. Why buy a mono-tasker when you could just get really good with the tools you do have?
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u/wearslocket 18h ago
Because onions make my eyes water just like that scene. I donāt want to put up with it ever again. Iām old enough and have enough cabinet space that I can be frugal with my time to buy something like that. Oh and I cook a fucking lot. More than most people even dream of and it is a literal PITA to prep all the damned time.
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u/unlovelyladybartleby 1d ago
Starfrit makes a range of chopping and dicing solutions. Their products are BIFL - I'm still rocking some stuff my parents bought in the 80s and, based on stuff I've picked up recently, the quality hasn't changed.
Or use a food processor.
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u/BlackCatWoman6 1d ago
I have onion glasses that work really well for an onion or two, not sure they would do the job with a bag of them.
I would use my food processor since it has a closed top. I'd still wear my onion glasses.
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u/ChristinasWorldWyeth 1d ago
We have a mini Krups food processor thatās small enough to easily fit in a kitchen cabinet. Itās been going strong for 30 years & I use it almost daily for diced veggie prep. Highly recommend if a full-size food processor seems too much for your kitchen.
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u/No_Capital_8203 1d ago
What size bag? When I was a young person I chopped 75 lbs every few days. Took about 2 to 3 hours. The chopper had a lever and was bolted to a table. Was effective even though you had to peel first. The onion juice got all over me and stuck to my hairnet and clothing. Cleanup took about 45 minutes. Knives are my first choice.
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1d ago
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u/HeimdallThePrimeYall 1d ago
I use my Ninja blender. Done in 3 taps of the button. The pitcher size blender fits about 3-4 onions. Bag in gallon size Ziploc bags, lay flat, freeze for 30 minutes and then "score" with a plastic knife to create squares that will easily break off for cooking, double bag and freeze fully. These will store nicely either stacked or lined up like books.
If you don't double bag, you run the risk of your entire freezer smelling like onions. This happened to me and it took a full bottle of vodka, a stack of newspapers, and a week of airing out to get rid of the smell.
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u/MableXeno 1d ago
You could always get the professional dicer from Webstaurant store...depending on the size you could spend $40-50 on one that will probably last forever.
But the cutting area is still fairly small. You would still need to quarter your onion or whatever.
The ones that do a full potato or onion are closer to $90-100 and typically require mounting to a wall or table.
So you could keep quartering your onions or if you dice so many onions it would be worth it to you...buy the expensive one.
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u/trudytude 1d ago
Rap tou, you will have to search for a vintage. And put a damp tea towel near so that the chemical that makes your eyes water goes to that instead of your eyes/nose.
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u/alienabduction1473 1d ago
If you freeze raw onions be prepared for everything else in your freezer to smell like onions. Butter, ice cream, everything will have a slight aftertaste of onion.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Worth knowing thank you. Fortunately I have every intention of vacuum sealing portions after flash freezing. I will keep an opened package in reach in my kitchen freezer drawer, but everything else will be in either the side by sideās freezer that is in the garage or the upright freezer beside it. Then I can bring up what I am wanting. If I can manage to keep Kim Chi from screwing everything else up I am willing to give onions a try. Good to know what to be on the lookout for though. I might just have to keep the vacuum packs in the meat freezer right?
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u/FletchWazzle 1d ago
I julienne my onions and peppers for the freezer, give em a quick dice when i use em
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u/gracefull60 1d ago
I treat myself to diced frozen onions. They work great. I never have to cry over chopping onions anymore and only buy a whole onion if fresh is needed for a salad.
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Did I mention I am getting farm direct onions for cheap? I appreciate the treating yourself. I might go that route, but I am trying hard to get my prepper action going.
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u/vw_higgins 1d ago
buy the bags of frozen onions that are chopped. cheaper than same amount of onions fresh per lb. youre welcome
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u/BeatVids 1d ago
Look up "Pull String Mincer"
It is non-electric (more frugal and portable) and it's better than a slap chap since the blades don't contact a surface other than food. Recently found out about these, pretty useful
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u/PasgettiMonster 1d ago
https://imgur.com/gallery/Nb1eSaJ
Are you talking about this type of chopper? I have one of these and honestly I absolutely love it. Yes you do have to cut the onions down to be able to use it but I assembly line the process. So I grab several onions and peel and cut the ends off. Then I roughly cut them up. This doesn't take long simply because there's no precision here. Just give each onion a few wax with a really good sharp knife and get it to a size that the chopper can handle. I've seen people cut them into thick rings That fit on the blade section and if your onions aren't too big that will absolutely work. Then once you have a whole pile of onion sections just start chopping.
It is true, if you are highly skilled with a chef's knife you can probably chop onions faster than this. I'm pretty skilled with a chef's knife and if I'm cutting a couple of onions I am not pulling this thing out and going through this process and washing it each time. But if I have 20 onions to cut, I do use this because it is less wear and tear on my body even if it takes a little bit longer. The day that I recorded that clip my shoulder was hurting so I cut the onions a little smaller than I normally do because it took less pressure to slice them, hence less wear and tear on an already painful shoulder. I absolutely would not have been able to cut up a bag of onions that day with a chef's knife without causing further injury. There is a little bit of a learning curve on these choppers in finding exactly which way they work the best. I know I tried cutting my onions a few different ways to decide which I preferred.
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u/lunicorn 1d ago
I go to Restaurant Depot or a similar food service store and get 20 pounds of diced onions at a time. I take our turkey roaster (crock pot would also work) and put them in there with some butter and cook them for a couple of hours, stirring as needed. Cool, put into portions of the size you need, and freeze. Ready-to-go caramelized onions!
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u/InternationalRule138 1d ago
I have a Breville Sous chef with peel and dice. Highly recommend.
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u/InternationalRule138 1d ago
That saidā¦itās a food processor, and as far as food processors go itās on the expensive side. I like to think itās a but it for life, item, and I really get a lot of use out of it, but itās $$$
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u/Appropriate_View8753 23h ago
I use a potato fry cutter with 1/2" squares. One of the heavy duty ones with 4 big suction cups and a foot long handle. It also works for potatoes (lol), pre-slice the onions or potatoes into 1/2-3/4" slices and place 2 or 3 slices against the grid and hold them there while you move the 'pusher' forward, remove fingers and push through. Saves a ton of time
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u/DarkReaper90 21h ago
A good knife and technique would get you dicing onions pretty quick. It's not really something that's saving you much time by prepping imo
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u/DawgfatherMike 1h ago
I used to work in a restaurant and we used the dicer thing pretty often. It can be mounted to the wall. I love that thing. They have blades either 1/4ā or 1/2ā? Maybe larger?
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u/kaidomac 1d ago
Breville Paradice 9:
The average family of 4 spends:
- $15k a year on food
- Nearly $4,000 on food away from home (fast food, packaged foods, delivery, take-out, dine-in, etc.)
- $1,500 on food waste
Design a meal-prep system:
Get a vacuum sealer ($30 on Amazon) & some Souper Cubes:
Invest in better tools over time to make the job easier & save money in the future!
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u/FeedingCoxeysArmy 1d ago
I have never seen that Breville food processor before, thank you for adding the link. I will be the proud owner of one very soon.
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u/kaidomac 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's a beast:
Williams Sonoma has 5 different colors FYI! Create & Barrel has a special-edition 6th color (Almond Nougat).
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Thanks for the link. I have not seen the Paradice before. I have a Cuisinart, a KitchenAid with attachments, stick blenders, a Vitamix, a slap chop, and do prep and meal plan well. I shop hard and always keep my eyes open. I buy what is on sale. I flash freeze and vacuum seal. Added a 25 cf upright freezer to the garage to go by the 25 cf side by side, and they both support the main fridge in the kitchen. I try to avoid going out unless it is a special occasion or we just need to have something that we donāt cook for ourselves. We love international restaurants, and by that I donāt mean Italian and Mexican.
Just recently added a Staub 9 qt Oval Dutch oven and Iām hunting some decent sauciers. Iāve always been frugal via BIFL when it came to kitchen gear, and cherish the cast iron pans my mother gave me over 35 years ago.
Good advice and thank you for the links.
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u/kaidomac 1d ago
Whoo fellow meal-prep enthusiast!! Are you into the Instapot yet?
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Not yet. My countertop convection KitchenAid oven (aka toaster oven that can airfry, dehydrate, roast, broil, bake, reheat etc is about as close as Iāve gotten.
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u/kaidomac 1d ago
Pressure-cooking is a GAME-CHANGER!!
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u/wearslocket 1d ago
Thanks. I will certainly look into it. Any favorite things you like to do yourself?
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u/klamaire 17h ago
For me, I love making IP beans - simple plain beans to freeze instead of canned or more complex beans with veggies or in soups. Rice, quinoa, and whole grains are staples I make in the IP. You can also steam vegetables by using 0 time. I use that to make huge batches of bok choy. Steam potatoes for potato salad. It makes amazing hard-boiled eggs where the shells almost fall off when you peel them. (Look up 6-6-6 eggs).
I also make a quick Mac and cheese that's better than a box but not as nice as the oven version. Pot in pot method for making a breakfast casserole with potatoes, eggs, and veggies.
One of the best aspects is that you don't have to tend to it. No stirring, no checking. You do have to remember that the recipe has to come up to pressure before the timer starts. For some people, it is not "instant" enough.
While I use it for meals during the week, I especially love to meal prep with it.
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u/Whoamieh 1d ago
I use a food processor. Just pulse to desired size. I have a big one so can get through a large bag of onions in 10 minutes. and way less tears!