What Foods Are Best and Worst for a Food Chopper?

[Jane the PC]

I have to say I love my food chopper. However, I do find that there are certain things that this is absolutely NOT made for. Like for instance, goat cheese... it just gobbs up in there and gets stuck. I know that the blades dont seem to be very sharp, and according to other posts , there is not sharperner available.

What works best to demonstrate this? I mostly use it for onions and tomatoes, but sometimes even with the skin facing up, the chopping doesnt come out so well. (like there are lots of large chunks that are cut, but not all the way through)

I am really good with the knife, but the food chopper just seems so much more practical for people who dont like to use the knife for chopping.

So basically my question is , what food is best/worst to demonstrate the chopper?

 

[mrshamel3808]

Nuts, carrots, bell peppers, cooked chicken. But definitely nuts for cookies and baked goods.

 

[wadesgirl]

Demo the knives then. What would be a better sale: $30 Food Chopper or $70 Santoku Knife? The Food Chopper sells itself, just get others to talk about it.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I don't use my chopper for tomatoes...unless I'm trying to turn them into mush! Really soft foods like that - or goat cheese (?), I wouldn't ever do in the chopper. For cheese, I use the different graters. Goat cheese, I think I'd just crumble between my fingers.

I used mine last night to chop dill pickles and onions.

I use it for peppers - love it for the hot peppers, and for carrots, chicken, cucumber, celery, nuts of all kinds, apples, ham, turkey....

 

[Jane the PC]

Great Points! I never even thought about using it for ham or turkey. My cat would LOVE that. I sometimes give her a special treat of chopped up left over ham from the fridge, but hauling out my food processer and washing its 90 milliion parts is a pain!

As for my bright idea with goat cheese... lol I dont know what I was trying to chop that for. Probably just didnt want to get my hands all dirty, because it definately is eaisly crumbled with your hands.

I will definately not use it to demonstrate tomatoes, i'm glad I asked because I was going to. Mine get really mushy too.

I have my first cooking demonstration show next Thursday for my future sister-n-law and mother-n-law and their friends. PRESSURE!!!!! lol.

Thanks again for the replies. I love this site!

 

[DessertDivaFL]

You can slice the goat cheese with the Egg Slicer Plus.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Great Points! I never even thought about using it for ham or turkey. My cat would LOVE that. I sometimes give her a special treat of chopped up left over ham from the fridge, but hauling out my food processer and washing its 90 milliion parts is a pain!

As for my bright idea with goat cheese... lol I dont know what I was trying to chop that for. Probably just didnt want to get my hands all dirty, because it definately is eaisly crumbled with your hands.

I will definately not use it to demonstrate tomatoes, i'm glad I asked because I was going to. Mine get really mushy too.

I have my first cooking demonstration show next Thursday for my future sister-n-law and mother-n-law and their friends. PRESSURE!!!!! lol.

Thanks again for the replies. I love this site!

I just thought - for the goat cheese, if you don't want to get your hands all cheesy - you could use the Mix n Chop! I've never tried it, but I bet it'd work!

 

[beepampered]

I never show the chopper and sell 1-2 at every show. There is always a guest who LOVES it and sells it for me. Mix n Chop for the goat cheese.

 

[Jinkies]

Ooh! I like the mix n chop idea for the goat cheese! I also use the pastry blender for the goat cheese.

 

[avelissar]

For the food chopper, I demo: nuts and cilantro. Everyone is always suprised by the cilantro. I told the food chopper, and place the cilantro in upside down. I always get a "oh ah".

For tomatoes (grape tomoatoes) I use the salad chopper.

Andrea

 

[blueberrylady]

if you go to the Slap Chop website, and watch that guy, he will give you some great ideas for demoing the Food Chopper

I have used his idea for shopping the onion skin side down, then tossing the skin ever since I watched him

And, I always show how to open it up to clean and say "cleans easily in the dishwasher, or if you are the dishwasher, just swish thru sudsy water and rinse":chef:

 

[raebates]

Jane, you mention that you're having trouble with the Chopper cutting all the way through onions and such. Are you pressing it or hitting it? You really have to whack it to cut through things like onion and pepper skins. And, a few extra whacks generally will take care of the chunkier pieces.

 

[pampchefsarah]

Hijacking for just a minute to tell a story.

I've been a consultant for over a year now, but have owned a FC for even longer. Don't use it as often as I should, probably, but every once in a while, I pull one out. The other night I was making the Sun-Dried and Sausage Risotto, and, just as called for in the recipe, I used the FC to chop the onion. My husband was standing watching me (obviously, not something he does often when I'm cooking), and said "Wow, that would be great for making chimol." I said, "mmhmm, and the Salad Chopper would be even better." What I WANTED to say was "you idiot, you're just now realizing this, when I've been trying to get you to try it for over a year??!!!" Ahhh, the conversations we hold in our heads, right?

If you don't know, chimol (and, I'm not sure I'm spelling it correctly) is the Salvadorean version of salsa. It's also the only thing my husband will make for get-togethers, and is very popular with everyone who's tried it. He rarely makes it though, because (remember the 'idiot' part?) he cuts everything into little pieces with a knife, so it takes FOREVER! If I can only get him to try the Salad Chopper or FC, he'd probably be making it all the time!

Ok, hijack over, and boy was THAT off topic!:balloon:

 

[Ann F]

I've always loved my FC. Even the old version. However, I never demo bell peppers with it. Can't imagine using anything else for onions, tho.

 

[Saturday Gourmet]

I love the FC! I use it for pretty much the same things as others. In addition, I use it to chop ham, chicken, and have recently used it at my grandmother's house to chop up her cabbage for slaw (her food processor was on the fritz). I just went around the board chopping up everything I needed for slaw with it. She told me to "move over and let me give that thing a whirl!" She liked it so good she ordered one! She has arthritis and didn't think she could used it but she thought it looked like so much fun. She was impressed with how easy it was for her to use.

 

[Jane the PC]

So i went to my first cluster meeting last night, and I asked my leader how to use the food chopper, they all laughed at me when i showed them how I was using it. ( in a nice way of course) But now i get to let out a little agression on the food chopper. I was basically not even taking my hand off of the plunger when pushing down. I see how it was totally not working for me. i'm ready now, BRING IT ON BASIL!!!!!!!

 

[DebbieJ]

I would not do basil in it--you will smash it into goo. Use the kitchen shears on fresh herbs. But a few leaves in a prep bowl and snip.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

So i went to my first cluster meeting last night, and I asked my leader how to use the food chopper, they all laughed at me when i showed them how I was using it. ( in a nice way of course) But now i get to let out a little agression on the food chopper. I was basically not even taking my hand off of the plunger when pushing down. I see how it was totally not working for me. i'm ready now, BRING IT ON BASIL!!!!!!!

Ahhh - we weren't even considering that your technique might need some work!Glad you got it figured out! I tell people chopping veggies in the chopper is better for your marriage and family life than yelling at your DH and kids, or kicking the dog! I also tell them that if they are control freaks like me, they will love the chopper, because it's the only thing over which they have complete control! It's totally up to them if they have something coarsely chopped, or chopped to oblivion!