I tried this $20 kitchen gadget — and it cut my food prep time in half

I love cooking meals for my family, but the one thing I loathe is the arduous task of food prep. Be it slicing and dicing onions or apples on one of the best chopping boards , or cleaning up messy residue, these all take up valuable time. But, if you don’t have the chopping prowess of a chef or simply in a rush, I found the perfect alternative.

The handy gadget is the OXO Good Grips vegetable and onion chopper , that can dice onions and vegetables in seconds. With just one ‘quick push’ on the lid, my ingredients were perfectly diced and ready to throw into my pan. And while I’ve always been sceptical about such gadgets in the past (it would never slice in one go!), I was actually impressed with the quick and easy results.

What’s more, it only costs an affordable $20, which is a bargain in comparison to buying one of the best food processors . So here’s why this cheap, underrated kitchen gadget is a game changer for me. Essentially, these box like tools are designed with a small grid of stainless steel blades in a square shape.

It also comes with a capacity cup underneath to catch what gets diced through the teeth of the grid. The idea is that you put a half or quarter chunk of your veggies or fruit on top of the grid, and press down on the lid that pushes the food through the blades. These squares will then be collected in the container below, and ready to pour out of the opening to use.

The one caveat to food choppers is that they’re only designed for a specific cut and size. So if you wanted different shapes, spirals or sizes, you’re probably better off using a food processor or more advanced food chopper. The blades are sharper than any of my knives If your kitchen knives have seen better days, or you have still yet to learn how to sharpen a knife , you don’t have to worry about that with a food chopper.

Typically, their blades are of better quality and sharper than your average knife, so you’re bound to get a more precise cut. I was impressed by its ease of slicing through harder ingredients such as apples and perfectly dicing my onions in a second — which I would never have been able to achieve by hand! Quick and super convenient If it’s convenience you’re after, you can’t get much better than this.

The food chopper doesn’t take much effort at all to use, as you simply press down on the lid, and your veg is instantly diced. This also works wonders if you have a quick snack to make for children, or lunches and have limited time. It cuts out the messy clear up One thing about prepping fruit or vegetables is the messy residue left behind after chopping.

The food chopper eliminates any messy countertops or spillages, as everything is kept in the container. What’s more, you’re not handling foods during and after chopping, meaning no constant hand washing — especially after chopping smelly garlic! Safer to use than knives If a member of your family lacks grip control (or are accident prone!) these gadgets are much safer to use than knives.

Unlike handling sharp knives, you won’t be in contact with the blade for any reason, and these tools offer better control, and sturdiness. Plus, these are safe to store in a cabinet or on the countertop. As with all kitchen tools however, always keep out of reach from young children! If you’re a busy mom, have a hectic schedule, or simply don’t want to get your hands dirty, I would say that it’s worth investing in a vegetable chopper.

Not only is it practical and easy to use, but dices fruit and vegetables in seconds. Bear in mind that these are only designed for a specific cut and size. So if you like to experiment with different shapes or sizes, you’ll need a specific tool for these, or food processors. In addition, I would only recommend this for small quantities of foods such as onions or apples that need to be diced.

So if you’re prepping for a large gathering, then I’d recommend using a food processor instead. In any case, this ‘quick push’ vegetable chopper has totally transformed my cooking game, and helps with the manual labor! For that reason, it makes a worthwhile investment..