Let’s face it – chopping up onions is no one’s favorite kitchen task. Surely you’ve shed a few tears by the onion’s hand (fun fact: this is caused by the organic compound lachrymator being released into the air).
So, what if there was a device that let you spend less time slicing onions and blinking away tears?
Thankfully, there is! Onion slicers can save you time, clean-up effort, and a whole lot of grief. But there are a lot of different slicers, dicers, and cutters out there to pick from.
If you want to try out an onion slicer for yourself but don’t know where to start looking, keep reading for our top onion slicer picks!
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Fullstar Vegetable Chopper
Budget Option:
RAIQEE Vegetable Chopper
Best Manual Slicer:
NIUGRECF Onion Slicer
Most Versatile:
SupMaKin Safe Mandoline Slicer
Best For Beginners:
Domucoly Mandoline Slicer
Best Overall
Fullstar Vegetable Chopper
Stealing the show and taking our top spot on the list of best onion cutters is the Fullstar Vegetable Chopper.
This onion slicer has several different blade options for all kinds of chopping jobs, including dicing and spiralizing.
Made of stainless steel and BPA-free plastic, the Fullstar onion slicer is dishwasher safe and includes a large catch tray, ensuring less clean up when you’re finished slicing and dicing.
If you need to detail the blades after use, this onion slicer comes with specialized tools to help clean all the nooks and crannies while keeping your hands safe.
However, getting the smaller blades squeaky clean can be a bit of a chore.
Speaking of safety, the Fullstar comes with a finger guard to protect you while you use it, a safety lock feature, and blades that easily snap in and out.
Take care to use the safety features like the finger guard – the blades are super sharp!
While that is great for onion cutting, it’s not so great for your fingers.
Pros
- Great for onion dicing in particular
- Large catch tray
- Lots of cutting options
Cons
- Super sharp blades
- Tough to clean
Budget Option
RAIQEE Vegetable Chopper
For a slightly lower price point, the RAIQEE Vegetable Chopper is a great onion cutter if you are unsure how often you might use it or aren’t ready to commit to a higher-end model just yet.
It has plenty of different blade options to slice, dice, and julienne to your heart’s content, all constructed of stainless steel.
This particular onion slicer also comes with a hand guard to protect you from the blades.
Compared to other onion slicer models, the blades on the RAIQEE dull a bit faster, impacting the ease of use as time goes on.
Additionally, the design and materials are slightly lower-end, making it a less ergonomic option than other, more expensive models.
However, for a lower-budget onion slicer, you can certainly still get some bang for your buck with the RAIQEE Vegetable Chopper.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Versatile
Cons
- Less durable
- Cheaply made
- Blade dulls quickly
Best Manual Slicer
NIUGRECF Onion Slicer
NIUGRECF Onion Slicer is truly the most analog of the bunch, being smaller, more compact, simpler to use, and with fewer frills.
It retains the cutting power, safety precautions, and stainless steel blades of more sophisticated onion cutters while toning down the excess.
There are no blades to change out or pieces to put together. What you see is what you get.
On that same note, it’s extremely easy to use, with a safe and comfortable handle to protect your hands and a protective cover for secure storage.
However, this onion slicer is handwash only, so you’ll have to take great care not to nick your fingers while washing up.
Pros
- Simple and easy to use
- Uniform slicing and cutting
- Compact
Cons
- Handwash only, meaning more contact with the blades
- Fewer cutting options
Most Versatile
SupMaKin Safe Mandoline Slicer
If you’re looking for an onion slicer that truly does everything, the SupMaKin Mandoline is one for you.
It can slice, dice, and julienne veggies of all firmness and textures with ease. The blade is sharp, fast cutting, and never needs to be changed or replaced.
Since the blade is situated within the body of the mandoline and away from your hand, it’s a much safer option than other onion slicers on the market.
Differing from other onion slicers that need some weight and strength behind them to slice through tougher, firmer veggies, the SupMaKin features a lever mechanism.
The lever needs way less effort to do its job as opposed to onion slicers which require more manual operation.
However, the safety features and lever mechanism do make this onion slicer tough to clean and can require you to completely disassemble it to brush away any debris stuck in the blade.
Additionally, the chute is a bit narrow, so you may have to precut any larger onions or veggies you plan on slicing.
Pros
- Extremely versatile
- Requires less strength and dexterity
- Safest option on the list
Cons
- Sometimes requires precutting
- Can be difficult to use
- Difficult to clean
Best For Beginners
Domucoly Mandoline Slicer
When it comes down to it, a gadget with a ton of super sharp blades can be a bit intimidating if you’re new to cooking.
The fear of cutting your hands is very real if you aren’t used to using devices like onion slicers.
This is why the Domucoly Mandoline Slicer is an excellent choice for beginners.
Anticipating the trepidation around an onion slicer, it comes with cut-resistant gloves and a hand guard to fully protect you from the stainless steel blades.
In fact, the design of this onion slicer ensures that you never need to touch the blade at all while using this product.
Instead of switching out blades manually, you can simply turn a knob to use different cutting options.
However, the Domucoly isn’t quite as versatile as some of the other onion slicers on the list and isn’t quite as durable, either.
But overall, it’s still a great option for anyone who recently picked up a cooking hobby or someone who is particularly concerned about their safety when using an onion slicer.
Pros
- Easy to operate
- Comes with several protective measures
- Hands-free blade switching
Cons
- Cheaply made
- Fewer cutting options
Onion Slicer Buyer’s Guide
Safety
When it comes to any kind of blade or sharp edge, knowing how to operate the gadget safely is of the utmost importance.
With that being said, some onion slicers have more built-in safety features than others.
If you know you aren’t particularly skilled with a mandoline or slicer, it may be worth forgoing more advanced features and variety in lieu of a safer option.
Some onion slicers come with finger or hand guards, some come with gloves, some never require you to touch the blade at all, and some have none of the above.
Most models include what safety features they have, so make sure you know what kinds of precautions are in place before buying!
Uses
It’s unlikely you will be using an onion slicer for slicing onions only.
If so, exploring what else the onion slicer can do is an important step in deciding which model to buy.
While you probably never use a spiralizer on an onion, you may want to try making some zucchini noodles one day, which a spiralizer would be perfect for.
Ultimately, if you’re going to spend money on a more high-quality, expensive option, make sure you can get plenty of use out of it!
Ease of Use
Just like how some onion slicers are safer than others, some are easier to use than others.
An onion slicer often requires a bit of strength and dexterity to operate.
Typically, you’re forgoing the pendulum effect and concentrated force of a knife to slice and dice in larger quantities.
This may mean an onion slicer is more challenging to use and requires more energy, though some are definitely easier to use than others.
If you really want a low-effort onion slicer, then you may be in the market for a food processor instead.
Materials
As with anything that is touching the food you eat and frequently getting wet, you want to ensure the materials are high quality!
If you think operating a sharp blade is perilous, try cleaning a rusty one. This is why you want to look for rust-resistant stainless steel that will stay sharp and untarnished for a long duration.
Additionally, for any onion slicers with plastic parts, looking for a BPA-free label is a good precaution, too.
BPA, or Bisphenol-A, is a potentially harmful chemical found in plastics that you should avoid ingesting. You definitely don’t want that touching your food!
Storage and Care
Storing, caring for, and cleaning your onion slicer can be a pain point if the device is poor quality.
If your onion slicer is difficult to store and doesn’t include protective covers or casing, you might have a dangerous accident trying to put it away.
Similarly, if the blades are hard to clean and care for properly, you could find yourself injured or see the product wear out quickly.
Easy storing, easy cleaning, and protective covering are some key buzzwords to seek out when deciding between onion slicers.
The Best Onion Slicer: FAQs
Do I need an onion slicer?
No, you don’t technically need an onion slicer. You can cut onions perfectly fine with a knife and a cutting board.
However, just because it’s not a necessity doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself using it in your day-to-day!
These onion slicers are super useful time savers and can be used for more than just cutting onions.
So while you don’t absolutely need one, picking up some kind of onion cutter is certainly to your benefit!
Are onion slicers safe?
Yes, onion slicers are safe, as safe as any knife would be.
It’s all about the way you use it. If you aren’t careful, don’t take precautions, and don’t read the instructions, you very well might cut your hand.
The same can be said for kitchen knives or even scissors.
Ultimately, as long as you use the onion cutter properly and as intended, then it will be safe.
Wrapping Up the Guide to the Best Onion Slicer
All in all, onion slicers are a great gadget that can save you time and tears in the kitchen.
Whatever your needs and concerns may be, there is sure to be an onion slicer out there for you.
For more information on onions, how to grow them, and how to use them, check out our posts all about onions.
- About the Author
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Leah is a writer, editor, and content manager with Minneopa Orchards and holds a master’s degree in English.
She grew up in the south and enjoyed long growing seasons spent in her father’s lush vegetable garden. Buying produce from the store was unheard of in her house!
As such, Leah enjoys writing about gardening and sharing her knowledge and experiences with others.
Leah can be reached at leah@applepiemedia.net