What type of knife is best for chopping nuts?

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kitchengoddess8

Sous Chef
Joined
Nov 4, 2011
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I've been using my 8" chef's knife to chop nuts such as walnuts and brazil nuts but was wondering if there's a better knife for this purpose - something a little less cumbersome.

Any suggestions?
 
"Best" is kind of a nebulous concept, KG, because there are so many variables, including type of nut, quantity, and how fine you want them---not to mention your comfort level using any particular tool.

For small quantities I put the nuts in a plastic bag and use my meat mallet to break them up. If I need them chopped really fine, I use a rolling pin.

Otherwise I just use my chef's knife. Don't find it awkward at all.

For really large quantities I use the food processor.

If you chop nuts often, you might want to check one of those choppers with the hand-driven, rotating blades. They're cheap enough (about 20 bucks, as I recall), quick to clean, and work well for many chopping tasks.
 
Those are what I was talking about, Steve & PF.

I don't care for them much myself, cuz there's not much I can't do with my knives. On the other hand, Friend Wife loves them, and uses them for, among other things, nuts, onions, garlic, and even some fresh herbs.

I just cannot handle a knife for chopping finely any more. My arthritis is worse by the month. If I could still chop, I would be using a 6 inch chef's, the longest blade I could ever wield safely.
 
Typical celebrity chef marketing ploy, KF. That is not a mezzaluna.

A mezzaluna is a highly curved blade with a handle on each end. You rock it back and forth, over the food, to chop it. They come in both single and double-bladed versions.

If you get one, go for the double blade. A single bladed mezzaluna is even more awkward then your knife.

There is a learning curve involved, developling the feel for a mezzaluna. And, in general, you need a good-sized work surface. But once you become comfortable with one it's about the fastest manual way of chopping things.
 
HistoricFoodie said:
Typical celebrity chef marketing ploy, KF. That is not a mezzaluna.

A mezzaluna is a highly curved blade with a handle on each end. You rock it back and forth, over the food, to chop it. They come in both single and double-bladed versions.

If you get one, go for the double blade. A single bladed mezzaluna is even more awkward then your knife.

There is a learning curve involved, developling the feel for a mezzaluna. And, in general, you need a good-sized work surface. But once you become comfortable with one it's about the fastest manual way of chopping things.

Is there a particular brand that you like?
 
Only trouble with that style, JustPlainBill, is that you just about have to use it with a wooden bowl. They're not that effective on a flat cutting board.

My Mom used one for years, and I still have it (along with the bowl she used). For me it's too much trouble to dig out a wooden bowl, and then have to clean it as well.

KG, the thing to understand is that it's just a round knife. You can chop anything with it that can be chopped with any other knife. If you don't mind using a wooden bowl, it might be the best choice for you.
 
I like to chop nuts with an 8" chefs knife. I start slow and then rock. I can see the advantage of one of those choppers - it would keep pieces nuts from flying around. But, I'm lazy and a chefs knife takes next to no effort to wash.
 
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