Simple Tool for Simple Task

...At least for tasks that produce in small amounts.

For most of my married life, I had a couple of rudimentary ways to chop nuts... I could use a knife, or I had 2 "choppers."  

Example of #1 from this Ebay listing

#1 had an X-shaped blade attached to a spring loaded handle on the lid of a jar.  When the handle was pushed, it pushed down the blade, and the spring helped created an up-and-down chopping motion.  The blade could twist in order to hit nuts in all areas of the jar.  But it often missed some, and the size consistency was difficult.  



#2 was a hand cranked version with plastic components.  It was slow and cumbersome.  The nuts didn't feed through the chopping contraption well, so it was hard to hold the jar steady and get the job done.

Cuisinart Mini Prep chopper

Then I discovered the electric chopper... Like a mini food processor.  So wonderful -quick and

consistent- for chopping the amounts of nuts needed in a recipe, measured in partial or full cups, which is how we usually used nuts.  It chops or grinds, so can cut coarse, for things like granola or the top of an apple crisp, or fine, like for the nut crust we use in "Lemon Lush." (Can't believe I haven't shared the Lemon Lush recipe.  I'll have to add that to my future blog posts list.)  In a clutter clean-up of the kitchen, I got rid of the old choppers and didn't miss them.






More recently, however, we've been enjoying chopped nuts on more things... Like yogurt, salads, and, this week, Cream Cheese Apple Butter Bagels.  For a serving at a time, the electric chopper with the need for electricity, and 4 pieces to put together, was a lot of hassle for such a little amount.  Cutting nuts with a knife is a hassle, too, so I found myself forgoing the nuts for things one which I really wanted them.  I was now missing the manual choppers.


I hadn't forgotten the complaints I'd had about my former models, though, and thought there might be something better.  

Progressive International GFNC-2 Nut Chopper with Non-Skid Base

I decided on a 4-star rated chopper much like my old #2, but this one has metal blades instead of plastic, so dispatches the nuts much more easily and smoothly.  We can now have a sprinkle of nuts in just a few seconds.  Simple and effective.  And highly recommended.  :-)

31 Days at The Nesting Place