# Cutting onions horizontally - does it serve any purpose?



## mhpr262 (Apr 20, 2014)

I am only a home cook, but over the past few months I have watched quite a few knife skills videos on youtube because I wanted to improve my knife handling technique. One thing I noticed over and over again when I watched people cutting onions is that they do not only do the lengthwise cuts before the final crosswise "dicing" cuts, but also cut up the onion horizontally with two or three cuts, either before or after the lengthwise cuts.

Does this really help/improve the final result or is it just some thing that is handed down from one generation of cooks to the next without really questioning the effectiveness? If you consider the internal structure of the onion it is hard to see how it can accomplish anything positive. Actually, it wrecks the internal structure of the onion and makes it hold together less well when you do the fnal dicing cuts. You can even see the onion literally fall apart during the cutting process, and not in the good way.


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## jared08 (Apr 20, 2014)

It is a trade off. Instead of doing cuts that radiate from the center of the onion, like a clock, and having to change the angle of every cut. you can go 2-3 horizontal then all strait vertical. Then dice. It improves speed.

I'm sure someone can explain this better than myself.


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## dmccurtis (Apr 20, 2014)

I don't bother. If I'm concerned about consistency of dice, I do radial cuts.


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## ecchef (Apr 20, 2014)

II don't bother. If I need brunoise cuts that precise, I'llI'll lay the layers our in sheets and then cut.


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## Fritzel (Apr 20, 2014)

If you just do vertical cuts, you will end up with long pieces of onion.


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## Birnando (Apr 20, 2014)

I do one or two horizontal cuts, depending on size of the onion.
Not that I think it is all that needed per se, but it is fun using my tools for what they are worth


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## sachem allison (Apr 20, 2014)

radial cut for me


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## 29palms (Apr 21, 2014)

Radial cuts here too I find it is more economic and consistent.


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## Mucho Bocho (Apr 21, 2014)

Why use a knife at all when all you have to do is say Chop and Onion

http://youtu.be/TlINpU-qTIQ


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## Von blewitt (Apr 21, 2014)

Mucho Bocho said:


> Why use a knife at all when all you have to do is say Chop and Onion
> 
> http://youtu.be/TlINpU-qTIQ



Haha "I'm tearless and delighted"

Lets just save time and change the name of this forum to the alligator forum... I'm sold

And It's 20 bucks, so what the heck right


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## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 21, 2014)

Why bother at all?


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## panda (Apr 21, 2014)

great question, i've always wondered why people do that. 
even if you do straight instead of radial cuts, you're still going to get weird looking pieces with the crisscrossing method. the horizontal is one extra step and for what??

i bet this guys onion dices are more consistent and uniform than those of you who mock this thread, check your egos at the door.


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## Geo87 (Apr 21, 2014)

The picture in post #5 sums it up perfectly, if you use the vertical cut method the horizontal cuts will make your pieces more consistent. Although I agree if your not careful they can compromise the structure of the onion before making the final cuts.


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## boomchakabowwow (Apr 22, 2014)

depends on what you are using the onions for.

i'm also a home cook..but i wouldnt dice for onion soup. (as an example)...

for the record, i am not the best onion cutter.


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## Mucho Bocho (Apr 22, 2014)

Seriously, this is a timely topic for me as I've been thinking about onion cutting approach for a while. 

I make my horizontal cuts before my vertical cuts. Not sure why the opposite is taught--vertical then horizontal?


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## echerub (Apr 22, 2014)

I was taught to do horizontal first and then vertical.


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## Mucho Bocho (Apr 22, 2014)

Good to know I'm not the only one Len. I still believe that this method is taught more

http://youtu.be/UmzgVI2cOOo


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## Mute-on (Apr 22, 2014)

I do horizontal, then vertical. I love doing the horizontal cuts - makes me feel very pro  (I'm a home cook)

I also refrigerate my onions - no tears that way 

Cheers,

J


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## rdm_magic (Apr 22, 2014)

I doubt any of the guys here have trouble with tears from the onions 

I'm all for the radial cuts too. Cutting across the onion always seems dangerous to me..


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## echerub (Apr 22, 2014)

I thought so too at first, but keep your palm level with just gentle pressure, keep your edge level (and sharp!) and you're okay. If I want a fine mince, I'll do about 5 or 6 horizontal cuts no problems. Sometimes I get too eager though and I make things too fine 

It seems to me that having to change the angle you're cutting at would actually be more work than just small height adjustments on horizontal cuts. That's based on just thinking about doing radial cuts on tomatoes...


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## boomchakabowwow (Apr 22, 2014)

echerub said:


> I was taught to do horizontal first and then vertical.



me too. but i was copying some pro chef. 

radial cuts are equally as challenging for me. like for pickled beets.


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## Geo87 (Apr 23, 2014)

Does it really matter if you do the horizontal cuts first or second? I've tried both and haven't noticed much difference.


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## tk59 (Apr 24, 2014)

I've always wondered what people mean by "consistent" when it comes to cutting onions. There really is no way to do it so that you get consistent dice. I probably saw one of Salty's videos and decided that was the coolest way to do it and I still like it. It makes me feel more alive, especially when I think about doing it blindfolded. ardon:


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## Gravy Power (Apr 24, 2014)

Mucho Bocho said:


> Why use a knife at all when all you have to do is say Chop and Onion
> 
> http://youtu.be/TlINpU-qTIQ



"Chef"? seems legit.


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## JohnnyChance (Apr 24, 2014)

I don't bother with the horizontal cuts. I find it to be a waste of time and energy. You always get flyers that don't stay in place and you end up chasing them around if you need everything perfect.

I took these pictures a long time ago (camera info says 2011) during a discussion with TK59 about how I cut onions.

I cut my onions in half and peel them. You can leave a bit of root or cut it off. Stack them side by side.






Slice the half on the LEFT first, from right to left. The half on the right holds the pieces in place. You can obviously do this thinner if needed.






Flip the onions around, so now the sliced one is holding the new slices from the whole one in place.






All sliced.






Radial cut each half.






Done (one half).






You generally don't get any pieces that differ that greatly from the others (looking back at these pictures, I did a pretty poor job overall) and its pretty fast when you get used to it. No strands of onion sticking out or flaring out or generally just being annoying. Everything is tight and neat and right where you want it.


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## panda (Apr 24, 2014)

hmm, i've always done the radial first then turn 90deg and chop vertically. i will def try this method out tomorrow.


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## Geo87 (Apr 24, 2014)

Hmmm... I may have to brunoise all of the onions we have at work tomorrow to experiment, I just don't know how I'll explain a giant bucket of brunoise onions.  

Johnny your technique looks and sounds pretty consistent thanks for sharing I will definitely try it. lately I've been trying saltys method as the rapid horizontal slices are pretty fun


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## tk59 (Apr 24, 2014)

Hmm. I don't remember seeing those pics before. I guess the memory is getting worse... I'll have to try that (again?).


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## MowgFace (Apr 24, 2014)

Thanks for the picture-tutorial, JohnnyChance!


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## stevenStefano (Apr 24, 2014)

I use radial cuts. If I'm really that bothered about all bits being the same size I'll roughly chop the whole lot again at the end


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## Zwiefel (Apr 24, 2014)

This is how I was taught to do it, except I do the radial cut before the crosscut (across the grain). Pretty quick and effecient...and if you are doing larger pieces, you can even get them to stay in a hemispherical shape...which is kinda fun if you are doing 5 lbs, having them lined up on the board like that (similar to my profile photo, actually). 



JohnnyChance said:


> I don't bother with the horizontal cuts. I find it to be a waste of time and energy. You always get flyers that don't stay in place and you end up chasing them around if you need everything perfect.
> 
> I took these pictures a long time ago (camera info says 2011) during a discussion with TK59 about how I cut onions.
> 
> ...


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