What is a Mincing Knife?

The mincing knife is a handy kitchen utensil that can be used to chop foods into small pieces for use in various recipes. Unlike a conventional kitchen knife, mincing knives tend to include a rounded handle that is located above the cutting blade that is somewhat shaped like a saw handle. This construction allows for a back and forth chopping or mincing action that can make the task of cutting the pieces to the desired size much quicker.

Sometimes referred to as a Mezzaluna or Mezzaluna chopper, the mincing knife generally is available in three different types. The single blade mincing knife is the most common. This model includes one stainless steel blade with an easy grip handle. The single blade model is an ideal choice when a recipe calls for larger minced pieces, as the single blade allows the user to control the number of strokes that are made with the knife.

For quick mincing jobs that require the creation of smaller pieces, the double bladed mincing knife is often a better choice. The side by side set of two steel blades allows for quicker and more uniform chopping. This can be an important factor when the food or herb that is chopped must cook through in a uniform manner in order to achieve the desired taste and texture. The double blade mincing knife is often a good choice when preparing foods such as onions or peppers to include in stir fried dishes.

The third type of mincing knife is constructed in a different manner from the other two common mincers. Featuring a long handle, the rolling mincer has a row of tiny blades that rotate during use. This type of mincing knife will quickly create a series of small and uniform pieces with every pass.

All three types of the mincing knife are found in the kitchen sections of home stores and many discount retail stores. Mincing knives tend to be relatively inexpensive kitchen tools, and can be used to prepare a number of different types of foods. People who prefer to use fresh herbs, or like to use fresh garlic and onion in recipes will find a mincing knife to be especially helpful when preparing a favorite dish.