BB&B has this one (at the link below) that we use it for years. It is easy to use. We use this one mainly for chopping roasted peanuts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Progressive Nut Chopper

I use a rotary chopper. Mine is the one pictured below. It works OK, I think I have a decent amount of control over the size of the nuts depending on how fast I turn the handle and how many revolutions. Maybe not the best for getting perfectly uniform pieces though. I also have the problem when choppping nuts with knife that they fly all over the place. A couple years ago, tried to use my immersion blender in a tall glass to chop wal-nuts. I, however, shan't ever do that again, as I do not enjoy picking nuts out of my hair and sweeping broken glass.

Lately, I've just been cheating and buying pre-chopped nuts!

Have you seen that freaky commercial with the slap chop guy? It did make me want to try a slap chop as long as it does NOT come with the guy demonstrating it!

I use one similar to the progressive, it's been in the family for about 30 years. Works great and doesn't seem to be rusting (knocks on wood). Sorry I don't have a better answer for you...

Thank you for your prompt suggestions. Maybe I'll check out BB&B. That hand rotary looks like there would be some control, more so than my mini. VF, where did you get that one, looks like an old TV infomercial I saw several years ago. I have a chopper similar to the slap chop, it's several years old but it produces lots of bits and a few almost whole nuts which I have to hand chop. The Vidalia onion chopper works OK and gives uniform pieces but it's not very fast as the chopping area is about 3-4 inches square and you have to single layer them. Probably need to catch one of the "little people" to do them.

The progressive one looks good to me - I think I'll have to go to BB&B and pick one up. I've been using a knife and the board that Petaloid gave me, and I have not had the problem of nuts all over the counter - it's just slow. When I chop almonds, I like to cut them into 6 to 8 pieces - no smaller than that - and a knife is very good for that. The last batch I chopped went into double chocolate ice cream flavored with Frangelico. The next batch, I'm going to blanch the almonds.

Lars

When I do a large amount, say a pound, I use my food processor, smaller amount I have a little electric Black and Decker chopper. I also have a hand cranked nut chopper from probably the 40's I have used in the past. How fine you want them depends on how long you run the food processor or chopper. If you want the nuts finer in the hand cranked one, you run them through twice. Hope you find what you are looking for.

Sue

Not sure how coarse you need them to be, but DM used to always use an old stainless steel rotary hand grater, with the coarsest drum insert, to chop up her nuts for her cakes and tortes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rotary graters on amazon

I have a Slap Chop-type of thing, and you still get huge nuts plus powder. Plus, the capacity is frustratingly small, especially since the nuts need space for the blades to rotate. For a large batch, I would use the food processor or Magic Bullet on pulse.

However, my best results are using my Santoku knife and chopping by hand. I hate wasting beautiful pecans by making powder in the machines, and hand-chopping them gives me just the piece size I want with no nut meal. I just go slowly in a radial fashion (pin the tip and use the entire blade in a fan pattern.

That Slap-Chop guy is BIZARRE! Everytime I see that commercial I laugh at how cheesy its made especialy when he says "Your gonna love my nuts!" Sorry I had to LOL!!!

I have yet to find one that works well.

So I modified one myself. I added one extra blade closer to the bottom. I also sharpened the blades. Now it works the way I want.

I can chop nuts as fine as I want, including making peanut butter.

dcarch

No one's going to speak up for a good French knife? I will. After you've chopped through once or twice, you can see the bigger pieces and give them another few cuts.
I admire dcarch's invention. Patent it, Arch.

Sometimes I use my mini-food chopper. It's less than satisfactory so sometimes I just use a knife, especially if I don't want some of them minced.

Jessy?

My santoku knife does a great job.

I have one similar to the Progressive nut chopper that I have had almost 50 years, chops fine or coarse and I wouldn't trade it for any others I have seen. Does a great job.

jude

May sound archaic but a good old fashion ham sack and a smooth type meat tenderizer or wooden mallet does large amounts of nuts in larger pieces without the powder and no nuts flying around.
Mike

Dang duker, I almost got away with it

Safe!

Although I do like mikes100acdreamfarm's solution, gives new meaning to 'beating one's meat'

There is a very good method of chopping.
It has been used by the Chinese for a long time. They use two cleavers. It actually is faster then using grinders.

All grinders are a pain to setup and to cleanup afterwards.

The chopping is in the middle of this video: A professional can actually chop faster than the guy is showing in the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQlyAprPmWg

dcarch

For a few I do the Chef's knife thing....for a lot I use the Cuisinart....the secret is a light hand on the pulse button and not doing too many at once.
Linda c