Sounds like you could best be served with a nice, adjustable mandolin. It's easy to operate. Even for old broads like me. Makes slicing anything a breeze.

I used the round slicer but now with my hands getting worse I have to get my husband to push it through the apple. If he is not around I use my big ceramic knife.

Depending on what you need to do, if you can make some smaller chunks, do the rest in a small chopper. Breville has a great one available at Bed Bath Beyond (20% coupons). It's very easy to clean.

http://www.brevilleusa.com/the-control-grip-stick-mixer.html

I use either a small chef's knife or a narrow all purpose kitchen knife.

We have a Pink Lady apple tree, and those BIG apples are giant size and hard as rocks Making apple sauce and pies last week I had to use my very sharp chef knife as well as some muscle power. Gone are the days of nicely sliced apples, done with a paring knife in my pies; it's s good thing chunks taste as good! (I used great Cutco knives)

I know someone with the rocker type shown above. They love it but not the large size. I have used it once or twice, it was okay. I didn't really have any trouble, just not used to it.

This one is listed for use with arthritis:

http://www.amazon.com/Mezzaluna-Rocking-Vegetable-6-75-Inch-Stainless/dp/B00M8YPEC0/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1454729166&sr=8-1&keywords=Mezzaluna+Mincing+Knife

I always use chef's knives, but I remember my dad chopping tomatoes in a wooden bowl, using one of the rocker types straight up and down.

Jane has asked two questions, how to chop food and how to slice an apple. In the opposite order, any sharp knife should slice an apple with little effort. Remember to draw the knife backward horizontally as you push slightly down, it's intended to cut, not for use as a a wedge (which is what one of those circular apple "cutters" are and why they're hard to push through).

For chopping, I use the same chef's knife and rock it front to back as I rotate it and or the cutting board.

A frequently used knife will need regular sharpening - even light sharpening once a month isn't too often and stropping with a steel in-between times. I often find when using knifes at other people's homes that they're hopelessly dull. Sharp knives are safer to use. The Chef's Choice three slot sharpening machine works well.

It sounds to me like she is looking for alternatives to knives that have a handle used from the side. Something that could also slice an apple and is easy to clean.

I used the cheese wedge knife to slice an apple this morning. It worked, but was slower than using a regular knife. I liked that I didn't have to twist my hand as much. It occured to me that knives with top handles may be more ergonomic than knives with side handles. That's why I wanted to find out what other options were available.

That extra large half circle knife looks pretty good. Maybe a big knife with a rounded blade would be ok, IDK.

The apple cutting involves 3 steps: chopping into quarters, removing core, then slicing. I usually do 12 slices, but 8 would be ok. I hold the apple in my hand for the last two steps. Maybe there is a better way, but I won't use it if it's harder to clean than a knife.

I'm trying not to use my thumbs since one is inflamed. Even if it were healthy, why strain it if there is a more straightforward way to cut?

Maybe I should get an apple corer that doesn't slice, and one of those big circle knives. IDK.

I think I'm going to try the red apple corer below. I have the two cheese knives: the top one works or for cutting the apple in half, then I can lay the halves flat side down on the plate and slice them with the bottom knife using the technique Elmer described.

Using the bottom knife may have been easier today because I made a splint for my thumb, so I can use my thumb for leverage.

There will be 3 things to wash, but I still think it will be easier than washing the push-down apple slicer, and there are fewer crevices to clean.

Good luck, Jane.

A last tip - never let a sharp kitchen knife contact a plate or other hard surface - it'll dull it in no time. Always use a cutting board - the soft (not hard) plastic kind are great and go in the dishwasher.

Sigh. One more thing to wash. Maybe I'll put down a paper towel, or use a sharpening tool.

Or I could use that silicone trivet! That's not too bad to wash.

I have pretty serious arthritis in my hands along with other problems so I try to find things that work for me so I don't have to wait for my husband to help me. I have fallen in love with ceramic knives and I just recently ordered this very nice set. It comes with various sizes of knives and a wonderful ceramic peeler and a very nice stand. I love it. These knives are amazing and extremely sharp! I have to be very careful when washing them. I never put my ceramic knives in the dishwasher they are so easy to clean. I highly recommend this set.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010VLD66W/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also have this oxo cutting scraping tool which is easy to use as you are wanting from above and pushing down. I cut fruit and pizza and bread dough all sorts of things with it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004OCNJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473974361&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Scraper+cutting+tool&dpPl=1&dpID=311FAYKN2DL&ref=plSrch

Jane, a large sharp chef's knife can be used with a lot of leverage and do an easy job of an apple. Most of these other fancy tools are simply not sharp enough to do anything without applying a lot of force. And a shorter knife doesn't give you any leverage. One thing to wash.

Here are some pictures.

this may not have anything to do with this, but I will tell you anyway. A few years ago some of us ladies were frying hamburger for some event that was going on in the community. One of the older ladies had brought along her biscuit cutter with the handle on it to chop her hamburger into smaller pieces in the pan. It really worked well and I thought it was a good idea that I wouldn't have thought of.

My new apple corer and two-handled mezzaluna knife worked well today. Yay!