Nut/Topping Chopper

I've been searching for a nut grinder like the one my mom has had for 35 years- a testament to the design and quality of the product- and this Norpro Hand Crank Nut Grinder is as close as I have found. I hope mine lasts as long as my mom's, because so far I'm very happy with it! Some 1-star reviewers have stated that the base does not tightly screw onto the grinder. That was not my experience. Many of the 1 star reviewers have also complained that the blades bent while grinding almonds or mixed nuts. Hand grinders are typically not used to chop hard nuts like almonds or hazelnuts, but rather softer nuts like walnuts, pistachios, cashews, pecans, and peanuts, and it works great for this purpose. However, the product description does not specify what kind of nuts it can grind, so Amazon/Norpro may want to add this to the product description and packaging. My Norpro grinder arrived on time and undamaged. However, I think it's worth mentioning that although there is a glass base, the manufacturer's original packaging is a relatively lightweight box with no styrofoam or cardboard inserts to hold it in place and provide cushioning if it is dropped or jostled in the shipping process. The Amazon shipping box was adequately packed with the air-packs, though, and there was no damage done to mine. There are no care instructions in the box, and the box itself does not specify if the grinder is dishwasher safe. I planned to wash mine by hand, just to be on the safe side, but it ended up on the top rack of the dishwasher, and it came out fine. I would still recommend washing the plastic pieces by hand, though- I wonder if the plastic part of some of the 1 star reviewers' who stated the base doesn't screw on got warped in the dishwasher. The grinder has a sturdy glass base- equivalent to or slightly thicker than the thickness of a canning or food jar (like a spaghetti or salsa jar.) It has rounded edges on the bottom that make it resistant to chipping. The grinder is plastic with a metal handle and blade, and screws onto the base. The plastic and metal are not as good of quality as by mom's "vintage" model, however, I'd say it's on par with the quality of any moderately priced kitchen utensil these days, and above the quality of what I'd expect for its price. It looks exactly as it is pictured, and the size and capacity are as described on Amazon. I have already used it to grind walnuts and pecans I put about 1/4 cup of whole (shelled) nuts into the top at a time. The handle turned easily and smoothly, and I had consistently ground nuts in seconds! It is far less hassle than using a food processor, and no electricity is required. I took a picture immediately after grinding pecans to show the blades are in perfect condition after use. If you are unfamiliar with hand grinders, here is a tip: if a nut gets stuck, simply turn the handle in reverse. I have not tried grinding cookies or candy, as suggested on the packaging. Personally, I would only choose to use dry, "soft" ingredients in this grinder- such as the soft nuts stated above, or maybe a cookie such as Pecan Sandy. The dry nuts easily rinsed off of the blades after use, but I think it would be really hard to scrub any sticky residue from the blades, and they may get stuck. One thing to consider before purchasing is that there is no way to adjust the size of the grind. I would consider the nuts to be the perfect size for baking and most recipes calling for chopped nuts baked/stirred in or sprinkled on top (examples: banana bread, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, roasted butternut squash, cheese balls, etc), but some people may prefer a corser chop. Also, some people may consider the ground nuts to be too slightly too corse for recipes that call finely chopped nuts (such as cookie and candy recipes that call for rolling in finely chopped nuts to coat), however I have used it for this purpose and have been happy with the result. Overall, the Norpro Hand Crank Nut Grinder is perfect for my uses, and exactly what I expected based on the product description and the performance of my mom's old model. I think it's a great value for the price (and I'm a pretty frugal person.) I would definitely purchase it for myself again, and would recommend it to anyone with needs similar to my own.

Bought this white Norpro chopper with for grinding various nuts. The design makes it pretty much just a chopper. Whiie some of the ground pieces are very fine, there are also lot of small chunks. I like that it is glass. Mine is working just fine, but I am only using it to chop up pecans right now, which are a relatively soft nut. I don't think it is strong enough to chop dense nuts like almonds without breaking, and even then, I would think the user would have to force it hard. So, no wonder some people call it junk. But mine does work well with pecans, and I expect that it will last. Something else I pay attention to, with reviews, though, is the date of the review. I give more weight to the most recent ones, rather than the average star rating, and if an item has a lot of recent bad reviews, I steer clear of it. While I like this one for pecans, I am now hunting for something that will chop up spaghetti or thai noodles into small pieces, and it is going to need to be a different design. I think this might break or have issues dealing with long thin dense food.

Used less than 4 times, all the blades got bended, used some pliers and straight them out, one use with 8 almonds (one at a time) and blades are crap (see photos)

I like the overall size of the chopper. For the money, it is a good value, and easy to use. It is very easy to clean, and light weight. It does good chopping walnuts which is about the only nut I eat. It is very similar to another one I have and use all the time. I needed this one for our winter home. For all the good points, there are some negatives. The white plastic top is a bit too flimsy for my liking. I recommend this chopper for adults, but I would not recommend it for young children. It would not pass my safety test for young children.

I bought a similar nut chopper years ago, & the thing was finally ready for the trash bin. The Norpro chopper looks identical, but is of far better quality. Among other things, it has a GLASS collection cup. I was really pleased with that, & with my purchase.

Works well!

I purchased one of these years ago and it would still be alive if I hadn't dropped in on my new quartz countertop - bummer. I kept the working top and mainly purchased this for the bottom as I have found that newer ones have blades that bend too easily. My old top continues to work on the new bottom. For this newer model, you have to avoid trying to chop frozen nuts and let them thaw out first. It will then work just fine. There is a learning curve with using the handle. You have to hold the top as you turn it - you CANNOT hold on to the bottom container as it will cause the top to come loose. So just rest your hand over the top of the unit and grind away.

Chops as expected. Would prefer measurements printed on the container. The handle grip is not smooth plastic so is uncomfortable on your fingers.