Iron Chef: Battle Spice Chopper

Two chopping implements compete to see which one will reign supreme. The contestants are: the Herb Mill, which comes to our competition with the lofty pedigree of Zabar's, and, second, the Mezzaluna Knife, a gift of uncertain origin bearing the name Hoffritz, which sounds sufficiently fancy to command respect, as opposed to say, Ronco. Don't get me wrong, Ron Popeil is an illuminati of our era, he's just not featured in this competition, and to me his name conjures up plastic more so than steel.

I tested both gadgets on mint and parsley and, additionally, I tested the Mezzaluna on fresh rosemary. The results were fascinating.

The leafy herbs are quickly reduced to mince with the herb mill but, given the milling nature of the process, there is a high degree of leaf crushing that accompanies the mincing. The process, though, is fast and the herbs are easily removed by simply throwing the handle into reverse, or by pulling them off the bottom, which can be done with little fear of slicing one's finger on the blades. The overall construction of the gadget is a bit flimsy and it feels as if it may suddenly disassemble itself from the violence of its operation. However, over the many years that I have employed it this has never occurred. The end result is a pile of smashed and shredded leaves that are perfect for taboulleh.

The Mezzaluna knife is a completely different beast, and I must say, despite a couple of drawbacks, it could become my go-to gadget for chopping herbs. Unlike the herb mill, which can deposit its efforts directly into a bowl, the knife requires the use of a cutting board. Although this means you will have another surface to clean, it also affords much more control over the mincing process, allowing you to mince leaves in a continuous spectrum of sizes from large coarse flakes to tiny little crumbs. This was particularly useful with the rosemary, which I seldom, if ever, chop in the herb mill. Rosemary was easily reduced to dust with the Mezzaluna, a consistency that renders it ideal for sauces, where large needles would be objectionable.

The most serious drawback to the Mezzaluna is that bulk amounts of unchopped leaves cower between its double blades, and must be continually forced back onto the chopping surface. This can be performed by inserting one's finger from the top of the knife blades, nevertheless, it represents a somewhat more dangerous exposure of the digits to the blades and would necessitate some sober care, particularly if one likes to sample the wine that will be served with dinner, as I am known to do.