A knife for shredding cabbage can be in the form of a hatchet with two blades, a multifunctional Roma knife type, or a vegetable peeler. These devices significantly speed up the process of cutting vegetables, but it would be more practical to use specific shredders - a box grater, mechanical and manual; you can also use attachments for a food processor.
The tools are characterized by a long service life, ease of maintenance, and simple rules of use. Their cost ranges from 130 to 1,500 rubles, which depends on the specific model chosen (who produces it, whether it is a knife or a shredder, what material the blade is made of, and other factors).
What kind of cabbage shredding knife is there, its characteristics
A shredding knife must meet three requirements:
- be as sharp as possible;
- have a wide blade;
- There must be a protrusion/limiter under the handle.
In principle, if you have a regular knife in the kitchen that meets the listed requirements, then it can be used for cutting cabbage. But there are also special tools for this process, which make the work of a cook and housewife much easier.
We recommend reading the article about the best switchblades. From it you will learn about the main characteristics of switchblades, their types, and handmade switchblades. And here is more information about throwing knives.
With two blades
Knives with two blades resemble a hatchet in appearance, but their blade has two elongated holes. The steel is sharply ground, which makes shredding cabbage convenient - the “output” is thin strips of the vegetable of approximately the same size.
Most often, such a tool has a plastic handle, but sometimes the manufacturer makes the knife entirely from steel. The second option is not very practical to use because the metal handle quickly becomes slippery.
The most important feature of a double-bladed cabbage shredding knife is its safety. If you use the tool correctly, then getting any injuries (scratches, cuts, chopped/puncture wounds) is practically impossible.
Vegetable peeler
A peeler is a special knife that is used for peeling vegetables (potatoes, carrots, zucchini, etc.), but it can also act as a vegetable cutter. It is a structure made of a plastic handle and a thin blade about 9 cm long, which is inserted into a spear extending from the handle of the tool.
This vegetable cutter significantly reduces the time of shredding even a large head of cabbage and is suitable for working with different types of vegetables - regular white cabbage, red cabbage, Peking cabbage. The blades are made of stainless steel, so the peeler can be washed in hot water and using detergents/cleaners.
Cabbage and lettuce peeler
The vegetable peeler is easy to use, does not require any specific skills to operate, and allows you to chop cabbage for borscht, salads, and filling for baked goods or dumplings.
Rus 70504
The cabbage shredding model Rus 70504 is a classic knife with two blades, but with individual characteristics:
- produced in Germany by the famous manufacturer ROSENBERG;
- length and height of the tool – 280 and 15 mm, respectively;
- Blade width – 80 mm.
Cabbage shredding knife Rus 70504
The knife handle is made of plastic, the blade is made of stainless steel. Interestingly, the handle is located at an angle in relation to the wide blade - it is slightly raised. This makes the job much easier, because the cook will put much less effort into shredding the cabbage and will be able to process a large volume of the vegetable.
Knife Roma
A tool that is a universal device due to the presence of a sharp blade, a hole with a shredder edge, and a serrated blade is called a Roma knife. It is especially popular among housewives because it has the following properties:
- an ordinary knife - sharp, but it is convenient to cut off only narrow pieces of food;
- shredding device - a hole in the blade allows you to quickly process a large head of cabbage;
- fish cleaning tool - a serrator can easily remove even the smallest scales.
Knife “Roma”
In addition, next to the handle there is a bottle opener, and the blade with a smooth sharpening is equipped with a sharp tip protruding forward (it will be convenient for cutting, for example, a clove of garlic).
These knives are made of stainless steel, the handle is hollow, and there is a small loop at the end - you can store the tool in a suspended state. The disadvantage of the Roma knife is that it is impossible to carry out long-term work shredding cabbage - its weight is very light, you have to make an effort, so your hand gets tired very quickly.
How to shred cabbage with a grater
A hand grater allows you to finely chop a head of cabbage, and most importantly, quickly. In stores you can find different types of vegetable graters: wooden or plastic, with 2 or more blades.
We use a plastic grater with 2 different attachments:
- The first attachment allows you to obtain thin but short cabbage sticks.
- The second attachment helps cut the head of cabbage into thin but long strips.
To make it more convenient to chop the vegetable on a grater, you can cut a piece from the head of cabbage or, if the head of cabbage is small and fits in your hand, work with it. Here you need to focus on convenience and nothing else.
How to proceed:
- We rest the grater against the cutting board.
- We take cabbage in the other hand.
- We make monotonous movements with the cabbage on the grater from top to bottom, with slight pressure. Under no circumstances should you make too fast or sharp movements - this could result in injury from the sharp grater.
In addition to cabbage, you can also finely grate other vegetables on this grater. For example, potatoes, carrots, beets.
The grater has only one drawback - it takes a lot of energy. Monotonous movements quickly become boring. Therefore, chefs recommend using it when you need to finely chop a small amount of cabbage, for example, for salad.
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How to choose a knife for cutting cabbage, their advantages and disadvantages
When choosing a knife for cutting cabbage, you need to take into account the following nuances:
- blade width is the best option 90 mm, but 80 will be convenient to use;
- sharpness of the blades – if we are talking about a knife with two blades, then sharpening them yourself will be quite difficult;
- what material is the handle made of? It’s better if it’s plastic, which will prevent it from slipping in the palm of your hand while working;
- is there a protrusion with a pointed tip at the end of the blade - this adds convenience to work;
- whether there is a limiter between the handle of the knife and its blade - this ensures the safety of the process.
The advantages of using a special knife for shredding cabbage are:
- speed of cutting vegetables;
- simple care, can be washed in hot water with detergent and in the dishwasher;
- absolute safety during operation;
- can be used for cutting any other food products;
- compactness, unlike a food processor.
The only drawback of such a tool that consumers highlight is its cost. No, it is not prohibitively high, but it is larger than that of an ordinary/standard kitchen knife.
Criteria for choosing a knife for cabbage
For most housewives, the main criterion for choosing a knife for pickling cabbage is its quality. In second place comes price. The fact is that those who prepare this dish for future use know that reliability, blade sharpness and convenience are still the most important. While the price of a product can often be an indicator of the brand’s promotion, rather than convenience. Often the convenience of a model is determined empirically. Each housewife has her own preferences and volumes that need to be chopped.
To decide how to choose the right knife for shredding cabbage with two stainless steel blades, you should look at its convenience. Such a product must be:
- With an ergonomic handle that allows you to make movements without additional effort;
- The thinner and sharper the two blades, the more even “
vegetable strips
”
will be when slicing; - Not too massive, not too small;
- The ideal blade material is stainless steel.
The thinner and sharper the two blades, the more even the “vegetable strips” will be when slicing.
A manual cabbage shredder is a worthy alternative to a knife
A manual cabbage shredder is a design whose operating principle is reminiscent of a conventional meat grinder from the times of the USSR. It is equipped with a gutter made of food-grade plastic. A cutting board completes the package.
A manual shredder has several blades and a special mechanism that allows you to adjust their height. This makes it possible to shred cabbage into strips of different sizes, both in width and length.
Watch the video about manual shredding for cabbage:
Harvester attachment
The food processor comes with a special attachment for shredding cabbage. It is a circle with sides, inside of which there are two sharp blades. It is possible to independently adjust the distance between the blades and thereby obtain shredded vegetables of different thicknesses at the output.
This attachment not only makes the housewife’s work easier, but also makes the shredding process safe. It is made of stainless steel, so for cleaning you can simply rinse the nozzle with warm water and dry it. The device can be useful for shredding other vegetables - carrots, beets, as well as fruits such as apples - you will get slices (thin slices).
Attachment from a combine for shredding cabbage
Vegetable cutter for cabbage with box
It is a wooden body with blades on the surface. They can be adjusted, and already shredded cabbage comes out into the box and does not scatter all over the table. The vegetable cutter with a box is practical and easy to use - it does not slip on the work surface and does not require much effort.
The device is made of hard wood, coated with a special solution - its service life is long, the surface does not crack. Caring for the vegetable cutter is standard: it can be washed with warm water and detergent. Be sure to thoroughly dry the instrument before storing it.
Mechanical shredder
For ordinary manual meat grinders, there are special attachments on sale in the form of a partial cone with blades on the surface. They are made of stainless steel and can be presented in a large assortment - the size and shape of the holes varies.
To use, the attachment is placed on the meat grinder; while twisting the handle, you need to turn the cone around its axis with your free hand. Consumers note that such a device is inconvenient to use, and therefore is only suitable for processing small volumes of vegetables.
How to chop cabbage with a special knife, on a shredder, in a food processor for pickling or for borscht?
How to properly shred (cut) cabbage with a knife into strips and how to chop hard cabbage for pickling by hand. To chop cabbage without waste, take a special manual knife for slicing cabbage, as shown in the video clip.
How to use a cabbage shredder. Video instructions and cutting form using a manual shredder
How to finely chop cabbage on a shredder grater. Video on how to properly use a cabbage grater
The next device (device) is called a cabbage shredder . Its price is low and it won’t take up any space in the kitchen.
Cabbage shredding technique . Before you start shredding the cabbage, prepare the head of cabbage. Start with a small head of cabbage. Remove the top cabbage leaves; it is better to cut off the dirt. Cut the cabbage head into two or four pieces depending on size. We chop parts of the cabbage across the veins or along the leaves into strips of 6-7 cm. With this cutting, the sauerkraut turns out more juicy.
Next, the pieces are chopped with a knife into narrower strips of no more than 4 mm. How to shred (chop, crumble) cabbage with a shredder for pickling? Just pass the chopped cabbage parts through it. Cabbage with flabby leaves is suitable for borscht or stewing. Shred this cabbage with a knife into small cubes or strips of arbitrary size for decoration (be careful not to cut your fingers). We invite you to read other useful tips for your home. Watch the video on how to use a regular, simple knife to chop cabbage .
How do you chop cabbage for pickling, coarsely or finely? You can chop both coarsely and finely. What is better than a grater or shredder for cabbage? Cabbage shredders are more productive than graters.
How to thinly and longly chop (cut with a regular knife) cabbage for pickling video
How to chop cabbage in a food processor quickly, without injury video
How to chop cabbage for pickling with a vegetable cutter (vegetable peeler)
How to cut cabbage with a special knife
When cutting cabbage with a special knife, you need to comply with the following rules:
- Take the knife in your hand so that the index finger is on the handle, the thumb is on the side, and all the rest are on the bottom.
- The blade, during the shredding process, should move back and forth without leaving the surface of the cabbage.
- You need to chop the vegetable strictly across the grain to prevent too much oozing.
- For convenience, before starting the process, cabbage forks should be cut into two parts. If it's too big, then by four.
- Each time after finishing slicing the cabbage along a plane, you need to tear the knife off the surface of the head of cabbage, bring it in again and repeat the movements back and forth, “sliding” down.
Watch the video on how to use a special cabbage knife:
Following these recommendations, it is impossible to cut the vegetable into large pieces.
How to properly and beautifully chop cabbage into strips, thinly?
How to shred cabbage into strips?
To cut cabbage into strips, you need:
- cut her head in half
- cut the core
- cut the forks lengthwise into strips 3-4cm wide
- chop each strip crosswise into strips of the required width
Most often, graters are used to cut cabbage into very thin strips - only they allow you to make narrow and equal-sized strips of cabbage leaves.
How to use a cabbage shredder
A manual cabbage shredder (wooden grater with a box or plastic) should be used as follows:
- Cut the cabbage into 2-4 pieces depending on its size. First, the top layer of leaves is removed from it.
- Wipe the shredder with a cloth soaked in a strong saline solution - this will disinfect the surface.
- Take the grater in your left hand and rest it comfortably on the work surface. You can use a large basin, but in this case the shredder rests on the bottom-side transition.
- Take a fragment of a head of cabbage in your right hand and make smooth movements from top to bottom. There is no need to exert much effort; sudden jerks are unacceptable.
Manual cabbage shredder
A manual shredder is an affordable alternative to a professional cabbage cutter. It has a special grater and chute made of wood or environmentally friendly high-strength plastic, as well as a cutting board. The design is equipped with one or more cutting blades, manually adjustable in tilt and height. The customizable layout allows for grinding to the desired size. A manual cabbage shredder works great with all hard types of vegetables. The vegetable cutter is affordable, easy to sharpen, and washable in warm water.
How to sharpen a cabbage knife
You can sharpen a knife for chopping cabbage with a diamond-coated file or sandpaper with minimal abrasiveness (“zero”). First, the blade is sharpened from the outside - the one that faces directly to the cabbage. In this case, the file is located parallel to the main blade of the knife. And to remove metal dust and burrs, you need to treat the blade from the inside with fine abrasive sandpaper.
If you need to sharpen a knife with two blades, then they can be rotated on the blade into a convenient position (as a rule, they are attached with rivets). First you will need to unscrew/disassemble the handle of the tool, then unfold the blades and sharpen them. The knife is assembled in reverse order.
Varieties of tools for shredding cabbage
Various tools for cutting vegetables are produced. They differ in the materials from which they are made, the number of blades and operating methods.
Grater
The design of this vegetable cutter is the simplest: blades are attached to a wooden or plastic base, the number and shape of which are different. The knives are made of stainless steel; in expensive models, they are made of carbide metals. Some models are equipped with a container for chopped vegetables.
Grater for shredding cabbage.
When choosing a tool, pay attention to:
- Base material. Traditionally wood was used, now more often plastic. It is not always of high quality, able to withstand the load and not break.
- Attachments that come with the grater. The standard set is straight knives for shredding cabbage. Blades of a different shape are used for cutting other vegetables.
- Number of knives: the optimal option is 2 knives.
“Housewife” graters are in demand among women; there are good reviews of Petergof and Dexam products. Among the vegetable cutters, the German Borner model stands out. Its advantage is its sharp micro-serrated knives. The plant guarantees cutting 3 tons of vegetables without sharpening or 10 years of work.
Multifunctional food processor
Food processors have wide functionality, which is provided by various attachments. In addition to other jobs available to combines, vegetables are carefully and quickly cut using a special disc.
Electric drive motors have different power ratings. It is important to have protection against overheating and blocking accidental startup. The ability to switch speeds allows you to select the optimal speed of the cutting mechanism. Additional ease of use for models with smooth speed control and pulse mode.
In inexpensive models, the body with the bowl is made of durable plastic that is resistant to mechanical damage and can withstand high temperatures. For expensive combines, tempered glass or Eastman Tritan material is used. The capacity of the bowl affects the continuity of work - with a small volume, you have to stop the combine more often and remove the contents.
Harvesters are equipped with various attachments, the quantity of which determines functionality and price. In addition to a vegetable cutter for shredding, there are knives that cut into cubes or slices, a meat grinder, a dough mixer, a blender, etc. The quality of the blades is important: in expensive models they are self-sharpening.
The device must be securely fixed even on a slippery surface. For this purpose, the legs are equipped with rubber inserts.
Metal cabbage hatchet
The tool consists of a base to which the sharpest blades are attached. The knives are given the required angle and distance between them, so when cutting vegetables you won’t get large pieces. When working with the device, it is held by a plastic handle attached vertically to the base. There are hatchets made entirely of steel on sale.
Double blade knives
The tool is similar to a hatchet, only the handle is placed not on top, but on the side. In a plastic case, 2 blades are fixed at an angle with a hole between them. There is a wooden case or an all-steel product. A special shredding knife has advantages over a kitchen knife:
- speeds up cutting vegetables;
- work comfortably;
- it is almost impossible to get hurt;
- Cabbage is sliced thinly and is suitable for preparing any dishes.
Universal tool Frico Fru-044
This is a type of knife with 3 blades. The vegetables are chopped first, the cabbage is chopped in the middle, resulting in identical narrow straws. The medium blade is also used to cut fruit slices for decorating cakes and pastries. The core of cabbage is hard, so the third knife for cutting it is made in the form of a file.
Knife Frico Fru-044.
Additionally, the design is equipped with a key that is used to uncork lids and plugs. The manufacturer indicates that the universal device can also be used to clean and cut fish, cut pineapples, etc.
How to chop a vegetable with a regular knife, how to hold it
Even if there is no special knife in your kitchen arsenal, you can use a regular one and chop the vegetable as follows:
- Take the tool in your hands so that only your index finger is on top of the handle, and all the rest are below.
- Cut the head of cabbage into 2 parts, remove the stalk.
- Cut the cabbage lengthwise into strips 3-4 cm wide each.
- Chop each of the resulting strips into thin “noodles”.
This method is not safe; you need to carefully monitor the position of your free hand - it holds the cabbage fork, but the fingers are slightly bent to prevent injury to the fingers.
How to shred cabbage with jichen
And here is the secret shredding method we promised. Thanks to it you can get the thinnest cabbage shavings. This is the use of a kitchen tool - jichen. It is convenient for them to work, the process goes quickly. In 10 minutes you can finely chop a small head of cabbage.
Externally, the jichen looks like a paring knife. The latter, by the way, can easily replace jichen if it is not there. The product is made of stainless steel. The handle can be made of thick rubber or plastic. Jichen comes in different sizes. Perhaps the most important thing (besides the excellent result) is that it is impossible to cut yourself with a jichen or a vegetable peeler. These are absolutely safe tools that even children can use.
To work with jichen, you need to cut a small piece from the head of cabbage so that it is comfortable to hold in your hand.
Then you should take the piece in your hands and move your jichen along its edge, performing actions towards yourself.
In this case, you need to press lightly, just a little bit. We recommend: Three ways to peel kiwi
This tool really produces very thin but crispy slices of cabbage. These are the ones that are ideal for pickling for the winter and preparing vegetable salads.
