The Oxo Rolling Mincer is Surprisingly Just Not Up to Par
Written: Oct 25 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice design, nice idea, rubber handle, disassembles, dishwasher safe, cheap
Cons: Doesn't mince well
The Bottom Line: I really love Oxo products, and this is the first Oxo item I haven't been thrilled with. The mincer just doesn't mince well, and isn't anything great.
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| Javelina's Full Review: Oxo 8-in Black-Handled Rolling Herb Mincer |
As my love for Oxo products is pretty evident, I got an Oxo Rolling Mincer at my bridal shower, as a wishing well gift. I had seen the mincer in the store, and was thrilled to get one. I am a vegetarian, and try to eat healthy, so a mincer is actually a pretty ideal gift for me.
The Oxo Rolling Mincer
”Fresh herbs add flavor to your favorite dishes. Try the GOOD GRIPS Rolling Herb Mincer for easy preparation of leafy herbs like parsley and basil. Simply roll the Herb Mincer over the leaves and its stainless steel blades yield evenly minced herbs, ready to be added to soups, sauces and more.”
I was surprised to see this item at Linens N Things for just $5.99, which I think is very reasonable. If you’re looking for Oxo products, I would recommend LNT or Bed Bath and Beyond. Keep in mind these two stores accept each other’s coupons, and BB&B will take expired coupons (at least mine does).
The dimensions of the mincer are 8" x 3" x 1", and it weighs a mere 2 oz. The blades are stainless steel.
The Oxo rolling mincer is dishwasher safe. Not only is it dishwasher safe, but it disassembles for even easier cleaning. You remove a pin and the clear plastic cover comes off and the blades come out.
The handle is Oxo’s trademark black rubber material, which is soft and comfortable. It also helps to prevent slipping. There is a hole at the top, which makes it convenient for hanging and storage.
My Thoughts & Experiences
The first thing I remember trying with the mincer was fresh Rosemary, which we grow ourselves. It is a “tough” herb, and the mincer didn’t actually work very well. At first I thought it had to do with the horrible, cheap plastic cutting board I was using. However, I tried it on various surfaces (including a different cutting board and a large, flat ceramic plate), and I didn’t have much success. The Rosemary wasn’t minced. Instead, it was mostly mangled, with some pieces cut, but most of the leaves still whole and some clinging to the stem (I use the stem from the very ends of the plant where it is thin and not woody). There were dark lines of bruising across the Rosemary leaves, but no consistent cutting.
I tried some other things but I was just disappointed with the mincer. I guess my expectations were that the foods would be perfectly chopped into fine pieces, and they weren’t. I tried the Oxo mincer on some finer foods like fresh basil, and it worked a little bit better. I didn’t even bother trying parsley, but I did try some onion just as an experiment. Turns out the chunks of onion just got stuck in the blades.
The blades of the mincer are sharp, but probably something you wouldn’t cut yourself on if you accidentally brushed up on the blades. I just don’t think the blades are sharp enough.
Cleanup wasn’t as easy as I hoped. You remove a pin on the side, which releases the plastic cover and blades. It is then pretty simple to wash/rinse the two, although I did find some herbs caught in the blades. Already frustrated from not having any luck mincing, getting the pin back in when it was dry and lining up the head of the pin with all the parts just further frustrated me.
I actually have not found that many uses for this item. I just don’t tend to use garnishes that often, or at least ones that I would need to use the mincer for. I would imagine dill would probably be a good item to mince with this tool.
Honestly, looking up close at the mincer, it seems kind of cheap. There is a hard clear plastic cover over the blades, and it just seems like not the usual quality of Oxo products. The blades just aren’t sharp enough, and I have heard stories of the blades bending, which sounds possible.
Of course, like all Oxo products, the handle is comfortable and gave me a good grip on this tool. I don’t worry about my hands slipping, even when wet, after washing veggies and herbs. Unfortunately, it reinforced that no matter how hard I was exerting my muscle into the mincer, the herbs just weren’t getting minced.
Guarantee
All Oxo products are backed by a guarantee, so if they break due to a defect or you aren’t happy with it, the company will refund your money or replace the product. I have never had to take them up on their guarantee, but it is reassuring to have it there and to know that this company so strongly backs their products. Although I don’t particularly like this product, it was a gift and I am ok with it remaining dormant in the “kitchen items” drawer.
Overall Thoughts
I would have loved to have this product work, as I have been absolutely pleased with every Oxo item I own to date. The Oxo Rolling Mincer would have been perfect for foods like making the stuffing for dumplings. However, this product doesn’t perform up to par, and I personally would rather use another method (such as mincing with a knife or using a food processor).
I have read mixed reviews on this product. It seems to be either you love it or you hate it (or you just had no luck). The person who gave me the mincer has one of her own, so I guess she must have had better luck. I don’t hate mine but I am giving this one 2 stars because it is one of those kitchen tools that is forgotten. Mine finds its way to the bottom of the drawer and I never have much of a reason to dig it out. I would use a knife or other tool for mincing any day over this product. Plus, this is a disappointment, at least coming from Oxo.
My other Oxo reviews:
Oxo Container Grater
Oxo Bottle Brush
Oxo Skimmer
Oxo Apple Wedger
Oxo Ice Cream Spade
Oxo Safety Can Opener
Oxo Beak-Shaped Ice Cream Scoop
Oxo Citrus Zester
Oxo 14 Nylon Slotted Spoon
Oxo 14” Nylon Spoon
Oxo Garlic Press
Oxo Pizza Cutter
Oxo 4-pc Measuring Spoons
Oxo Swivel Peeler
Oxo Wire Cheese Slicer
Oxo Corn Holders
Recommended:
No
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