What's the easiest way to chop an onion?

pill it cut off top and bottom cut down middle from top to bottom take one peice lay cut side down with thebottom facing you slice from right to left about every 1/8in make sure to hold it together so it looks the same as it did before you started slicing then turn it 1/4 so now left side is facing you slice same as before

http://www.amazon.com/NPI-VOWR-2-Vidalia-Chop-Wizard/dp/B000I6JZWA

Best use of a gift card ever and Alton Brown would be proud it’s not a unitasker!

I use a small food processor and do a few then put them in a ziploc bag in the refridgerator. They keep for the week.

use a sharpened knife anything else doesnt work

I rinse off the onion, slice it in half from top to bottom, slice a little of the top and bottom, then peel it (much easier to peel half onions than whole onions), then follow oneye36’s method =)

Really helps to have a sharp knife—a really sharp knife—I have one of these: http://japanwoodworker.com/dept.asp?dept_id=13251
—the only downside is that the blue steel core will rust if you do not take care to clean and dry it immediately after use (the stainless steel outer shell will be fine) but I’ve been using it for 2 years without sharpening or steeling and it is still the sharpest thing I own. (Including other knives I’ve had sharpened since)

cutting it under water or keep your mouth shut while you cut it will help with your eyes tearing up.

It is easiest to have someone show you. I learned years ago from watching Julia Childs. Maybe there is a uTube demo. Sharp knife is, indeed, imperative, and bending the fingers in on the hand holding the onion will keep you from having chopped knuckles (may be delicious, but what do I know.)

Have you tried wearing onion goggles? They sell them at a lot of houseware stores.

Putting the onion in the freezer before cutting prevents tearing.

Use a really long sword.

@oneye36 and @bpeoples are on the right track, but I’d just like to add one tiny addendum. If you only cut off the top before chopping, and leave the woody stock end intact, the onion will hold together a lot better as you chop it.

As far as onion tears go, just be sure to use a sharp knife so you have to apply as little pressure as possible. A dull knife will squeeze the onion before a cut is made, which contributes a great deal to all the onion juice in the air that irritates people’s eyes. Remember to slice, not just press down with the knife. (Unless you’re using a real, heavy cleaver, in which case, chop away!)