This Is the Real Reason Onions Make You Cry, and a Surprising Way to Avoid It

Even the most enthusiastic home cooks have a kitchen task or two they dread. For some, it’s peeling hard-boiled eggs. Others can’t stand the way their fingers smell after prepping garlic. And if you’ve ever found yourself crying over chopped onions, you’re in good company.  When onions are cut, they release sulfuric acid, which can irritate your eyes and cause them to water. 

While onion tears might seem like an unavoidable reality, there’s actually an easy way to minimize the effect. According to Henry Liu, founder and CEO of Cangshan Cutlery, it’s all about keeping your knives sharp. 

Henckels Honing Steel, 10-Inch

Chopping onions with dull knives can crush them, releasing more tear-inducing irritants into the air. But with a razor-sharp blade, Liu says, you can make more “precise cuts, which keeps the onion’s juices contained and minimizes irritation.” Plus, sharp knives help you slice and dice more efficiently, so you won’t have to expose your eyes to onion gasses and juices for long periods.

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to invest in a new knife set to test this hack out for yourself. All you need is a quality honing steel to keep your knife collection as sharp as the day you bought them. This simple 10-inch honing steel from Henckels is our editors’ favorite model on the market thanks to its versatility. It’s the perfect length for most tasks, and even though it’s a little heavier, we found it easy to use.

The stainless steel tool was thoughtfully designed for ultimate usability. It features a stain finish that’s soft enough to sharpen delicate knives but tough enough to easily even out blades. The handle is shaped to fit in your hand comfortably. It even comes with a metal loop so you can hang it up and preserve drawer space.

Good knife sharpeners come in handy for so much more than chopping onions — sharper blades help you prep food faster and slice through tough produce like pumpkins and watermelons with ease.

With its simple design, this is the workhorse gadget you didn’t know your kitchen was missing. If you’re ready to quit crying over chopped onions, snag the editor-loved Henckels honing steel for $35 at Amazon. 

More Knife Sharpeners to Shop:

Shun Cutlery Classic Honing Steel, 9-Inch

Tumbler Rolling Knife Sharpener

Longzon 4-in-1 Knife Sharpener

Zwilling J.A. Henckels 4-Stage Pull Through Knife Sharpener

Chef’s Choice 1520 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener

At the time of publishing, the price was $35.