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I shop for kitchen products all day — these $20 onion goggles are my meal prep lifesavers
There's a lot to love about onions. They're inexpensive yet add so much depth to any dish they touch, whether they're cooked down to contribute a sweet, caramelized flavor or left raw for some crunch action. Even Shrek respected these alliums so much, he compared himself to them! I personally love eating onions — but preparing them? That's another story. At least, it was until I started using these RSVP International Onion Goggles. Yep, you read that correctly! Just as swim goggles keep water out of your eyes, these $20 lifesavers help ward off those tear-inducing onion fumes. Here's my candid review:
Thou shall-ot cry while chopping onions ever again (as long as you're wearing these babies, that is).
I know what you're thinking: "Another kitchen gadget taking up precious drawer space?" And as someone who writes about kitchen products for a living, believe me, I've come across my fair share of gimmicky gizmos. But hear me out! If you're someone who weeps every time you see that a recipe calls for two chopped onions, you'll want these bad boys in your arsenal.
They look like glasses, albeit very intense ones, but they have a foam seal surrounding the inner edges of the lenses. This seal acts as a barrier between your eyes and the vapors that are released into the air when you slice an onion. When this vapor (a chemical called syn-Propanethial-S-oxide, which onions give off to protect themselves) reaches your eyes, it can cause a burning sensation followed by tears that work to flush everything out. In short, if you want to avoid stinging, sobbing eyes, you need to keep those onion fumes far, far away!
Sure, there are plenty of "hacks" to minimize crying when you're slicing and dicing — and I've tried them all. Everything from keeping a wet paper towel near my cutting board, to leaving the faucet on, to holding my breath while chopping. Guess what? Exactly zero of these methods worked for me. When I heard that onion goggles existed, I was intrigued, but skeptical. It seemed too ... easy! But, if they proved to be effective, cooking would be so much less painful. I figured I'd give 'em a go!
Testing the specs
Admittedly, the first time I tried chopping onions with these goggles I thought I'd fallen for a gimmick. I felt that all-too-familiar burn start to creep up and figured they would be added to my Amazon returns list. But I quickly realized that in order for them to work, you can't just wear them like regular glasses. You have to really press them up against your skin for an air-tight seal that'll keep the onion juices out of your eyes. (I have a smaller head, so that might explain why they were a bit loose on me.) The good news is, even when I pushed them on super tightly, the cushy foam lining kept them from digging in, and they were quite comfortable!
The verdict
Once I figured out how to wear the goggles properly, the process of preparing onions became exponentially easier. Now, I can mince several in one go without so much as a light sting, and I no longer dread making allium-heavy dishes. (French onion soup, I'll never desert you again!) Will this accessory be gracing Fashion Week runways anytime soon? Probably not, but I'll risk looking like a ridiculous combination between an old-school pilot and swim instructor if it means pain-free meal prep any day!
I also appreciate that the lenses are fog-resistant, since not being able to see clearly is, well, probably not the best condition to be wielding a knife in. Since they're also slightly tinted, RSVP International suggests using them for outdoor activities like gardening, though I would probably stick to regular shades and keep these in the kitchen.
If I could offer one suggestion to the manufacturer, it would be to include an adjustable strap that goes around the head, just to ensure the goggles really stay put without any gaps. Again, it might just be my small head, since they fit my husband perfectly — and they still make a world of difference when I wear them.
What shoppers are saying
Compared with other kitchen tools, onion goggles are pretty niche, so you might be surprised to learn that this pair has racked up over a thousand perfect ratings on Amazon.
"Y’all. These are a godsend," raved one five-star fan. "I stream tears when chopping onions. I’ve tried all the tricks. All of them. None work. Except these goggles. You may look super ridiculous cutting onions but your eyes will thank you! No more tears. No more pausing to wipe my hands to wipe my tears. I got them as a gift for my husband for his birthday, but we both knew they were actually for me."
And they make chopping not only more comfortable but also safer. "I'm 62 and only now solving this tearful problem," wrote a happy home cook. "They really do work, I was easily able to chop six large onions for French onion soup. And, I was able to do it safely without tears getting in the way of my vision."
Even culinary pros have endorsed them: "I work in a kitchen, and every day we slice about 50-100 pounds of onions on the slicer," shared a now-relieved reviewer. "Rivers of onion juice would send me out of the kitchen in rivers of tears every shift. So I finally broke down and ordered these, and I am tear-free! They work amazingly! I have everyone around me at work asking me to get them a pair as well. I would highly recommend these, even if it's for simpler at-home use."
So there you have it — if you're ready to trade your irritated eyes for happy tears, snag a pair for yourself!
These a-'peel'-ing specs come in five colors! (Prices vary.)
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
