About a year ago my wife bought me one of these plastic choppers. It looks a bit like a big rattle, with a long handle with a spring inside. The other is a cylinder about 4 inches in diameter. Inside, there is a blade which winds back and forth. If you need to chop or mince herbs, garlic, or other smallish items you just cut them into pieces small enough to fit in the cylinder, place the cyllander over them, and punch down on the handle 4-5 times and you have a perfect dice. A few more pushes and they are minced. It's super easy to clean and saves 3-5 minutes of chopping!
This is not the model we own, but it is the same basic device:
http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-Pro-Food-Chopper-Red/dp/B00193BIZS
Buy one if you do a lot of chopping and you'll be happy!
