I read online one time that rinsing both the onion and the knife constantly with water helps (b/c the gas released from the onion breaks down in water and causes an acid to form...hence why you cry the gas gets in your eye reacts and creates the icky burny feeling). Anyway rinsing the onion and knife several times (after each major cut) has helped me alot I don't have the crying issue now when I cut my onions. Oh and I also read that using a good sharp knife so it makes clean sharp cuts helps too (a dull blade just smashes the onion cells and releases even more of the gas into the air and hence your eyes).

Hope this helps. And I hope I don't sound like an onion know it all (I'm just a science teacher )

I burn a candle right next to my cutting board! Something about the flame supposedly burns up the chemical that burns one's eyes. It works for me. :)

My mother swears by lighting a candle. Easy enough, nice smell, no wasted water, and no wasted plastic :)

I find that as long as I wear my contacts they don't bother me!!!

I burn a small candle next to chopping the onions so it burns the fumes in the air and restrict them from reaching your eyes! Totally works!

i found this one from a professional chef and it worked wonders!! "THE SPOON METHOD"

1.wash your hands in cold water

2. grab a spoon from your silverware and stick it in your mouth so it sits on your tongue( you will need to keep sucking on it until done cutting the onion).

3.with a very sharp knife cut the onion into two with the skin still on (width wise)

4. now peel off the skin from both making sure not to disturb the root ends (these are what cause the vapors that make you cry)

5. place the half cut onions downside so that the open cut part is touching the cutting board.

6. holding one half of the onion down hard with the palm down and fingers up, carefully with the small sharp knife slice across keeping the slices stacked on top of eachother (do NOT remove the root end off of onion !!! discard the slice with the root in a compost pile)

7. with the slices still stacked, slice and dice

8. repeat with other half of the onion

9. you can now remove the spoon.

Okay Alicia, my suggestion is to make a video of you testing the top four responses 1) gum 2) freezer/refrigerator 3) running water 4) by an open flame and then give us your verdict. I have my theory but I've never tried all these suggestions :)

Use a super sharp knife! My chef in culinary school taught us that. I sharpen mine right before cutting onions every time. I usually also run my hood, so if there are any "fumes" they are drawn away pretty quickly.

Another good thing to so is ( If you don't have those cute little goggles.) When you start felling the burn and the tears, put your face in the freezer for about 10 sec. It will go away really fast and you can go back to cooking.

I use an onion chopper like this one

http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Good-Grips-Mini-Chopper/dp/B0002YTFS2/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1294998793&sr=8-8

and it's really wokring. No tears and really the quickest chopping ever.

chewing gum is supposed to help a lot I hear...

Honestly I just back away from the counter as I'm chopping to keep distance between my eyes and the onions and I don't have any problems.