Most modern kitchens house an array of tools to handle specific cooking tasks to ensure every dish is a sumptuous meal. Among those will be a chopping board, a set of knives, pans, and pots.
Whether you’re a home or professional chef, the importance of a meat cleaver can not be downplayed. This knife allows you to scale, mince, slice, and tenderize any meat.
But with a wealth of options available at the moment, selecting the right one can be challenging and a bit tricky. Besides, you have to consider several other factors, which doesn’t make the decision process any easier.
Luckily, we’ve expertly handpicked the top 5 best meat cleaver knives to ensure you make a perfect choice.
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Top 5 Best Meat Cleaver Knives to Buy on Amazon
#1 – Wüsthof Cleaver 8 Inch Knife
When it comes to a cleaver that stands the test of time, the Wüsthof Cleaver 8 Inch Knife is your best bet – and here’s why. This product features durable full-tang construction. It’s forged from a single piece of high carbon steel that guarantees it can handle the rigors of heavy-duty use.
This 8-inch knife from Wüsthof is designed for chopping through bones with the least effort. Not just that, the blade is razor-sharp to allow you to perform delicate mincing tasks. This knife weighs about 1.5 pounds and comes with an 8-inch long blade where most of the weight is concentrated for best leverage.
Further, it’s a go-to for people struggling to make clean cuts through bones and meat. One of the highlights of this best meat cleaver knife is its full-tang construction. This means that the tip to the butt handle is made from a single piece of metal. Hence, its strength and durability are not questionable.
Sadly, its sturdy construction drives the price of this knife up and might be out of reach for people not looking to cough up on a cleaver. Overall, the Wüsthof Cleaver 8 Inch Knife offers unparalleled cutting performance. Plus, it comes with an ergonomic triple-riveted handle for better grip and comfortable handling.
Pros:
- Full tang construction
- Suitable for dicing, mincing, and chopping tasks
- 8-inch heavy blade for easier and cleaner cuts
- Backed by a lifetime warranty
- Easy to handle and maneuver
Cons:
- On the pricey side
#2 – DALSTRONG Gladiator Series Cleaver Knife
This model comes from a reputable brand in this space, Dalstrong, and belongs to the Gladiator Series, easily earning it a spot on our list of the best meat cleaver knives. The DALSTRONG Gladiator Series Cleaver Knife is known for its high performance and durable construction.
Aside from its virtually exciting design, this tool is versatile and will come in handy for any cooking task, from chopping to dicing, slicing, and mincing. While it might not be best for folks learning their way around a kitchen, it’ll be a great addition to your arsenal.
Let’s get to the nitty-gritty; this 9-inch blade is forged from high-grade steel to deliver unquestionable strength and durability. Also, it’s razor-sharp to allow you to cut or chop through meat with ease.
The manufacturer made this knife with cutting-edge technology and the latest artisanship to withstand rough-and-tough use. More so, it features a pakkawood handle for a more comfortable handling and better secure grip. Plus, its ergonomic design helps attenuate wrist fatigue to let you enjoy a longer meat-cutting process.
Coming with a 9-inch blade, this kitchenware should not be challenging to use. Even better, the knife is hand-polished at 16-18 degrees per side and to a satin finish.
Pros:
- Full-tang, high-carbon German steel construction
- Medium-heavy duty cleaver supporting incredible versatility
- 56+ Rockwell hardness for astonishing edge retention
- Low maintenance
Cons:
- It might be too heavy for some users
#3 – HENCKELS Meat Cleaver, 6″, Black/Stainless Steel
Earning a spot on our list is the HENCKELS Meat Cleaver with its 6-inch premium German stainless steel blade. The blade is hand polished to a satin finish, and it’s extremely sharp to allow you to cut through a meat chunk of goodness with a single stroke.
More so, it has better edge retention that guarantees a neat and precise cutting experience every time with this cleaver. The handle features an ergonomic design for a comfortable grip. Also, this knife rocks the traditional triple-rivet handle for secure handling.
Even better, the HENCKELS Meat Cleaver comes with a hole in the blade to allow you to hang on the wall for easy storage and quick access. Another thing we love about this meat cleaver is its dishwasher-safe design that permits convenient cleaning. However, it’s best to hand wash this tool for a longer shelf life.
There’s a lot to say about this stainless steel meat cleaver, from its long-lasting sharpness to precision cutting, durability, and easy maintenance. However, being backed by a lifetime warranty offers peace of mind with this product.
Pros:
- Made in Spain
- Premium German stainless steel
- Ergonomic, traditional triple-rivet handle
- Lifetime warranty to protect your purchase
Cons:
- It comes with a salty price tag
- Poor quality control
#4 – DALSTRONG Obliterator Meat Cleaver – 9″ – Gladiator Series R
Suppose you need a premium meat cleaver that will make you look like a badass at home or a professional chef. In that case, you should splurge on the DALSTRONG Obliterator Meat Cleaver. This product is not one to disappoint after a couple of uses.
While it’s easy to dismiss this meat cleaver as a joke due to its monster-like design, this knife delivers chops through anything with a single stroke – no sweat. This NSF-certified knife is forged from high carbon steel for durability and features a full-tang construction.
This 9-inch blade weighs very close to 3 pounds which is enough weight to chop anything with one single brutal blow. Additionally, the blade’s edge is ultra-sharp for a superior precision cutting experience. Hence, you can use this cleaver to chop, cut, dice, and mince without any fuss.
That’s not all: at the but is an extra-thick black G10 handle offering a secure grip to allow you to wield this monster comfortably. Worth mentioning is the DALSTRONG Obliterator Meat Cleaver polish and lamination to ensure a sanitary build and compatibility for busy kitchens.
Equally important, you get a beautifully handcrafted acacia wood stand to store, hold and display your mega beast knife on your kitchen counter. Lastly, purchasing this meat cleaver is risk-free, thanks to the manufacturer’s money-back guarantee and lifetime warranty.
Pros:
- Durable high-carbon 7cr17mov steel construction
- Easy to maintain and clean
- NSF certified
- Stunning menacing design
- It comes with a stylish acacia wood stand
Cons:
- It might be too heavy to wield for some users
#5 – Boning Knife Hand Forged Chef Knife
Warping our list is the Boning Knife Hand Forged Chef Knife from Purple Dragon. This knife is forged from high manganese steel and high carbons steel, which offers the best of both worlds. With its unique construction, this chef knife is easy to keep clean and rust-free.
Next, the high carbon steel offers better edge retention than stainless steel to guarantee clean cuts every time. The blade features a full-tang construction and anti-slip lines for durable and safe handling. More so, this knife features a natural wood handle with an ergonomic grip curve design that makes welding this knife comfortable.
This practical kitchen tool comes with a portable soft leather sheath to offer maximum protection to the blade and make it easier to carry along with you on your next camping trip. The Boning Knife Hand Forged Chef Knife is suitable for a wide range of kitchen tasks, from dicing to micing, slicing, and chopping meats, vegetables, and fruits. Also, it doubles nicely as a boning knife, which makes it handy whether you’re cooking outdoors or indoors.
Pros:
- Ergonomic wooden handle
- High quality steel construction
- Multipurpose design to allow you to do more than just chop
- It comes with a portable soft leather sheath for safety and easy carry
Cons:
- Misleading picture
Things to Consider When Shopping for the Best Meat Cleaver
Now, you’ve seen the top 5 best meat cleavers for chopping for just about anything. But before making a choice, you might want to check out some of the critical factors to consider when shopping for one of these knives.
Material
When it comes to a meat cleaver, one of the most important things to look out for is the material. There are different material options used to forge the blade. However, we prefer stainless steel. It’s durable, easy to clean, and maintain.
Nonetheless, most manufacturers add other elements such as vanadium and chromium for extra strength, quick sharpening, and anti-corrosion properties. A high-quality stainless steel blade will be suitable for all operations.
Next, you need to pay closer attention to the handle’s material. Poor handles tend to break and crack after a couple of uses. Hence, you want to choose high-quality wood handles like pakkawood or a stainless steel handle for unquestionable durability.
Size
Choosing the wrong meat cleaver size might affect your overall meat-cutting performance. The handle should be 5 to 6-inch long, while the length of the blade should be between 7 – 8 inches. Also, you want to keep the length difference between the handle and blade at most 1.25 inches. This ensures the knife is balanced and easy to handle.
Handle’s Nature
The kind and nature of the meat cleaver handle – a full-tang construction or a joint design. It’s best to go for a full-tang handle securely riveted for durability and comfort sake.
Ease of use
While it’s great to choose an amazing, great-looking knife, you want to ensure it’s easy for you to wield. The shape and weight of the knife must be right by you. If you use the knife for a long time, you don’t want to purchase a hefty model. Similarly, a light knife won’t chop bones in a single stroke and is best used for chopping fruits, vegetables, and meat.
Our Equipment Review of Meat Cleavers
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide helps you pick the best meat cleaver knives to chop meat chunks of goodness. But if you’re still on the fence, you might want to consider our top pick – Wüsthof Cleaver 8 Inch Knife. It’s perfectly balanced and has the right weight behind it to deliver incredible chopping performance.
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