Best Meat Cleavers Reviewed and Rated

At Meat Grinder Adviser we are always trying to give all cooking and meat enthusiasts the best tips and tools to know what are the gadgets that you want to have in your kitchen according to your cooking needs. That’s why we decided to make this article about the best meat cleavers on the marketplace. Cleaver knives are something that all meat lover should have and that probably should be in every kitchen in the world.

Meat cleaver are large knives that may vary a bit on its shape but the general rule is that they are large rectangular knives that resembles a rectangular hatchet. It’s mainly uses are in the kitchen and as a butcher’s knife intended to hack trough the bones and harder parts of the animal meats. Instead of precisely cutting through the meat, it is used for the larger pats of the animals and it’s swung like a hammer to be able to go tough bone, cartilage and hard meats, like when you are chopping pork ribs; The only other kitchen tool that is use with this peculiar swinging movement are, of course, meat softeners

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Contrary to all the other types of knives in the world, the cleavers main characteristic is that they have especially tough edges meant to withstand the heavy and repeated use and constant abuse. This resistance is achieved by using a softer, tougher steel. Thinner blades would break and get damaged very soon if used in a cleaving fashion. Meat Cleavers doesn’t really need very sharp edges, the sharp relies on momentum more than in the sawing motion used with other knives. The other reason is to have less sharpness on the edge is that it would end up being very counter productive, all this hammering like swinging movement against hard bones and the cutting board would end up making your cleaver’s edge blunter that it would if it were less sharp but sturdier from the beginning. Its origins are not at all certain but it is widely accepted that they appeared first in Asia.

All this is good but when deciding on buying a meat cleaver, it can become somewhat overwhelming because of the great variety of brands and models and may never end up choosing the best one for us due to the huge amount of models. So in this post, we are going to list, review and rate some of the best meat cleavers available today so you can choose depending on your needs and your budget.

Best Meat Cleavers Reviewed

Sato Forged Heavy-Duty Meat Cleaver Chopping Butcher Knife (Bone Chopper), 8″ 1.6 lbs

 

The Sato Forged Heavy-Duty Meat Cleaver is a great option when looking to buy a meat cleaver. It is perfectly sized and is heavy enough to help you cut through the bones without minimal effort. With 1 lbs. of stainless steel, this meat cleaver promises you to deliver the blow necessarily to cut those pork ribs you want to put on the grill on Sundays.

This is actually a very well designed knives that not only is efficient in its job, it also would look great in any kitchen rack

Features and Specifications

• Forged stainless-steel blade With Walnut Wood Full Tang Handle
• Blade Length x Width x Thickness: 8″ x 4″ x 3.5 mm, 1.6 LBS
• Hefty 1.6 lb. Weight Will Easily Chop Through Joints and Bones
• Item weight: 1.6 lbs.
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1 x 4 inches

PROS

• Heavy enough to do its job
• Nice and good looking design
• Online buyers state that it is a great meat cleaver for household use

CONS

• Could be a bit heavier.
• It not well suited for large animals, even for its weight, it still a bit lightweight and you would need tons of strength to cut through the harder bones or larger animals.
• Online buyers claim that it gets the blade chipped and blunt after few months of non-daily use, which could be a setback if you are looking for a more professional tool.

SATO knives are very well known and for the price, you’ll be getting a nice instrument for chopping chickens, ducks and even turkeys with ease but if you are going to be chopping big animals like pigs deer’s and larger ones, then you might look in another direction.

Vegetable Cleaver, Chinese cleaver, Chef Knife/Butcher Knife/ Heavy Duty Meat Cleaver G06

 

Chines cleavers are in fact very popular, if you go to a Chinese kitchen supplier, you’ll find cleavers in very different sizes and even shapes, my first cleaver which I still have, was bought on a Chinese store and I actually never regretted it.

This sturdy cleaver is a perfect addition to any cutlery collection. Thanks to its stainless steel manufacturing, this knives is resistant against stains and corrosion which makes it a very durable tool that will do the job problem free for long years. It also have a straight edge that makes the bone chopping process a lot easier.

Triple Riveted and ergonomic handle

Its triple riveted and ergonomic handle is especially designed to give you comfort and enough strength while chopping some bones.

Features and Specifications

• QUALITY MATERIAL – Heavy Duty Chopper/Cleaver is made from 100% Stainless steel.
• It is razor sharp but still hefty enough to cut easily through bone and meat
• Blade length: 7-inches
• Stainless steel blade with precision sharpened cutting edge
• Double blister card with exposed handle
• Tarnish Resistant
• Easy to clean
• Item Dimensions: 12.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Product Weight: 1.1 pounds

PROS

• Nice and durable materials
• No reviews under 4 stars on Amazon which is actually something amazing as reflects quality and customer satisfaction with the product.
• It’s very heavy duty and resistant

CONS

• At 1.1 lbs. it is very lightweight, and for a very efficient cleaver, weight is determining the factor, the heavier the cleaver, the larger the bones and pieces of meat that you’ll be able to cut effortlessly.

For is very low price, this knives is something to consider for all kinds of needs, it is very resistant and its sharp edge will help you cutting through most of what you put on the cutting board but you have to be aware that for larger pieces you might need to add a bit of effort but if you are comfortable with that then this is a really good option for you and your kitchen.

Imarku 7-Inch Stainless-Steel Chopper-Cleaver-Butcher Knife – Multipurpose Vegetable Meat Cutter/Chopper/Butcher Professional Cleaver for Home

Imarku brand has a long story of knives and quality and the Imarku 7-Inch Stainless-Steel Chopper-Cleaver-Butcher Knife – Multipurpose Vegetable Meat Cutter/Chopper/Butcher Professional Cleaver for Home Kitchen or Restaurant is no exception to that story. This knives is not as heavy as I like, personally, I have stated before, I prefer the heavier cleaver for the ease the give to cut and chop but this unit is somewhat different.

Even when it is lightweight, it is still a very efficient knife and its sharp edge will compensate for the lack of weight.

Features and Specifications

• Blade material: High Carbon stainless steel 
• Model of stainless steel blade: 7Cr17Mov
• Thickness: 2.7mm 
• Handle material: Pakka wood
• Total Length of the knife: 12 inch
• Blade Length: 7inch 

PROS

• Easy to clean
• Holds its sharpness for long time
• Multi Use
• Nice gift box

CONS

• Lightweight
• Users reported that the handle can break very easily, but as with everything, you need to use the proper technique and know what you are doing to avoid damage for poor handling.

It is a bit expensive, considering that it doesn’t contains as much as steel as other cheaper models but the quality of the materials is somewhat superior to other cheaper models. Nevertheless this is a great knives that will do its job efficiently.

Kiwi #504 3″ Mini Cleaver

 

The uses of this knife as a cleaver, for cutting trough meat and bone can be discussed and we can all agree that that is not the primary use of this knife. This mine cleaver is perfect for cutting cheese and especially useful when opening bottles of wine. The main use if this mini cleaver of curse is to be used as a presentation enhancer or as decoration.

Features and Specifications

• Authentic Kom-Kom knife imported from Thailand
• Ideal for large buffets and prestigious occasions
• Good for opening wine bottles and cutting cheeses
• High-quality hardened stainless steel blade
• Well balanced with double-riveted fine wooden handle
• Item dimensions: 2.4 ounces
• Product Weight: 12.9 x 4.4 x 1.5 inches

PROS

• Small
• Very nice decorative piece to give your preparations a better presentation

CONS

• Not really useful as a cleaver

If you are looking for a nice decorative piece or a stylish cheese cutter, then this is the right knife for you, otherwise, just ignore it.

Chicago Cutlery Chicago Cutlery Belmont 6 1/2-Inch Cleaver Knife

Chicago Cutlery is a well renowned brand in the U.S, truth is there are really great in quality and durability. These are knifes that will last for years. It is made of high carbon stainless steel and dual material handle for best grip and nice design. This knife will certainly save you tons of time and will take your cooking to the next level.

Full Metal Tang

Its full metal tang gives you improved control, strength and balance for making your cooking process more comfortable and easier.

Precision sharpened

Chicago knives are all precision sharpened, giving you the sharpest of the edges to achieve a softer and effortless cutting experience.

Features and Specifications

• Broad blade makes it easier to cut through soft bones, firm vegetables, and thick cuts of meat
• Forged knife is precision sharpened for a great cutting experience
• The full metal tang provides added, strength, balance and control
• Professional stainless steel blades with stainless steel and polymer handle
• Limited lifetime warranty.
• Hand wash
• Item weight:
• Product Dimensions 4.9 x 1 x 15.5 inches

PROS

• Very durable
• Professional grade stainless steel
• Improved control and balance

CONS

• Recommended only for the softer bones and thicker meats, but forget about slicing large animals or cuts like ribs

The Chicago Chicago Cutlery Belmont 6 1/2-Inch Cleaver Knife is the perfect addition to any cutlery collection. If you are looking to add a fine piece to your collection that will last for years and will successfully do the job then tis a very good choice.

Professional Stainless Steel Butcher Knife. Heavy Duty Japanese Meat Cleaver Slicing Knife

This professional grade stainless steel butcher knife is actually the only knife you’ll ever need. Unlike most knives this blade is capable of retain its sharpness for a long time, usually new knives can lose its sharpness after just a few uses but after weeks of heavy duty work this knife is still sharp and keeps making a great work. It will do most of the work for you reducing the amount of effort you need to put into your chopping. It is of very good quality and looks pretty attractive in any kitchen, you’ll probably want to use it as much as you can.

Stainless steel design and non-slip grip design

It’s completely made of stainless steel to avoid rust and stains and also avoids the growth of bacteria, its non-slip grip is ideal for the fastest of the cooks as it allows you to easy handle you knife with the precision and speed that any good cooker deserves.

Features and Specifications

• Highest quality: this professional stainless steel cleaver is built to last a lifetime!
• Perfect size: 7 inch heavy duty meat cleaver is perfect for cutting fruits, vegetables, herbs, meats, poultry and fish.
• Dishwasher safe: Tarnish and rust resistant, easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
• Big Full steel handle with seamless bonded and polished bolsters and non-slip grip design for improved control, balance and maneuverability.
• Our multipurpose chef’s knives designed for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing comes with a LIFETIME GUARANTEE if you are ever not completely satisfied!
• Item weight: 13.6 ounces
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 4.4 x 1.5 inches

PROS

• Retains its sharpness for long time
• Heavy enough to help you get the job done almost effortlessly
• Dishwasher safe
• Tarnish resistant
• Stain and rust resistant
• Cheap

CONS

• Is on the lightweight side so you might need to put some effort on chopping the larger bones
• Users have reported that the Chinese symbols on the handle weren’t on the blade and instead there was stamped a sentence that reads : “product stop”

Dexter-Russell (S5288) – 8″ Heavy-Duty Cleaver – Dexter-Russell Series

 

One of the best cleavers available online is the Dexter-Russell (S5288) – 8″ Heavy-Duty Cleaver, this model has a high carbon hand sharpened and honed blade with hanging hole at the end. The rosewood handle is secured to the blade thang with three brass rivets for enhanced strength and balance.

This knife has all of the requirements of a great butcher’s knife, it is very heavy, it has a very broad and large blade, it is heavy (one of the heaviest knives we will review), it has a very secure handle and will do the job with literally no effort.

2 Pounds of stainless steel

Remember how I told you that this one a very heavy knife? Well, now you know why I said that, this is knife is actually twice as heavy as many other of the knives reviewed in this article, and you already know that the heavier the cleaver, the easier the job. Thins knife promises to cut even though the hardest bones with almost no effort. It is highly recommended for restaurants and food related business because of its durability, its high quality standards and of course the easy that it makes the job

Features and Specifications

• Built with enough heft to smash bone and meat easily
• Balanced to be comfortable to use
• Blade made of stain-free high-carbon steel and handle of Rosewood
• Flat blade tip
• Blade measures 8 inches long

PROS

• Very long blade for cutting all kinds of animal bones
• Very heavy to get the job done with almost no effort
• Durable and resistant

CONS

• Heavy, can get muscle soreness for using it too much
• Not very recommended for household use

If you are looking to improve your kitchen tools then, and have a professional grade cleaver then this is one of the best options, it is just amazing how this cleaver will cut all of the bones that are in your meats, from beef to pork and chicken to lamb or deer, whatever you put on the cutting board it will chop precisely.

J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL Classic 6-inch Cleaver

Quickly reduce a cooked chicken or duck to bite-size pieces in less than time than you could imagine or use it to butcher any kind of meat or poultry. It’s heavy, the way a cleaver should be, so it does the work for you. The blade has a hole in its top corner so it may be hung on a hook or peg.

Especially designed to handle

It is solid, sturdy & the base of the knife handle curves downward to hold your fingers in place. Most cleavers tend to be a top heavy and unbalanced but this one has a wonderful and natural heft to it which allows you to precisely butterfly a whole chicken with four strokes

Compact

It is also designed to be compact enough to be able to be used in different ways and not only on the old fashioned chopping way, you can also peel and dice vegetables.

Features and Specifications

• Heavy 6-inch cleaver for chopping through joints and bones
• High-carbon German stainless steel
• Hot-drop forged blades and bolsters
• Full-tang triple riveted handle
• Lifetime limited manufacturer warranty
• Dishwasher safe and is best hand washing recommended
• Heavy 6-inch cleaver for chopping through joints and bones
• Made of stain-resistant carbon steel that’s hot drop forged for durability
• Triple riveted handle surrounds a full tang for better maneuverability
• Hole in top corner so for hanging on a hook or peg
• Hand wash with mild cleanser; lifetime warranty; made in Spain

PROS

• Lightweight and perfectly sized for easy maneuverability
• Versatile
• Easy to clean
• Dishwasher safe

CONS

• Tends to lose it sharpness very fast
• Lightweight and thin
• Less than half the weight than real cleavers

This knife is very versatile its weight is more adequate for lightweight duty and is not recommended for the harder or larger bones as its sharp edge can become blunt really fast due to the lack of momentum generated while swinging the knife down.

Winco Heavy Duty Cleaver with Wooden Handle

This heavy duty cleaver promises to deliver the final blows to those chicken and ducks you’ve been dreaming to grill for the past month. The Winco Heavy duty cleaver is all that you ever dreamer for your kitchen, it’ll allow you to easily separate your meats from the bones and will help you slicing just great between the joints. It is best recommended for household use as it won’t withstand real abuse like in a butcher shop.

It’s very good in the processing of pigs, sheep and goats.

Triple Brass Riveted handle

Its handle it’s made for energy efficiency and strength top help you deliver strong yet firm blows to cut through the bone with ease and comfort.

Features and Specifications

• Highly corrosion resistant stainless steel
• Wooden handle
• Handle length measures 5″
• Blade length measures 8″ long and 3.5″ wide
• Dishwasher-safe
• Item Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 3.5 x 0.8 inches

PROS

• Corrosion resistant
• Easy to clean
• Comfortable grip

CONS

• Not really a heavy duty tool, its more suited for household uses

If you are looking for a good quality tool for household use then this definitively is the right tool for your collection, if by the contrary you need something for professional use then you should consider other options as this one is best suited for homes.

7 Inch Stainless Steel Chopper-Cleaver-Butcher Knife – Multipurpose Use for Home Kitchen or Restaurant (1-Pack) by Utopia Kitchen

 

Safe, durable, and a great quality blades that don’t dull easily, the perfect instrument to cooking with ease. It allow for accuracy when segmenting and trimming larger cuts of meat, and larger items like melon, squash and pineapple. For food preparation at home or in restaurant kitchens. Easy-to-use and durable, this Stainless Steel Chopper is tarnish and rust-resistant, and will stay sharp through many uses. Is designed and built exclusively for the tough day-to-day demands of the commercial kitchen, is perfect for chopping, slicing, and dicing. Conservative blade thickness and elite design allow for easy handheld use.

Special Handle to reduce wrist tension

The handle is ergonomically designed to minimize wrist tension and provides a natural fit. Designed with stainless steel this Heavy duty 7 inch meat cleaver is the perfect tool for getting through tough meat and bone making it a great addition to any kitchen.

Features and Specifications

• Heavy duty cleaver is made from 100% stainless steel
• 7 Inch cleaver knife cuts easily through large pieces of food and is perfect for bone cutting, chopping and cleaving
• ABS+430 handle allows for easy grip and hassle-free maneuvering and the superior quality stainless steel blade holds an ultra-sharp edge providing lasting and superior cutting performance
• Designed and built exclusively for the tough day-to-day demands of the commercial kitchen
• Dishwasher safe but hand wash to retain the fine quality of their exceptional blades
• Item Weight14.5 ounces
• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 4.4 x 0.6 inches

PROS

• Adequate weight for the job
• Very resistant
• Comfortable handle

CONS

• Some online buyers have reported that the blade came as it never had been sharpened

This is another good option that is worth every penny, it is on the cheap side which don’t means it is of bad quality, it just add more to its value s this is a blade of very high quality standards, so if you are looking for a new addition to your kitchen then this knife may be the best choice for you.

After browsing our best meat cleavers list, we are sure that there will be one that suites your need the best and that is affordable enough so you can treat yourself with a new kitchen tool or a professional work instrument.