A Chinese cleaver is the best all-purpose kitchen knife out there, hands down. In addition to cutting up cartilage and tough meat, it can also be used to cut up hard vegetables and fruit.
With its razor-sharp edge, it’s ideal for slicing and dicing delicately. Choosing the best Chinese Cleaver for your kitchen can be difficult, so we’ve put together this guide to help you out.
Chinese Cleavers: What Do They Mean?
Cleaver, or chef’s knife, is an all-in-one cutting instrument in China. The word “cleaver” conjures up images of a heavy, broad-bladed instrument used for butchering or slicing through bone. But that’s a mistaken citation.
Lightweight, slender, and razor-sharp blades characterize the design of these knives. It performs a wide range of cutting operations with remarkable speed and accuracy. Slice deboned meats, minced garlic, and shred ginger using this tool. Even the blade’s large surface can be used as a scoop to move food.
The Best Brands Of Chinese Cleavers
So what are the best Chinese cleaver brands out there? You ask?
Knowing which Chinese cleaver brands are the greatest and most prestigious is well worth the time and effort because you can shop with confidence knowing that you are getting high-quality products.
Shun
Shun’s knives are made in Japan, where the blade is more than just a tool for cutting food; it’s a cultural artifact. For expert chefs and family cooks alike, this Japanese cutlery manufacturer is a good choice.
Because they use high-quality steel called VG-10, their Chinese cleavers are light and razor-sharp, and their blades are polished to a mirror shine. These knives are easy to use and maintain their sharpness for an extended amount of time.
Zhen
Zhen’s Chinese cleavers, which have been in production for more than 30 years, are extremely long-lasting and don’t require regular sharpening or honing, even under heavy use.
Furthermore, you won’t have to break the bank to buy a quality general-purpose cutlery tool thanks to the reasonable costs of their nifty knives.
Winco
Winco’s Chinese cleavers are a culinary enthusiast’s dream come true because they are the most affordable knives on the market.
These knives feature high-quality steel and soft-grip handles for optimal comfort and convenience of use, so their low price does not imply worse quality. They also provide a broad variety of Chinese cleavers in various styles and designs to choose from.
TUO Cutlery
The Chinese cleaver by TUO Cutlery combines aesthetics with practicality. Their kitchen knives can be used for a wide range of cutting activities. This cleaver won’t rust or corrode for years if you don’t use it to cut into tough bones.
Benefits of Using a Chinese Cleaver
Versatility
Because a Chinese cleaver can handle just about any cutting task in your kitchen, you won’t need to accumulate as many knives as you once did. You can also use it to transport chopped ingredients to the cooking pot or wok, thanks to its large blade side.
Effortless and Fine Cuts
The blades of a Chinese cleaver are just as thin as a chef’s knife, but they tend to be a little heavier. Because the handle is doing most of the cutting for you, you don’t have to exert as much force as you normally would.
Durability
The blade’s cutting edge is constructed from materials that are designed to withstand the rigors of daily use. Sharpening the edge with a honing stone or steel is simple if the edge becomes blunt.
The 10 Best Chinese Cleavers for Your Kitchen
ZWILLING Twin Signature 7-inch Chinese Chef’s Knife / Vegetable Cleaver
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The stainless steel blades and laser-controlled edges on this seven-inch vegetable cleaver ensure long blade life. An excellent Chinese chef’s knife doesn’t break the bank, thanks to the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Signature knife. The Friodur ice-hardening process has been used to ensure the strength of this chef’s knife, which is stamped from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel.
With laser-controlled edges, each knife that is hand-honed as it is produced is guaranteed to be extremely sharp and consistent. Small to medium-sized hands will find the ergonomic polymer handles to be a perfect fit. Full-tang construction and three stainless-steel rivets secure the blade to the handle, ensuring long life and better control of the Henckels Twin Signature Chinese Chef’s knife.
This seven-inch cleaver is dishwasher safe, making it ideal for preparing stir-fries and making diagonal cuts. In addition to being more lightweight, the Henckels Twin Signature Chinese Chef’s Knife is also non-porous. They can maintain their sharpness for a longer period of time, ensuring a precise cutting angle.
Kasumi – 7 inch Vegetable Knife
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Sumikama Cutlery in Seki, Japan, crafts the Kasumi Vegetable Knife, which measures seven inches in length. This vegetable knife is made with 33 layers of stainless steel, the most advanced materials, and the most advanced manufacturing techniques. Only the middle layer serves as a cutting edge, but that’s all.
A high carbon stainless steel with vanadium, molybdenum, manganese and cobalt are known as V-Gold No. 10 has been used to create this piece. To get the most out of the steel’s cobalt content, it must be tempered in a specific way. To this day, Sumikama Cutlery has kept this unique tempering process a closely guarded trade secret.
The Kasumi Vegetable Knife features a rust-free Damascus pattern and was designed to cut vegetables quickly. It has a bevel edge on both sides and a sharper edge than American and European brands. There are also several layers of wood impregnated with plastic resin and riveted to the full tang of the handle.
SHI BA ZI ZUO Chef Knife Chinese Cleaver
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The handle of this Chinese cleaver is made of wood for a more comfortable grip. In addition to being corrosion-resistant and durable, the Shi Ba Zi Zuo is made of stainless steel that is seven inches long. To keep the blade’s edge sharp for as long as possible, a special wet sharpening method was developed.
The Shi Ba Zi Zuo has a rosewood handle that has been polished to a high shine, making it easier to hold and more pleasurable to use. It can be used for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables, as well as any other food item you can think of.
The Shi Ba Zi Zuo has a wide blade that can be used as a spatula to crush garlic and prepare ingredients for a wok, making it ideal for outdoor use, restaurants, and homes alike. The blade is made of three layers of high-quality clad steel and is extremely thick and strong. An additional non-stick coating prevents food from sticking to the blade.
Anti-slip design on the Shi Ba Zi Zuo’s full tang handle makes it an excellent “pivot point” when using the blade. Carvings on the surface of the handle help keep it in place. These are heavy-duty multi-purpose knives that can be used in a variety of situations.
TUO Vegetable Cleaver- Chinese Chef’s Knife
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The TUO Vegetable Cleaver is made of stainless steel and measures seven inches in length. This knife is both functional and beautiful, with an ergonomic design and a narrow blade that makes it easy to maneuver. Nitrogen cryogenic tempering and a high-tech vacuum heat treatment ensure excellent performance, durability, flexibility, and incredible strength using special-forged high-carbon stainless steel.
As a result of the Tuo’s German stainless-steel edge, cutting is both quick and easy. It can be used for a wide range of kitchen tasks and will quickly become a standard in every kitchen. Cuts through tough vegetables, tough cartilage, and tough cuts of meat with ease with this multi-purpose professional chef’s knife.
It’s easy to flatten garlic and tenderize meat with the Tuo’s wide blade, and it also lets you scoop up ingredients so you can carry them to the wok. The Pakkawood handle on this durable and versatile cleaver features a gentle curve to the blade. Designed with comfort and maneuverability in mind, this handle features a polished bolster. In addition, its full tang construction ensures that you have a long-lasting and stable blade.
Meat Cleaver 7 inch Vegetable and Butcher Knife
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For use in a restaurant or in the kitchen at home, the Aroma House Knife Cleaver is made of high-carbon German Steel imported from Germany. This seven-inch knife has an ergonomic handle that makes it ideal for slicing poultry and large boneless meats. It is able to mince, dice, and mince tough fruits and vegetables with minimal effort and minimal cleanup and upkeep.
The Aroma House Knife Cleaver has a 17-inch blade angle on each side and a curved blade for efficient chopping, giving you maximum performance in the kitchen. Using only one piece of high carbon German steel, you have ensured a razor-sharp edge that is stain and wear-resistant. For both heavy-duty cutting and delicate detail work this Chinese cleaver knife has a perfectly balanced design.
The hand-polished bolster provides finger protection in addition to serving as a counterweight. Due to its high-tech vacuum heat treatment, the Aroma House Knife Cleaver can cut for longer and further. It has rust and corrosion-resistant design and a wide blade to keep your fingers away from cutting surfaces.
This Chinese cleaver is made of high-quality carbon stainless steel with vanadium, molybdenum, and chromium metal elements, which give it a unique combination of hardness and strength. Aroma House Knife Cleaver’s handle design is non-slip, which helps prevent the blade from falling. Also included is a sturdy storage box with a magnetic closure to keep your knife safe and free of stains.
Japanese high-carbon steel is used to make the Kyoku Samurai Series Cleaver Knife, which has a Pakkawood handle. This knife has a mirror polished, flexible, corrosion-resistant, and incredibly hard blade with a hollow edge design. The opulent Mosaic Pin that comes with the ergonomic handle completes the look.
KYOKU Samurai Series
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Edge retention and performance are unmatched thanks to the Kyoku Samurai Series Cleaver Knife’s cryogenically treated steel and additional cobalt. Using this well-balanced knife, you can chop and slice for a longer period of time without experiencing finger pain or fatigue. A mosaic pin adorns the long-lasting handle, which was meticulously crafted and treated to make it impervious to moisture, cold, and heat.
Crafted by seasoned artisans using a traditional three-step Honbazuke method, the blade is extremely sharp. There’s a lifetime warranty included with the Kyoku Samuari Series Cleaver Knife, as well.
Shun Classic 7 Inch Cleaver Ebony PakkaWood Handle
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The Shun Classic has an ebony Pakkawood handle that makes it the best knife for chopping and slicing vegetables. While this Chinese knife is powerful and nimble, its wide blade makes it ideal for chopping garlic and its sharp edge makes it ideal for cutting large vegetables like cabbages. The weight and power of this seven-inch knife allow for precise and agile movements.
Carbon and tungsten contribute to the steel’s durability and strength, while the addition of chromium makes it corrosion and wear-resistant. Using this vegetable cleaner is a breeze because of its thin blade, which makes it easier to control and more enjoyable to cook with. This is a beautiful knife that was handcrafted in Japan and is suitable for any household.
Handcrafted with precision and skill, the Shun Classic is a product of innovation and cutting-edge technology. Metal alloy layers are forged together into one sheet of steel to create the stunning Damascus effect.
Mac Knife Japanese Series Vegetable Cleaver
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With a thin, double-bevel edge, the Mac Knife is ideal for chopping and slicing a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. An inch and a half long vegetable cleaner have a straight edge, allowing you to cut without having to shimmy your knife around.
Katsura-muki, a Japanese technique for creating thin sheets out of vegetables like cucumbers and daikon radish, is commonly used by Japanese chefs, but it is also a multi-purpose knife that can be used on seafood and meat. The handle of the Mac Knife is made of Pakkawood, and the blade is made of molybdenum steel.
Winco Blade Chinese Cleaver Wooden Handle
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The Winco Chinese Cleaver comes with a wooden handle and a 3 ½-inch wide blade. Made of high carbon steel, the blade is eight inches long and is dishwasher safe. This is a corrosion-resistant knife that is super easy to clean.
Able to cut through tough meat and tissue, the Winco Chinese Cleaver is made with a strong stainless-steel blade that is durable and long-lasting. The wooden handle has a traditional appearance and comfortable grip, so you won’t get tired of using it for long periods of time.
KITORY Chinese Traditional Hand Made Forged Carbon Steel Cleaver
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The Kitory Chinese Steel Cleaver has a carbon steel blade that is welded to the handle without soldering, making it extremely sharp and durable. This vegetable cleaver is a mainstay of Chinese cutlery and has been around for centuries. This knife is made of high-quality stainless steel and is hand-sharpened to ensure a long life.
The Kitory Chinese Steel Cleaver is entirely handcrafted out of manganese steel. No modern chemicals were used to create this century-old handle. Because the handle was ground by hand, you can see the unevenness of the surface.
What to look for when buying the best chinese cleaver
Purpose
An essential distinction to be made between a Chinese and a regular meat cleaver is that the former is slightly longer. It is not recommended that these two knives be used interchangeably. To cut through stubborn bones and joints, meat cleavers have large, hefty blades. While vegetable cleavers have narrower blades, they are designed to cut, dice, mince, and grate a wide variety of foodstuffs. Visually, meat cleavers have a hole in their blade’s end, while Chinese vegetables knives don’t have this feature.
As a bench scraper, it may be used to transfer vegetables from a chopping board to a pan because of its large blade. Garlic and nuts, for example, can be crushed with the wide blade.
Material for the Blade
The material of the blade has a significant impact on both the performance of the knife and the ease with which it can be maintained and sharpened. However, carbon steel cleavers have been used by the Chinese for centuries, and this metal is prone to corrosion. Your food may taste and smell like metal if you cook it in carbon steel. You must sharpen your knife on a regular basis if you want to use it for a long time.
Because of carbon steel’s drawbacks, stainless steel is now the material of choice for many manufacturing companies. As a result, stainless steel blades tend to be less sharp than those made of carbon steel, which is more rust-resistant. Stainless-steel Chinese cleavers are also more difficult to sharpen.
It’s generally accepted that stainless steel Chinese cleavers are superior to carbon steel cleavers, or cleavers made of both.
Handle the Design and Materials
The handle of the Chinese cleavers you’re considering is an important consideration as you shop. When it comes to choosing the best, it all comes down to personal preference. For the most part, you’ll have no trouble finding a Chinese cleaver that suits your needs because there are so many available.
For those who prefer a more traditional grip, a handle crafted from real wood is probably the better choice. Other handle materials, on the other hand, tend to be more sanitary and durable.
It’s common to see a knife’s design style referred to as partial or full tang. Because the handle and blade are connected, the blade is less likely to fall out if the handle is broken, making a full tang handle more secure.
Dimensions and Poundage
Choosing a knife with a weight and size that is comfortable to hold and control is important. Make sure you pick the right cleaver so that you can use and move it without straining your shoulders and arms.
Additional features to look for in a Chinese cleaver
These extra traits may be seen on some Chinese cleavers:
- If the knife is kept in a drawer rather than a knife block, a protective sheath is needed to retain the blade’s sharpness.
- Boxes that can also be used for storing and gifting.
- A claim that the dishwasher is safe to use. Sharp blades, on the other hand, should always be washed by hand in order to extend their usefulness.
FAQs
The following are some frequently asked questions about Chinese cleavers.
What characteristics should a Chinese cleaver have?
It’s best to look for an 8-inch Chinese cleaver with a 6- to 8-inch high-carbon stainless steel blade.
What’s the difference between a Chinese cleaver and a Japanese nakiri knife?
A Japanese nakiri resembles a Chinese cleaver in appearance but is smaller and lighter in weight than the Chinese counterpart.
How can I make sure that my Chinese cleaver is in tip-top shape?
You keep your cleaver in tip-top shape, make sure to hand-wash, sharpen, and preserve it.
How do you hone a cleaver’s cutting edge?
Cleavers, like all knives, need to be sharpened on a regular basis to keep their cutting edge sharp. It is best to get the cleaver sharpened by a professional or an at-home sharpener. Maintain the same angle as you move the blade from heel to tip.
Are Chinese cleavers good?
Professional chefs use Chinese cleavers frequently, which is why they’re becoming increasingly popular in home cooks’ kitchens as well.
This is a great knife for slicing and dicing everything from veggies to meats because it has a robust yet sharp blade.
Some cleavers are better suited for cleaving meats than others, depending on their design. Many of these knives have a strong blade that can cut through bone like butter, while others have a narrower blade for precision slicing on vegetables and delicate meats.
Chinese cleavers are among the world’s best knives, despite their high price. A cleaver is used to mince lamb meat.
Cleavers can be used to slice vegetables, but are they good for this purpose?
Yes, in a nutshell! With their razor-sharp blades, cleavers are capable of cutting through anything. We are even on our way to try it as a boning knife though it is not recommended at all.
You should opt for a vegetable-specific cleaver with a narrow blade in order to get the best results while slicing veggies. Carrots, potatoes, even delicate herbs and garlic can all be minced with this device.
