HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST CLEAVER KNIFE
Blade
Cleavers specialize in their brute force which makes them perfect for quickly chopping through bones and thick cuts of meat in one powerful chop. This is why you want a thick, sturdy blade with a full-tang handle. This way, you’ll never have to worry about your knife falling apart simply from the brute force it will endure while chopping. When it comes to choosing blade material, high-carbon stainless steel is the winning combination. High-carbon stainless steel blades are sturdy, keep a sharp edge, and are stain and rust resistant. Another important factor when choosing a cleaver is blade thickness. When choosing your cleaver, match the thickness of the blade with what you intend to use it for. If you want to be able to chop through bone, joints, cartilage, and thick pieces of meat, choose a thick heavy duty blade. Or, if you plan on chopping though vegetables and crushing garlic, a thinner lighter blade is the best choice to avoid hand and wrist fatigue.
Length
Dexter Russell offers cleavers ranging from 6 to 9 inches, which is the standard range for cleavers. The size blade you choose should reflect the size of meat you are cutting. The most standard cleaver size is a 7 or 8 inch blade with a weight of 2 pounds more or less. The weight is to help with the swing of the cleaver-too heavy and you won’t get the precision you need, but too light and you won’t be able to get enough momentum to chop through the meat. If you are in your own kitchen and know you’ll only chop small cuts of chicken or small vegetables with your cleaver, the 6 inch blade will best suit you. The upside to a smaller cleaver is the lighter weight and increased amount of control. However, if you have very large cuts of meat and large bones to chop through an 8 or 9 inch blade will best fit your needs.
Handle
As mentioned before, a full-tang handle will ensure that heavy chopping does not separate you blade from the handle. A full-tang handle will also give your knife more balance throughout which will add its ease of use. So when choosing a cleaver, you should always choose the wooden handle with a full-tang blade. There are more comfortable options available, but with a cleaver, durability slightly outranks comfort to ensure your blade can withstand all the chopping that it’s made for.
Shape
The shape of a cleaver is large, rectangular, and broad faced. The blunt blade is perfect for chopping through thick objects with force, while the broad blade face is perfect for crushing garlic or scooping meat and vegetables up and straight into the pan. Even the top of the blade serves its purpose-it can be used to tenderize meat. The cleaver is a versatile kitchen tool, and choosing the right one for you will easily make it one of your favorite knives.
BEST CLEAVER KNIVES
The Dexter Russell Basics 6″ Stainless Steel Cleaver is the perfect light duty cleaver if you plan on chopping small to mid-size fruits and vegetables or small cuts of meat. The lightweight feel of this cleaver paired with its full-tang polypropylene handle will let you chop for hours without tiring. That is the major added benefit of using a cleaver that fits your chopping needs-overestimating the size blade you’ll need will lead to avoidable fatigue. This blade is budget friendly, so if you are in need or a larger cleaver, pairing it with a smaller one could save your hand while chopping different sized meats. Not to mention, the Basics cleaver has earned the NSF blade to handle seal and boasts a stainless steel blade, ensuring your knife remains in excellent condition long after its first use. Buy Here
The Dexter Russell Traditional 7″ Stainless Heavy Duty Cleaver is a heavy duty cleaver that will chop right through the toughest cartilage, joints, and bones. Its full-tang rosewood handle provides ultimate balance and comfort, not to mention lasting power. Paired with its solid high-carbon stainless steel blade, it will not chip, rust, or stain. This cleaver is a kitchen favorite among many knife enthusiasts, and if this knife sounds like the right fit, we hope it becomes your favorite too.
Dexter Russell Traditional 7″ Stainless Heavy Duty Cleaver- Buy Here
The Dexter Russell Traditional 9″ Stainless Heavy Duty Cleaver is the largest cleaver Dexter offers, and it’s for the largest jobs. This cleaver weighs 3lbs, and packs a punch when it comes to chopping. This 9 inch cleaver will come in handy if you need to chop large cuts of beef, whole turkey or chicken. This cleaver is full-tang, and has a high-carbon stainless steel blade for chip, stain and rust resistance. This cleaver is made to last, and we promise, you won’t regret purchasing it for your biggest chopping jobs.
Dexter Russell Traditional 9″ Stainless Heavy Duty Cleaver- Buy Here
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