A meat cleaver is an essential cutting tool for professional and home kitchens. Whether you prefer to chop your own meat for a juicy T-bone or rib-eye steak, quarter a whole chicken, cut up duck or lobster, large vegetables, and fruit, a razor-sharp cleaver is the perfect tool for the job.
The 10 Best Cleavers
- TUO Cleaver
- Utopia Kitchen Cleaver
- Mueller Cleaver
- Imarku Cleaver
- DALSTRONG Gladiator Series Cleaver Knife (Our Top Pick)
- Lux Decor Kitchen Cleaver
- Dexter-Russell S5288 Cleaver
- KitchenAid KKFTR6CLOB Cleaver
- Global Meat Cleaver
- KOFERY Cleaver
Our Top Pick for the Best Cleaver
Our top pick for the best cleaver is the DALSTRONG Gladiator Series Cleaver Knife. With a 200 year legacy of designing superb knives, you can rely on the German-made Gladiator cleaver for a lifetime of quick and easy food preparation. The Dalstrong cleaver excels at chopping up meat, vegetables, and fruit and it will help you to be more effective, creative, and precise in the kitchen.
Check the price on AmazonHow to Choose the Best Cleaver
Out of all the butchery knives in the kitchen, the meat cleaver is highly versatile and will help you to accomplish a wide range of food preparation tasks such as:
- Cut, chop, and dice up a large piece of meat into smaller pieces
- Strip meat off the bone
- Mince raw meat
- Separate a whole chicken into portions
- Chop through beef or lamb rib bones
- Hacking through carcasses and cartilage
- Cut up salmon or tuna sushi
- Chop up large vegetables or fruit like a pumpkin, watermelon, or cantaloupe
- Crack open a coconut
You can even use the blade’s spine to tenderize meat, crush garlic and scrape any food leftovers off your cutting board and into the trash can.
Design
Meat cleavers have a distinctive design with a short and heavy square or rectangular blade that is wider than other types of butcher knives and the blade is connected to a strong and sturdy handle.
There are two types of cleavers: a Western cleaver and a Chinese or Japanese cleaver.
Western Cleaver
A western-style cleaver, such as the KOFERY Cleaver, has a wider blade design and a thicker spine which makes it the perfect knife for heavy-duty butchery applications such as chopping up thick pieces of beef or lamb, cutting a whole chicken into portions, or cracking open a coconut.
Chinese and Japanese Cleavers
Chinese or Japanese cleavers such as the TUO Cleaver and the Global Meat Cleaver have a blade that is not as wide as a Western-style cleaver and the spine will usually be thinner.
Chinese cleavers are primarily designed for chopping up softer foods such as vegetables and fish but their smaller size also makes them a very good choice for chopping smaller pieces of meat and removing meat from bones. However, they can develop chips in the blade if you use them for chopping through hard bone.
Blade Length
Cleavers range in blade length from 6-9-inches. The best type of cleaver is one that is between 7-8-inches as this type of blade has loads of versatility and can cut through thick meat and bones and vegetables and it makes the cleaver easy to wield as you cut and chop.
Smaller cleavers under 7-inches are ideal for working with small pieces of meat, vegetables, and fruit. However, they may be too lightweight to get a good purchase on the handle as you bear down on the knife.
Larger 9-inches blades are designed for chopping up larger pieces of meat but they may be too heavy and cumbersome for people with small hands.
Blade Construction
High carbon steel is the preferred steel for a meat cleaver as it is super strong and ensures that the blades hold their razor-sharp edge over the long term but it can rust easily if you do not look after the blade.
100% stainless steel is a great choice too as it has high rust and stain resistance and can retain its sharpness for a long time. However, it can still develop rust if you do not fully dry the cleaver after each use.
Forged blades are ideal for chopping into thick meat and cartilage and splitting bone but they can make the cleaver heavy to lift.
To keep the cleaver razor-sharp and ready for action, learn how to sharpen the blade.
Ergonomic Handle
Handles can be made out of wood, stainless steel, or plastic. Plastic feels comfortable and can be used indoors or outdoors but it can crack at high temperatures.
Pakka wood or rosewood looks beautiful but wood can harbor bacteria unless it is laminated or polished such as the Dalstrong or Dexter-Russell cleavers.
Stainless steel looks super stylish but it can get slippery unless it has a textured surface such as the Global Meat Cleaver, and they can either be welded onto the blade or have a full tang construction.
While triple-riveted handles allow for durability, a full tang cleaver, such as the Utopia Kitchen Cleaver, ensures extra strength, rigidity, and balance.
Whatever type of material you choose, the handle should have an ergonomic design and allow you to grip the handle securely so that you can wield the knife with confidence.
10 Best Cleavers – Reviews
1. TUO Cleaver
The Chinese-style TUO Cleaver is ideal for professional chefs or home cooks and it can be used for chopping and dicing all types of meat and vegetables.
Its highly polished blade is made from German high-carbon, heat-treated stainless steel with a Rockwell hardness of 56+, so it is extra strong, rust-resistant, and stain-resistant. The ultra razor-sharp blade cuts easily through thick meat, retains its sharpness very well, and is easy to resharpen.
The full tang design provides good balance and helps you to maintain control over the cleaver as you chop meat and clean food off your cutting board after use. Its polished spine also allows for a firm pinch grip.
Whether you are a right or left-handed cook, the ergonomic curved black Pakkawood handle is very comfortable to hold. Triple rivets not only give the cleaver extra durability but they look very stylish on the black handle.
To make sure that your beautiful TUO cleaver always stays in excellent condition, hand wash it and dry it after each use. The meat cleaver comes in an attractive gift box and it is covered by a 100% money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Very good price
- Beautifully crafted
- Ideal for professional chefs and home cooks
- Superior high carbon German stainless steel
- Can be used for chopping and dicing meat
- Extra strong blade
- Rust and stain resistant
- Ultra-sharp razor edge
- Full tang design
- Polished spine allows for a firm pinch grip
- Good balance
- Comfortable ergonomic black Pakkawood handle
- Ideal for right and left-handed cooks
- Triple-riveted ensures durability
- Easy to clean
- Attractive gift box
- 100% money-back guarantee
Cons
- Washing in the dishwasher can ruin the cleaver
- Not ideal for cutting through bones
2. Utopia Kitchen Cleaver
This sleek and stylish Utopia Kitchen Cleaver is designed for commercial kitchens as it has a lot of versatility for everyday heavy-duty chopping tasks.
For a superior cutting performance, the cleaver has a full-tang design and an extra-sharp corrosion-resistant 100% stainless steel 7-inches blade. The blade has excellent edge retention and maintains its sharpness over the long term.
Also, the blade gives you good traction when cutting, chopping, and mincing thick pieces of meat, vegetables, and fruits such as melon, pineapples, and squash.
The cleaver is well balanced and has an ergonomic easy-gripping stainless steel and ABS black plastic handle which allows you to maintain a good solid grip on the handle.
Although the knife is dishwasher safe, hand washing is recommended to retain the fine quality of the cleaver’s exceptional blade.
Pros
- Excellent price
- Great value for money
- Superior cutting performance
- Sleek and stylish design
- Has a full tang design for durability
- Heavy-duty cleaver is made of 100% stainless steel
- Durable and corrosion-resistant
- Ultra-sharp edge
- Long-lasting sharpness
- Ideal for heavy-duty cutting, chopping, and mincing tasks
- Can be used for vegetables and fruit
- Good balance
- Excellent edge retention
- Ergonomic easy-gripping stainless steel and ABS black plastic handle
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Handle is quite slippery and cracks easily
- Not ideal for chopping through thick bones
- Blade is a bit thin
- No replacement warranty
3. Mueller Cleaver
Designed and engineered in Germany, the sleek and stylish Japanese-style Mueller Cleaver is built to last a lifetime.
Highly versatile, this sturdy, well-balanced cleaver can be used for a wide range of tasks such as chopping, mincing, and dicing meat, cutting vegetables and fruit.
Its extremely sharp stainless steel 7-inches blade has outstanding edge retention, toughness, and corrosion-resistance, and the strong spine is just right for slicing the meat off the bone and mincing meat.
For effortless slicing, the cleaver’s 18° double-sided edge provides the perfect cutting angle and allows it to glide through thick pieces of meat precisely and quickly.
The ergonomic non-slip stainless steel handle fits comfortably in your hand. Its handle has been carefully sized to keep your hand away from the cutting surface and its seamless one-piece design provides extra durability.
Although the Mueller cleaver is dishwasher safe, it is best to hand wash it to maintain its stunning appearance. You can use the hole on the blade to hang the cleaver above your food preparation area in your kitchen.
Pros
- Great quality
- Excellent price
- Designed and engineered in Germany
- Sleek and stylish
- Strong and durable high carbon stainless steel
- Ideal for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing meat
- Can also be used for vegetables or fruit
- Extremely sharp blade has outstanding edge retention, toughness, and corrosion-resistance
- Glides through thick meat
- Ergonomic, non-slip stainless steel handle is comfortable to hold
- Handle is carefully designed to protect your hand
- Well-balanced seamless bonded design
- Hanging hole
- Easy to clean
- Can be put in the dishwasher
Cons
- Not ideal for cutting through bones
- Bit heavy
4. Imarku Cleaver
This multifunctional Imarku Cleaver is an excellent choice for a restaurant or a home kitchen as it can perform a wide range of food preparation applications such as chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing thick chunks of meat and slice bone, and chop vegetables.
The 7-inches/2.7mm thick high-carbon stainless steel blade has an attractive mirror finish and its ultra-high Rockwell hardness of 58-60 makes chopping large pieces of meat into smaller pieces and even bone, quick and easy. Even though the blade is thinly ground, it has an excellent edge retention and long-lasting sharpness.
Stylish as well as functional, the cleaver has an ergonomic superior Pakkawood handle which is smooth and comfortable to hold and it has excellent antibacterial qualities. For easy storage, there is a hole at the end of the handle which can be attached to a piece of rope so that you can hang it on a hook or peg.
This blade is not designed to be used over hot flames or for chopping frozen food as this could cause the blade to lose its sharpness. To keep it clean, just hand wash it using mild soap and water as opposed to using the dishwasher.
The imarku cleaver is covered by a lifetime warranty.
Pros
- High quality
- Ideal for professional or home kitchens
- High carbon stainless steel with Rockwell Hardness Scale (HRC): 58-60
- Strong and sharp
- Great cutting performance
- Ideal for chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing thick chunks of meat
- Can slice through small bones and chop vegetables
- Attractive ergonomic Pakkawood handle
- Excellent edge retention and long-lasting sharpness
- Handle has a hole for easy storage
- Lifetime warranty
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Expensive price
- Not to be used over hot flames or for chopping frozen food
- Handle feels a little slippery when wet
- Not ideal for heavy-duty meat processing tasks
- Not ideal for cleaning in the dishwasher
5. DALSTRONG Gladiator Series Cleaver
With an award-winning design, superior craftsmanship, and precise cutting edge technology, the 7-inches DALSTRONG Gladiator Series Cleaver is one tough chopping machine.
Whatever type of heavy-duty cooking tasks you have to do, the DALSTRONG cleaver can power through them, such as breaking down larger cuts of boneless meats, cutting through rib bones as well as chopping large vegetables and fruits.
The full-tang cleaver has a superbly crafted high-carbon German steel blade that has been tempered and hand polished to a stunningly beautiful satin finish.
For an exceptional cutting and chopping performance, the extra tall blade provides excellent knuckle clearance for easy food preparation and the sharp edge has been carefully tapered for improved hardness, flexibility, and minimal slicing resistance.
Working with the DALSTRONG cleaver is a delight. It is well balanced and the luxury ergonomic laminated Spanish black Pakkawood triple-riveted handle provides you with a superior grip while you wield the cleaver and chop, dice, and slice your food for your latest culinary creation.
The mirror-polished finger protective bolster, and the engraved Dalstrong center rivet and stainless steel end cap adds extra balance and creates that special touch of elegant distinction.
The cleaver is easy to sharpen and clean but to keep it looking fantastic, it is best to hand wash and dry it. Dalstrong includes a BPA-free PerfectFit Dalstrong sheath and the cleaver is covered by Dalstrong’s famous 100% money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Exceptional quality
- Excellent value for money
- Award-winning premium design
- Can be used for cutting various kinds of meat and vegetables
- Can cut through bone
- Designed with a perfect balance between blade sharpness
- Maximum resilience
- Tall blade height gives knuckle clearance to assist with food preparation and chopping activity
- Lightweight and easy to use
- High durability and corrosion resistance
- Incredibly razor-sharp cleaver
- Full-tang
- High-carbon precision-forged hand-polished German steel
- Wide blade height provides useful knuckle clearance
- Luxury laminated Pakkawood handle is imported from Spain
- Ergonomic handle provides maximum comfort, grip, and maneuverability
- Stainless steel second bolster (end cap) adds balance and elegant distinction
- Engraved Dalstrong center rivet
- Easy to clean
- Includes a BPA protective Dalstrong PerfectFit sheath
- 100% money-back guarantee
Cons
- Expensive
- Blade edge can dent easily
6. Lux Decor Kitchen Cleaver
This super stylish Chinese-style Lux Decor Kitchen Cleaver is the ideal everyday chopping and slicing tool for meat or vegetable lovers. Its 7-inches premium high-carbon stainless steel blade is super sharp, delivers a professional cutting performance, and holds its edge retention over the long term.
Whether you need to chop up a large piece of meat, julienne a carrot, slice up shallots, or make sushi, the cleaver is very lightweight and gives you great maneuverability. The extra-sharp tip can be used to crack open a coconut or take the skin off a piece of ginger and the flat spine can tenderize the meat or crush a garlic clove.
You do not have to worry about the blade breaking off from the handle, as the Lux Decor Kitchen cleaver features a solid one-piece full-tang design that extends from the tip of the blade to the end of the handle.
The cleaver is well balanced and its ergonomic stainless steel handle has a non-slip black ABS plastic grip that makes it comfortable to use. A protective bolster guard ensures your safety during food preparation tasks.
For quick and easy storage, you can use the hole at the end of the blade to hang the cleaver up in your kitchen.
Although the cleaver is dishwasher safe, Lux Decor Kitchen highly recommends that you hand wash the cleaver to guarantee its longevity.
Pros
- High quality
- Extremely affordable price
- Super stylish
- Professional style cleaver
- Premium rust-resistant stainless steel blade
- Incredibly sharp blade
- Excellent cutting performance
- Very good edge retention
- Sturdy one-piece full tang design
- Excellent chopping performance
- Can be used for chopping, mincing, dicing, and slicing meat, fish, and vegetables
- Ideal for fine precision cutting, such as removing the skin from a fish
- Sharp tip can be used to crack a coconut or take the skin off ginger
- Flat spine can tenderize meat or crush garlic
- Well balanced
- Ergonomic handle is comfortable and has a non-slip black ABS plastic grip
- Protective bolster
- Hole for easy storage
- Easy to maintain
Cons
- Not ideal for cutting through bone
- Handle might be a bit short for larger hands
7. Dexter-Russell S5288 Cleaver
The Dexter-Russell S5288 Cleaver is proudly made in the US and it is the perfect knife for butchering all types of meat such as beef, lamb, pork, fish, and poultry, and tough enough to smash through chicken bones.
Built for hard work, the Dexter-Russell cleaver is meant to be swung like a hammer and its 8-inches high-carbon steel blade is razor-sharp. The individually ground and hand-honed blade edge can withstand repeated blows directly into thick meat and dense cartilage and the strong spine can be used to crush foods such as garlic and ginger.
Attractive as well as functional, the full tang handle is made from beautiful strong polished rosewood that is well-balanced and feels comfortable in your hand and the 3 large brass rivets add extra strength and durability.
As the cleaver has a high-carbon steel blade, it can rust and stain so make sure it is hand washed and dried after each use. For extra loving care, coat the blade with mineral oil and store it in a dry place.
The Dexter-Russell cleaver is covered by a limited lifetime warranty.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Extra sharp and strong 8-inches high-carbon blade
- High functionality
- Superior blade shape for easier slicing
- Perfect for butchering all types of meat such as beef, lamb, pork, fish, and poultry
- Ideal for thick meat, bone, and dense cartilage
- Blade’s spine can be used to crush foods such as garlic and ginger
- Individually ground and hand-honed blade edge geometry ensure a long-lasting performance
- Attractive and comfortable polished rosewood handles
- Well balanced
- Three large brass compression rivets for extra strength and durability
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Expensive
- Blade can rust and stain if not maintained properly
- Can be too big for small hands
8. KitchenAid KKFTR6CLOB Cleaver
With an exceptionally razor-sharp edge, the very affordable KitchenAid KKFTR6CLOB Cleaver can cut, chop, dice, and mince small pieces of meat such as beef, lamb, or chicken and chop through small bones in just seconds.
It may be one of the smaller cleavers with a 6-inches blade but it is solid and sturdy and its high-grade, high-carbon German forged stainless steel blade delivers excellent performance and has long-lasting edge retention.
The full tang cleaver is well balanced and the handle is made of durable onyx black plastic which is ergonomically engineered with a bolster for ultimate comfort and control. The polished triple steel rivets reinforce and strengthen the handle while also adding a touch of elegance.
One of the easiest cleavers to clean, it can go straight into the dishwasher as all of KitchenAid’s cutlery items are tested to withstand the toughest dishwasher cycles but for extra longerlasting appearance, hand washing is recommended.
The KitchenAid cleaver is covered by a limited lifetime warranty.
Pros
- Great quality
- High-grade German high-carbon stainless steel
- Designed for chopping small pieces of meat and small chicken bones
- Exceptional razor-sharp edge
- Sturdy and strong blade
- Well-balanced
- Full tang
- Very good edge retention
- Easy to re-sharpen
- Ergonomically engineered comfortable onyx black plastic handle with a bolster
- Polished triple steel rivets
- Quality tested to withstand the toughest dishwasher cycles
- Lifetime limited warranty
Cons
- Blade becomes dull quickly
- Steel can stain or rust if not maintained properly
- Not ideal for large thick pieces of meat
9. Global Meat Cleaver
If you are a dedicated meat-eater, the Japanese-made Global Meat Cleaver is a great choice for the butchering of all types of meat and poultry.
For heavy-duty tasks such as splitting meat and bone cutting, the high-quality Global G-12, 6½-inches meat cleaver is the preferred cutting tool of professional chefs and home cooks. It has a lightweight design and its razor-sharp blade retains its edge longer than any other major brand on the market.
Global has constructed its cleaver entirely out of CROMOVA 18 stainless steel with a high Rockwell hardness of C56-58. The special CROMOVA mixture of molybdenum, vanadium, and chromium makes the blade extra hard and able to maintain its famous sharpness for longer, while still being soft enough to sharpen with a whetstone.
The blade has a traditional square design and its straight edge blade has been hand sharpened and angled to 15° which gives you more cutting control without any hand fatigue.
The lightweight cleaver features a bolster less design which gives you full use of the handle and its weighted hollow handle provides the perfect balance. Global’s signature textured surface with black synthetic grips gives you a slip-free hold on the handle as you wield the cleaver and chop through meat and cleave through lamb ribs or chicken.
The handle’s seamless construction makes sure that it stays hygienically clean for longer.
To keep the sensational Global cleaver in tip-top condition, it needs to be hand washed and dried. Global offers a limited lifetime warranty on its sensational cleaver.
Pros
- Superb Japanese craftsmanship
- Professional design
- Great value for money
- Fantastic quality
- Constructed entirely of stainless steel
- High Rockwell C56-58 hardness
- Blade angled at 15° for more cutting control without any hand fatigue
- Razor-sharp straight edge sharpened by hand
- Designed to butcher meat and cut chicken carcasses
- Can be used for chopping and dicing vegetables
- Bolster less design for full edge use
- Hollow handle weighted for the perfect balance
- Black synthetic grips provide a slip-free hold
- Lightweight and perfectly balanced
- Long-term durability
- Excellent edge retention
- Very good rust, stain, and corrosion-resistance
- Easy to resharpen with a whetstone
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Very expensive
- Not ideal for thick bones
- Needs to be hand washed
- No finger-guard
10. KOFERY Cleaver
Specially designed for cutting bones, the KOFERY Cleaver is one beast of a knife. So whether you need to cut through chicken bones, pig bones, or sheep bones, the cleaver is definitely up to the challenge.
The KOFERY cleaver has been forged using the latest heat treatment technology which makes the blade tough, razor-sharp, and durable, and the v-shaped bevel reduces cutting resistance. The blade maintains its edge over the long term and is easy to resharpen.
As the stainless steel blade is 4.5-inches wide and has a thickness of 0.19-inches, this cleaver is the ideal tool for slicing, cutting, chopping, or shredding thick meat. It can be used for cutting fruit and vegetables but it is too heavy for softer fruits. The thick and strong spine makes it so easy to crush garlic cloves.
Its solid ergonomically designed wooden handle is comfortable to hold, and the full tang design and triple silver rivets ensure long-term durability. You can use the hole to hang the cleaver up in your kitchen.
To keep the cleaver in beautiful condition, hand wash it and dry it after use. For extra peace of mind, the KOFERY cleaver is covered by a risk-free full refund guarantee. The cleaver is also available in a 7-inch size.
Pros
- High quality
- Ideal for heavy-duty chopping and cutting
- Cuts through bones easily
- Can be used for vegetables and fruit
- Stainless steel blade is tough, razor-sharp, and durable
- V-shaped bevel reduces cutting resistance
- Very good edge retention
- Easy to resharpen
- Strong and thick spine can be used for crushing garlic cloves
- Solid ergonomic non-slip wooden handle is comfortable to hold
- Full tang design
- Triple-riveted for extra durability
- Risk-free full refund
Cons
- Pricey
- Heavy
- Handle may be a bit small for some cooks
Our Top Pick for the Best Cleaver
Our top pick for the best cleaver is the DALSTRONG Gladiator Series Cleaver Knife. With a 200 year legacy of designing superb knives, you can rely on the German-made Gladiator cleaver for a lifetime of quick and easy food preparation. The Dalstrong cleaver excels at chopping up meat, vegetables, and fruit and it will help you to be more effective, creative, and precise in the kitchen.
Check the price on Amazon
