You don’t have to be a top chef to appreciate the value of having different tools and gadgets that can help you with different aspects of your cooking.
Whether it be pots, pans, knives, or chopping boards, there’s something that suits every stage of preparing a dish.
Adding a meat cleaver to your growing collection of kitchen utensils will make meat preparation a much easier task as you’ll be able to cut through skin and bone effortlessly.
From filleting a bigger joint to slicing a superb steak, this heavy-duty knife is worth having if you’re a self-confessed carnivore with a taste for perfectly cut, home-prepared meat.
Quality kitchen knives can be expensive, however, and there’s a lot to choose from if you’re browsing the market with only a loose idea of what you’re looking for.
Beyond being able to cut through bone, what else do you want to get out of buying a brand new meat cleaver?
This article aims to help you figure this out and more so you can find the best meat cleaver for cutting bone that’s best suited to you and your culinary needs.
To give you a few great examples, we’ve recommended 5 meat cleavers we would happily (and highly) recommend.
Even the thickest joints of meat are no match for the Utopia Kitchen meat cleaver knife, with 7 inches of cutting power that allows you to make longer cuts with ease, so it’s perfect for larger joints and for both butchers and chefs.
It has enough strength to make short work of cutting through bone, so the amount of prep time needed to ready it is reduced.
The blade is 3mm thick with a sharp edge that allows you to make safe, swift cuts with the utmost precision.
Comfort was clearly a driving force in the design yet it’s also comfortable, and the ergonomic handle fits nicely in your hand with a good grip that prevents any slipping.
Made from ABS+430, it’s highly durable and should last you a long time if properly maintained.
Luckily, proper maintenance includes being able to pop the cleaver in the dishwasher making cleaning super convenient.
The stainless steel blade is also corrosion and rust-resistant which further extends its lifespan. And for all this, it’s ridiculously affordable.
Pros
Price: This is the most affordable option and it offers excellent value for money.
Durable: Designed for the busy kitchen, it can handle the demands of daily use.
Materials: Constructed with an ABS+430 handle and stainless less blade.
Size: Ideal for larger cuts.
Cons
Re-sharpening: Some customers complained that it needed frequent sharpening.
Next, we have another affordable meat cleaver from Juvale which is slightly larger than our top pick.
The 8-inch blade is great at getting through tough meat and has no trouble cutting through bone, so it would be a great knife to be able to pull out of your chef’s hat.
The solid handle is a real selling point for this meat cleaver as it’s as durable as it is beautiful.
Made of trip-riveted, ergonomic solid wood and measuring 6 inches in length, it provides the ultimate level of comfort and control for safer slicing.
One of the great things about this meat cleaver is how convenient it is.
When it’s time to clean up, simply chuck* it in the dishwasher (*place it carefully making sure not to cut yourself) and voilà. There’s also a hole in the corner, so you can hang it up for easy storage.
Pros
Cleaning: Dishwasher safe for a quicker and more convenient clean-up.
Handle: The handle is made of long-lasting, ergonomic solid wood and is comfortable to hold.
Size: Ideal for larger cuts.
Storage: You can conveniently hang it or store it using the hook hole.
Cons
Weight: The size and length of the cleaver mean it weighs 2.1 lbs which is quite heavy.
It’s perhaps not the best knife to start off with if you’re still learning your way around a kitchen, but this Dalstrong cleaver knife is of high professional quality and would be a great investment for any butcher or chef looking to add to their collection of tools.
As well as doing an excellent job of slicing, chopping, and cutting both meat and bone with minimal effort, this versatile knife can be used for a variety of purposes and foods like fruits, fish, and vegetables.
The knife is full tang with a lengthy 9-inch blade, so it’s ideal for cutting up large joints both in size and in durability.
It has an extra-thick, ambidextrous handle which helps improve grip, it’s manufactured using G10 Garolite, and it’s a durable combination of hard and flexible.
Pros
Warranty: Your purchase is protected by a 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee.
Design: It combines a sleek aesthetic with practicality and safety.
Premium materials: The blade is made with imported high-carbon German steel with a hand-polished edge at 14 to 16 degrees.
Cons
Price: Prepare for your bank balance to take a hit, as this the most expensive option we’ve included in this list.
If you’re looking to spend a little more than the price of the most affordable options we’ve shown you so far, but at the same time you don’t want to fork out for Dalstrong prices, then the Tuo meat cleaver is a great alternative from the mid-range market.
Made using premium German steel, the blade is durable and it has a high resistance to rust and corrosion because it was treated with high-tech vacuum heat and nitrogen cold treatment, which increased the steel hardness to HRC56+2 making it a cost-effective choice.
By using the hole to conveniently store the cleaver on a hook you can keep the knife nearby for quick and easy use.
Speaking of quick, it can cut through bone in no time thanks to its razor-sharp edge that was hand-polished using the traditional 3-step Honbazuke method.
The ergonomic pakkawood handle is also worth mentioning as it’s comfortable to hold, and the intriguing tan and white pattern that covers it draws inspiration from the power of a tiger.
Perhaps that’s what puts such power in your swing as you slice through meat and bone.
Pros
Storage: You can conveniently hang it or store it using the hook hole.
Razor-sharp: Each side of the blade is honed to 18 degrees for optimum cutting.
Cost-effective: It’s made with long-lasting, quality materials for a reasonable price.
Design: The handle is a tan and black pattern that will look good in your kitchen.
Cons
Weight: It’s not the heaviest meat cleaver we’ve included but at 1.5 lbs it will still feel pretty weighty in your hand.
Last up on the chopping block (or chopping board, as the case may be), we have the Dragon Riot cleaver knife which is another mid-range meat cleaver.
Use it to slice, dice, and mince a variety of meat including chicken, lamb chops, steaks, and even vegetables or fruits.
It has a full tang and the knife is handmade, forged using a combination of high carbon steel and high manganese steel.
This does mean that it requires more careful cleaning and drying between uses to reduce the risk of rust, but with proper maintenance, it should perform well.
The blade is super sharp and the cleaver as a whole was designed to be well-balanced, so it sits comfortably in your hand while you’re using it, and the 4mm blade thickness also allows for optimal precision when you’re making cuts.
Pros
Warranty: Your purchase is protected by a 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee within 30 days and fault-related cover for up to 12 months.
Size: Ideal for larger cuts.
Design: The hand-forged knife will look great in your kitchen thanks to the intricate, unique design on the blade, yet it still has a classic look.
Value for money: Customers praise it and it has a long lifespan so you’ll get a lot of use out of this knife for a reasonable price.
Cons
Cleaning: The stainless steel blade requires more care to clean and shouldn’t be left wet between uses, or it could lead to rusting and corrosion.
Best Meat Cleavers For Cutting Bone Buying Guide
Now you’ve seen our carefully crafted reviews of 5 of the best meat cleavers for cutting bone, but here are a few things to look out for when shopping for one of these knives.
What are you waiting for? Chop, chop.
Materials
In your quest to find the most cutting-edge meat cleaver available and at the same time due to the nature of its job, you’ll need a meat cleaver that can withstand the heavy-duty duties of consistently chopping and cutting through meat and bone.
This includes looking at the material the blade is made from, which is usually stainless or carbon steel, and the handle of the meat cleaver.
Wood handles like walnut are a good choice, or there are also materials such as pakkawood and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
It does tend to be true that to find the better quality meat cleaver knives made with premium materials, you’ll need to look more closely toward the higher end of the price spectrum, but there are still a few great meat cleavers for a more than reasonable price.
Balance
Meat cleavers have a habit of being blade-heavy which can throw off the balance of your swing as you chop, as well as causing the knife to feel clunky or uncomfortable to hold.
The reason for the forward weight is that this is what creates the natural falling momentum for the knife to lean into with each swing, making much lighter work of cutting through meat and bone.
However, if this weight is taken too far (forward) then it can mean only the front portion of the blade is making meaningful contact and effective cuts.
You also need to consider the weight of the material the knife is constructed from and how much this will add to the overall weight, as this could be a key factor in determining if a cleaver is suitable or if it will be tricky for you to wield safely.
Design
Whilst it’s important to find a meat cleaver knife that’s well-constructed and with a durable design, you also need to think about how comfortable it’s going to be to hold.
Meat cleavers can make light work of chopping through meat and bone, but if it’s too big, uncomfortable, awkward, or heavy to hold in your hand, you’ll hardly want to use it which defeats the purpose.
It’s supposed to make things easier for you, not harder, essentially.
Plus, there are different aesthetic designs that may also influence your decision, depending on whether or not you prefer a classic, streamlined, simple design or one that’s a bit funkier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can other knives cut through bone?
As well as a meat cleaver, you’ll find that you can also cut through bone using a butcher’s knife or a boning knife.
Why is there a small hole in the corner of a meat cleaver?
Meat cleavers are a type of knife that is particularly heavy and traditionally they were hung up for easy access.
Having a small hole allows you to hook and hang the cleaver so it’s safe, secure, and out of the way whilst also being within easy reaching distance when you need it.
Should a meat cleaver be sharp?
Because of the amount of chopping that meat cleavers are used for, they don’t need to be particularly sharp as the knife edge will only end up potentially folding or chipping as it cuts.
For the best results, you should sharpen your meat cleaver to an angle of around 50 degrees or 25 degrees on either side, which is quite blunt compared to other types of knives.
Remember a butchercleaver should be used with a cutting board at all times for safety. same goes for a chef's knife. Anything with a steelblade like a heavy duty cleaver needs to be handled with care. For added safety make sure your cleaver has a wooden handle for better gripping.
Some find the Chinese cleaver best. I prefer a sharp kitchen knife or chef knife for thick meat. A Japanese meat cleaver is deemed to be the strongest.
Best Meat Cleavers For 2023: Here Are Our Top 5 Picks
These options are sure to be a hit. So, gather your family and friends and enjoy. Let us know your thoughts!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
