A cleaver is a very important kitchen tool that every home cook should have. This large, square-shaped knife can do tasks that other knives struggle with. And so having a good cleaver will make many kitchen jobs much easier.
What Is a Cleaver Knife?
A cleaver looks like a big, heavy square knife. The blade is wide and made of thick steel. This makes it very strong. Cleavers also usually have a thick handle that lets you chop with force. And the weight of the knife also helps with heavy chopping.
Cleavers are most known for cutting through thick, hard foods. Many people first think of them as meat cleavers for cutting bones. But today’s home cleavers are handy for many tasks beyond just meat.
Why Add a Cleaver to Your Kitchen Knife Set
Here are the main reasons why a cleaver is a useful tool for home chefs:
Cleavers Handle Tough Foods Other Knives Can’t
The extra weight and thick blade let a cleaver chop right through hard, large foods. This includes big pieces of meat with thick bones. It can also chop firmer veggies like squash and pumpkins. And it cracks through larger fruits and melons.
Other lighter knives won’t be as good at brute force chopping. But a few whacks with a sturdy cleaver gets the job done!
Cleavers Are Great Multi-Purpose Tools
While cleavers can play the butchering role for meat, they work for many softer foods too. The wide blade can do quick scooping and moving of fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and more. The sharp sides also slice cleanly.
So a cleaver isn’t just a meat knife. It can handle delicate ingredients without damage. This versatility makes it useful for most meal prepping.
Cleavers Chop and Smash Garlic Quickly
Garlic can stick to knife blades while chopping and be hard to remove. But a cleaver’s size lets you easily smash garlic cloves under the big flat blade. You can then chop the crushed garlic very fast with no sticking.
Using the cleaver this way to crush garlic first saves lots of time. And you won’t have an extra tool like a garlic press to clean later.
Cleavers Are Great For Scooping and Transporting Food
The big square blade of a cleaver is handy for picking up and carrying piles of sliced or chopped food. This keeps bits from falling off a smaller knife.
For example, a cleaver is great for safely moving veggies from a cutting board to a pan or bowl. You can also use it to scrape up foods as you cook without a spatula.
Cleavers Keep Knife Edges Sharper
Using a lighter knife on super hard foods can damage and dull the thinner blade. Since cleavers are meant for heavy chopping tasks, you help keep other knives protected and razor sharp.
Cleavers Give You Better Control Than Axes and Hatchets
Cleavers shouldn’t be confused with axes, hatchets and machetes. While all can chop, a cleaver’s lighter design lets home cooks swing and aim with more accuracy. This gives better precision compared to lumberjack tools!
How Is a Cleaver Knife Used in Cooking?
Here are some of the most common ways a cleaver knife works for home chefs:
- Meat and Fish Butchering – A cleaver cuts cleanly through skin, cartilage and small bones when breaking down meat and fish. It can power through a whole chicken without trouble.
- Heavy Chopping – Use a cleaver’s weight to chop hard squash, melons and gourds with ease. It also speeds up chopping stacks of onions or piles of herbs.
- Smashing Garlic and Ginger – Lay a cleaver flat over cloves of garlic or ginger knobs. Then pound it gently with your fist to crush them before chopping.
- Mincing Vegetables – After initial rough chopping, turn the cleaver on its side to rock back and forth over the pile for fine mincing.
- Transporting Food – Use the flat blade to scoop up lots of chopped ingredients and safely transfer them between workspace and pan or bowl.
- Scraping Up Food Bits – Take advantage of the blade’s flexibility to scrape up tasty browned bits stuck to pans and cutting boards.
- Opening Packaging – Use the spine of the cleaver to cut open plastic packaging on some foods instead of using scissors.
What to Look for in a Good Cleaver
Cleavers meant for home cooking typically range from 6 to 10 inches long. Here are key features to check for when shopping for one:
- Heft – Pick up a cleaver to feel its weight. Around 1 to 1 1?2 pounds is a usable range for home use. Heavier ones over 2 pounds take more effort.
- Blade Shape – Choose a rectangular shape versus ones that slope down. This gives you a flat surface to crush and chop evenly.
- Blade Width – Thinner 3-inch blades are more nimble. Go wider to 5 inches if you’ll work with bigger cuts of meat or harder produce.
- Steel Quality – Low-carbon stainless steel takes abuse but doesn’t hold an edge well. Go for a cleaver with high-carbon steel for best edge retention.
- Comfortable Handle – The handle shape should fit your hand and not cause discomfort, even when swinging hard.
- Bolster – A thicker piece of steel where the handle meets the blade adds weight for chopping. It also means less likelihood of the blade and handle separating.
- Good Reputation – As with most kitchen gear, it’s wise to choose well respected cleaver brands that many users recommend.
Proper Cleaver Handling Techniques
Since cleavers are heavier than normal knives, using good form prevents accidents and injury:
- Use a Cutting Board – Never chop directly on countertops. Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board to protect surfaces and blade edges.
- Watch Your Fingers – Curl fingers inward to keep them clear of the chopping path. Tuck your thumbs against your knuckles.
- Control Each Strike – Don’t let the weight of the knife lead your swing. Deliberately raise it only as high as needed for each planned strike.
- Strike With Your Wrist – Use your wrist for chopping force, not your entire arm. This gives better accuracy and control over the blade.
- Let It Do the Work – Don’t try to muscle through chopping tasks. Let gravity and the tool’s own weight carry each swing’s energy instead.
- Secure Food for Safety – Hold food items firmly in place with the other hand so they don’t slide around under the cleaver’s strikes.
Are Cleavers Only For Professional Chefs?
While cleavers are found in most restaurant kitchens, they’re also useful for amateur home cooks too. You don’t need to be a professional chef to benefit from owning one.
Cleavers aren’t just giant scary knives only skilled cooks can wield either. Almost anyone can learn proper cleaver skills for kitchen tasks.
Owning and using a cleaver at home gives the same advantages many cooks rely on in chef jobs. With some practice and safety care, a good cleaver makes cooking and meal prep much more efficient.
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