The Best Meat Cleavers for Handling Steaks, Chickens and More

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The meat cleaver is like your muscle in the kitchen. A big and brawny brute there to take on the toughest tasks that other knives just can’t handle. As the largest and heaviest of kitchen knives, it’s specifically designed to break down carcasses and cut through bones, cartilage, sinew, connective tissue and more.

While none of this sounds particularly glamorous, the cleaver itself can be. You needn’t settle for a hunk of subpar metal affixed to a flimsy handle. These days, cleavers can pack as much thoughtful design and premium materials as high-grade sashimi knives.

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Meat cleavers always have a rectangular-shaped blade and typically have an overall length of around 12 inches. The blade height, width and cutting edge will vary, but high-carbon stainless steel is the material of choice for most top chefs.

To help you pick the perfect tough-as-nails companion, we’ve pulled together four of the best meat cleavers you can buy.

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