Having a Chinese cleaver in your kitchen will help with a lot of different scenarios while prepping your meals. In-fact when using one of the best Chinese cleavers listed below you may find yourself only reaching for that knife in the future.
A good cleaver can help you make quick work of prepping vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish when its time to get your ingredients ready. This guide will explore some of the best Chinese cleavers you can purchase at a reasonable price. Let’s get started.
Best Chinese Cleavers product reviews
The below guide explains what some of the best Chinese cleavers are that you should have in your kitchen knife arsenal. Chop, dice, fillet, and more with any of these knives.
| Our Pick | Chinese Cleavers | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | TUO Cutlery Vegetable Meat Cleaver Knife | 4.8/5 |
| 2. | Imarku Cleaver Knife | 4.5/5 |
| 3. | Nakiri Knife - PAUDIN Razor Sharp Meat Cleaver | 4.6/5 |
| 4. | Kiaitre Cleaver Knife | 4.6/5 |
| 5. | Chinese Knife SHI BA ZI ZUO Vegetable Meat Knife | 4.5/5 |
| 6. | Shun Classic 7 Inch Cleaver | 4.6/5 |
| 7. | Dexter S5198 8" x 3-1/4" Chinese Chefs Knife | 4.5/5 |
| 8. | Wusthof 4686-7/18 Classic 7-inch New Forged Chinese Cleaver | 4.6/5 |
1. TUO Cutlery Vegetable Meat Cleaver Knife - Chinese Chef's Knife
TUO cutlery was founded over 20 years ago and they have been around ever since for good reason. They produce some very well crafted knives included meat cleavers.
We love the fact that this knife can not only be used as a cleaver but can be used in almost any other knife task you would use in the kitchen. Slice, chop, dice, mince, cut through large meats, and more can be done with this knife.
The TUO knife is razor-sharp, full-tang imported high-carbon German steel that is hand polished to have an edge of 18 degrees per side.
TUO Cutlery Vegetable Meat Cleaver Knife - Chinese Chef's Knife
(4.8 / 5)Pros
- Razor-sharp multi purpose knife
- Pakkawood Handle
- Full-tang imported high-carbon German steel
- 100% Satisfaction or money back guarantee
Cons
- May be a little heavy for just chopping veggies or other small foods.
2. Imarku Cleaver Knife 7 Inch German High Carbon Stainless Steel Chopper Knife
This cleaver easily makes our list as one of the best Chinese cleavers because of the multipurpose functions and the good build, razor-sharp blade. Easily dice, mince, chop, and slice with this butcher knife.
We love that this cleaver uses Germany imported stainless steel that holds its edge longer and is rust-resistant. Easily cut through large pieces of meats and fish.
The handle is very comfortable and made from ERGONOMIC PAKKA wood that is easy to grip.
Imarku Cleaver Knife 7 Inch German High Carbon Stainless Steel Chopper Knife
(4.5 / 5)Pros
- Extremely sharp
- Multipurpose for all types of cutting and chopping
- Stainless steel cleaver
Cons
- Not to be used to cut into frozen meats or fish
3. Nakiri Knife - PAUDIN Razor Sharp Meat Cleaver
This beautiful knife will make you want to chop, mince, and dice in the kitchen. This multifunctional knife can make quick work out of vegetables, meats, and fruits by slicing thin or thick.
We love the comfortable ergonomic shape that allows for a great balance that allows for easy slicing and chopping while holding onto this cleaver.
Made from a German high carbon stainless steel this Japanese style knife is razor-sharp and durable that you will find will be an every day part of your kitchen prep.
Pros
- Ultra sharp edge with 56+ hardness
- Made with German 5Cr15Mov stainless steel
- Ergonomically Handle for balance and comfort
- Looks beautiful
Cons
- Not as heavy to tackle large cuts and not for cutting through bones
4. Kiaitre Cleaver Knife 7 Inch – High Carbon German Steel Chinese Chef Knife
This multi-functional cleaver knife gets the job done easily when you are ready to prep for dinner. It has an extremely sharp high-quality german stainless steel blade that makes chopping, slicing, and cutting much easier.
This knife is comfortable in your hand’s thanks to the Ergonomic Pakkawood handle. It also has excellent anti-corrosive performance and it easy to clean.
Kiaitre Cleaver Knife 7 Inch – High Carbon German Steel Chinese Chef Knife
(4.6 / 5)Pros
- Extremely sharp blade
- Made from German stainless steel
- Cutting edge is honed to reach 15°per side which is much sharper than the blades that are typically ground to 20-22°
Cons
- Blade may dull quick
5. Chinese Knife SHI BA ZI ZUO Vegetable Meat Knife 6.7-inch Stainless Steel Slicer Cleaver
This Chinese cleaver has a strong and thick blade of 2.0-2.5mm. It also has a blade edge that is less than 30° to make it as sharp as possible and work faster when making chops and cuts during your kitchen prep time.
The full-length tang handle is ideal for giving the knife great stability with the extra weight. The handles are a well-polished rosewood that is safe and comfortable to grip.
This knife has:
- 55-57 hardness
- Blade edge angle of 25-30°
- Extended finger guard for safety
Chinese Knife SHI BA ZI ZUO Vegetable Meat Knife 6.7-inch Stainless Steel Slicer Cleaver
(4.5 / 5)Pros
- 25-30° blade edge angle for maximum sharpness
- Well polished full-length tang handle
- Excellent at chopping meats, veggies, fruits, and more
Cons
- Not to be used to cut bones
6. Shun Classic 7 Inch Cleaver
These knives are a classic vegetable cleaver at 7″ wide, square blade. This makes prepping veggies easy and the flat surface is great for crushing garlic cloves to remove the skin and then the blade makes quick work of chopping them up.
It has a hand-sharpened 16° double-bevel blade made from VG-MAX steel. This formula has cobalt, chromium, carbon, and tungsten to create a type of super steel.
The handle is a D-shaped handle that is made of ebony PakkaWood then infused with resin.
Pros
- 16° double-bevel blade
- PakkaWood D-shaped handle
- Excellent at chopping meats, veggies, fruits, and more
Cons
- Possible chipping issues
7. Dexter S5198 8" x 3-1/4" Chinese Chefs Knife
This is a great Chinese cleaver that is made from high-grade carbon steel that is nice and sharp and lets you control easily the cuts your making. It has a non-slip handle that is great for cutting up fruits, vegetables, light meats, and more.
Pros
- Ergonomic non-slip handle for comfort and safety
- Sharp edge for easy cutting
- Excellent at chopping meats, veggies, fruits, and more
Cons
- Can rust and not to be used in dishwasher
8. Wusthof 4686-7/18 Classic 7-inch New Forged Chinese Cleaver
Wusthof is well known for making great knives and their 7 inch New Forged Chinese Cleaver is a great all-around cleaver you’ll love to chop, peel, dice, and slice with. This cleaver is great for cutting all types of vegetables, herbs, meats, and fish.
This knife is extremely sharp, well balanced, and easy to shapen when you need to. Youll love having this in your kitchen.
Wusthof 4686-7/18 Classic 7-inch New Forged Chinese Cleaver
(4.6 / 5)Pros
- Extremely sharp blade
- Great balance
- comfortable grip
Cons
- Expensive
Best Chinese cleavers buying guide
Before buying a Chinese cleaver thing about a few things below. This will allow you to make a choice that is best for you. Know what you want to accomplish with the knife first.
Using one of the Chinese cleavers above would be great for slicing, mincing, chopping, and cutting vegetables, meats, and fish. It is smart to know that if you are looking to cut through larger cuts of bone and fins some of these knives are not for that. You would want to look more towards a butcher knife. When looking for a Chinese cleaver you should consider some of the following.
Size
Size is important when choosing a Chinese cleaver. Too small and the knife because of a hassle for certain applications. Too big, it can be difficult to control the knife in certain cuts. The most popular size cleaver would be 7-inches. This size still allows for good control when chopping, dicing, and other applications.
Weight
When chopping, dicing, or any other types of cuts on vegetables or small fruits your Chinese cleaver should work perfectly. With that said you will have different camps tell you to go for a heavier knife simply because it cuts with more power.
While you will hear go for a lighter knife because you can control it easier. Either application will work depending on what you are comfortable with and what you want to use the cleaver for. For veggies and fruits and small steaks or small fish, a lighter will work great. Now, if you looking to cut through bones etc, then go for a heavier cleaver.
Handle
Like any knife, the handle is important for many reasons. The knife should feel comfortable in your hands and the grip ideally should not slip been if your hands are wet.
Another thing you should look for is the handle should be secure to the blade. Meaning it should feel like one even under heavy pressure.
Knife balance
Most Chinese cleavers are well balanced because of the full tang, blade materials, and ergonomic handles that are used frequently together.
Being well balanced ensures that the blade and handle are even making using the knife much easier than an unbalanced knife. Not to mention a balanced knife will be much after when handling cuts.
Materials
A lot of Chinese cleavers and what considered to be some of the best cleavers are all made from durable materials that strong, and sharp. These can be made from heat-treated steel. This allows blades to be thinner and stronger allowing for a razor edge.
What is our overall choice for the best Chinese cleaver?
A Chinese cleaver is a very diverse knife that will surely replace multiple knives in your collection. It is a go-to knife for peeling, slicing, chopping, dicing, and cutting. Because of this almost anyone who cooks should think about having these types of knives in their arsenal.
We put together a comprehensive list of some of the best Chinese cleavers you can get. Once you use one of these clever it may quickly become your favorite knife.
With that said our top choice is…
This knife checks off a lot of the boxes that you would look for when wanting to purchase your first Chinese cleaver or if you are looking for another knife to add to your collection. IT is well balanced with a sharp edge that will surely help you prep for your next meal.
