3 Expert-Approved Meat Cleavers for Every Home Cook
You'll be spatchocking like a pro with these knives.
Reviewed by Nicole PapantoniouKitchen Appliances Lab Director
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There are a few types of knives that every well-stocked home kitchen needs. You'd be hard-pressed to find a knife set without a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife for slicing bread. And once you see how a great meat cleaver can quickly spatchcock a chicken, separate short ribs, and chop hardy vegetables like squash and potatoes, you'll be convinced that a meat cleaver is absolutely worth having in the kitchen.
I'll admit, though I'm an avid cook and culinary school grad, it wasn't until I got insight from Joshua Hobson, butcher at Prospect Butcher Co. in Brooklyn, New York, that I truly understood the versatility and practicality of a great cleaver. After trying out nine cleavers in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab and speaking with the experts there, I'm sure that every kitchen needs a cleaver.
“The meat cleaver is a versatile tool perfect for tasks that require extra heft and durability,” says Nicole Papantoniou, director of the Kitchen Appliances Lab. “Its large, heavy blade is designed to cut through sinew, meat, and even bones, making it ideal for breaking down chickens or slicing meat into chunks.” You can use a cleaver to portion raw meat like short ribs for stews or braises, or use the force to quickly break down roasts.
With Hobson and GH's cooking experts, I identified the three best cleavers for different needs—from heavy-duty butchering to chopping hardy vegetables. Here are the best meat cleavers you can buy, according to expert insights and firsthand experience.
Best Deal
Pros
- Comfortable for small hands
- Secure, grippy handle
Cons
- Lighter weight doesn't feel as powerful as other cleavers
This is a nimble, lighter knife with a sharp blade that's great for home cooks of all levels. Compared to heftier cleavers, this knife is easy to maneuver around bone, joints, and sinew, whether it's raw or cooked.
The knife is significantly lighter than our other top picks, with a slightly shorter blade and handle, which may be more comfortable for smaller hands. The handle has a rubberized coating that feels secure, even when things get messy.
While this knife didn't produce quite the same thwack of force as the heavier knives I tried, it felt more like a familiar chef's knife in my hand, and I could make both clean slices of breast meat and work through joints in a cooked chicken.
Features at a Glance
| Blade length | 5.91 in. |
| Weight | 13.76 oz |
| Length | 11.02 in. |
Pros
- Sharp blade and point
- Sturdy, single-piece construction
Cons
- The handle is not as comfortable as other options
This all-stainless steel cleaver has a sleek look and packs a punch. Hobson liked that this knife was appropriately weighted and sharp. It made quick, clean cuts through sinew and joints in both raw and cooked chicken with minimal force.
The blade is straighter and wider than other cleavers we tested, which makes it a great choice for tasks beyond butchering, including chopping vegetables and even mincing herbs.
It also did a great job of neatly separating and slicing chicken breast from the bone. The stainless handle is easy to clean and dries immediately, unlike wood, but I didn't find it as comfortable to hold as the smoother wood handle on the Victorinox.
Features at a Glance
| Blade length | 6.25 in. |
| Weight | 16 oz |
| Length | 11.75 in. |
Pros
- Makes clean cuts with little force
- Handle is comfortable and secure
Cons
- Wooden handle may not last as long as stainless or plastic
This is a heavy knife that feels sturdy and powerful in the hand—exactly what you want in a cleaver. The traditional look of this wood-handled knife, with its large, rectangular blade, initially caught Hobson's eye during testing. After working with it to break down raw chicken, he agreed this would be a great tool for spatchcocking poultry, even a large turkey.
The broad, heavy blade also makes this knife ideal for pounding meat, such as a chicken breast, into a thin fillet for chicken parm or Milanese. The riveted wooden handle is gently rounded, secure-feeling (not slippery), and comfortable to hold. That said, wood may not last as long as plastic or stainless steel, as repeated exposure to water can cause it to soften.
I like that this cleaver has a sharp point that easily breaks through cartilage and tendons around joints.
Features at a Glance
| Blade length | 7.1 in. |
| Weight | 20.7 oz |
| Length | 12.8 in. |
Others we tested
We tested nine cleavers for this story, including:
- Messermeister Avanta Pakkawood Heavy Cleaver: This knife has a great heft to it and a budget-friendly price tag, but the curved blade isn't as effective at the up-and-down chopping you typically use a cleaver for.
- Victorinox 7-in. Cleaver: This knife is lightweight and slightly cheaper than our top picks, but the plastic handle feels less sturdy.
- Henckels Classic 6-in. Cleaver: This is a small, inexpensive option, but it doesn't have the heft we were looking for.
How we tested meat cleavers
The Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab has evaluated hundreds of knives over the past six years, and for this story, we focused on nine top-rated meat cleavers.
We began by interviewing a professional butcher, Joshua Hobson from Prospect Butcher Co., who then worked with our Kitchen Appliances Lab analysts in the Lab as he broke down raw chickens with each cleaver. Together, we assessed comfort, control, ease of use, and cutting performance across different tasks.
Alongside the butcher, our analysts evaluated each cleaver’s feel, weight, and balance in hand. We also hand-washed and dried the knives between uses to watch for any rusting or staining.
I then used each knife to break down parts of a whole roasted chicken and sweet potatoes. I considered how easily the knives sliced through joints, bones, and the hardy vegetables.
What to consider when shopping for a meat cleaver
✔️ Weight and balance: A meat cleaver should feel comfortable in your hand and easy to lift, but it should also be heavier than a chef's knife. The extra weight provides the momentum needed to chop through larger cuts of meat with ease.
✔️ Handle: The handle should fit well in your hand, offering a secure grip for repetitive chopping motions without being so long that it interferes with arm movement or the knife’s balance. Since you'll often be working with raw meat, it's important to ensure the handle doesn’t crack, as this can trap bacteria. Textured metal, plastic, or resin handles are ideal, as they’re durable and easy to clean.
✔️ Blade style: Some cleavers have a rounded top with a slight curve on the blade, while others are more rectangular. Thicker, rounded cleavers are ideal for chopping through small bones and ligaments. Rectangular blades, especially thicker ones, can also handle this task. However, many thinner rectangular cleavers, often called Chinese cleavers, are designed for finer work and function more like a Western chef's knife. They're also great for scooping and transferring sliced ingredients.
✔️ Blade material: Quality cleavers typically feature either stainless steel or carbon steel blades. Stainless steel, while slightly softer and more prone to dulling than carbon steel, is easier to clean and maintain. Carbon steel is exceptionally hard and holds an edge well, but it can develop splotches or rust if not properly maintained.
When to use a meat cleaver
- Butchering raw meat, such as whole poultry, short ribs, and other large cuts of beef and pork
- Breaking down whole fish
- Chopping dense produce, including melons, squash, and root vegetables
- Cutting through hard shellfish, including lobsters and crabs
- Crushing garlic, herbs, and lemongrass
- Mincing raw meat into tiny pieces
- Pounding meat, such as fillets and chicken breasts, to a flat, uniform shape for even cooking
Can you use a meat cleaver on vegetables?
Yes, a meat cleaver is a great tool for cutting hardy vegetables like winter squash, sweet potatoes, and other root vegetables. The knife's heft makes it easy to slice through dense fibers with minimal elbow grease. For more precise knife cuts and delicate produce, however, you're better off with a chef's knife.
What's the difference between a butcher knife and a meat cleaver?
A butcher knife is typically long with a curved tip. It’s designed to cut through large pieces of meat and around bone. It’s a useful tool for slicing large cuts of meat, such as brisket. A cleaver is typically smaller with a shorter, wider blade. It’s designed for chopping smaller pieces of meat and some types of bone.
How to use a meat cleaver
Unlike chef's knives or serrated knives, which rely on both downward and back-and-forth motions to slice, a cleaver is all about blunt force. Hobson says to think of it more like a hammer than a typical knife, since the cutting motion is more up-and-down than side-to-side.
For that reason, cleaver blades are duller and less delicate than knives you use for more precise tasks, and a heavier cleaver is actually safer, because it provides more of the force and momentum you need to break through bones.
When using a cleaver, always work on a flat, sturdy surface and have a firm grip on the handle. Then, keeping your fingers well out of the way, raise the knife like a hammer and bring it down directly on your target. You may have to make multiple cuts in the same place to cut all the way through.
When butchering raw meat, you can use the blade and a sharp tip to make small incisions that reveal the bone, giving you a clearer view. Or, if you're more comfortable with the shape of the animal and where the bones and joints are, you can simply hack away.
How do you wash a cleaver?
As with all knives, be very careful when cleaning your meat cleaver. They should be hand-washed, as the dishwasher can damage the blades, and Papantoniou recommends using a bottle brush to keep your fingers far from the blades. As soon as you clean the knife in warm, soapy water, dry it with a soft dishcloth to prevent rusting.
Can a meat cleaver cut through bone?
Some cleavers are specifically designed to cut through bone. This is usually indicated on the packaging or website. However, Deputy Editor Sarah Gregory notes that even these cleavers can wear—or even chip—if used on very large bones. Thinner, smaller Chinese cleavers are meant for finer tasks, such as slicing vegetables and herbs, and should not be used on bones.
How do you sharpen a meat cleaver?
Depending on the cleaver’s size and blade style, you can likely use a knife sharpener. You also can’t go wrong with a whetstone or a professional sharpener. A meat cleaver can also benefit from honing before each use to keep the blade edge aligned.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Lizzy Briskin is a contributor and product tester in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests everything from juicers to toasters. Previously, she was the food editor at Real Simple and Food Network magazines. She is a graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.
Joshua Hobson is a butcher at Prospect Butcher Co. in Brooklyn, New York, where he supervises a 20-person team and helps provide his community with locally- and sustainably-sourced poultry and meat.
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the GH Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees all kitchen gear testing. She recently led our side-by-side tests of knife sets, as well as the most recent evaluations of chef’s knives, serrated knives, and butcher knives.
Nicole (she/her) is the senior director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She oversees all content and testing related to kitchen products, food, and recipes. She has worked at GH since 2019, and is a trained cook, published recipe developer, and seasoned product tester with nearly 15 years of experience. She has worked in test kitchens for national magazines and kitchen appliances brands, where she also helped develop products for the home cook. She earned a degree in journalism from SUNY New Paltz, graduated with a Grand Diplome in Classic Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute, and studied culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute (both now part of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.)
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