A Chinese cleaver, also known as a Chukabocho, can vary in size and thickness, depending on each usage. Thanks to the large, sharp, and multifunctional blade, these knives can be used for slicing meat, veggies, fruit without effort. This convenience makes them gradually become a household staple among cooks.
But the popularity creates a shopping dilemma: there are thousands of different cleavers on the market. Don’t worry; scroll down for the best Chinese cleaver review with six suggestions and bring home the most suitable one.
Table of Contents
- Detailed Reviews Of Top 6 Best Chinese Cleaver
- 1. TUO Vegetable Cleaver 7-inch Fiery Phoenix Series - Best Design
- 2. Top Chef by Master Cutlery 7" Chopper/Cleaver - Best Durability
- 3. ZWILLING Twin Signature 7-Inch Chinese Chef Knife - Best For Blade Quality
- 4. SHI BA ZI ZUO Model F214-2 Chinese Cleaver Kitchen Knife Superior Class 7-inch - Best For Vegetables
- 5. Imarku 7 Inch Meat Cleaver - 7CR17MOV - Best For Storage
- 6. Aroma House Meat Cleaver 7 Inch Cleaver Knife Chinese Chef - Best For Home Use
- Final thoughts
Detailed Reviews Of Top 6 Best Chinese Cleaver
1. TUO Vegetable Cleaver 7-inch Fiery Phoenix Series - Best Design
Our rating:
- Dimension: 12 x 2.25 x 0.09 inches
- Weight: 0.65 pounds
- Material of the blade: Stainless steel
- Blade height: 2.25 inches
- Length of the blade: 7 inches
- Edge angle: 18 degrees
- Handle: Pakkawood
TUO 7-inch Fiery Phoenix cleaver’s most noteworthy feature is its design. At first glance, this cleaver leaves a deep impression because of its design from slight curves in both the blade and handle. These curves serve as a beautiful design and help enhance the user experience.
Unlike other cleavers with crude looks, it is delicate and relatively lightweight (about 0.65 pounds) to prevent hand fatigue while cutting a large amount of food.
The handle’s exceptional grain and the blade’s soft curve create an ergonomic cleaver design for superior comfort and toughness.
Its razor-sharp blade is composed of stainless steel with high-carbon level and has an 18-degree per side hand-polished edge. This full-tang knife has blades that run the entire handle length, leaving no breaking point between the handle and blade and making it more durable.
Particularly, the Pakkawood handle is a water-resistant hybrid of wood and resin with a longer lifespan than real wood. It is also designed with a slight curve to support your hand, allowing you to exercise your cutting skills comfortably.
Unfortunately, this knife is relatively thin and small for chopping bones. So bear in mind that if you use it to chop hard food, the blade will easily chip or break.
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2. Top Chef by Master Cutlery 7" Chopper/Cleaver - Best Durability
Our rating:
- Dimension: 11.8 x 0.78 x 3.54 inches
- Weight: 1.38 pounds
- Material of the blade: Stainless steel
- Blade height: 3.54 inches
- Length of the blade: 6.5 inches
- Edge angle: N/A
- Handle material: Hardwood
If you are looking for an item that can stand the test of time and rough ingredients, you might want to consider the Top Chef By Mastery Cutlery chopper.
The main reason is its full-steel handle and the full-tang design that allows easy maintenance and prevents the cleaver from breaking and falling off.
In general, it is difficult to avoid getting the knife’s handle dirty when cooking. But this utterly smooth steel handle allows you to rinse it thoroughly after each use, ensuring a great ability to prevent the growth of mold and germs, unlike with the wooden design.
The ergonomic handle also gives a smooth and comfortable grip when cutting, allowing you to relax and enjoy your prep time.
Its ice-tempered steel blade also maintains a sharp, durable, and strong edge for extended usage. This sturdy knife can effortlessly cut through meats, greens, and fruits.
In addition, it is the heaviest one on this list (1.38 pounds). So, it can provide a wonderful power for chopping bones or heavy vegetables.
The surface blade area is large, with 3.54 inches of height and 7 inches of length, enabling users to transfer all their cutting ingredients to other containers in one swipe.
However, the knife has a minus point due to the handle. Its handle is a bit short, so it will sometimes cause a feeling of imbalance while using. This also brings uncomfortable feelings for cooks with big hands.
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3. ZWILLING Twin Signature 7-Inch Chinese Chef Knife - Best For Blade Quality
Our rating:
- Dimension: 15 x 5 x 1 inches
- Weight: 1 pound
- Material of the blade: High carbon stainless steel
- Blade height: 5 inches
- Length of the blade: 7 inches
- Edge angle: 15 degrees
- Handle material: Plastic
The Twin Signature is a special line of knives made by Zwilling, designed to deliver exceptional sharpness and performance. This blade is ice-hardened stainless steel utilizing Zwilling's unique Friodur process.
The specific formula steel has ideal amounts of carbon, iron, and chromium for outstanding hardness and corrosion resistance. It also has a Rockwell hardness of about 57, with endurance and flexibility being major attributes.
With the laser-controlled sharpening technique, its blade is professionally polished and sharpened to 15 degrees on each side, resulting in the symmetric, V-shaped edge.
This angle provides a super-sharp edge with long-lasting cutting performance and edge stability that surpasses other 17-18-degree sharpening knives and makes this product the best for slicing.
The blade is also designed with a gentle convex curve on the blade belly to create an ideal item for cutting and preparing all vegetables, fruits, or delicate and paper-thin slicing of meat, poultry, and fish.
The curved form of the handle is appropriate and entirely fits your hand, offering a sense of safety and assurance when holding. The three large rivets implanted on the handle generate a balanced weight distribution on the knife.
However, plastic handles don't provide as good adhesion as wooden ones. And its weight is also not light as TUO 7-inch Fiery Phoenix. Thus, for those having weak hand strength, it can become difficult to control when getting oiled.
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4. SHI BA ZI ZUO Model F214-2 Chinese Cleaver Kitchen Knife Superior Class 7-inch - Best For Vegetables
Our rating:
- Dimension: 11.02 x 2.68 x 1.02 inches
- Weight: 0.53 pounds
- Material of the blade: Stainless steel with a high-carbon level
- Blade height: 2.68 inches
- Length of the blade: 7 inches
- Edge angle: N/A
- Material of Handle: Rosewood
If you are looking for the best Chinese vegetable cleaver, you might need an ultra-sharp and straight-edged knife. That’s why this SHI BA ZI ZUO Chinese cleaver becomes the finest choice for vegetable cutting. Yet, its blade length (7 inches) and thickness are not inferior to the big ones.
Compared to other cleavers on this list, the F214-2 is the lightest product, about 0.53 pounds. In addition, it has three layers of compound steel to ensure its hardness and durability for everyday use.
The 7-inch stainless-steel blade is composed of steel with a high-carbon level, while the edge is well ground to get the best sharpness performance. Most significantly, the upward tip ensures that the knife minces, slices, and dices all types of vegetables without any extra effort.
Besides its sharpness, this cleaver edge also comes with double bevels, allowing users to make superior thin cuts. Because its edge is covered with a nonstick coating, vegetables are less likely to cling to the blade, making cutting and releasing quickly.
The cleaver also features a user-friendly handle with Rosewood for a pleasant grip and smooth motions every time. The wide bolster and finger guard are designed to protect the user's fingers while using.
However, this blade is thin; you shouldn't use it for any heavy-duty task.
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5. Imarku 7 Inch Meat Cleaver - 7CR17MOV - Best For Storage
Our rating:
- Dimension: 11.42 x 3.35 x 0.87 inches
- Weight: 0.81 pounds
- Material of the blade: Stainless steel
- Height of the blade: 3.35 inches
- Length of the blade: 7 inches
- Edge angle: 18 degrees
- Handle: Pakkawood
Another great item you shouldn't miss is the Imarku 7-inch meat cleaver. Its blade is made from high carbon stainless steel, which offers rust-resistant ability and simple edge sharpness maintenance and retention.
The blade’s sharpness can cut directly into anything you desire, whether it's chewy noodles, large pieces of meat, or vegetables for a hearty soup dish.
One outstanding feature of this knife is its easy storage. It is the only knife on this list with a hole in the blade top to hang it anywhere when not in use. If you don't want to hang it, the Imarku cleaver also comes with a knife box for further protection and convenience in storage. This makes the Imarku 7-inch meat cleaver become the best Chinese chef knife for storage.
Another perk is that it is effortless to wash. The antibacterial Pakkawood handle has a smooth design, without grooves or edges, so that users can wash it quickly. It also has a comfortable grip, giving you complete control and mastery of this multi-purpose knife in no time.
The manufacturer does not recommend cleaning it in a dishwasher to prolong the sharpness. It is not ideal for cutting frozen foods or being exposed to heat.
Regardless, cleaning it is simple; only clean water and light soap are required. After washing, you might wipe any water residue away with a gentle, clean cloth.
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6. Aroma House Meat Cleaver 7 Inch Cleaver Knife Chinese Chef - Best For Home Use
Our rating:
- Dimension: 13.35 x 4.21 x 1.34 inches
- Weight: 1.26 pounds
- Material of the blade: Stainless steel
- Blade height: 4.21 inches
- Length of the blade: 7 inches
- Edge angle: 17 degrees
- Handle: Pakkawood
When shopping for best Chinese cleaver knife for home use, it needs to ensure two requirements: durability and convenience. Fortunately, Aroma House 7-inch meat cleaver is the right size for home chefs, from cutting to storing. If you want to include more home-cooked meals into your daily routine, this all-purpose Chinese cleaver could be the precise partner for what you're looking for.
The blade is made of German steel with a hardness level of up to 58 HRC (Hardness Rockwell Scale), making it a workhorse resistant to wear and tear from daily use. The 17-degree edge angle also contributes to its outstanding sharpness.
These two characteristics make this wonderfully crafted cleaver the best tool for various tasks, including slicing meat and cutting potatoes. It is especially perfect for chopping coconut shells.
Plus, the handmade grooves prevent greens and meat residues, ensuring ultra-thin slicing and dicing with minimal effort. Since its edge is sharpened on both sides, it is suitable for right and left-handed users.
The non-slip Pakkawood handle and full-tang design prevent the blade from falling easily and give users a solid and comfortable grip while chopping, cutting, or deboning poultry and meats.
Another significant benefit is the guarantee policy of Aroma House: lifetime warranty, which allows you to embark on a worry-free culinary adventure with this essential instrument in hand.
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Final thoughts
A cleaver can cut through heavy foods like squash, coconut, and root vegetables with greater power than a regular knife. Thus, a suitable cleaver is critical in your cooking time. Our post regarding the best Chinese cleaver has provided you with six different suggestions from different price ranges, materials, and usages.
If you still cannot pick the one you like, consider the top item on our list: TUO Vegetable Cleaver. This will be the best partner for your kitchen and cooking journey.
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