If you love cooking, this one kitchen material should always be present wherever you are cooking. It's no other than a knife. Without it, you cannot prepare your ingredients correctly.
Knives are essential. You can use it to cut many kinds of stuff like pork, fish, bread, cakes, vegetables, and fruits. You can even use it to open cans. It's so helpful to achieve the desired thinness and thickness for whatever you are cooking.
Despite the looks of it, a knife is not just a knife. Knives have different types and purposes. They depend on what purpose you are using it for. One of the most famous knives probably seen by anyone is the Cleaver Knife.
Here are some of the insights you should know to know more about this knife and what makes it great.
Table of Contents
Cleaver Knife: What and What's for?
A cleaver knife resembles an ax knife. Unlike another knife, it has more blades, which makes it look bold and heavy.
As a cleaver knife, it is considered to be every cook's best friend. It is suitable for performing heavy-duty kitchen tasks, including slicing meats and fish and cutting hard materials like pork or cow bones. You can also cut small or big and hard-to-peel vegetables like watermelon, pumpkins, marrow, zucchini, jackfruit, and many more. It can even be used to flatten garlic. Whatever you want to do, a cleaver knife is helpful.
Cleaver Knife: Identifying the best with its feature.
In identifying what's best in a particular product, you must have specific values and elements to follow that will guide you in choosing the best product you can purchase. This is also the same in choosing a cleaver knife. To know if you have the best one or need to purchase new, then try to assess it using the following elements:
Blade's Design
A cleaver has a classic look of a large and wide blade with a long and strong handle to be gripped when chopping. But nowadays, cleavers can have a variety of designs for their size, shape, and blade range.
If you are going for a more western look for your knife, it is expected to be thick. The blade's edge may range from 13 degrees, which is considered thin, up to 25 degrees, which is wide. A long with a powerful force when chopping, the thinness and wideness of the blade can give you a one-shot chop when cutting thick meats without damaging the knife.
On the other hand, if you want a cleaver knife opposite on a western look, you can choose the Chinese cleaver knife, which is the equivalent to the Western one.
With Chinese Cleaver, it has a thinner blade, both the knife's edge and spine. Also, the angle of it is tighter compared to the classic one. Although they have similarities, the difference in cutting effect makes the Chinese one unique. Using it gives the users more control in cutting, thus resulting in a cleaner and more accurate cut. Furthermore, it is lighter, which cuts easily to maneuver.
This may sound wonderful, but unfortunately, this type of knife has its drawback. If you purchase this, you have to expect that it will easily be damaged, so it will make you quickly buy a new one. The damage is because of the thinner blade it is constructed with, which makes it susceptible to damage.
If you are wondering, what if you want to have the best feature in these two different blades? Worry no more. You can have these two blades fused in one. A blade with a cutting edge of fifteen to seventeen degrees offers a clean cut similar to the Chinese Cleaver with the durability of the Western Cleaver.
Blade's Weight and Size
If you're cooking, the blade's weight and size matter. You don't want to use a huge blade on a tiny ingredient. On the other hand, you can't use a small and light blade to butcher huge meat. Both should be in perfect weight and size for every cooking task you do.
A long blade can also be heavier. Like a cleaver with an 8-inch blade, it can weigh up to 2.0 pounds. On the contrary, if your blade is 6 inches long, it could be around 10 oz. Using the longer and heavier blade can make you tired easily and can be less accurate. The shorter but lighter blade can also be a trouble as you'll need extra effort to use it.
To have a perfect cleaver, the weight should be around 1 pound. Heavy enough to give you an accurate and clean cut without too much effort.
For the blade's size, the ideal one should be between 7 and 8 inches with 3.2 inches in height.
The combination of the right weight and size when choosing a blade should be perfect for performing the task efficiently without hindering you.
Blade's Cutting Edge
Besides the simple plain silver look of a knife, manufacturers sometimes add additional details to their blades. These designs may vary, which creates a unique look to the knife.
You must put great effort into using a cleaver, especially when cutting thick and hard meat. The bones and cartilage may give you a hard time, so you should have a cleaver with a durable cutting edge that can withstand the impact when butchering.
Invest in a cleaver made from steel as they can withstand a hardness between 54-58 using Rockwell Scale. Also, a cleaver with a V shape or flat design can withstand any chopping, butchering, or slashing you do.
But remember, if you don't take care of your blade, all is useless. Even if you choose a blade that is not brittle, durable, and made from steel, it will be damaged if you can't correctly maintain the blades.
Blade's Balance
You have to remember that Cleaver's blades are heavier than its handle, so naturally, if you drop it off, the blade will always come first. This is because gravity pulls the heavier part down more by gravity than the lighter part.
If your blade is like this, it's a good sign, but if it's too many, chances are, it will cause a loss in cutting accuracy. So it is better to have a blade with a perfect weight that you can easily control accurately.
Blade's Handle
People often overlook this section. Sometimes, they focus on the blade and forget to consider the handle, which is a mistake. When choosing your cleaver knife, make sure the handle is comfortable to hold and fits perfectly to your knife's material.
Some manufacturers made their handles with ergonomic features, while others opted for the classic straight design. Regardless of what you choose, make sure that the length of it fits your hands perfectly. Other than that, choose a handle made from a material that won't easily slide. You don't want to use it and suddenly lose a grip while swinging.
The End
Choosing your perfect cleaver knife is not easy. You have to make considerations of every element. But with this guide, you'll surely choose the perfect one for you. The cleaver knife will help you cut swiftly in one go.
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