7 Best Chinese Chef Knife

The world of cooking is incredibly vast, yet super fascinating. You can just surf this stream of sumptuous cuisines and delicacies, sit with a packed stomach, but the stream won’t end. And the most spectacular part is – the flavors aren’t the same in any two different states!   

If you too are planning to surf this wave, the best Chinese chef knife deserves to be a part of your kitchen’s culinary set. Specially designed for broadening the kitchen-related avenues, Chinese kitchen knives are quite popular among professionals as they serve as all-purpose knives and can encapsulate all the cutting, pounding, chopping, and mincing requirements.

If you are new to the term – best Chinese chef’s knife, we would love to begin with a short description of what these knives are all about.

Product

Features

Zwilling JA Henckels 7’’ Twin Signature Chinese Chef Knives

Zwilling JA Henckels 7’’ Twin Signature Chinese Chef Knives

  • Ice hardened Friodur blade

  • High carbon stainless steel stamped blade

  • Ergonomic polymer handle

  • Lightweight with excellent edge retention

Mueller 7’’ Stainless Steel Chinese Meat and Vegetable Cleaver

Mueller 7’’ Stainless Steel Chinese Meat and Vegetable Cleaver

  • High Quality German stainless steel knife

  • Extremely Sharp Edge

  • Good for home and restaurant

  • Pakkawood handle with comfortable grip

TUO 6-inch Chinese Meat Cleaver Kitchen Chopping Knife

TUO 6-inch Chinese Meat Cleaver Kitchen Chopping Knife

  • High carbon German stainless steel blade

  • Ergonomic pakkawood handle

  • Cuts vegetable, cartilage and meat with ease

  • Lifetime guarantee

Imarku 7’’ Chinese Chef Knife

Imarku 7’’ Chinese Chef Knife

  • German stainless steel blade with edge retention

  • Pakkawood handle

  • Good for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing

  • Good for both home and restaurant

Kitory Chinese Vegetable and Meat Cleaver

Kitory Chinese Vegetable and Meat Cleaver

  • Heavy duty German stainless steel 7inch blade

  • Ergonomic pearwood handle

  • Heavy knife

  • Good for chopping bones, slicing meat and kitchen needs

  • Lifetime guarantee

Winco Stainless Steel Chinese Knife

Winco Stainless Steel Chinese Knife

  • 8 inch stainless steel blade

  • Notched steel handle for better grip

  • Dishwasher safe

Wusthof Gourmet Heavy Chinese Cleaver

Wusthof Gourmet Heavy Chinese Cleaver

  • High-carbon stainless steel stamped blade

  • Good for chopping thick meat, bone and tendons

  • ABS polymer handle resistant to high heat

  • 8 inch blade

Contents

The best Chinese chef knife – What They Are

A Chinese kitchen knife is among the most versatile knives you can spot in a culinary set. Chefs like to call it an “all-purpose knife” as it can be used for cutting-related activities, including chopping, pounding, dicing, mincing, slicing, scooping, and much more. The knife correctly justifies the term “all-purpose” as even the heel of a Chinese cleaver is used for grinding and bashing.

Chinese chef knives are known by many different names in different parts of the world. In China, chefs call it “gudao”, while a common chef knife is known as “cai dao”. They are also known as Asian knives or Chinese cleavers.    

Have you ever been so fascinated with a professional kitchen knife that you longed for preparing a dish with it? Well, if your answer is yes, then Chinese chef knives would surely grab your attention. Though the best Chinese cleaver knife lies in the category of professional knives, still it is quite handy, convenient, and easy to use even if the owner is not a pro in handling such knives.

Now, a question arises- what makes Chinese chef knives so versatile? Do they actually justify their versatility? And is investing in the best Asian chef cleaver a fruitful investment? Here are the reasons behind the popularity of these sober-looking Chinese chef knives.

1. Narrow cross-sectional design

A Chinese chef cleaver knife is known for its narrow cross-sectional design, which is extremely helpful when it comes to precision. These types of designs make the knife quite flexible, which serves as assistance while performing delicate chopping, cutting, slicing, etc.

Presentation is a key area of emphasis of every chef and since these knives possess an ability to perform fine slicing and chopping, they automatically help the chef to make the dish visually appealing. And definitely, these types of activities are beyond the league of a butcher’s meat cleaver.

2. Thin blades

One of the major characteristics that make a Chinese chef cleaver knife much more efficient than a butcher’s knife is its thin blade. The blades are designed in such a way that they can cut meat, fish, or vegetable in paper-like thin slices, which is only possible by reducing the width of the blade. On contrary, a butcher’s cleaver possesses a much-broader blade, which makes it lack when it comes to delicate cutting.

3. Perfect for hard material

Doubting a Chinese chef knife because of its thin blade is not justified as the best Asian chef knives specialize in dealing with hard materials too. They can easily pierce through hard meat and even bones, making them a deserving candidate for being a part of your kitchen. On the other hand, common chef knives lack when it comes to cutting bones and hard meat.

4. Ideal design for scooping

Since we have called a Chinese cleaver a multipurpose knife, it justifies all the aspects of being multipurpose. These knives are suitable even for scooping out vegetables or meat, which is a consequence of their height.

5. Helps in tenderizing meat and vegetables 

Besides scooping, the best Chinese meat cleaver is also efficient in tenderizing and pounding meat and vegetables like garlic, onion, etc. The knife achieves this through its commendable mass, which helps it to crush vegetables like a doodle.

Another appreciable advantage of owning a Chinese chef knife is hidden in its flat blade. The heavy, flat blade has a large surface area, which plays a vital role in crushing or flattening vegetables and nuts.

The benefits of the best Chinese vegetable cleavers are not confined merely to the above-listed reasons. You can perform several other cooking-related activities with these knives and thus, they are warmly welcomed by professionals and amateurs all around the globe.

Is Investing On The Best Chinese Chef Knife Worth It?

We have already seen how a Chinese chef knife can be put to various uses. In fact, every component of these knives has its own advantages. For instance, the heel of the knife can be used for pounding and crushing, the flat side is also used for extracting flavors, etc, and thus, these knives justify the reason behind them calling them “all-purpose knives”.

The best Chinese chef’s knife can actually replace several other types of knives in your kitchen’s culinary set and thus, they can definitely be called a worth-it investment.

The Best Chinese Chef Knives – Buying Guide

A buyer needs to look into several key areas, especially before buying a product like Chinese knives. Cleaver knives vary in shapes, sizes, sharpness, material, design, etc, and thus, knowing exactly what you require is extremely crucial. The type of knife you’re buying is highly influenced by the purpose of the knife. For instance, is it just for ordinary chopping, or for fine cutting and slicing, or for cutting meat and bones?

Factors To Look For While Buying a Chinese Kitchen Knife

To help you to buy the best Chinese cleaver knife, we have a list of factors to look for before buying a Chinese chef knife.

1. Length of the blade

Markets offer Chinese chef knives of different sizes and undoubtedly, going for the right size is pretty crucial. Chinese knives can be found in the following size segments: 

  • 3-5 inches
  • 5-7 inches
  • 7-9 inches
  • 9-12 inches

Now, since Chinese chef knives are available in the market in four different segments, which size would be the best for your kitchen?

Although we consider the choice of size to be pretty subjective, still, the segment 5-7 inches has been the most sought-after segment in the market for Chinese chef knives and is also expected to be the most demanded segment by 2025.

The Chinese chef knives in segment 5-7 inches have also proved to be strategic for cutting garnishes, removing seeds, peeling vegetables, and other cutting and chopping-related activities.

The segment 7-9 inches includes some popular knife varieties like ham slicers, bread knives, etc due to their broad blades.

2. Weight of the knife

Chinese chef knives are often designed with gigantic blades, whose benefits we have already discussed in the above sections. Automatically, blades with larger surface area demand more metal for their construction, which results in an increase in the mass of the knife.

Heavy knives can always pose a problem as they are quite uncomfortable to use and also lack balance. Besides, weight may also serve as a hindrance when it comes to precision (as these knives are generally used for fine slicing and cutting).

A buyer should always look for a Chinese knife that is lightweight and easy to handle. Besides, it should possess a decent balance so that he/she can use it efficiently for preparing a stunning dish. Lightweight knives are also the go-to options if you lack wrist or forearm strength.

3. Structure of the knife

Structure and composition play a key role in determining the potential and lifespan of your Chinese cleaver knife. Beginning with the tang of the knife, a high-quality chef knife should possess a tang extending three-quarters or more into the handle.

Full tang knives are known for their incredible strength, which automatically provides them good durability and endurance. Besides, these knives also offer great edge retention and balance. And thus, you should choose your knife with some research so you can get the best out of your hard-earned money. 

4. Handle design

Handles define your grip on the knife and thus, choosing a Chinese knife with the ideal grip is extremely important. Chinese knives come with different types of handles as different users feel comfortable with different grip styles.

If you explore the market, you may find Chinese cleavers with traditional grips that are generally cylindrical and crafted out of wood or new-age handles that are made from advanced and more durable materials like hollow stainless steel or molded polypropylene.    

5. Hardness

The best Chinese cleaver knife can be found in two different types of steel qualities – European steel and Japanese steel. Taking European steel into consideration, these steels possess Rockwell hardness of 57 or 58. On the other hand, Japanese steel tends to much harder than European ones, offering Rockwell hardness of 60 to 62.

If you think that the difference in hardness of these steels is not much, then there is a correction. A small increase in the rating on the Rockwell scale actually makes a lot of difference in the hardness of the steel. Though there is a difference of 2-3 points, actually, this indicates that Japanese steel qualities are much stronger and harder.

6. Sharpening and re-sharpening

Now, this better hardness of Japanese steel has two sides. When we talk about the steel being harder, we automatically talk about these steel being better at retaining their edge and being much sharper. But the other side of the coin is – harder steel qualities tend to be much more brittle, which means that they lack when it comes to enduring repeated blows. The blades made from Japanese steel can’t endure repeat pounding into meat or when they drop on a ceramic floor.

Besides lacking in endurance, they are quite tough to res-sharpen due to their high brittleness. They require water stones for re-sharpening. This is an area where European steel qualities enjoy an upper hand. These blades can be re-sharpened quite easily through ordinary re-sharpening methods.

7. Edge angle

The angle of the edge also depends upon the variety of steel used to craft the blade. Acute grinding angles result in sharper blades as compared to obtuse grinding.

 Japanese steel blades are much sharper as they are sharpened at an angle of 11 to 14 degrees. Besides, these steels can retain their edge for a much longer time as they are extremely hard.

The European steel blade manufacturers like to sharpen the blades at an angle of 22 degrees, which is extremely effective in overcoming the shortcoming of being softer and keeping the blade sharper for a much longer time.

8. Build material

Build material is yet another influential factor that a buyer must consider to get a durable Chinese chef knife for his kitchen. The quality and type of steel used to make the knife will itself be a summary of the performance and durability of the knife.

Again, we will be segregating the steel type into two broad heads – Japanese steel knives and European steel knives. Japanese steel knife manufacturers are much inclined towards using combinations of various styles, including high carbon steel, stainless steel, etc.

On the other hand, European steel knife manufacturers consider high carbon steel a go-to option for most of their knives. High carbon steel knives have performed incredibly well in the past, hence, the manufacturers have a well-tested steel quality for their knives that they can resort to without any risk.

Since both the knife manufacturers use different varieties of steel, automatically, the knives will show distinct properties related to sharpness, edge retention, hardness, etc.

A buyer should scout for a Chinese knife that coincides with the above-listed factors so that he/she can get a premium member for their kitchen’s culinary set.

The Best Chinese Chef Knives – Slicers vs. Choppers vs. Cleavers

If two people are buying Chinese cleavers, that doesn’t mean that their purpose is the same. In simpler terms, Chinese chef knives come in several varieties to cater to different kitchen-related requirements.

Exploring the market, we could figure out that Chinese knives can be broadly classified into three different heads – choppers, slicers, and cleavers. Though these varieties can be differentiated on several bases, the most significant basis is the blade thickness.

For now, we’ll be comparing these three most common types of Chinese chef knives i.e. slicers, cleavers, and choppers, and try to find out which will be the best Chinese cooking knife for you along with the reasons behind it.

1. Choppers

Choppers are among the most common types of Chinese chef knives that you can spot in the market and are generally associated with knife monikers. The biggest characteristic that will help you know that you’re looking at a Chinese chopper is the average thickness of these blades i.e. not as thick as cleavers and not as thin as slicers.

Choppers are designed to rule the kitchen with their immense potential to perform almost every kitchen-related activity efficiently. A chopper works on meat, vegetables, fruits, etc, making them extremely versatile.

Versatile   

If you think that the name “chopper” revolves around merely chopping, then you are mistaken somewhere. These kitchen knives are efficient in not only chopping but can also perform slicing, mincing, and dicing so efficiently that they will make your dish look veritable heaven.

Good for scooping

Choppers are designed long, which enables them to be proficient in scooping out food items. Besides, their length also allows the user to transfer chopped items from the chopping board into the utensil.    

Best for handling mounds of veggies

Choppers excel when it comes to handling volumes of veggies, fruits, and herbs. This ability works exceptionally well when you are preparing mounds of chopped vegetables and fruits (that when generally do with freezable items).

Are choppers suitable for cutting bones?

Now, talking about if a chopper can pierce through hard meat or bones, it all varies from knife to knife. The type of steel used and the sharpness of the knife will decide if it is suitable for bones or not and thus, it is advised to read the manual properly.

2. Slicers

Slicers are commonly known as vegetable knives or ping knives. You can identify a slicer by looking at its paper-thin blade, which is also the most appreciable highlight of these knives. If you compare these knives with cleavers or choppers, the blade of a slicer will be much thinner and sharper than that of the other two.

Slicers are not as long as choppers, hence, they lack in scooping out the material or transferring chopped items from the chopping board to the dish. 

Precise slicing

Slicers are unbeatable when it comes to precise slicing. Their razor-sharp, paper-thin blades can pierce through vegetables, meat, or fish, helping the user cut them into thin slices. These thin cross-sectional blades will assist you in preparing appealing garnishes and dishes and get the most out of your dish.

Are slicers suitable for bones?

No, slicers are not at all efficient when it comes to cutting bones. Their thin blades are designed for cutting thin strips of meat, fruits, and vegetables but lack the endurance to survive repeated blows into something as hard as bones. 

3. Cleavers

The best Chinese meat cleavers are known for terrorizing meat as they are designed to be so merciless that they can easily pierce through meat, bones, and cartilages. They are not only used for cutting meat, but also for tough vegetables like pumpkins.

These knives are commonly known as bone choppers and they justify this name in all senses. Also, cleavers are very similar to butcher’s knives.

If you compare cleavers with the other two types of Chinese knives, they possess the dullest edges and the heaviest blades which provides them decent momentum for cutting through tough items.  

What all meat products can you do with Chinese cleavers?

Chinese cleavers specialize in cutting tough items, which includes poultry, pork ribs, dense connective tissues, beef, and much more.

Cutting With The Best Chinese Cleaver Knife

Proper gripping is crucial for a smooth, effortless cutting and chopping experience. In the above sections, we could discover that Chinese cleavers are used for cutting through pork ribs, cartilages, dense tissues, etc and improper griping will demand a higher number of tiring blows into the food item.

Cutting properly with a Chinese knife involves placing the tip of the blade firmly on the cutting board and raising the handle of the cleaver to an acute angle such that the middle and the handle of the knife are higher than the item that you’re about to cut.

Now, the user needs to drag the knife backward and it will cut the item automatically as they are designed to cut through soft meat and vegetables.

Best Chinese Chef Knives Reviews

Exploring the markets, we could figure out that Chinese chef knives not only vary in build material but also in thickness. We could also see that Chinese chef knives come in three broad segments, namely, choppers, slicers, and cleavers.

If you are a first-time buyer, you might be unaware of what your needs are and what category of Chinese knives you need. Thus, here are some of the best Chinese chef knife brands that can prove to be a great investment.

1. Zwilling JA Henckels 7’’ Twin Signature Chinese Chef Knives

Zwilling JA Henckels 7’’ Twin Signature Chinese Chef Knives - best chinese meat cleaver

Crafted with the reliance of Henckels, this 7’’ full tang Chinese chef knife is among the finest Chinese knives available in the market. The Germany-based knife manufacturer has set several milestones, not only in designing stainless steel Chinese knives but also in meat cleavers and kitchen knives.

  • Designed for sheer durability, the high carbon stainless steel can endure the repeated blows into soft materials like chicken, fish, herbs, etc.
  • Henckels doesn’t agree on compromising with users’ comfort and hence, the ergonomic grip, polymer handle will reduce wrist and finger fatigue, giving a smooth cutting experience.
  • Henckels resorted to a single piece, stamped blade to make the knife extremely lightweight and well-balanced.
  • Like their other knives, Henckels has used a premium, ice-hardened Friodur blade that can be re-sharpened with ease.
  • The blade of the best Chinese vegetable cleaver is super hard with a Rockwell hardness of 57 HRC, which also gives it incredible edge retention.
  • The 15-degrees edge angle can pierce through meat and vegetables like a doodle.
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2. Mueller 7’’ Stainless Steel Chinese Meat and Vegetable Cleaver

Mueller 7’’ Stainless Steel Chinese Meat and best chinese vegetable cleaver

Terrorizing chickens and cattle, Mueller’s 7’’ stainless steel Chinese chef knife is an ideal companion for your culinary set. Placed among the best Chinese chef knife brands, the manufacturer emphasizes giving an extravagant look to its knives and this knife is the ideal testimony to this.

  • Mueller’s 7’’ stainless steel Chinese knife serves the buyers with extreme durability and hardness.
  •  The finest quality stainless steel blade is designed to be corrosion, rust, and discoloration proof along with easy re-sharpening. Besides, the blade can be cleaned with just a wipe.
  • The all-purpose, razor-sharp blade can slice almost every meat, fish, and vegetable, helping you prepare a stunning dish with sheer magnificence.
  • Mueller’s laser testing technology ensures the safest knives.
  • The Chinese knife makes chopping, dicing, and slicing a doodle as it is designed to reduce wrist fatigue.
  • Designed with the trust of Mueller’s years of market-ruling technologies.
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3. TUO 6-inch Chinese Meat Cleaver Kitchen Chopping Knife

TUO 6-inch Chinese Meat Cleaver Kitchen Chopping Knife - best chinese cleaver knife

If an extravagant shiny knife grabs your attention out of nowhere, chances are that you are looking at TUO’s Chinese cooking knife. The high carbon stainless steel knife has been designed by the makers of the award-winning Fiery Phoenix kitchen knives and that too, with some upgrades.

  • Designed to work tirelessly, this 6 inches Chinese chef knife promises to pierce through almost every meat, vegetable, and fruit with a single effortless stroke.
  • TUO has focused on enhancing the grip and comfort of the user, for which, resorting to Pakkawood proved to be an intelligent decision. The ergonomic handle is designed with a premium bolstered design so that the user can strike through a thing as small as a grain!
  • The full tang design accompanied by premium high carbon stainless steel design offers sheer durability and sturdiness.
  • Talking more about the steel quality, the knife is crafted out of forged X50CrMoV15 high carbon, which is treated with a high-tech vacuum heat system. This tempering helped the manufacturer to make the steel as hard as 56±2 HRC.
  • The 18-degrees edge angle helps in achieving excellent sharpness.
  • 100% money-back guarantee and thus, the user can try it risk-free.
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4. Imarku 7’’ Chinese Chef Knife

Imarku 7’’ Chinese Chef Knife - best chinese chef knife

Ruling the market for Chinese chef knives, Imarku has been serving the buyers with the finest stainless steel knives. Imarku’s all-purpose knives received a warm welcome from professionals all over the globe and if elegance tempts you, this knife is definitely a go-to option.

  • Imarku 7’’ Chinese chef knife is carved out of the hardest stainless steel, possessing Rockwell hardness of 60 to 62, making it one of the hardest and most durable knives in the industry.
  • The German blade is designed to be rust and discoloration resistant. Besides, it also excels at other knives when it comes to edge retention and sharpness.
  • The ergonomic pakkawood handle, which facilitates superb grip and reduces wrist fatigue.
  • The product is ideal for gifting purposes as it comes in attractive red and grey packaging. 
  • 100% money-back guarantee on the product.     
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5. Kitory Chinese Vegetable and Meat Cleaver

The best Chinese chef knife

Kitory presents one of the most elite high carbon German steel kitchen knives that received a warm welcome from the buyers. The shiny silver design of the blade and handle drips out the utmost extravagance and would undoubtedly enhance the ambiance of your kitchen.

  • Carved out of the most premium high carbon German stainless steel that is known for resisting discoloration, rust, and corrosion.
  • The heavy-duty German blade is known for its immense hardness that will assist you in chopping bones, slicing meat, etc. 
  • The incredibly sharp blade makes the knifean essential product for fine cutting, chopping, dicing, etc.
  • The ergonomic pearwood-shaped handle is known for the smoothest and the most comfortable grip that you can find in a kitchen knife.
  • Tapered bolster design offers the best balancing ever in a knife. Besides, the knife also offers finger protection along with a comfortable natural grip.
  • The seamless connectivity from the handle to the blade provides decent endurance to the knife.
  • 100% money-back guarantee on this product.
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6. Winco Stainless Steel Chinese Knife

best chinese chef's knife

Winco Chinese steel knife is a one-stop option if you are scouting for a sober, minimalistic knife. Besides, the knife is a budget knife, which makes it a decent option if you long for a durable yet affordable knife.

  • The knife is designed to be dishwasher-safe and thus, the user need not wash the knife every time he/she uses it (but it is recommended to wash it lightly to retain its sharpness).
  • The grooved pattern of the knife facilitates exceptional comfort and gripping that will help you chop and cut with ease.
  • Being carved out of stainless steel, the knife is pretty easy to re-sharpen, making it a one-time investment.
  • Winco’s Chinese chef knife is extremely lightweight and well-balanced.
  • The knife provides a decent experience while cutting soft materials like boneless meat, soft vegetables, etc.
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7. Wusthof Gourmet Heavy Chinese Cleaver

Wusthof Gourmet Heavy Chinese Cleaver - best chinese chef knife brands

Encompassing all your chopping-related requirements in a razor-like blade, Wusthof heavy Chinese cleaver drips out sheer elegance with its silver blade paired with a matte black handle. The manufacturer has been placed among the best Chinese chef knives brand and going for the product won’t disappoint you.

  • Wusthof heavy Chinese knife justifies the name “all-purpose knife” as it’s efficient in chopping, mincing, and dicing bones, meat, etc.
  • The stamped, high carbon stainless steel blade can endure repeated blows into something as hard as bone.
  • The Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene polymer handle will bless your hand with the most comfortable grip.
  • A lightweight knife i.e. 12.5oz is suitable for amateurs as well as for professionals.
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Checkout the other knife and kitchen accessories review we have.

If you want to know how to remove rust from knife, checkout How to remove rust from a Knife.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best Chinese knife?

The best Chinese knife for you will depend upon the type of knife you are willing to buy. For instance, is your purpose fine slicing, chopping, or cutting meat. A buyer should look at the build material, hardness rating, sharpness, handle design, etc. to figure out if a knife is good for him or not.

Here is a list of some top-notch Chinese knives that you can definitely go for.
i. Zwilling JA Henckels Twin Chinese Knife
ii. Mueller 7’’ Chinese meat and vegetable Chinese knife
iii. TUO 6’’ Chinese chef knife
iv. Imarku 7-inch Chinese steel knife

2. Why do Chinese chefs use cleavers?

Chinese knives are the most versatile knives available in the market. They justify the name “all-purpose knives” in every sense as they can be put to numerous kitchen-related chores and every part of these knives can be put to one or the other use.

Here are some activities that a Chinese chef would perform with these knives.
• All-purpose knife: These knives can help in chopping, cutting, mincing, dicing, scooping, etc. Besides, long Chinese knives can also help in transferring items from the chopping board to the utensil.
• Cutting meat: Chinese cleavers are designed so heavy that they can cut through dense meat. Bones, cartilages, connective tissues, etc.
• Pounding and tenderizing: The heel of these knives can be used for pounding and tenderizing meat and vegetables.
• Fine chopping: The thin-bladed Chinese chef knives can be used to fine chop meat, fruits, herbs, or vegetables.
But make sure to check the user manual before using the knife on tough items like bones.

3. How do you use a Chinese chef knife?

Using a Chinese chef knife is as easy as using an ordinary knife. The user needs to place his/her index finger and thumb on the knife’s blade on both sides, hold the handle firmly, and drag it back to cut the through item smoothly.

4. How do you hold a Chinese cleaver?

Holding a Chinese cleaver properly is quite crucial for getting a smooth, effortless cutting, and chopping experience. we have seen that Chinese cleavers are used for cutting through pork ribs, cartilages, dense tissues, etc that will require tiring blows if you aren’t holding the cleaver correctly.

To chop correctly, place the tip of the cleaver’s blade on the chopping board. Now, raise the handle of the cleaver to an acute angle such that the middle and the handle of the knife are in the air. Besides, these parts of the knife should be higher than the item that you’re about to cut.

Now, the user needs to just drag the cleaver backward and the knife will cut it automatically as they are designed heavy and sharp enough to cut through meat and vegetables.

5. At what angle do you sharpen Chinese cleavers?

The angle at which you’ll sharpen your knife will depend upon the variety of steel used to make the blade. To generalize, acute-angled grinding gives sharper blades as compared to obtuse-angled grinding.

If you own a Japanese steel knife, it is recommended to sharpen (or re-sharpen) them at an angle of 11 to 14 degrees as these blades are much sharper. Besides, these steels also exhibit great edge retention as they are extremely hard.

On contrary, if you own a European steel knife, it is advised to sharpen them at an angle of 22 degrees, which is extremely effective in overcoming the shortcoming of being softer and keeping the blade sharper for a much longer time.

6. Are Chinese knives any good?

Chinese knives are among the most multi-faceted knives available in the market. They justify the name “all-purpose knives” in every sense as they can be put to numerous kitchen-related chores and every part of these knives can be put to one or the other use.

Here are some activities that a Chinese knife owner can perform with these knives.
• Fine chopping: The thin-bladed Chinese chef knives can be used to fine chop meat, fruits, herbs, or vegetables.
• Cutting meat: Chinese cleavers are designed so heavy that they can cut through dense meat. Bones, cartilages, connective tissues, etc.
• All-purpose knife: These knives can help in chopping, cutting, mincing, dicing, scooping, etc. Besides, long Chinese knives can also help in transferring items from the chopping board to the utensil.
• Pounding and tenderizing: The heel of these knives can be used for pounding and tenderizing meat and vegetables.
But make sure to check the user manual before using the knife on tough items like bones.

7. What kind of knives can cut through bone?

We have seen that Chinese chef knives come in several varieties based on the thickness of the blade and sharpness. These varieties include slicers, choppers, and cleavers. Now, we need to answer a question – which type of Chinese knife can cut through bones and tough meats?

The answer to this is – Chinese cleavers. These knives are unbeatable when it comes to piercing through bones and meat. You can cut pork ribs, beef, dense connective tissues, cartilage, etc. Cleavers have a heavy, broad blade that is designed to use the maximum swing momentum and cut through hard items.

On the other hand, slicers have thin, lightweight blades, which make them tender enough that they can’t cut through hard objects like bones. Besides, choppers are also not as efficient as cleavers in cutting through bones.

Kelly Anne

Kelly Anne

Hey there, I am Kelly Anne. Thank you for being here. Hope you like the website and it was helpful. I am a working mother of 2. I love to cook and feed people. My hobbies include cooking (obviously), reading, and rock climbing.

With so many machines and accessories in the market to help you cook it become quite overwhelming to choose from. I own a lot of these kitchen equipments and tried out the others. I want the best for my kitchen and I am helping you find the best for yours.

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