The Chinese style ones aren't meant to cut through bones. Learned that the hard way. They're more like chef knives. Shibazi, CCK, and Mercer Genesis are good ones. Kiwi is also a well priced brand. The heavy cleavers like the Dexter are good for bones. It's why I have one thick and one Chinese.
There are Chinese meat cleavers that are designed to cut through bones, and then there are Chinese slicing knives that are designed for cutting vegetables and the like. Both are similar in shape to the Western cleaver but the slicing knives are typically very thin and would deform in an instant if you tried to hack at bone. The technique for using them is different than a Western chef's knife; since they're squarish, you slice through the food as opposed to rocking the knife along a curved edge.
ThatsSoRavin your post needs to be reposted for all to see. It’s absolutely accurate and without these points, it makes this video moot and misleading. Too bad for ATK being the expert in this field.
the unfinished walnut wood handle can be finished to suit your hand. High spots sanded or filed down. Then mineral oil the same stuff you use for your cutting boards can be applied for water protection. Rivets can be tightened up. Hitting it with a hammer will tighten them up but also back to the mineral oil the untreated wood swells and contracts with humidity. Soaking the handle in mineral oil will swell the wood and tighten the handle . Mineral oil is found in the pharmacy section of the grocery and is food safe. It is also good for lubrication of O rings in BBQ syringes and moving parts of appliances like meat grinders
I got a cleaver in L.A.'s Chinatown about 40 yrs. ago and it's still going strong. Oddly enough, it's a Dexter and it set me back $30 which was serious money back then.
This. I think the one I bought, 20 years ago, was $6 or 8. Cleavers are a knife you almost never use, I think I've used it for breaking down squashes more than anything else, so it shouldn't cost much.
@@madthumbs1564 A chef's knife will have a real problem with a hard squash and I really doubt mine would actually cut through a chicken bone much less a beef bone. For those jobs you really do need a cleaver.
Did you take into account that there are VEGETABLE cleavers and MEAT-&-BONE cleavers, which are two different things, each not meant to do the other's job? Consult with Martin Yan on Chinese (veg) cleavers.
Cleavers are usually set by hand and then driven through with a mallet or a baton. This gives much more control and power. An over hand swing works but is kind of wild. Asian cleaver shaped blades are thin fine blades for slicing and light chopping not for bone. Arm tired already? Really?
Kind of irks me that they complain about having to swing a heavy cleaver, and then immediately follow with complaining about a light one not being capable. Like complaining that swinging a sledge is too hard, but then complaining you cant drive 8 inch nails with a finishing hammer.
5 років тому+5
That is just what women have done since the beginning of time.
I recently got a clever and quite like it, because the bigger blade makes it easier for me to just cut and do basic tasks. Since I have more surface area acting against my hands and thus keeping everything safe and stable. Also with a clever you can mince garlic and ginger in a second, just turn blade side ways and smack down and smear a little right as you impact.
Cleavers like knives have a variety of styles and weights that serve different needs and uses. The thicker blade ones with the broader angle on the edges are for breaking bones, those with lighter weights and narrower angled edges are for more accurate and precise cuts like a vegetable cleaver. And for chopping and mutilation of a squash, a corn knife works best. Corn knives and machetes are great for melons also.
I purchased a meat cleaver from Amazon and it looks nice, but I have not used it yet. I didn't pay as much as I thought it would cost and I will get around to using it one day. You all put those cleavers to the test and I would not want one which came to me dull, or make it difficult to cut through meat like chicken or turkey.
I recommend a solid , heavy blade with the tang reaching the end of the handle and rivited in with a at least 3-4 rivets to secure the blade to the handle. Stainless steel for the blade and tang, should be all 1 piece, i prefer a wooden handle on mine with some good weight to the entire cleaver.
I’m a big fan of Cutco knives. They aren’t cheap, but they are exceptionally well made with great ergonomics. We have two that we bought 45 years ago and they are just as sturdy and attractive today as they were when we bought them. We have added to the collection over the years and the recent additions are the same top quality as our vintage pieces. They have a lifetime guarantee and free professional sharpening for life. And made in the USA.
You forgot the solid stainless Winco! The handle is stainless and integral to the blade, so no handle wiggle. Also comes in at $11-12. Winco KC-401, 12.541.25, Stainless Steel
After watching this I wondered why they were confusing a Chinese cooks knife with a cleaver. A cleaver is meant to break through joints of animals and occasional large to medium bone. The sharpening of a cleaver is closer to that of an axe where one side is flat and the other side has a more rounded look to push away from the center, it is not meant to be super sharp. Chinese cooks knife is meant to be used in a similar fashion as to a cooks knife or a Santoku blade, to slice, dice, and transfer to pot. The angle of sharpening is the same on each side for the precision they were looking for.
Japanese videos on cooking have different kinds of cleavers depending on what they’re cutting. There is a very specific meat cleaver. And a different kind for vegetables. Then there is a third all purpose one that they use for cutting those soft vegetables and any sort of chopping that we would use a chef knife for. I wondered if you could do a review on the different types of Japanese cleavers or knives.
There is a difference between Chinese-style (or any style of) cleaver and the similar-appearing Chinese chef knife. The latter, with it's thinner, lighter blade is intended for cutting and chopping in the same fashion as a western chef knife; it is not intended for cleaving.
As a butcher I can tell you we still use cleavers. the reason the first 1 is so thick and heavy is to cut and smash through big bones it's not good for the job you are testing it on. Those thin cleavers would chip and the sharpness would go straight away they are not good for real bone cutting
@@chrisp5526 Well what are you going to use it for? For home cooking, breaking down poultry, chopping through small bones and such, or for breaking down cattle, pigs, and lambs?
@@rollothewalker5535 thanks for the reply! Chopping raw chicken legs/thighs, and maybe pork ribs... i presume I’d need two different kinds of cleavers, if I room/money isn’t a problem.
The biggest problem with a meat cleaver is that it doesn't just cut through the bone, it shatters the bone into tiny splinters. Also, you will need a chopping block and a file to sharpen the heaver cleavers. It is a big pain, and even the experts use them as a last resort.
Lol, no. I'm sure you either don't use a cleaver or don't own a quality one. As a butcher, i use a cleaver for most of my tasks. Personally i find it quicker and more "natural". Quality cleavers have a strong wedge shaped cross section. A "V" section if you will. And they cleanly cut through bones. Sadly, most modern cleavers are just stamped out of sheet steel and not forged, thus they have a bad, flat cross section, that cracks bones rather than cutting through them. Old european cleavers are the best, bar none. But i agree, you need a chopping block or a thick wooden board. Files aren't needed, lol, you can't sharpen a nicely heat treated knife with a file. A honing steel is good to have around but good cleavers don't typically lose their edge and thus they don't have to be sharpened that often.
The way they hold a cleaver tells me they rarely use one. Not sure by comparing slicing style with choping style cleaves, what are they trying to conclude?
Agreed. I am a home butcher, typically i only use a large, heavy cleaver, and a boning knife for pigs and cattle. No saw. For poultry, lamb, and rabbits i just use the cleaver, no need for a knife. The way they're using them makes me cringe. To use a cleaver properly you need experience.
You should test woks next: copper, cast iron, carbon steel etc Or copper cookware especiallycruffoni, mauviel and matfer bourgeat. Nobody else has done copper reviews
There's an intrinsic problem with comparing vastly different types of cleavers, and using them for things they aren't intended for. The difference between a heavy butcher's meat cleaver, an all around Chinese style one, and a light cleaver meant for vegetable prep is just too large to make this a really useful comparison. It would have been better to compare a few medium size Chinese cleavers like the Shun design is. But the beauty of a Chinese cleaver is that is can be very inexpensive and still work great. A stainless high carbon steel cleaver from Dexter is a perfect cleaver for almost anything except thick raw bones, and is one step up from a cheaper no name Chinese one due to a better hand that one need replacing after a few nonths of not properly dried off all the time. It will do cooked meat like poultry, raw meats, vegetable slicing, and all the important crunching, flattening, and tenderising operations. too, which is why it ois the one knife a Chinese chef will do almost everything with. Be prepared to leave your other knives in the drawer once you get used to a medium Chinese cleaver, they are so versatile and incredibly easy to sharpen with the almost flat profile.
I had a Chinese cleaver that I used for pretty much everything from hacking open a chicken to slicing up veggies to mincing herbs. Turns if you only get one knife, make it a cleaver. Then after I got a set of professional knives that totally held an edge, the cleaver just came up missing one day. I hadn't used it for a while, using the new Chef Knife, so I guess the wife got rid of the cleaver.
I've been enjoying the series. I'm glad that you guys have moved some of the equipment testing outside of the traditional test kitchen recipe videos. Having said that, I keep running across this common issue in your testing where you both consistently complain about high-quality products being too heavy for you to use. It's pretty obvious over time that this opinion of yours has slanted your test results, and they don't really reflect the actual quality. They reflect your individual strength levels. On a number of occasions, items that were incredibly higher in quality and durability, didn't get your top results. Hell, the entire honer/sharpener video was done with you holding the honers vertically, with the tip on a towel, using an incredibly unnatural cutting motion because you felt that holding a honer in the air was too cumbersome and heavy. A honer! You two are obviously talented and you have great camera presence and charisma. Just try to keep this bias of yours in mind, because I'm tired of not seeing which product is objectively better because you're both not strong enough to use them.
Women use kitchen tools too. In the average American home kitchen, probably more than men do. Do you think they should have different categories, men's tools and women's tools?
I actually prefer this because my wife does the majority of cooking and I don't want to spend extra money on something that is too difficult for her to use.
You ladies need a full testing lab with a fabrication shop to make any testing equipment needed. This helps out with tasks that can be repeated, but also makes sure that each test is done under the same exact conditions. Humans tend to be poor at replicating things exactly.
That doesn't really work with kitchen equipment. Kitchens are all different so some tests may never apply to you or me. It's better to play it by feel for these kind of things in my opinion.
ATK is not Consumer Reports, but based upon ATK's recommendations, I've bought several appliances and pieces of kitchen equipment, and wished ATK had been around back when I was in high school, which was decades ago. It would've saved me a lot of money, time, and frustration, as I've had to buy replacements when they've failed after a few uses or just out of warranty or weren't up to par.
I find it strange that victoriaknox did so poorly given that I was under the impression that all their other regular cheap knives were great best buys.
ulg. Chinese Cleavers aren't ALL used for chopping. there are 3 main sub categories of Chinese cleavers, each with different thickness/blade angle, and intended use. They one you guys are using falls under the mid weight cleaver (文武刀), and it's mainly a slicer. This video is like watching someone trying to hack a leg bone using a yanagiba, and complaining the knife can't do the job...
I use the cleaver that came with my wok set. Works just fine for everything except hard squashes, which I rarely cook (and the cleaver + meat pounder in combination take care of that job).
Heavy cleavers are usually made of poor steel that dulls easily. Light cleavers seem to be made of better stuff but are really best for chopping vegetables. My 12 inch 1960s style butcher knife outperforms any of these choices. Heavy enough to cut anything, light enough to not be tiring (12 ounces). With this knife, we do not need to chop. We slice. I got my rust covered one cheap at the local flea market but they're still made of high quality carbon steel in the USA for ~$60. Blade shape is an isosceles triangle with tapering thickness - very thin at the tip. If you've ever seen a butcher at work, you've seen this style of knife.
"Pronounced like should" Yep. "Shun" pronounced like they did is "to persistently avoid, ignore, or reject someone or something." In the case of the knife brand, the U is pronounced more like the vowel sound in "should" or "look." The folks from ATK are pretty regular in mispronouncing Japanese and Chinese names. Adam used to pronounce "gyuto" (a type of Japanese chef's knife) as "gee-yu-toh" (three syllables) rather than "gyu-toh" (two syllables). The way he pronounced it, it would be spelled "giyuto."
I bought a Victorinox cleaver about a year ago... I used it once and packed it away. Garbage cleaver imo (for the price)...the blade is too thick and ships to you blunt. Also for me a cleaver needs some depth (or width) to the blade. And trying to sharpen such a thick blade is almost impossible. I also have one of Victorinox 10 inch chefs knives. I'm moderately happy with it but the cleaver really needs to be looked at !!
I have a Victorinox cleaver too, and I also think that it is no good at it's intended task and it sits on my knife rack virtually unused. I have a much bigger heavier Dexter for when I actually need a cleaver now. The Victorinox chef's knife is good value for money not many will argue with you about that, I just wish it was an extra +2 on the hardness scale.
You guys always choose the high end products, regardless of the facts. I have the Victorinox, which is brilliant, and an inexpensive Chinese cleaver for heavier work. Your test is only valid for people who share your lack of muscle. Not a worthwhile test from where I sit.
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. One simple thing you guys completely missed. Cheaper old heavy cleavers are more for meat. Thin and lighter are used for vegetables. Thicker blades are easily Dulled over time of use and are often sharpened often while thinner are not dulled because they don’t hack. Very western approach to something very asian prob one of the biggest fails imo from you guys.
The winner, the Shun cleaver is not “Chinese style” it’s Japanese style, made IN Japan. I have a set of the Shun knives and would never buy one made in Communist China.
Absolutely no mention of the fact that there are two types of cleavers: vegetable and meat. They are not designed the same and do not do the same jobs. Seriously lame video. Chris Kimble would never have allowed this. Now that ATK has turned into a Three-Chicks-Cooking show, the quality of the material has steadily eroded. They are even selling their books on QVC now and discounting their material by as much as 80%. They are just another discount, low-budget media company now and won't last much longer.
So... you did the same tests, and drew the same conclusion, as ep 5, season 19 did when Adam did this? As others have pointed out, you tested may cleavers alongside vegetable cleavers, which ought to have been a no-no. That Shun is a nice blade, no doubt, but it also comes in too wide and too heavy to do the kind of delicate, fast slicing that a cai dao is supposed to do. Next time, diversify your trading protocol too when it comes time to test equipment. You selected literally the same knives he did, so that was either a deliberate repeat, or a horrifying gaff. There are more than 8 cleavers in the world.
The Chinese style ones aren't meant to cut through bones. Learned that the hard way. They're more like chef knives. Shibazi, CCK, and Mercer Genesis are good ones. Kiwi is also a well priced brand.
The heavy cleavers like the Dexter are good for bones. It's why I have one thick and one Chinese.
There are Chinese meat cleavers that are designed to cut through bones, and then there are Chinese slicing knives that are designed for cutting vegetables and the like. Both are similar in shape to the Western cleaver but the slicing knives are typically very thin and would deform in an instant if you tried to hack at bone. The technique for using them is different than a Western chef's knife; since they're squarish, you slice through the food as opposed to rocking the knife along a curved edge.
ThatsSoRavin your post needs to be reposted for all to see. It’s absolutely accurate and without these points, it makes this video moot and misleading. Too bad for ATK being the expert in this field.
@@ThatsSoRavin Yeah, I'm referring to the cai dao (in Chinese) and chukabocko (the Japanese version of it). Thanks for adding more details.
Missing out on such a big detail really detracts from their credibility here. Thanks for the heads up!
These are chinese meat cleavers. You are thinking of chinese chef knives or chinese vegetable cleavers.
Great video, but colours in the video seem off for some reason, like they seem paler than usual
the unfinished walnut wood handle can be finished to suit your hand. High spots sanded or filed down. Then mineral oil the same stuff you use for your cutting boards can be applied for water protection. Rivets can be tightened up. Hitting it with a hammer will tighten them up but also back to the mineral oil the untreated wood swells and contracts with humidity. Soaking the handle in mineral oil will swell the wood and tighten the handle . Mineral oil is found in the pharmacy section of the grocery and is food safe. It is also good for lubrication of O rings in BBQ syringes and moving parts of appliances like meat grinders
Not all mineral oil is food safe; it should specify on the package.
@@madthumbs1564 the mineral oil bought at the pharmacy for medical reasons is food safe
Go to Chinatown, go buy a carbon steel cleaver for like $15.
I got a cleaver in L.A.'s Chinatown about 40 yrs. ago and it's still going strong. Oddly enough, it's a Dexter and it set me back $30 which was serious money back then.
@@lylegorch5956 I did an inflation calculation for 40 years and that $30 would be about $111.00 today
This. I think the one I bought, 20 years ago, was $6 or 8.
Cleavers are a knife you almost never use, I think I've used it for breaking down squashes more than anything else, so it shouldn't cost much.
@@KenS1267 Slicing knives work better for me. Cleaver is too much of a wedge.
@@madthumbs1564 A chef's knife will have a real problem with a hard squash and I really doubt mine would actually cut through a chicken bone much less a beef bone. For those jobs you really do need a cleaver.
Did you take into account that there are VEGETABLE cleavers and MEAT-&-BONE cleavers, which are two different things, each not meant to do the other's job?
Consult with Martin Yan on Chinese (veg) cleavers.
I had not lived until I received my first Shun. They are awesome.
I really like the product name pop-up as you are working.
Cleavers are usually set by hand and then driven through with a mallet or a baton. This gives much more control and power. An over hand swing works but is kind of wild.
Asian cleaver shaped blades are thin fine blades for slicing and light chopping not for bone.
Arm tired already? Really?
Kind of irks me that they complain about having to swing a heavy cleaver, and then immediately follow with complaining about a light one not being capable. Like complaining that swinging a sledge is too hard, but then complaining you cant drive 8 inch nails with a finishing hammer.
That is just what women have done since the beginning of time.
My takeaway was that it's best to get the heaviest cleaver you can comfortably handle.
@ I'm a woman and I've never complained about tools being too heavy or too light.
I just get the heaviest i can handle and gradually get stronger.
Hannah and Lisa with the best food hacks on the internet
I recently got a clever and quite like it, because the bigger blade makes it easier for me to just cut and do basic tasks. Since I have more surface area acting against my hands and thus keeping everything safe and stable. Also with a clever you can mince garlic and ginger in a second, just turn blade side ways and smack down and smear a little right as you impact.
I like June Cleaver.
I've had a Shun Chefs knife for years and it's the best. I'll probably never have to buy another one.
Cleavers like knives have a variety of styles and weights that serve different needs and uses. The thicker blade ones with the broader angle on the edges are for breaking bones, those with lighter weights and narrower angled edges are for more accurate and precise cuts like a vegetable cleaver. And for chopping and mutilation of a squash, a corn knife works best. Corn knives and machetes are great for melons also.
Cleavers are an important tool in Chinese cooking.
Vegetable cleavers.
I purchased a meat cleaver from Amazon and it looks nice, but I have not used it yet. I didn't pay as much as I thought it would cost and I will get around to using it one day. You all put those cleavers to the test and I would not want one which came to me dull, or make it difficult to cut through meat like chicken or turkey.
Which one would the beaver prefer?
Your color calibration seemed a bit more muted on this gear heads video, but more importantly there was too much handheld cam on this.
Joseph Mirisola everyone’s a critic.... and nobody likes critics. I didn’t notice any handy cam.
I recommend a solid , heavy blade with the tang reaching the end of the handle and rivited in with a at least 3-4 rivets to secure the blade to the handle. Stainless steel for the blade and tang, should be all 1 piece, i prefer a wooden handle on mine with some good weight to the entire cleaver.
I've been waiting for this for forever!
I learned the hard way that a really thin clever is easily damaged on the edge. I have the Shun and I think it works great.
I’m a big fan of Cutco knives. They aren’t cheap, but they are exceptionally well made with great ergonomics. We have two that we bought 45 years ago and they are just as sturdy and attractive today as they were when we bought them. We have added to the collection over the years and the recent additions are the same top quality as our vintage pieces. They have a lifetime guarantee and free professional sharpening for life. And made in the USA.
You forgot the solid stainless Winco! The handle is stainless and integral to the blade, so no handle wiggle. Also comes in at $11-12.
Winco KC-401, 12.541.25, Stainless Steel
They forgot Cutco too! -(j/k). That price range you'll only get junk.
After watching this I wondered why they were confusing a Chinese cooks knife with a cleaver. A cleaver is meant to break through joints of animals and occasional large to medium bone. The sharpening of a cleaver is closer to that of an axe where one side is flat and the other side has a more rounded look to push away from the center, it is not meant to be super sharp.
Chinese cooks knife is meant to be used in a similar fashion as to a cooks knife or a Santoku blade, to slice, dice, and transfer to pot. The angle of sharpening is the same on each side for the precision they were looking for.
Love quality kitchen gadgets!!!!
Japanese videos on cooking have different kinds of cleavers depending on what they’re cutting. There is a very specific meat cleaver. And a different kind for vegetables. Then there is a third all purpose one that they use for cutting those soft vegetables and any sort of chopping that we would use a chef knife for. I wondered if you could do a review on the different types of Japanese cleavers or knives.
There is a difference between Chinese-style (or any style of) cleaver and the similar-appearing Chinese chef knife. The latter, with it's thinner, lighter blade is intended for cutting and chopping in the same fashion as a western chef knife; it is not intended for cleaving.
The saturation is very low on this video, please return to the previous method of post-processing.
I feel that it's something to do with the light.
@@handracorokan might be, also seemed to fluctuate at some points
No, it's a new fad, like filters on instagram
Thanks for the testing
What's up with the low color saturation on this video? Lisa is practically blending into the background, poor thing!
Love you Gear Heads!!!
Thoughts on the Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro series cleaver?
Awesome demo
Which would be a winner if weight wasn't a factor, for those of us who want that?
Bingo. See? This is what people want to know. Which cleaver was the best, not which cleaver two small people complained about the least.
15 sec in : we don't like cleavers but we made a video
As a butcher I can tell you we still use cleavers. the reason the first 1 is so thick and heavy is to cut and smash through big bones it's not good for the job you are testing it on. Those thin cleavers would chip and the sharpness would go straight away they are not good for real bone cutting
m p do you have a recommended cleaver? Thanks for your commend.
I'm a butcher too. Could not agree more.
@@chrisp5526 Well what are you going to use it for? For home cooking, breaking down poultry, chopping through small bones and such, or for breaking down cattle, pigs, and lambs?
@@rollothewalker5535 thanks for the reply! Chopping raw chicken legs/thighs, and maybe pork ribs... i presume I’d need two different kinds of cleavers, if I room/money isn’t a problem.
Any updates since Shun has discontinued the meat cleaver?
The biggest problem with a meat cleaver is that it doesn't just cut through the bone, it shatters the bone into tiny splinters. Also, you will need a chopping block and a file to sharpen the heaver cleavers. It is a big pain, and even the experts use them as a last resort.
Lol, no. I'm sure you either don't use a cleaver or don't own a quality one. As a butcher, i use a cleaver for most of my tasks. Personally i find it quicker and more "natural". Quality cleavers have a strong wedge shaped cross section. A "V" section if you will. And they cleanly cut through bones.
Sadly, most modern cleavers are just stamped out of sheet steel and not forged, thus they have a bad, flat cross section, that cracks bones rather than cutting through them. Old european cleavers are the best, bar none. But i agree, you need a chopping block or a thick wooden board. Files aren't needed, lol, you can't sharpen a nicely heat treated knife with a file. A honing steel is good to have around but good cleavers don't typically lose their edge and thus they don't have to be sharpened that often.
Could you sharpen the affordable cleaver with the hand sharpener chose in previous video by you? And is it a 15angle blade?
The way they hold a cleaver tells me they rarely use one. Not sure by comparing slicing style with choping style cleaves, what are they trying to conclude?
Agreed. I am a home butcher, typically i only use a large, heavy cleaver, and a boning knife for pigs and cattle. No saw. For poultry, lamb, and rabbits i just use the cleaver, no need for a knife. The way they're using them makes me cringe. To use a cleaver properly you need experience.
I've used my cleaver once in 16 years... To smite a rabbit into pieces for stew.
Can the two use Kitchen knives?
Have a tungsten edged cleaner that's fine me proud for over 20 years. TkEZ>UK
What’s the hole for in the cleaver? (I’ve been wondering this for awhile...)
Hanging it on a hook, such as a meat hook or on the butcher's belt.
You should test woks next: copper, cast iron, carbon steel etc
Or copper cookware especiallycruffoni, mauviel and matfer bourgeat. Nobody else has done copper reviews
Now I am convinced that I don't need a cleaver. And I've never needed to hack up chicken parts like in this video.
There's an intrinsic problem with comparing vastly different types of cleavers, and using them for things they aren't intended for.
The difference between a heavy butcher's meat cleaver, an all around Chinese style one, and a light cleaver meant for vegetable prep is just too large to make this a really useful comparison. It would have been better to compare a few medium size Chinese cleavers like the Shun design is.
But the beauty of a Chinese cleaver is that is can be very inexpensive and still work great. A stainless high carbon steel cleaver from Dexter is a perfect cleaver for almost anything except thick raw bones, and is one step up from a cheaper no name Chinese one due to a better hand that one need replacing after a few nonths of not properly dried off all the time. It will do cooked meat like poultry, raw meats, vegetable slicing, and all the important crunching, flattening, and tenderising operations. too, which is why it ois the one knife a Chinese chef will do almost everything with. Be prepared to leave your other knives in the drawer once you get used to a medium Chinese cleaver, they are so versatile and incredibly easy to sharpen with the almost flat profile.
special Friday the 13th ;)
I had a Chinese cleaver that I used for pretty much everything from hacking open a chicken to slicing up veggies to mincing herbs. Turns if you only get one knife, make it a cleaver. Then after I got a set of professional knives that totally held an edge, the cleaver just came up missing one day. I hadn't used it for a while, using the new Chef Knife, so I guess the wife got rid of the cleaver.
I've been enjoying the series. I'm glad that you guys have moved some of the equipment testing outside of the traditional test kitchen recipe videos. Having said that, I keep running across this common issue in your testing where you both consistently complain about high-quality products being too heavy for you to use.
It's pretty obvious over time that this opinion of yours has slanted your test results, and they don't really reflect the actual quality. They reflect your individual strength levels. On a number of occasions, items that were incredibly higher in quality and durability, didn't get your top results.
Hell, the entire honer/sharpener video was done with you holding the honers vertically, with the tip on a towel, using an incredibly unnatural cutting motion because you felt that holding a honer in the air was too cumbersome and heavy. A honer!
You two are obviously talented and you have great camera presence and charisma. Just try to keep this bias of yours in mind, because I'm tired of not seeing which product is objectively better because you're both not strong enough to use them.
Don't confuse them with the facts
Women use kitchen tools too. In the average American home kitchen, probably more than men do. Do you think they should have different categories, men's tools and women's tools?
I actually prefer this because my wife does the majority of cooking and I don't want to spend extra money on something that is too difficult for her to use.
What happened to the guy on ATK?
Couple of Lizzy Bordens! 😬
This has probably been asked and answered many times before, but what happens to all of the food in these videos?
I use a Chinese "knife" all of the time. Martin Yan's is my favorite. However, it is not a cleaver, it is for cutting
You ladies need a full testing lab with a fabrication shop to make any testing equipment needed. This helps out with tasks that can be repeated, but also makes sure that each test is done under the same exact conditions. Humans tend to be poor at replicating things exactly.
That doesn't really work with kitchen equipment. Kitchens are all different so some tests may never apply to you or me. It's better to play it by feel for these kind of things in my opinion.
ATK is not Consumer Reports, but based upon ATK's recommendations, I've bought several appliances and pieces of kitchen equipment, and wished ATK had been around back when I was in high school, which was decades ago. It would've saved me a lot of money, time, and frustration, as I've had to buy replacements when they've failed after a few uses or just out of warranty or weren't up to par.
I find it strange that victoriaknox did so poorly given that I was under the impression that all their other regular cheap knives were great best buys.
As they mentioned, it is more of a Chinese cleaver, which is used like a chef's knife and not really meant to go through bone.
@@David_T Ah, thanks.
Dalstrong?
Please do fondue pots.
Butchers don't use cleavers ?
All butchers here where I live use cleavers
I love these videos. Have you considered Cutco when picking out which brands to test?
That's funny.
Maybe they should consider Ginsu too.
ulg. Chinese Cleavers aren't ALL used for chopping. there are 3 main sub categories of Chinese cleavers, each with different thickness/blade angle, and intended use. They one you guys are using falls under the mid weight cleaver (文武刀), and it's mainly a slicer. This video is like watching someone trying to hack a leg bone using a yanagiba, and complaining the knife can't do the job...
I use the cleaver that came with my wok set. Works just fine for everything except hard squashes, which I rarely cook (and the cleaver + meat pounder in combination take care of that job).
literally no one needs a cleaver in their home kitchen unless you're processing poultry like crazy
Always shun anything from Shun.
Leave it to cleaver.... Sorry, my bad🤭
Are y’all going to review kitchen guillotines next?
To be fair the chinese cleavers are more comparable to a nakiri knife and not a cleaver, they have a more delicate blade.
i watched this
Please, the blonde out, you are so enough chef.
I just brought the global cleaver Noe I wanna exchange it for shun
Heavy cleavers are usually made of poor steel that dulls easily. Light cleavers seem to be made of better stuff but are really best for chopping vegetables. My 12 inch 1960s style butcher knife outperforms any of these choices. Heavy enough to cut anything, light enough to not be tiring (12 ounces). With this knife, we do not need to chop. We slice. I got my rust covered one cheap at the local flea market but they're still made of high quality carbon steel in the USA for ~$60. Blade shape is an isosceles triangle with tapering thickness - very thin at the tip. If you've ever seen a butcher at work, you've seen this style of knife.
Pronounced like should. Like should but an n
What's a nould?
"Pronounced like should"
Yep. "Shun" pronounced like they did is "to persistently avoid, ignore, or reject someone or something." In the case of the knife brand, the U is pronounced more like the vowel sound in "should" or "look." The folks from ATK are pretty regular in mispronouncing Japanese and Chinese names. Adam used to pronounce "gyuto" (a type of Japanese chef's knife) as "gee-yu-toh" (three syllables) rather than "gyu-toh" (two syllables). The way he pronounced it, it would be spelled "giyuto."
This was slightly terrifying to watch...
“Not an essential part”
Why are you doing what is already been done before with Adam testing these?
All videos have the date right below the title, if you look you can see that this video was out 8 months before the one Adam made.
I bought a Victorinox cleaver about a year ago... I used it once and packed it away. Garbage cleaver imo (for the price)...the blade is too thick and ships to you blunt. Also for me a cleaver needs some depth (or width) to the blade. And trying to sharpen such a thick blade is almost impossible. I also have one of Victorinox 10 inch chefs knives. I'm moderately happy with it but the cleaver really needs to be looked at !!
I have a Victorinox cleaver too, and I also think that it is no good at it's intended task and it sits on my knife rack virtually unused. I have a much bigger heavier Dexter for when I actually need a cleaver now. The Victorinox chef's knife is good value for money not many will argue with you about that, I just wish it was an extra +2 on the hardness scale.
Veg cleaver video when?
well... I just bought a $7 cleaver 🤣
You guys always choose the high end products, regardless of the facts. I have the Victorinox, which is brilliant, and an inexpensive Chinese cleaver for heavier work. Your test is only valid for people who share your lack of muscle. Not a worthwhile test from where I sit.
There has to be chicken bits splattered all over that room.
Time to disinfect the place.
doesn't seem like some of them are even sharp?
Are any of the cleavers "Dexter" approved?
Isn't shun Japanese?
You ladies obviously are the wrong folk to be getting cleaver advice from. You have no clue how they should work, how to use them or how to hold them.
The best cleaver advice comes from butchers that use them often.
Nothing to do with the video but do you have a Twitter acct? Also best indoor grill and fryer for a apt pls
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. One simple thing you guys completely missed. Cheaper old heavy cleavers are more for meat. Thin and lighter are used for vegetables. Thicker blades are easily Dulled over time of use and are often sharpened often while thinner are not dulled because they don’t hack. Very western approach to something very asian prob one of the biggest fails imo from you guys.
I thought it was called a Japanese style blade, not Chinese. (?)
Oh god , women ....
The winner, the Shun cleaver is not “Chinese style” it’s Japanese style, made IN Japan. I have a set of the Shun knives and would never buy one made in Communist China.
Absolutely no mention of the fact that there are two types of cleavers: vegetable and meat. They are not designed the same and do not do the same jobs. Seriously lame video. Chris Kimble would never have allowed this. Now that ATK has turned into a Three-Chicks-Cooking show, the quality of the material has steadily eroded. They are even selling their books on QVC now and discounting their material by as much as 80%. They are just another discount, low-budget media company now and won't last much longer.
So... you did the same tests, and drew the same conclusion, as ep 5, season 19 did when Adam did this?
As others have pointed out, you tested may cleavers alongside vegetable cleavers, which ought to have been a no-no. That Shun is a nice blade, no doubt, but it also comes in too wide and too heavy to do the kind of delicate, fast slicing that a cai dao is supposed to do.
Next time, diversify your trading protocol too when it comes time to test equipment. You selected literally the same knives he did, so that was either a deliberate repeat, or a horrifying gaff. There are more than 8 cleavers in the world.
The ignorance in this video is astounding. Lol.
Yup
I can't believe these are professional chefs... lame.
Did you tried to sharpen it. Also why didn’t you have a man to show the difference. Very sexist of you