I just got my first meat cleaver...

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,544
6,368
126
I've never had a meat clever (or a good chefs knife) and this past weekend while making chicken wings, and trying to prepare them, I realize how much easier it would be with a cleaver. I also buy chicken quarters a lot and hack them in half with a crappy knife I have and it's a hassle and just not ideal, so I figure I'll use this multiple times a week.

I just used it and damn it is nice. I don't know how I went so long without using one. The first one I did I took like 2-3 hacks just because I didn't know how hard to do it, but the second one was pretty much 1 clean hack. It's going to save so much time and it's a lot more fun. Plus it won't screw up my only other crappy knife, which I bought a chefs knife with this as well.

The chef's knife comes tomorrow. These 2 tools are going to make doing stuff in the kitchen a lot easier lol.

I didn't get anything fancy but nothing bottom of the barrel either. I just looked for middle of the pack ones with good reviews on amazon and got these.

cleaver - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GNHF45Z
chef's knife - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DDBJF12

I think I'm going to just keep them in the box when not using them as I don't really know what else to do with them to keep them and us protected from the sharp edges.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,408
9,931
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I don't have much of a use for a cleaver, but a chef's knife is good to have. I have a Chinese chef's knife, which kind of looks like a cleaver. I keep it lying flat on top of my knife block, and my other knives inside the block.
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
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I keep my knives like this
142db9d40f24e5b04accf9f5ec519573.jpg
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
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I don't have a meat cleaver. I thought about buying one but I can't justify having one. Two of my most used kitchen tools are Global 8" chef knife and pair of scissors. I can do pretty much everything with those two items.
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
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purbeast0, how are you cooking your wings and chicken quarters? Just curious what equipment you're using and what you're using the chicken quarters for.
 

FeuerFrei

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2005
9,144
929
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My only cleaver is a honking one. Blade's maybe 12" and handle 7". More for splitting carcasses than anything. Weighs a couple pounds I bet. It'd be good to have something more svelte and finesse-able.
 
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purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,544
6,368
126
purbeast0, how are you cooking your wings and chicken quarters? Just curious what equipment you're using and what you're using the chicken quarters for.
Just baking them in the oven for now. When warmer I'll be grilling them. But quarters I just split the leg/thigh and the wings I break into 3 pieces and toss the little end piece. But you should have seen how butchered the other 2 parts were on like 1/2 the wings I cut up lol.

I also cut them pre-cooking, if that is any different. I don't even know if people cut quarters or wings after, although I do know the Peruvian chicken places cut the whole chickens up post-cooking, because they cook em on the rotisserie.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
30,686
45,769
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I keep my knives like this
142db9d40f24e5b04accf9f5ec519573.jpg

Be still my beating heart, tsuchime and damascus and is that a Glestain I see there? NICE. Those two non folded gyuto in the middle there, are those Masahiro?

Bitchin spread Pixel! :D
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
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Just baking them in the oven for now. When warmer I'll be grilling them. But quarters I just split the leg/thigh and the wings I break into 3 pieces and toss the little end piece. But you should have seen how butchered the other 2 parts were on like 1/2 the wings I cut up lol.

I also cut them pre-cooking, if that is any different. I don't even know if people cut quarters or wings after, although I do know the Peruvian chicken places cut the whole chickens up post-cooking, because they cook em on the rotisserie.
You can cut up the chicken before or after. Some people like to do it before to increase the surface areas for seasoning/rub so they can get more browning/bark and to cook faster.

I was just curious why you were cutting up the wings and quarters. If I buy whole wings, I cook it that way. I don't go out of my way to cut and trim it. You mentioning Peruvian rotisserie chicken have me craving some whole chicken now. I might have to go to Costco tomorrow and buy their whole fryer chicken to smoke. I have this idea to combine the cooked chicken with Fire noodle to create Fire Noodle Chicken. It should be fun experiment. I might even stuff the chicken with sweet rice before I cook it to make crispy rice.
 

local

Golden Member
Jun 28, 2011
1,851
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I have a vaguely sharp piece of metal my parents bought some time in the early 90's. That is the only knife I have ever used in the kitchen, mostly to cut my pizza.
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,842
4,785
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Honestly what I've come to find is that it's not so much about how much you put into a knife initially - but rather how much you put into the durability. You have to do basic shit like properly sharpening your knife on a decently regular basis - otherwise it's going to suck no matter if you spend $20 or $2,000.

But maybe that's just me, I bought some decent global knives while growing up with shitty knives originally. Maybe I'm just a n00b.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,408
9,931
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Honestly what I've come to find is that it's not so much about how much you put into a knife initially - but rather how much you put into the durability. You have to do basic shit like properly sharpening your knife on a decently regular basis - otherwise it's going to suck no matter if you spend $20 or $2,000.

But maybe that's just me, I bought some decent global knives while growing up with shitty knives originally. Maybe I'm just a n00b.
I have a couple really cheap paring knives I enjoy using. Got them in a mixed bag from the thrift shop cause it had a fish turner in it I wanted. Sharp is the most important thing, and comfort a close second. Everything else is whatever makes you happy. IOW, there's nothing wrong with a cheap knife if it's sharp and comfortable. You may have to resharpen more frequently due to softer steel, but whatever. Most of my knives are Henckel 4stars, but all my knives are sharp, and all get used at least occasionally.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,544
6,368
126
You can cut up the chicken before or after. Some people like to do it before to increase the surface areas for seasoning/rub so they can get more browning/bark and to cook faster.

I was just curious why you were cutting up the wings and quarters. If I buy whole wings, I cook it that way. I don't go out of my way to cut and trim it. You mentioning Peruvian rotisserie chicken have me craving some whole chicken now. I might have to go to Costco tomorrow and buy their whole fryer chicken to smoke. I have this idea to combine the cooked chicken with Fire noodle to create Fire Noodle Chicken. It should be fun experiment. I might even stuff the chicken with sweet rice before I cook it to make crispy rice.
Yeah I cut em up to get more seasoning on em, as far as quarters go. And for wings, I like to make buffalo wings and the smaller sizes is why I cut them up prior to cooking, then I toss em around in sauce.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
I haven't used a cleaver since culinary school. A 10" chef's knife will cut nearly anything. Big fan of J.A. Henckels...spent $100 on a knife about 10 years ago and it still looks brand new.
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
26,040
24,351
136
Be still my beating heart, tsuchime and damascus and is that a Glestain I see there? NICE. Those two non folded gyuto in the middle there, are those Masahiro?

Bitchin spread Pixel! :D

Thanks :) That is a Glestain indeed.

Those two non folded knives are Togiharu. Korin.com carries those. I like their affordability to performance ratio from what I've learned. But I don't know much of the Japanese knife world outside Korin though.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,252
12,777
136
I've never had a meat clever (or a good chefs knife) and this past weekend while making chicken wings, and trying to prepare them, I realize how much easier it would be with a cleaver. I also buy chicken quarters a lot and hack them in half with a crappy knife I have and it's a hassle and just not ideal, so I figure I'll use this multiple times a week.

I just used it and damn it is nice. I don't know how I went so long without using one. The first one I did I took like 2-3 hacks just because I didn't know how hard to do it, but the second one was pretty much 1 clean hack. It's going to save so much time and it's a lot more fun. Plus it won't screw up my only other crappy knife, which I bought a chefs knife with this as well.

The chef's knife comes tomorrow. These 2 tools are going to make doing stuff in the kitchen a lot easier lol.

I didn't get anything fancy but nothing bottom of the barrel either. I just looked for middle of the pack ones with good reviews on amazon and got these.

cleaver - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GNHF45Z
chef's knife - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DDBJF12

I think I'm going to just keep them in the box when not using them as I don't really know what else to do with them to keep them and us protected from the sharp edges.
I have a Henckels International 7" cleaver and I love it.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,544
6,368
126
I haven't used a cleaver since culinary school. A 10" chef's knife will cut nearly anything. Big fan of J.A. Henckels...spent $100 on a knife about 10 years ago and it still looks brand new.
You can cut through chicken bones without damaging the knife blade?
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,842
4,785
146
Thanks :) That is a Glestain indeed.

Those two non folded knives are Togiharu. Korin.com carries those. I like their affordability to performance ratio from what I've learned. But I don't know much of the Japanese knife world outside Korin though.

If you had to recommend one Japanese equivalent US 10" Chef knife - which would it be? I honestly wouldn't mind adding a Japanese knife to my arsenal.

Most I have is a standard 10" Global Chef knife.
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
26,040
24,351
136
If you had to recommend one Japanese equivalent US 10" Chef knife - which would it be? I honestly wouldn't mind adding a Japanese knife to my arsenal.

Most I have is a standard 10" Global Chef knife.

If you already have a 10" chef's knife I would just get an 8" Chef's knife. For most tasks in a home kitchen the 10" is a bit unwieldy IMO. The one in the pic is a 10" Glestain (farthest to the right) the gyotou to the left of it is an 8". I bought that when I had a food truck and was doing large prep. But I would go with a Glestain. Loved that knife. It treated me well on the truck for 2 years.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
99,364
17,548
126
I have a vaguely sharp piece of metal my parents bought some time in the early 90's. That is the only knife I have ever used in the kitchen, mostly to cut my pizza.


Ginzu 2000?