Bought a $30 cleaver off a food truck guy, now I never touch my western knives

Met a vendor at a night market in Austin who let me try his Chinese cleaver on a pile of scallions. I picked one up for 30 bucks and used it exclusively in my home kitchen for 3 months. The weight and blade angle made me realize my $200 German chef's knife was overkill for 90% of my prep. Anyone else ditch their fancy gear for a cheap specialty tool that just works better?

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anna_craig21d ago

Hold on, let me play the other side here. That 30 dollar cleaver is probably fine for scallions and soft stuff, but try breaking down a butternut squash or doing some fine work on a shallot. The weight that makes it feel solid also makes it a blunt instrument for delicate tasks. My German knife holds its edge way longer, so I am not sharpening it every other week. Sure, the cleaver is fun for a while, but calling a 200 dollar knife overkill is like saying you don't need a nice car because a beater gets you to work. You are just used to the novelty, not the long haul.