Swapped my chef's knife for a Chinese cleaver and never looked back

I used to think a chef's knife was the only way to go for prep work. About 3 months ago, I picked up a $45 Chinese cleaver from a restaurant supply store in Chicago because my wrist was killing me from rocking back and forth all day. That flat blade is a game changer for scooping ingredients, and it crushes garlic and ginger faster than any knife I've owned. The weight feels solid but it doesn't tire my hand out during a 10-hour shift on the line. Now I only pull out my old knife for fine slicing, and even then I'm tempted to just use the cleaver. Anyone else made the switch away from Western-style knives, or am I the odd one out here?

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2 Comments

max_hernandez271mo ago

Wait, so you're telling me I've been doing wrist gymnastics with my chef's knife for years when a $45 flat piece of metal could've saved me? That's like finding out there's an elevator right next to the stairs you've been climbing forever.

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shane_park921mo ago

Is it just me or does every hobby have that one "wait, THAT'S how it works" moment that makes you feel both dumb and excited at the same time? It's like the whole world is full of shortcuts that nobody tells you about until you stumble into some random forum thread at midnight.

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