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Why do meat cleavers have a hole?

Meat cleavers are cooking tools present in all household kitchens. When using a meat cleaver to prepare food, have you ever wondered the following? Why do meat cleavers have a hole? What are the round holes in the knife body used for? What does it mean, or is it just for decoration? If yes, then let’s find the answer with Battersby right now!

Why do meat cleavers have a hole?

  • Absorb impact and release pressure
  • Convenient for cleaning
  • Prevent food from sticking to the kitchen knife when in use

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Meat cleaver is easier to handle parts 

A meat cleaver is a familiar, indispensable item in your kitchen. If you pay attention, you will see many round holes in the kitchen knife’s body. 

Whether it’s new knives or old-fashioned cleavers, round holes make sense. Those holes are not meaningless. It’s all up to the manufacturer’s intentions. So what are those purposes?

1. Absorb impact and release pressure

As explained by the chefs, the butcher knife has a round hole design to absorb impact and release pressure.

Specifically, when slicing meat and chop bones, the pressure will be on the back of the meat cleaver. It is due to the fast force. Therefore, it makes the kitchen knife easy to damage. At this time, the round hole can release pressure immediately. This helps the back of the meat cleaver to bear the force evenly. So, the hole plays the role of protecting this tool.

A chopping meat cleaver without holes will have a large amplitude and reaction. This is the cause of the user’s hand pain. Furthermore, the tool is not durable.

2. Convenient for cleaning

In addition, the hole in a butcher knife has another useful function. Without it, it will cause significant inconvenience to the user.

After using, you need to clean the meat cleaver thoroughly. Then you usually hang them on a wall hook or nail through that hole. That is the second use of the hole. Once the meat cleaver is dry, store it neatly in the butcher knife holder.

In case your house does not have a kitchen knife holder, that’s okay. You can replace it with wall hooks. Then, after cleaning the knives, hang them on them. This process ensures that the cutting edge is cleaner, without stagnant water, causing rust and bacteria. 

Besides conveniently hanging, you can also insert your finger and pull it free. It is very easy when slicing some heavy meat like a chicken. This helps you control cutting easier. 

It’s neat, safe, and convenient to use, right?

3. Prevent food from sticking to the kitchen knife when in use

Food while cutting will be straightforward to stick to the knife. This causes a lot of trouble for housewives. Therefore, knives with holes in the body will help you dispel that anxiety.

The round hole will minimize the type of food stuck on the meat cleaver. After you finish cutting, the leftovers will automatically fall. Therefore, it makes the operation of the cutter easier and faster.

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What is the function of the holes along the meat cleaver’s blade?

The circular hole in the blade also has a “divine” function. So what is the hole in a cleaver for?

Knives with many round holes along the blade are more common than knives with only one round hole.

When cutting vegetables, the outside atmospheric pressure can easily cause food to stick to the blade. For example, knives without holes always make food stick to the cutting edge when cutting meat and vegetables. We usually have to use our hands to get it out.

Meanwhile, kitchen knives have this row of small holes. They can equalize the barometric pressure on both sides of the blade. 

Therefore, when cutting vegetables or meat, it will not stick to it. This makes the process of slicing food much more convenient. The slicing will quickly separate and fall off. Therefore, it also saves more time for housewives.

The same goes for cooked foods. If when cutting, the food sticks to the knife. It is both annoying for users and easy to contaminate food. 

Thus, the round holes on the knife will help you relax more. It eases the fear of getting into the kitchen. On the other hand, it also makes you enhance food hygiene and protect your family’s health.

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Heavy duty meat cleavers 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a meat cleaver?

Meat cleavers have broad, square, heavy, thick, and large steel blades. Butcher’s function is to slice bones, cut frozen meat, and mince food. Chefs often use it to slice large chunks of meat, ribs, and whole chicken into thin pieces. Meat cleavers help it hard to break the poultry.

It is perfect for slicing frozen meat and poultry. Normal cleaver may cause it to get stuck in beef. However, the hold of cleavers will prevent this from happening.

2. How to store a butcher knife?

  • Remember to rinse after each use to avoid food residue on it. If there is a grease or meat smell, you can use dish soap to clean it.
  • After using a kitchen knife for a long time, the blade will become dull. So regular polishing can keep kitchen knives sharp and prolong their life.
  • The cutting board should separate raw and cooked foods. So is the kitchen knife. You should not use a kitchen knife to cut raw and cooked foods at the same time. This will cause cross-contamination.

why do meat cleavers have a hole

Cleavers have a hole 

3. What does the knife set include?

An essential kitchen knife set includes:

  • Multi-purpose knife (blade is about 13cm long)
  • Chef’s knife (20-23 cm long)
  • Vegetable knife (8cm long blade)
  • Bread knife (serrated blade)
  • Meat cleaver
  • Fillet knife
  • A knife sharpener is an indispensable tool in the knife set. It ensures that the knife always promotes its full use.

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4. How to prevent rust marks on knives?

In the following ways, you can minimize knife rust.

  • Clean the knife immediately after use, dry the knife with a dish towel and store it. If your knife has a sheath, that’s great.
  • Take half of a potato and cut it lengthwise to get more plastic. Then, rub vigorously on the black-stained area and rub it evenly on the object. Then you can use a soft towel to polish it.
  • Use a cotton ball to dip in fresh lemon juice, rub it vigorously on the stained area, and rub it all over the item. You let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes and then use a clean cloth to polish it.
  • Let’s mix 90-degree alcohol with a bit of ammonia. You take a soft cloth dipped in the above solution and rub it intensely on the object. Then, you use wool or felt to polish it evenly and thoroughly.
  • After using, soak in thick rice water. Rice water helps to both prevent rust and remove rust stains.
  • Use chopped onions to clean rusty knives. You just need to chop the onion and rub up the rust. They will disappear soon.

Conclusion

Why do meat cleavers have a hole? The round holes on the kitchen knife body seem useless but bring so many great benefits.

From there, use the meat cleaver properly and more effectively. Your job now is just to seek a good cleaver. If you have any question about “Why do meat cleavers have a hole”, please let us know via the comments below.