| Knife | Build | Best for | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slicing cleaver (cai dao) | Wide, thin, surprisingly light edge | Wok-first prep: slice, smash, scoop | No bones — the thin edge chips |
| Bone cleaver | Thick heavy wedge | Poultry frames, ribs, hard chopping | Terrible at fine slicing |
| Nakiri | Smaller flat rectangle | The vegetable half of cleaver work | No smash-and-scoop mass |
| Santoku | All-purpose, lighter | Mixed cooking without the commitment | No scooping width, no smashing weight |
Do You Need a Chinese Cleaver (Cai Dao)?
Published: ·Updated:
If Chinese cooking is your kitchen's default, yes — the thin slicing cleaver is one knife that cuts, smashes garlic, and shovels everything into the wok. Know the split first: the everyday cai dao is a thin slicer, not the heavy bone chopper it resembles.