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?
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.