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Picking the best meat mallet is something that one must consider. What do you need to look for? Is it about having the biggest head? The heaviest one? Or the most comfortable to work with? Choosing which one works best is really hard especially if all your choices look like tools of torture. In reality, though, the most important aspect is the end result, right? We want the meat to cook evenly, especially for steak preparation. But, why do we need to be careful when buying a mallet?
Having a good tenderizer can really bring out the tasty juices of the meat. Not only that, a good mallet can also be useful for other things such as making breadcrumbs, crushing candies, and opening crab shells. Lastly, and this is just a side note, we would not want to have a meat mallet that flies off our hand straight into our tv screens. We will certainly agree on that. So, if you are currently searching the net for the meat mallet of your dreams, you might just find the one that you are looking for in this article.
We have three meat mallets that claim that they are the best of best, so of course, we will tell you if they really are. We will go through their features, pros, and cons to finally determine which of the three you should consider buying.
These are the three top mallets that we are going to review here:
Table of Contents
Spring Chef Meat Tenderizer
This 11.3 x 5 x 0.7 inches and 9.9 ounces hammer tool can help lower the cooking time of your meat as well as shape them into their proper cooking forms.
It does not only have a powerful weighted head side, but it also has a smooth side which can be used for pounding candies or even pastry, as well as loosen packages of frozen vegetables, crack open shellfish, and also crush some spices. The brand also takes pride as this is made of solid aluminum which is ideal to use in cooking. Further, it has a non-slip soft grip handle.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Effectively tenderizes meat in no time
- Does not require a lot of effort to get good results
- Very versatile
- Handle protects hands
- Easy to grip, store, clean, and disinfect
- Lightweight
- Comes with a lifetime warranty
Cons
- Not dishwasher safe
- Smaller than other meat tenderizers
- Material can tarnish after a long time
- Head can easily break
- Head is not properly balance
Checkered Chef Meat Tenderizer
Its claim to fame is its ideal weight which affects the grip and the performance. Just like the previous one, this is also a double-sided mallet. The flat side can be used for filets, while the textured side can do tenderizing for red meats. It is also made of aluminum from the mallet to the handle, but the design has a coating on it which makes this dishwasher safe.
At the same time, it has a soft rubber handle which can be used by both right-handed and left-handed people. Its dimensions are 10.8 x 3 x 2.1 inches. For its weight, it is 9.3 ounces. The length is also a bit longer than the other ones on this list as the brand also took into consideration the muscle strain of the user.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy to use, store, and clean
- Comfortable to use
- Tenderizes pork meat perfectly
- Flat side can process a fillet in just three pounds
- Sturdy and durable
- Two sides are balanced
- Not so heavy
- You do not have to do much to flatten out meats
- Can also be hanged on the wall
Cons
- Asymmetrical handle
- Glue on the handle is not secure
- Thick cuts of beef are hard to process
- Black coating comes off after several trips to the dishwasher
- Mallet might chip against shellfish
Cave Tools Meat Tenderizer Mallet
This is the only meat tenderizer in this list that is made of stainless steel. Just like the others, it has two sides. One for tenderizing and the other for other uses like crushing nuts or ice. At the same time, it is also dishwasher safe and comes with 25 recipes from professional chefs. In line with that, there are also video tutorials. 
The brand takes its customer service seriously as they have a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, partnered with a full money-back refund. As for the handle, it has a silicone and non-slip grip one. In terms of size, it is the heaviest, weighing 15.2 ounces. Its dimensions are 11 x 3 x 2.3 inches.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Perfect for tenderizing meat
- Easy to clean, use, grip, store, and disinfect
- Smooth side is as strong as the textured side
- Does not strain the arm
- Balanced handle design
- Can also be hanged on the wall
- Extremely durable
- Easily breaks down muscle tissue
- Soft side can even be used for shellfish
- Saves a lot of preparation time
- Comfortable to hold
Cons
- Gaps in the mallet head
- Water can get into the head and break down the stainless steel
- Handle can peel after several washes
- Head might have loose parts in it that you can hear a rattle
- Metal can get scratched
- Teeth of the textured side can be too short for some cuts of meat
Best Meat Mallet: Which One to Get?
Although the three mallets can make tenderizing meat faster than usual, there is really one obvious product that we consider to be the best meat mallet, and it is the Cave Tools Meat Tenderizer Mallet When it comes to meat mallets, no amount of design can defeat strong material such as stainless steel. Not only is this product effective in tenderizing meat, but it also adds to the stability and durability of the mallet.
Out of all the meat tenderizers in this list, the one from Cave Tools also proved to be the most balanced one. Why is balance important? It’s because balance has something to do with gravity and force. When your end goal is flattening a tough cut of meat, you need those two factors to work on your behalf, and with our top pick, your steaks will be ready for the grill in no time. The fact that it is so comfortable to wield also adds to its winning points.
