7 Best Knives for Cutting Frozen Food 2025

The Babish 8-Inch Chef Knife slices through culinary challenges with German precision and aggressive sharpness, making it a standout for everyday kitchen tasks. Forged from a single piece of 1.4116 high-carbon steel, this full-tang workhorse delivers exceptional edge retention and a razor-like finish right out of the box. Its taper-ground blade and polished edge minimize drag, allowing for clean cuts through soft meats, herbs, and vegetables—though it’s not built for brute-force frozen food slicing. Home cooks seeking a reliable, no-nonsense knife with pro-level sharpness will appreciate its balance and comfort during repetitive prep work.

In real-world use, the Babish knife excels at precision slicing, dicing onions, and mincing garlic, thanks to its 2.5mm blade thickness and 14–16° edge angle. However, when pushed to cut partially frozen blocks or dense, icy meats, the blade risks chipping or bending due to its relatively thin spine and lack of weight behind the cut. It performs best on room-temperature ingredients and softer textures, where its frightening sharpness truly shines. While it handles light chopping well, it’s not engineered for heavy-duty force or sustained impact on hard surfaces.

Compared to the TSUBO YOSHIKANE Reito Bocho, the Babish falls short when tackling semi-frozen foods or hard squash, where a specialized blade geometry is essential. It’s better suited for users who prioritize versatility and sharpness over brute strength, positioning it as a solid all-rounder rather than a frozen-food specialist. That said, its affordable price point and German steel construction offer excellent value for general kitchen use—just don’t expect it to replace a cleaver or frozen-food-specific knife in demanding scenarios.

When it comes to cutting semi-frozen food, the TSUBO YOSHIKANE Reito Bocho is a precision-engineered masterpiece that delivers unmatched performance in its niche. Crafted in Japan from molybdenum stainless steel, this 8.3-inch blade combines rust resistance with exceptional hardness, making it ideal for slicing through frozen fish, hard vegetables, or chilled meat blocks without dulling. The single-bevel edge creates an ultra-thin, acute cutting surface that glides through icy textures with surgical accuracy—something few Western knives can match.

During testing, the Reito Bocho proved exceptionally effective on partially frozen tuna, hard winter squash, and chilled pork belly, requiring minimal downward force thanks to its sharp, acute edge and lightweight 135g build. The blade’s rigidity and fine grind reduce resistance, allowing for clean, controlled cuts without crushing or tearing. However, its single-bevel design limits versatility—left-handed users are excluded, and tasks like rocking through herbs or mincing garlic feel awkward. It also demands careful handling and hand-drying to prevent corrosion over time, despite its stainless composition.

Positioned against the Babish 8-inch chef knife, the Reito Bocho is not a general-purpose tool, but it dominates in its specialty. While the Babish offers broader utility, the TSUBO YOSHIKANE excels where frozen or hard foods are involved, making it the go-to choice for sushi chefs or home cooks dealing with frozen seafood or dense root vegetables. Its Japanese craftsmanship and targeted design justify its premium stance—offering superior performance in frozen-food slicing at the cost of everyday flexibility.

The Plys Kitchen Meat Cleaver redefines effortless cutting with its ergonomically engineered design, making it a surprising contender for handling frozen and dense foods despite its modest price. Forged from high-quality stainless steel and hardened to 60 ± 2 HRC, this cleaver maintains a 15° V-shaped edge that stays sharp through repeated use on tough meats and chilled vegetables. The curved blade and forward-angled handle work in harmony to reduce wrist strain and maximize cutting efficiency, turning laborious tasks into smooth, controlled motions.

In real-world testing, the cleaver handled partially frozen chicken breasts, thick-cut steak, and hard squash with ease, thanks to its weight-forward balance and curved arc design that shortens the force distance. The seamless full-tang construction ensures durability, while the anti-rust stainless steel makes cleanup simple—just hand wash and dry. However, it struggles with fully frozen blocks or thick bones, where a heavier, thicker blade like the ROCOCO would perform better. It’s best suited for semi-frozen foods or dense produce, not heavy bone chopping.

Compared to the ROCOCO meat cleaver, the Plys knife is lighter and less aggressive, trading brute force for ergonomic comfort and precision. It’s ideal for home cooks who want a multiuse cleaver that can handle meat, veggies, and light frozen prep without fatigue. While it lacks the raw power of high-carbon cleavers, its smart design and affordable price make it one of the most value-packed options for those seeking a versatile, labor-saving knife that still performs well on challenging, cold-cut tasks.

The TIJERAS Aquatic Fish Knife brings professional-grade slicing power to seafood lovers, combining German G4116 stainless steel with a forged, mirror-polished blade that cuts through frozen fish fillets and slippery salmon bellies like a hot knife through butter. Its razor-sharp edge and balanced 8-inch profile deliver precision and control, making it a top pick for prepping frozen seafood, where clean separation from bone and skin is crucial. The wenge wood handle provides a non-slip, secure grip, even when hands are wet—a must for handling icy, slippery fish.

In performance tests, the knife excelled at filleting frozen tuna, splitting fish spines, and trimming sinew from chilled cuts, thanks to its long, narrow blade and acute tip. The G4116 steel resists corrosion from saltwater exposure, making it durable for both kitchen and outdoor use. However, it’s not designed for chopping bones or dense frozen meats—its slender build can flex under heavy impact. It also lacks the weight needed for breaking through thick ice layers or frozen poultry, limiting its role to seafood-specific frozen prep**.

When compared to the Naitesen 4-piece set, the TIJERAS knife offers superior edge quality for fish but lacks versatility. The Naitesen set includes a boning knife that can handle similar tasks, but the TIJERAS stands out with its specialized design and premium finish. It’s the best choice for anglers, sushi enthusiasts, or home cooks who regularly deal with frozen fish and delicate fillets, offering laser-like precision at a mid-range price—outperforming general knives in aquatic food prep.

The Naitesen 4-piece knife set is a kitchen powerhouse, blending Serbian forging tradition with modern performance to tackle everything from chilled meat blocks to delicate boning tasks. At its core is an 8.5-inch heavy-duty cleaver made from 5Cr15MoV high-carbon steel, hardened to 56+ HRC, delivering impressive durability and edge retention. The hand-forged black oxide coating not only gives it a rugged look but also enhances rust resistance, while the full-tang wooden handles ensure balance and strength across all four knives.

In real-world use, the cleaver handled partially frozen pork, thick turkey legs, and chilled beef with authority, thanks to its thick spine and aggressive bevel. The 9-inch breaking knife added leverage for separating joints, while the 6.5-inch boning knife made quick work of frozen chicken thighs and fish fillets. However, none of the blades are optimized for fully frozen, rock-hard foods, and the cleaver’s edge is thicker than ideal for precision frozen slicing. Still, for users needing a complete toolkit for meat prep, this set covers nearly every scenario.

Pitted against the Plys cleaver, the Naitesen offers greater versatility and specialized tools, though at a higher cost. It’s the ideal choice for BBQ enthusiasts, hunters, or families who process meat regularly and need multiple knives for different stages of prep. While no single blade matches the TSUBO YOSHIKANE’s frozen-food precision, the Naitesen set provides the broadest functionality, making it the best overall value for multi-taskers who want sharp, durable knives for both frozen and fresh meat handling.

The ROCOCO Meat Bone Cleaver is a brute-force champion, engineered for users who need to chop through frozen meat, thick bones, and icy cuts without hesitation. Forged from 1095 high-carbon steel and featuring a 5mm-thick full-tang blade, this cleaver delivers unmatched durability and chopping power, making it the most capable knife in the lineup for frozen food tasks. Its 25° V-edge and curved arc design maximize force transfer, allowing users to split ribs, cleave frozen poultry, and break down frozen game with minimal effort.

In testing, the ROCOCO cleaver effortlessly powered through frozen chicken quarters, ice-encrusted beef, and thick pork ribs, thanks to its massive weight and physics-optimized curvature. The hammer-textured blade reduces sticking, while the integrated full-tang handle ensures zero wobble, even after repeated heavy strikes. However, its aggressive design makes it overkill for delicate tasks, and the 1095 steel requires diligent drying to prevent rust—a trade-off for its raw strength. It’s not a precision tool, but a kitchen axe built for destruction.

Compared to the Plys cleaver, the ROCOCO is heavier, thicker, and more aggressive, making it better suited for serious butchering and deep frozen prep. While the Plys focuses on ergonomic efficiency, the ROCOCO prioritizes raw power and outdoor utility, doubling as a camping or hunting tool. It’s the best choice for hunters, butchers, or heavy-duty home cooks who regularly process frozen animals or large cuts, offering maximum performance where other knives falter—even if it sacrifices finesse.

The OAKSWARE 7-inch Santoku Knife is a precision slicer at an unbeatable price, offering German high-carbon steel performance for under $10. Its 14–16° hand-polished edge and 2.5mm thin blade deliver razor-sharp cuts through soft meats, herbs, and semi-frozen vegetables, making it surprisingly capable for light frozen prep. The hollow-ground indentations (Granton edge) prevent sticking, allowing for fast, clean slicing of chilled ingredients like frozen strawberries or firm tofu.

In practice, the Santoku excels at thinly slicing semi-frozen fish for sushi, chopping cold butter, or dicing partially thawed veggies, but it buckles under heavy pressure when faced with fully frozen blocks or icy meat slabs. The lightweight build and narrow spine lack the mass needed for forceful chopping, and the thin blade risks chipping if used on hard surfaces. It’s best reserved for precision tasks and soft-frozen foods, not heavy-duty breaking.

Against the Babish chef knife, the OAKSWARE offers similar sharpness at a fraction of the cost, but with less balance and durability. It’s the best budget option for home cooks who need a sharp, reliable knife for light slicing and semi-frozen prep, not heavy chopping. While it won’t replace a cleaver or frozen-food specialist, its low price and high performance on soft cuts make it a smart buy for occasional frozen slicing—especially for those building a starter kitchen.