Best Meat Claws and/or Meat Rakes
In this article, I’ll be comparing five different meat claws, sometimes referred to as meat rakes, all within the same price range. A pair of meat claws are handy tools used to shred meat or transfer meat from the grill to your platter. First thing that comes to my mind is the needing a pulled pork shredder. However, the possibilities of meat shredding are endless: brisket, chicken in the crock pot, roasts, braised meats, and in a pinch they’d actually work as salad tongs. Multiple uses are always a win. My theory is if a kitchen or grilling tool can perform many functions, it’s a must have!
Why Meat Claw or Meat Rakes?
First, let me explain the difference between a meat claws and meat rakes. Technically they are both meat shredding tools and are basically the same thing. Meat rakes have long, extended handles, thus resembling a rake. Meat Claws, on the other hand, is a more rectangular contraption resembling brass knuckles. You wrap your hand around a handle and use the device like they’re claws on top of your knuckles. It’s close to just getting your hands in and doing the work. As you search for the meat shredding tool for you, think about how you’ll be using them and what material you prefer. All products listed below are dishwasher safe, even the ones made of plastic. Let’s get started!
Cave Tools – Meat Rakes
- Stainless Steel Forks with Rubber Handles
- 9.5 in x 4 in x 1 in
- 1.15 pounds
- Dishwasher Safe
- Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee
The Cave Tools – Meat Rakes are the first meat rakes on this list. The advantage to these meat rakes over others is the rubber handle with stainless steel forks. This offers comfort without sacrificing quality shredding. Before having meat rakes, I typically would grab large forks, and this product truly resembles grabbing a large fork. These are extremely versatile and can be used to shred roasts in a crock pots, pull pork shredder, transfer meat from the grill or crockpot or even hold large pieces of meat while slicing. The extended handles make the shredding and transporting of meat a little less risky, giving you more space between you and your hot food. This product comes with recipes and instruction to help improve your grilling. Cave Tools takes customer service seriously and give you a lifetime satisfaction guarantee.
OXO Good Grips Meat Rakes
- Black Nylon/Hard Plastic
- Heat Resistant to 450 degrees
- 9 in x 4 in x 2 in
- Dishwasher Safe
- 9.6 ounces
The OXO Good Grips Meat Rakes are the second and only other meat rake on this list. Much like the Cave Tools meat rakes, they offer versatility, comfort, and a similar size. One advantage to these rakes to others is that they’re made out of hard plastic. They’re heat-resistant to 450 degrees. The advantage to plastic rakes to metal ones are one, they are less likely to scratch your crock pot, enameled cast iron, or whatever surface you’re shredding one; and two, they’re lighter weight. Some may see the plastic as a disadvantage, but with a high heat-resistance, they perform well as it is likely that we allow the meat to rest before we pull or shred. The OXO brand is very reputable in the area of the kitchen and donate 1% of annual sales to an environmental non-profit organization.
Mountain Grillers Meat Claws
- Black Hard Plastic (or opt for the stainless steel version)
- 6 in x 4.7 in x 1.3 in
- Dishwasher Safe
- 4.2 ounces
The Mountain Grillers Bear Meat Claws are the first meat claw on our list. These meat claws are a hard black plastic, making them super lightweight. You can use these meat claws the same as you would meat rakes, however due to the handle they offer less space between you and your food. These meat claws have open backs, saving you weight but could be a little trickier to clean, but they are dishwasher safe, which helps in cleaning. If you like this style of meat claw, but prefer stainless steel there is an option for that here. Mountain Grillers encourages you to return the product if you are not completely satisfied. If you are considering these meat claws, make sure you scroll down the page to see their discounts offered on multiple purchases.
Cave Tools – Meat Claws
- Stainless Steel with Black Rubber Grips
- 7 in x 6 in x 2 in
- Dishwasher Safe
- 1 pound
These Cave Tools Meat Claws are the claw version of the Cave Tools Meat Rakes mentioned earlier in the article. They have rubber handles for comfort, and stainless steel forks for shredding. They have plenty of space between the handle and the claws so you can still use them while wearing high-temp grill gloves. For a review on gloves, go here. These are a true cross between meat claw and meat rakes.
Wooden Handled Meat Claws
- Stainless steel meat claw with wooden handles
- 4.69 x 4.21 x 0.79″
- Dishwasher Safe
- 11.7 ounces
These particular meat claws stand out to us for the entire look. The thick wood handcrafted handles are not hallow, therefore making it easy to grip and eliminating the need for any gloves. There is just something about the wooden handles that would make it a great gift to your favorite griller. These perform just as any of the other meat claw and/or meat rakes mentioned, and are dishwasher safe as well.
Which Meat Claws and/or Meat Rakes would we choose?
In summation, you can’t go wrong with any of these meat claws/meat rakes. They all offer value in certain areas, so evaluate your needs best and go from there. That said, my overall winner is the Cave Tools Meat Rakes. I like the extended handle, keeping my hands further away from steaming food. Plus, I like the added stability that the handle provides. The rubber handles and stainless steel prongs are durable and of good quality. I prefer the meat rakes to the meat claws style shredder, but if you are leaning toward the meat claws, the Cave Tools Meat Claw is a perfect option as well, made of the same material as the meat rakes.
