12 Best Steak Tenderizers (Review) In 2021

Our best choice meat tenderizer is the TenderPro Tool with Stainless Steel Needle Blades. Rather than using a meat mallet or hammer, this won’t flatten your beef but will help subtly pierce the surface you work on so that it can absorb its own juices as well as marinades which is much better than juices slipping around over the meat. Although this is made with stainless steel blades, or prongs, and easy to clean, you might find that you need a brush to get between them and the protective plate. Just use hot soapy water for the best clean. We think this is a must-have for the kitchen.

The KITCHENDAO manufacturers say that the KITCHENDAO Stainless Steel Deluxe Meat Tenderizer Tool is best meat tenderizing tool for the kitchen. The stainless steel prongs penetrate the meat beautifully, giving access to juices and marinades for faster cooking times and juicer steaks. We like the way this is designed as it’s easy to ‘grab’ with one hand while holding the meat or fish with the other so it’s user-friendly. The prong blade section is detachable for cleaning too so it just pops in the dishwasher. This tool also comes with a perspex cover for when it’s stored away. It also has a protective cover and a safety lock.

If you aren’t already aware of looking out for good brands, KitchenAid has been an expert manufacturer of kitchen tools and appliances for years and their gourmet meat and steak tenderizer is no exception to the quality we have come to expect. The KitchenAid Gourmet Meat & Steak Tenderizer is designed to be a mallet with a textured tenderizer on one side and the opposite side is smooth for pounding meat. It’s also good for crushing herbs. We thought that the hole for hanging is ideal as you have that option instead of storing it in a drawer amongst your other pieces. It’s heavy-duty and a great take on a traditional timber mallet as it doesn’t hold bacteria and is easily cleaned with hot soapy water and a brush. We didn’t think it was too pricey but delivery can be as its quite a weighty item.

Our premium pick was the Killer’s Instinct Outdoors Commercial Meat Tenderizer. If you have a worktop with a little space underneath, it will clamp on for keeping it sturdy while you push through up to a half-inch thick piece of meat or fish. This is one serious bit of kit for under $40 although we don’t think it would be great for cooks who prefer to be in charge of how deep the prongs dig into the meat. There is a hefty delivery charge so do be aware that this could almost double the price, though we think it’s a great investment. Can be used for outdoor cooking as well as keeping handy in the kitchen. The white plastic is more of a safety feature than part of its style although it does cheapen the look of what otherwise is a heavy-duty tenderizer.

The Ccfoud Stainless Steel Ultra Sharp Steak Tenderizer is a blade based tenderizer. As with many others on our 2020 review list, it has steel prongs to dig into the food. This is dishwasher safe but again, like with all tenderizing tools, meat and muscle fibers can get stuck so it needs a brush when you clean it. It is convenient to use and all it needs is a gentle push to cut into the meat, poultry, or fish. It will cut cooking time and allow the juices and marinades to permeate through the meat.

The Aliglow Dual-Sided Meat Tenderizer Mallet is an ergonomically designed tool that will allow you to tenderize meat as much or as little as you wish. The handle is a little thinner than you might expect, with a hole for hanging it with your other kitchen tools, but it is rubberized for good grip. The heaviest part of the tool is concentrated in the important bit – the head – and it feels very sturdy. The head is double-sided and it’s a good all-rounder for using to tenderize meat on the cutting board.

Our choice for best value in 2020 is the Steak Ninja Meat Tenderizer which is another easy way for tenderizing meat and tough cuts by getting right into the connective tissue to soften the meat and help keep it moist while cooking. Rather than aimlessly stabbing your filet mignon with a knife, simply press down so the blades penetrate the beef. Just make sure to keep your knife blade efficient with a knife sharpener first. It works with white meats and fish too. We think you might like that it’s strong enough to work on bone-in meats and that it’s packaged well to give as a gift.

A great way to tenderize meat, the Jaccard 48-Blade Meat Tenderizer can deal with tough cuts of meat like its cutting through butter – though it is easy to overwork food unless it’s very tough meat. It will dig into meat as much as 4 inches deep and works well on cheap cuts to get right through the connective tissue. It’s just like other comparable models that it needs a brush as well as soapy water if bits of food get stuck in the blades, it’s dishwasher safe but needs attention with the brush first. We didn’t like that there’s no warranty though!

A basic meat mallet, the Checkered Chef Meat Tenderizer Hammer is a good way to tenderize tough cuts of meat with a double-sided head. The textured side for tenderizing and the other is smooth for pounding making fish, poultry, beef, and more tender and ready to pop in your best frying pan. You can make the meat tender enough for the slow cooker too. It’s impressively designed in black metal. The rubber handle makes it easy to grip. It’s designed with the weight at the right end – the head – so this does all the work for you, cutting down the time preparing food and making the cooking faster.

The AOMGD 2-Pack Meat Tenderizer Tools is a great idea, a bundle of two cheaper meat tenderizers so you’ll have one to give away or to keep as a spare. Although they are not that expensive, they make good starter tools if you’re looking to add to your kitchen collection. It’s small when compared to other tall tenderizers with only 21 steel blades on each one but this means you are able to concentrate on smaller areas of your meat so you can marinate it and get your steak or other foods ready for your indoor grill. The tool does what it is supposed to although we weren’t sure about the longevity of it. It has a poor level of good reviews although at this price we wouldn’t argue!

If not for the brand name printed on this tool, we would say that the JY COOKMENT Ultra Sharp Meat Tenderizer is the exact same model as the Ccfoud one we reviewed earlier (no.5 on our line up). But it apparently isn’t, it’s heavier and has different dimensions but overall is designed in a similar way – handle and shape, number of prongs, color. It can deal with tough meat easily and cheap cuts of meat can be made into tender steaks so they’re ready to cook when you are. As with all tenderize tools it cuts cooking time by piercing the meat or fish allowing salt, juices and marinades to infuse into it.

Good looking meat tenderizing tool and neatly packaged. The MERCIER Professional Needle Meat Tenderizer is good on tough meat and cheaper cuts to tenderize the muscle fibers for a moist and tender finish. Cuts of steak can be made extra tasty and this tool is easy to use. It comes with its own brush for cleaning off any connective tissue that gets between the prongs and is dishwasher safe. It’s a great investment and will pay for itself by turning tough cuts of meat into tender meat and you aren’t limited to beef steaks, it will work on poultry, white meats, and fish too. You might like that the lockable protective cover keeps it safe whilst it’s in storage. It has some great reviews and we agreed. We like that the manufacturer is clear on what it can do.