If meat pounders had a power player, it would be this one: Clocking in at nearly two pounds with 3.25 inches of pounding surface, it looks more like a paperweight than a kitchen tool. But when it comes to flattening meat and poultry into thin cutlets, it’s hard to beat.

Made from sturdy stainless steel, this durable meat pounder is built to last—and won’t retain or transfer odors or flavors between uses. It makes quick work of flattening meat into thin, even cutlets without tearing up the protein. The pounder also works beautifully on biscuits, cookies, nuts, ice or anything else you need to crush. And when you’re done, just pop it in the dishwasher for easy cleanup before storing.

Made in Germany, this heavy Meat Hammer from Westmark comes with two built-in surfaces: a finer-faced side for simply flattening meat without cutting into the fiber, as well as a coarser structure designed to tenderize and soften protein. Pounding cutlets or roasts is a surefire way to guarantee more consistent cooking and succulent meat or poultry. While most meat pounders offer a single function, the Westmark’s two surfaces make it easy to tenderize according to your exact preferences without creating mush or miserably tough meat. This one is solidly built and easy to use—the meat pounder is built from a single piece of metal and has no plastic or moving parts that will eventually wear down, and no hard-to-clean nooks and crannies that will collect bacteria. The Westmark is built for the cook in a rush; the heavy hammer head produced thin cutlets quickly when testing. Also try it to crush crackers, cookies or nuts, as well as ice.