I know it tells you it is not dishwasher safe but I put it in anyway.  I think that if you are hammering on raw chicken you should be able to put it through a good disinfecting in the dishwasher.  It turned all weird - rough and black in the dishwasher.  But... the weird blackness doesn't seem to rub off on my raw chicken so I keep putting it in there.  Otherwise, the handle is comfortable, it is very sturdy, you can whack the meat to smithereens and work out your frustrations!