Dough Dividers

Dough Cutter Machines: What You Need to Know

Dough divider machines help bakers produce an even, measured product with every batch. Any high-volume bakery needs to ensure that every product is cooked properly because it doesn't take many underbaked products to gain a negative reputation. Separating dough by hand is an inherently inaccurate process with several risks:

• Wasted dough
• Subpar final products
• Lost revenue

Our selection of dough dividers ranges from small countertop units perfect for a corner bakery to massive industrial options that can churn out hundreds of pounds of dough an hour. Some are manually operated, while others require significant electrical power to function.

Common Questions About Dough Dividers

Which operations need a dough cutter machine?

These machines are designed for operations that need to produce large quantities of uniform dough: most bakeries, restaurants that make their own rolls in house, etc. If you pride yourself on bread products and serve a lot of them, dough dividers can speed up the process, cut down labor costs, and ensure consistency across batches. If you have highly trained bakers on staff, you may not need a machine to ensure consistency, but if new employees will be assisting in this process, a divider helps ensure no dough is wasted through improper slicing. The machine also accelerates the process, which means it takes fewer hours of labor to complete the task. If you choose a dough divider that suits your establishment's needs, you can end up making the investment back and more through these savings.

Should I choose a manual or automatic dough divider machine?

Manual dividers generally have a lower total throughput than automatic versions, but for many establishments, this won't be a problem. Manual units are also significantly cheaper and don't require any utilities to run other than the labor to operate them and the water to clean them. Automatic units are typically only used with very high-volume production; you wouldn't typically find one in a restaurant or single-building bakery. The larger automatic units also take up floorspace, while countertop manual units can be easily stored when not in use.

The chief determinant, though, is the volume of dough you need processed. Manual dividers can't offer an accurate measurement of how many pounds of dough you can process per hour, as that's determined by the person using it. However, the product specifications page for the automatic machines can tell you an exact amount of dough they can process per hour. If you know how much dough you need cut per hour, you can find an automatic machine that'll match; though, we recommend going a little over what you think you'll need as production estimates are given for the best possible circumstances, which most businesses can't reliably provide.

Do dough dividers risk contaminating my product?

To keep the mechanisms moving, many dividers are oiled, but they take great pains to ensure this oil never reaches your product. The surface that contacts the dough must be approved for foodservice use and will be safe to use so long as you keep it clean. Cleaning a bun divider is important as all the corners and retractable pieces can harbor food debris upon which bacteria and mold can grow. Ensure that your divider is cleaned thoroughly by following the instructions included with each machine.