What Is a Bowl Cutter?
A Bowl Cutter, also known as a silent cutter or a bowl chopper, is a device used in food processing. It consists of rapidly rotating cutters within a spherical container, designed to shred food materials while simultaneously mixing and emulsifying them. This innovative tool is particularly suitable for foods made from ground meat or paste, such as ham and sausage.
Uses of Bowl Cutters
Bowl Cutters are used for the uniform shredding, mixing, pasteurization, and emulsification of food ingredients. They are commonly utilized for coarse and fine chopping and emulsification of meats, making them ideal for the production of ground meat, hamburgers, sausages, chicken nuggets, and various types of ham. They can process various parts of meat, including lean meat, fat, and sinew, and can be used with chilled or frozen meats. They are also capable of producing fish meat sausages.
Additionally, they are used for chopping chicken products, vegetables, salads, and in the production of processed cheese, functioning as a general mixer and cutter. They can mix soy protein and gluten protein with water or oil, used in the production of vegetarian hams. Beyond food processing, bowl cutter technology is also applied in the field of fine chemicals.
Principle of Bowl Cutters
Overview
Bowl Cutters are made from stainless steel, considering hygiene. They are electrically powered and use motors to operate the bowl and cutters. The combination of knife speed, bowl speed, and the number of knives allows for various shredding and mixing processes.
Bowl
The bowl’s shape is typically flat, similar to a large washbasin, or completely spherical. Flat-type bowls usually rotate, while in spherical types, a part called the baffle usually rotates to stir the contents. Bowl speeds range from 12 to 24 rpm, with products offering stepwise speed changes or continuous speed adjustments.
Cutter
The cutter part of a Bowl Cutter consists of multiple blades. Typically ranging from three to ten blades, depending on the device, it’s possible to change the number of blades by swapping the cutter part. Knife speeds are generally between 1500 to 3000 rpm, with devices offering stepwise speed changes or continuous speed adjustments.
Types of Bowl Cutters for Food Processing
Overview
Bowl Cutters come with various unique features depending on the product, including safety lock mechanisms that stop the blades automatically when the lid is opened, and meat thermometers to prevent the temperature of food materials from rising. Some devices can heat or cool the ingredients during use, circulating cold or warm water around the bowl for temperature control.
The size of the products varies, with compact models available for tabletop use. Some products enhance usability with touch panel controls.
Vacuum Bowl Cutters
Some Bowl Cutters can reduce the pressure inside the bowl or create a vacuum environment. Processing chicken or vegetables in a vacuum can enhance the binding with water, improve color and flavor, and achieve denser emulsions. Vacuuming can also promote protein extraction and reduce jelly sedimentation, improving product quality and extending shelf life.