- A Buffalo Chopper, more commonly known as a bowl cutter or food cutter by its manufacturers, is basically a cast iron bowl that holds the food and rotates during the cutting process. There is a stationary blade that spins while the meat is passed through it, and the process continues until the food is chopped to the desired size. There is also a lid that covers the machine, which has an enlarged area to accommodate the spinning blade. This enlarged area of the lid is most likely the source of the "buffalo" label, because it resembles the hump on a buffalo's back.
- While this food processing machine was probably designed originally just for meat processing, today there are many different kinds that do many different things. The larger industrial-sized Buffalo Choppers are generally used for meat rendering, taking large sections of meat and grinding them down to the various sizes that are applicable to commercial meat uses. These machines are usually made of cast iron and are large in size and capacity. Other machines that are sold to restaurants and for home use are usually of stainless steel and come in sizes that range from 3 liters to 20 liters in capacity. These are used for any raw food material, from meats to vegetables to grains.
- The variety of uses that a Buffalo Chopper will be put to will determine the type that will be used. As was stated before, a Buffalo Chopper can be used to render any meat, vegetable or grain down to the appropriate size. This is done by using a single rotating blade or two blades that work simultaneously to increase the degree of fineness obtained in the chopping process. The blades come in several sizes and shapes, which are designed for the particular type and size of food product to be processed. There are also different sizes of bowls and lids to use that are determined by the blade dimensions.
- The good news is that Buffalo Choppers are a very popular food processing tool, so that they can virtually be found everywhere. There are several food processing manufacturers that carry at least one type of Buffalo Chopper, if not several. These are sold for industrial uses or to individuals as well. Most companies that sell blenders, mixers and other home food processing equipment carry a Buffalo Chopper.
- The popularity of Buffalo Choppers has caused manufacturers of industrial and home appliance products to offer at least one type of Buffalo Chopper, if not two or three. You will also find thousands of available Buffalo Choppers, both new and used, at several online auction sites, but be careful when using these sites as you may find that shipping is expensive or that the manufacturer's warranty does not apply to any resold products.
