Dough Press vs. Dough Sheeter vs. Dough Divider

Freshly made dough is the key ingredient when baking or cooking pizzas, pasta, bread and more. Choosing between a dough divider, dough press and a dough sheeter can be a tough choice, and we are here to help you make the right decision for your foodservice business. Check out the more in depth information we have gathered on dough presses, dividers and sheeters to understand the difference and know which will work best for your kitchen.

What is a Dough Press?

Dough presses use compression between two plates to flatten the dough into thinner pieces of dough. Presses are great for restaurants or bakeries that need rounded dough for pizzas, pies and more.

Benefits

• Variety of machines - The best part about a dough press is the options that are available on the market. There are hot dough presses, cold dough presses or hand dough presses, all of which can change the dough texture once cooked. Hand presses also come in various sizes, from handheld dumpling presses to large manual presses.
• Easy to clean - A dough press is one of the easiest dough tools to clean. The plates are flat and smooth, without any ridges or creases to clean between. Wiping down the flat plates is easy with a damp cloth and some detergent. The best part about a dough press is not having to clean up any excess flour, unlike traditional hand rolling dough with a rolling pin. 
• Space saving - Many commercial dough presses are compact and can fit on commercial countertop spaces. They are a convenient way to press dough without the manual labor of doing it by hand. Having it on the countertop means more floor space for walking and safer movement in kitchens. 

What is a Dough Sheeter?

These machines use a rolling cylinder to press dough balls down into a thin sheet. Some dough sheeters compress dough between two cylinders to create very thin and long dough sheets. These machines are great for restaurants that serve pizzas and pastas, freshly made in-house.

Benefits

• Bulk dough rolling - A commercial dough sheeter can churn out some of the longest strips of dough. The rolling cylinders allow dough to be consistently fed through the system for larger batches. They make food prep easier by quickly churning out dough sheets that are ready for cooking.
• Creates even dough thickness - Dough sheeters are the right equipment when you need really consistent dough thickness. Manually shaping dough with a rolling pin can cause more inconsistency with your dough, plus it takes more time to get a consistent thickness. 
• Works with different dough - These machines are unique because they can handle a variety of different doughs. You can shape and thin out regular pie crust dough or even stickier bread doughs. Dough sheeters are perfect for commercial kitchens that have to flatten and thin out a variety of different doughs. 

What is a Dough Divider?

Dough dividers are commercial machines that are used to slice large amounts of dough into smaller, even portions. There are a variety of different dough dividers, but many use sharp blades or shaped plates to portion and shape the dough. There are electric dividers that have a hopper or smaller manual dividers that use a lever. Dough dividers are great for bakeries and pizza establishments that require large, evenly-sized quantities of dough. 

Benefits

• Makes even, rounded shapes - Dough dividers are great when you want pre-rounded and portioned dough. Unlike presses and sheeters that create flatter dough and can portion them, dough dividers can create evenly-sized dough balls that are ready to be shaped into any pastry or dessert. 
• Dough weighing - Some divider equipment has a weighing system that helps evenly weigh the dough when portioning. This creates more accurate and evenly-sized portions when making large batches. There is no need to reportion a batch or have to toss any mis sized dough.

• Multipurpose usage - A dough divider is beneficial for food service establishments that want versatility out of their equipment. Many dough dividers can also be used with meat to make meatballs or portion burger patties. Having multiple uses for these machines means less equipment taking up room in smaller spaces.