The Alligator is the brainchild of innovator Benny Engdahl, who got tired of chopping onions when he was making his favorite dish – Öland dumplings filled with pork. They require large quantities of chopped potatoes,  and onions, and everyone knows that chopping onions is a tearful affair, but it need not be any longer.

Benny Engdahl contacted his friend, graduate engineer Nikola Knezevic, who became responsible for the technical development of the product. Many prototypes were needed to find the right design, the right materials, and, in particular, the right steel for the cutters before the final product was ready for commercial launch. The Swedish patent was granted in October 2001.

The product received a great deal of attention right from the start and quickly became a success, with sharply rising sales and many satisfied customers.