Workhorse!!

I bought this after using a Braun processor of a similar type. This is a real workhorse comes with several blades not just one or two and includes a juicer. The pulse option and the multi speed makes my job easier as I can add bits as I peel or cut. Love this equipment the warranty is a good one and the manual gave me ideas for use that I hadnt considered. A real deal for the $100 price I paid. More detail ...

VERY POWERFUL AND EASY TO CLEAN

I highly recommend the Cuisinart Mini-Prep. I've had one for 6 years and it is still running beautifully. For such a small unit it has a surprisingly powerful motor. It can chop or puree vegies fruits - even cooked beef chicken and fish. When I first bought it I used it mainly for chopping onions garlic herbs etc. but then I began to discover the possibilities. Ofcourse the portions you are able to prepare are small but if you're alone or have a very small family it's a great little machine. Also a breeze to clean (not like the large Cuisinart units). Only negative is that it is rather noisy however for this price it is a terrific value. I must add that I bought two other mini processors prior to this one (both by Black & Decker) and was thoroughly dissatisfied with them. The motors were not powerful at all and the blades were in a different position than Cuisinart Mini-Prep. They could not chop more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a time or it would not run. Neither unit would puree anything only coarse chopping was possible. If you're looking for a good mini processor the Cuisinart Mini-Prep is it!More detail ...

Nifty appliance; has a couple of bugs

Having picked this item up on an Amazon special I must first say that the price-performance ratio is excellent. The machine comes with several blades and a chute attachment. If you have used a Cuisinart machine before assembly and operation will be very very simple. That the pieces are dishwasher safe is a boon as well. I like this little processor; its small size is just right for our empty nest food prep.



There are a couple of things Cuisinart could perhaps rethink. It is awkward to remove the slicing or shredding blade. The plastic used on several of the pieces seems vulnerable to staining. The shredding blade seems for some ingredients to "pulverize" better than to shred. It would also be nice to have at least one other size of slicing disc and a plastic chopping blade included. Those refinements would make this machine nearly perfect for me.



Still this sturdy workhorse is a welcome addition to our kitchen. Those who have smaller amounts of ingredients to prep will find that it is a useful complement to other kitchen tools.More detail ...

I love my Duet hope it's reliable

I have been shopping for a new blender to replace my 1985 Osterizer which has been leaving big chunks of ice in frozen drinks. I saw a really interesting consumer-oriented cooking show on the local PBS station one Saturday afternoon - they taste test their recipes on the public and test kitchen equipment. They had a test segment on blenders and claimed the fiftydollar Osterizer unit was the best had the strongest motor and did a better job than even the hundredplusdollar blenders. I went out and bought one (actually I got the Oster version of the Duet with the blender and a food processor attachment). I quickly returned the Oster unit because 1) It could not a crush ice in frozen drinks and was actually worse than my 17 year old worn out blender - it's pretty hard to suck a 3/4" ice rock up a straw; 2) Did not circulate thick liquids well unless stirred with a spoon through the hole in the top cover; 3) It was loud as heck; and 4) the food processor attachment was nearly useless because it was very small only had a chopping blade and had no feeder - you unlatch the processor empty out the one cup or so of chopped food put more food inside re-latch the processor lid and put back on the blender base.



After reading some of the reviews here I was pretty much set on the similarly priced (one c-note) Kitchen Aid so I went to my local department store to look around and a bright and bubbly teenage sales clerk came up and asked me if I needed help. I almost said no (I can read the box myself) but instead decided not to exercise age discrimination and asked if she had any recommendations for blenders. Surprisingly she said "Yes I tested a bunch of them for a Christmas present for my dad a few months ago and the Cuisinart was definitely the best. It does the best job of crushing ice is easy to clean up and my dad loves his!" Given that it came with a small food processor attachment for the same price as the Kitchen Aid and I had a 30 day return policy if I didn't like it I decided to give it a shot. Here's my observations:



1) It blends great. It has as much power as you would ever need and frozen drinks come out smooth and frosty they way they should. No more small icebergs clogging up the straws. You can dump a tray full of ice cubes into the blender hit the "Ice Crusher" button and it will give you a pitcher of finely crushed ice in about 30 seconds. Thick liquids still circulate well in the wide pitcher body.



2) It's quiet. I would say this blender puts out only about half the volume of noise that my old Oster unit or the newer one I returned did. Maybe there is a quieter unit on the market but for the other reviewers complaining about the noise I have to ask what they expect when blending ice cubes. No doubt it makes more noise turning ice cubes into a liquid form than say a pot on the stove but it is easily quiet enough to make a smoothie or margarita after midnight in an apartment without waking the neighbors.



3) The food processor works great. Sure it is smaller at a 3-4 cup capacity than the big 11 cup processors but otherwise it works exactly like its bigger brothers that made Cuisinart famous for the past several decades. I think the reviewer complaining about the processor must have had a few too many dacquiris or margaritas from his/her machine when he/she criticized this accessory. The feeding tube is a complete necessity for chopping more than a cup of food or using the grating and slicing blades (which work extremely well). So what if it sticks out a few inches? I used the processor to make hash browns for eight people for Easter brunch and it did a great job of chopping the onions and shredding the potatoes; I did have to empty the moderately sized processor container twice while shredding the potatoes but it only took about two minutes to turn eight medium-large potatoes into uniformly shredded hash browns.



4) It's easy to clean. The base unit just wipes clean with no protruding buttons or difficult channels to clean out. The pitcher is also easy to rinse clean.



A big caveat: the reliability. I did not read the reviews here about the easily breakable plastic motor locking ring on the blender base until after my 30 day return period ended. So far so good (I'm giving it a ***** rating based on my own experiences and am not going to let other reviewers' experiences change my score) but I really hope knock-on-wood-fingers-crossed that Cuisinart cured that defect by the time it got around to manufacturing my unit. It does have a heavy very steady base and feels like a well made unit.



I hope I get many years of happy use out of my Duet but will report back if I suffer the same problem that others have experienced.



EDIT 3/07:



Eventually my Duet's blender unit failed perhaps somewhat differently than others have reported. After about six years of frequent use the black plastic gear ring on the bottom of the blender container that meshes with the drive unit in the base locked up on me and would not turn on the bottom of the blender meaning the blade inside the blender to which it is attached would not turn. I contacted Cuisinart and bought a new one for around $10 or $12 shipped took the old one off installed the new one and in a few minutes had it running again good as new. I still really like the unit and think it is terrific. Spending a dozen dollars on a simple replacement part for an item we use so frequently is not unreasonable and I'm not lowering my score as a result of that temporary problem. In 2007 there are now a lot more higher end blenders available than there were when I bought this Cuisinart in 2001 and I'm sure some of them have even stronger motors and are slightly more quiet. However this is still a very good unit and the hundred bucks I spent on it was money very well spent. Nowadays I've seen this blender-food processor combo available for as low as half what I paid on sale and as low as fortybucks refurbished so I doubt that there's anything on the market that is even close to being as good of a value.More detail ...

Cuisinart Vs. KitchenAid Mini Choppers

When I starting searching for a mini-chopper I was surprised by the huge rating difference between the Cuisinart DLC2 and the KitchenAid KFC3100 so I bought both and did a side-by-side comparison. The only explanation I can give for the ratings difference is that Cuisinart buyers must have higher expectations. For most operations they have nearly identical performance and for some operations the Cuisinart is the clear winner.



Onions: Many Cuisinart reviewers panned its performance here claiming it made onion purée but most KitchenAid reviewers praised its onion chopping ability. I found almost no difference between the two. Maybe its an issue with the instructions - for chopped onions you must use a few short pulses. A few more pulses and you get minced onion - more than this and both give you onion puree. I wouldn't say either is great at chopping onions but both are equally mediocre.



I also tested chopping nuts and making breadcrumbs with similar results. Both performed about the same for a course chop although the Cuisinart produced a more even chop on the nuts but its when you want a really fine chop that the Cuisinart starts to shine. The first reason for this is the grind feature found only on the Cuisinart. This spins the blade in the opposite direction which allows the flat back-side of the blade to impact the food. More importantly it redistributes the food so if you've got a couple of chunks that refuse to be chopped a short pulse in the opposite direction helps it drop into the blade. For perfect fine breadcrumbs I alternate between the normal chop mode for a few seconds and grind for one second.



The other reason the Cuisinart gives a better fine chop is that it does a much better job of cycling the food through the blade. This is a real key when you're working with softer foods like spreads pâtés or purees. When I made a cream cheese spread in both choppers the Cuisinart did a far quicker and better job of pulling the ingredients down the center and into the blade. The KitchenAid kept larger chunks bobbing on top. If you're making dips spreads or baby food the Cuisinart is the hands-down winner.



On the practical side both choppers were equally easy to clean. Both have small holes in the lid for pouring in liquids on the fly but only The KitchenAid has a slot for dry or thick ingredients - if that's important to you. Overall I found the Cuisinart easier to use for several reasons. First the Cuisinart blade drops on easily while the KitchenAid blade is keyed and I found myself turning it several times before it dropped in. Second the KitchenAid lid must be removed first before you can lift off the bowl but on the Cuisinart the bowl and lid can be detached as an assembly. Finally the Cuisinart blade has a "handle" that extends to the top of the bowl like a popsicle stick allowing you to remove the blade without getting your fingers in the food.



After all my testing I really can't understand the large ratings difference between these two. Neither is perfect - you'll never get a perfect even course chop with things like onions or chocolate but they do come in handy. For many uses either one will give you pretty much the same results. Because of its advantage with softer foods and its ease of use I recommend the Cuisinart.

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Love this mill just wish it was bigger!

We do a lot of home canning and preserving and purchased this mill to help with some of the chores associated with putting away pumpkin butter grape butter pumpkin puree and other foods. This was the only tool we found that helped get rid of the seeds and save the pulp of the grapes for our grape spread. We also own one of the large food strainers (Victorio or Roma type model) and this did a better job than that large expensive strainer for that kind of work.



Things I really like:

--the "legs" of the strainer on the pot are coated with a rubberized surface that helps to keep them from slipping off the edge of the pot you are using it over. The handle seems to have the same coating and is pleasant to hold.

--also with the legs they fold for storage but I have found that folding them down around the sides of a 4-cup pyrex measuring cup also helps to hold it stable while using it.

--I like the white enamel (I think that's what it is) coating on the outside of the pot. Very attractive.

--Easy to clean. If I clean this immediately after using I can practically just rinse it in hot water and let it dry and it looks great.

--handle assembly is cleverly designed and feels sturdy and secure when using it.

--comes with 3 disks for different jobs. We use the most coarse disk for pumpkin and apples and it works beautifully. (Note we do take the seeds out of our pumpkins before cooking and straining). We used the medium disk with our grapes this year and it did a nice job but a few seeds did sneak through. Next year we will try the fine disk.



My ONLY quibble with this piece of equipment is that it is not bigger. As I mentioned above it fits nicely over a 4-cup pyrex measuring cup. I'd be thrilled if it was larger. The pot itself probably doesn't hold more than 4 cups. You *can* use it over a large pot the legs will simply hold it there for you. It's the size of the pot itself I am talking about. More detail ...

Every Kitchen Needs a Cuisinart

Every kitchen needs a Cuisinart and after the work bowl of my former much loved 14-cup Cuisinart Food Processor of 20+ years finally gave out I opted to purchase the new Cuisinart 14-cup brushed chrome model DFP-14BC.

First the aesthetics this model compliments all my other stainless steel appliances including my double oven toaster and microwave etc. It looks very sleek compared to my former white model. In other words I'm very pleased with the way it looks.

I use my food processor quite often and shopped around before deciding to choose this particular model. I picked this square-shaped model similar to my older replaced DLC-7 model with the two rectangular buttons that `click'. Since my former Cuisinart of like design served me well 20+ years this design appeared more durable and was less expensive than another Cuisinart rounded model with oval buttons that looked less heavy-duty.

Other than a few modifications to the food pusher assembly this new DFP-14BC model is virtually identical to my older processor and just as easy to use. Even better is the fact that my older DLC-7 discs (with detachable stems) also fit this new processor. So far I've used the metal blade which worked like a dream and the shredding and slicing discs that again work with ease and provide excellent results. Additionally the motor on this new processor is more powerful than my original model and I can't wait to try it on making bread or pizza dough.

For first time food processor users a demonstration video accompanies this machine and walks you through everything you'll need to know. You'll never make a pie crust again without it!More detail ...

A workhorse....

I bought this food processor last Fall to process fruit for jam making. I pick my fruit in the summer and freeze it to make jam in the Fall to take advantage of the cooler weather. Jam making can be a hot job especially in Texas! In previous years I chopped my fruits by hand but this year my husband and I went overboard and picked pounds and pounds of strawberries blackberries blueberries and peaches. Then a friend gave me figs! There was no way I wanted to process all of that by hand so I started shopping for a food processor. I found several good reviews of the Hamilton Beach 70670 and it was a great price so after a little more comparison shopping decided to take the plunge.



When I got ready to process fruit this processor performed like a champ. The only issue I had was making sure I gauged the pulse correctly as a few of my batches of fruit ended up almost pureed which was not what I was aiming for! It plowed through hours of processing for 3 days of a long weekend then several 2 day weekens. And cleanup was so easy.



This is not my first food processor but the Hamilton Beach compares very favorably with others I have used. I really love it and look forward to my next jam making season. I use it other times for smaller jobs but the big workout for this baby is in the Fall.More detail ...

Not an improvement...

I've owned various models of Cuisinarts for many years and have always considered them the Cadillac of food processors. Recently I gave away my DLC-2014 model to a relative and upgraded to the FP-14DC their newest model. I'm beginning to think I may have been too hasty. The most obvious difference between the newer and older model is the design of the workbowl. Cuisinarts have always had straight-sided bowls but the FP-14DC's bowl is flared -- wider at the top than at the bottom. Presumably the company's engineers determined that the newer design performs better -- or at least as well -- as the older design but that hasn't been my experience. One problem is that food seems to collect in the seam between the side and bottom of the bowl much more readily than in older models. I used it the other day to chop about two cups of walnuts. When I dumped the chopped nuts out of the bowl I saw that two or three tablespoons of walnut powder had collected and jammed in the seam. I had to use my index finger to scrape it out. Not a big deal but annoying nevertheless. Another more serious problem as far as I'm concerned is the newer model's dough-making performance. I've been making bread and pizza dough in a food processor for years and it's always worked great -- add the flower water yeast and salt turn the processor on and almost immediately the dough comes together in a ball and gets kneaded as the processor spins it around the workbowl. Well I tried my standard pizza dough recipe which I've made hundreds of times in older models (of the same bowl capacity) and was horrified to see that the dough failed to form a ball. Instead the machine simply plastered the dough sround the side of the bowl while the blade spun ineffectively at the bottom. I had to stop the machine and go in with a spatula to scrape down the side of the bowl and coax the dough into a ball before it would properly "catch" on the blade when the machine was turned back on. And when I finally pulled the kneaded dough out of the bowl there was a lot left behind in the bottom-side seam as noted above. Not good. I also noticed the dough blade has reverted to being made of plastic as it was in Cuisinarts of many years past; the blade on the previous DLC-2014 model was stainless steel. Seems like a step down in quality. I haven't had enough experience yet with the FP-14C to write it off completely but so far I'm not impressed.

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I loved it until I needed service

As the owner of Cuisinart food processor for more than 20 years when it came time to upgrade it was a no-brainer...another Cuisinart. I had received excellent customer service in the past when a part developed cracks.

Now under new ownership it's a whole new story. I had my new model for less than a month when it developed numerous cracks in the pusher assembly. I called customer service (by the way the number in the manual was not a working number) and I was told they would send me a new part only after I sent them the defective one and there would be a delay of about two weeks not counting shipping (plan on another two weeks). This was their unbendable rule. I told them this was not acceptable that I did not want to be without the use of the equipment for a month especially with the holidays coming up. Sorry that's the rule is what I was told.
Then I wrote to the President of Conair (the parent company) and the VP/GM of the Cuisinart division and asked them to contact me for assistance in resolving this issue. A month has passed as I write this and I have not heard from either of them.

I took the equipment back to the store where I purchased it and exchanged it for a KitchenAid food processor which was less expensive and works beautifully. I did my research this time and they have a reputation for excellent customer service should I need it.

The Cuisinarts are good solid appliances but if you ever need customer service it's an uphill battle. If you decide to buy a Cuisinart be sure to buy at a store that will stand behind the products they sell.More detail ...

I loved it until I needed service

As the owner of Cuisinart food processor for more than 20 years when it came time to upgrade it was a no-brainer...another Cuisinart. I had received excellent customer service in the past when a part developed cracks.

Now under new ownership it's a whole new story. I had my new model for less than a month when it developed numerous cracks in the pusher assembly. I called customer service (by the way the number in the manual was not a working number) and I was told they would send me a new part only after I sent them the defective one and there would be a delay of about two weeks not counting shipping (plan on another two weeks). This was their unbendable rule. I told them this was not acceptable that I did not want to be without the use of the equipment for a month especially with the holidays coming up. Sorry that's the rule is what I was told.
Then I wrote to the President of Conair (the parent company) and the VP/GM of the Cuisinart division and asked them to contact me for assistance in resolving this issue. A month has passed as I write this and I have not heard from either of them.

I took the equipment back to the store where I purchased it and exchanged it for a KitchenAid food processor which was less expensive and works beautifully. I did my research this time and they have a reputation for excellent customer service should I need it.

The Cuisinarts are good solid appliances but if you ever need customer service it's an uphill battle. If you decide to buy a Cuisinart be sure to buy at a store that will stand behind the products they sell.More detail ...

Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic Food ProcessorMore detail ...

This powerful unit gives you 2 speeds to chop or mince onions in seconds. Ergonomically designed it's comfortable and easy to blast through everyday chopping tasks. Perfect when you only need a small amounts for favorite soups sauces or desserts. Superior chopping performance in a powerful compact unit for fine chopping results in seconds; Hi/Low Pulse controls for coarse chopping or fine mincing; 3-Cup bowl for onions herbs nuts cheese eggs and more.More detail ...

Kitchen style! A brushed stainless finish adds a touch of elegance the MiniPrep Plus 4 Cup Processor is now a fashionable fit for any kitchen. Includes the tools to perform any food preparation task…with superior style.More detail ...

Cuisinart FP-14DC Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor, Die Cast
I've owned various models of Cuisinarts for many years and have always considered them the Cadillac of food processors. Recently I gave away my DLC-2014 model to a relative and upgraded to the FP-14DC, their newest model. I'm beginning to think I may have been too hasty. The most obvious difference between the newer and older model is the design of the workbowl. Cuisinarts have always had straight-sided bowls, but the FP-14DC's bowl is flared -- wider at the top than at the bottom. Presumably the company's engineers determined that the newer design performs better -- or at least as well -- as the older design, but that hasn't been my experience. One problem is that food seems to collect in the seam between the side and bottom of the bowl much more readily than in older models. I used it the other day to chop about two cups of walnuts. When I dumped the chopped nuts out of the bowl, I saw that two or three tablespoons of walnut powder had collected and jammed in the seam. I had to use my index finger to scrape it out. Not a big deal, but annoying nevertheless. Another, more serious problem as far as I'm concerned is the newer model's dough-making performance. I've been making bread and pizza dough in a food processor for years and it's always worked great -- add the flower, water, yeast, and salt, turn the processor on, and almost immediately the dough comes together in a ball and gets kneaded as the processor spins it around the workbowl. Well, I tried my standard pizza dough recipe, which I've made hundreds of times in older models (of the same bowl capacity), and was horrified to see that the dough failed to form a ball. Instead, the machine simply plastered the dough sround the side of the bowl while the blade spun ineffectively at the bottom. I had to stop the machine and go in with a spatula to scrape down the side of the bowl and coax the dough into a ball before it would properly "catch" on the blade when the machine was turned back on. And when I finally pulled the kneaded dough out of the bowl, there was a lot left behind in the bottom-side seam as noted above. Not good. I also noticed the dough blade has reverted to being made of plastic, as it was in Cuisinarts of many years past; the blade on the previous DLC-2014 model was stainless steel. Seems like a step down in quality. I haven't had enough experience yet with the FP-14C to write it off completely, but so far I'm not impressed.  More Detail>>>>>

Cuisinart MP-14N Limited-Edition 14-Cup Food Processor
The Cuisinart MP-14N Limited Edition Metal Food Processors the ultimate food preparation tool and it comes from the originator of the American food processor, Cuisinart. The food processor has all the elements of quality that Cuisinart is known for, including a powerful motor, a large work bowl and a long warranty. It also introduces some new features. The Cuisinart supreme wide mouth feed tube which is perfect for slicing whole fruits and vegetables. The Cuisinart dough control button that works with the PowerPrep metal dough blade that lets you make perfect dough in seconds. These features, along with the capacity to use all your existing Cuisinart specialty blades and discs, makes the limited metal food processor the perfect choice in food processors More Detail>>>