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 ...

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 ...

AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT I NEEDED ONE...

Check out this video for some great recipes and ideas.



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I have a larger Cuisinart that sits on the shelf for months at a time and a 2 cup Black and Decker mini processor which is just way too small but I used it for years anyway. I had seen this model on a lot of TV cooking shows but had no idea what size or brand it was. Now I am recognizing my model in use almost everyday.



I recently came across this 4 cup Cuisinart quite by accident and I absolutely love it. I have used it more in the last few weeks that I used the 2 cup in 6 months. It makes excellent bread crumbs fresh and dried and just the right amount of salsa or tapenade in seconds. Yes it does pulverize onions but I watch it very closely and since they are an ingredient not served by themselves they work out fine.



Four cups is a good size and it has a lot of power. It's easy to use and clean.



*** In response to the review where the motor died after only a few uses ... this happened to me the third or fourth time that I used it - it just stopped working. Fortunately my husband was standing there and while I was having a fit he simply pushed the long plastic thing into the base to make the connection. I hadn't pushed it in all the way. No problem after that and I now make sure it is inserted properly.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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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 ...