6 Solid Reasons To Avoid Food Processor

The Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor does everything a great


Food processor should without any unnecessary extras which would boost itsprice. With a single bowl and only on and pulse buttons, it is simply designed--
But it works as well as or better than machines with multiple bowls and
more attachments. Unlike some other models in our evaluations, the Custom's
Foundation never shook while running, even if processing double batches of
dough.
And discs, as all of them will stow inside the mixing bowl, so you will not need
To store a big box of attachments. The Custom's simply designed foundation and
jar were also more easy to clean than most of the competition.
food processor cuisinart custom 14-cup

of the simplest-to-use interfaces of the processors we tested. Photo:
Michael Hession
While the Custom mixed a satiny dough in about 40 seconds, the 13-cup

of mixing
Initially the Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Processor seemed a little puny next to
the other models, which boasted nesting bowls, taller bases, and big boxes
of attachments. But after two days of testing, its simplicity won us over. The
Custom's 750-watt motor is less powerful than the 1,000-watt Cuisinart
Elite motor or the 1,200-watt Breville motor, but that limitation didn't
Negatively impact its performance.

specific dough speed.

did, and it took up less counter space.
food processor cuisinart custom 14-cup attachments

attachments: slicing and shredding disks, a regular chopping blade, and a
spatula.
At roughly 18 pounds (including the jar), the Custom never shifted or
Chattered on the counter, even when blending double batches of dough.
While the Custom mixed a satiny dough in about 40 seconds, the 13-cup
KitchenAid ExactSlice's motor strained, seizing up after about 20 seconds



room for grating cheese or shredding big batches of coleslaw ingredients.
Although our experts said processor capacities of 11 to 14 cups work best,

particularly when processing wet ingredients (liquid tended to leak out of
The other models we tested came with bigger bowls


The Custom comes with just the most useful attachments: a stainless-steel
chopping blade and disks for shredding and slicing. Earlier versions of this


On the Cuisinart site. However, our testers find dough blades

Blades for years.
you'd want to do with a food processor.
Comes with three blades and five disks, which could be handy for more
With some
Careful layering, you can store all of the Custom's blades and disks in its
Work bowl with the lid on, which saves a bit of storage space (and keeps you
from gouging a hand on a loose blade in a drawer).
Ultimately, we found cleaning the Custom's work bowl an easier task than
Doing so on most of the other models.
Cleaning, we were achingly familiar with the gunk that can get trapped in
overly complicated lids.
extra pieces of plastic for food to wedge into. The Cuisinart Elite, on the
Other hand, includes a gasket on the lid that frequently trapped

We read a few reviews that dislike how the Cuisinart Custom's lid locks with
the feed tube in the back, rather in the front (standard for most models).
This feature tripped up one of our testers as well, but we think that's simply
Because they're used to working with a processor that locks in front.
Cook's Illustrated named the Custom as its top choice. The Custom chopped
nicely in our tests when we used the pulse button. It took a little longer than
the Breville Sous Chef or KitchenAid ExactSlice did, but that time difference


with 67 out of 100 points.

We
And at only 15 inches tall, it should
fit under most cupboards.
Sometimes it's difficult to tell when the Custom's lid is totally locked; if the
Lid isn't locked, it will rattle loose during processing, and the machine will
stop. However, this is a minimal problem that probably boils down to user error.

The shredding disk on the Breville Sous



5-millimeter slices.
Probably want the 2-mm slicing disk to cut homemade potato chips.
The Custom doesn't include a storage case for its attachments. If you
Don't want to store the attachments in the jar, purchasing a case for about

After three years of longterm testing, we've consistently liked using the
Cuisinart Custom. We've made slaws, grated cheese, mixed dips, and
Kneaded pizza dough inside, and it has worked well. The 14-cup bowl does not
Leak, and the controls are just what you need.
We have found that keeping it on the counter to
Use frequently is the best approach. The jar has scratched a bit (possibly because
We've stored the sharp blades in the jar). We've also noticed on other

However, we haven't tested the Cuisinart
Custom long enough for this to occur. Overall, we still really like using
this machine.
Although it's too small for making bread dough or coleslaw, this three-cup
Processor is the ideal size for chopping one onion or making small batches
of mayo or vinaigrette.
For small chopping tasks, the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Provides the best value
and performance we've found. The Mini-Prep Plus makes a Great addition to
A full-size model (or a great alternative if you don't feel like spending $200).
In our tests, it even performed better than the mini bowl attachments that
Come with a number of the larger processors. Last year, we tested the Mini-Prep

Chopper attachment of our favourite immersion blender, the Breville Control
Grip. This year, we tested the Mini-Prep against the Farberware 3-cup Mini
In almost every

food processor cuisinart mini-prep plus
The chop and grind buttons on the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus move the blade
in opposite directions.

competition and did so more quickly.

competition and did so more quickly. It chopped onions in about 17 pulses,
whereas the Farberware and VonShef took closer to 30 pulses. In our tests
Last year, the chopper attachment for the Breville took forever to chop the
onions. This year, the Farberware minced most of the onions but left one
large piece entirely intact. The gap between the bottom of the feed tube and
The slicing disk on the VonShef caused the onion to roll around and resulted
in uneven slices. Onions can quickly turn to mush in a food processor, but
The Cuisinart did a fantastic job of retaining the texture of the onions while not
Creating too much liquid; we think this model would be perfect for making
mirepoix. We wouldn't use the Mini-Prep Plus to make a chunky pico de
Gallo, but a blended roasted salsa would be OK.
food processor cuisinart mini-prep plus onions
The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus (center) produced more evenly chopped
onions than the VonShef Food Processor (left) and the Farberware Mini
Chopper (right).
The Mini-Prep Plus looks almost identical to a full-size processor, except
that it has only the two pulse buttons for chopping and grinding. The chop
Button moves the blade counterclockwise so the sharp edge of the blade
Hits the food; the grind button turns the blade clockwise so the dull side
contacts the food. Its blades are less sharp than those on a full-size
processor, which are usually slightly serrated. And, of course, the Mini-
Prep Plus is quite a bit smaller and easier to move around than bigger
machines. While the 18-pound Cuisinart Custom processor measures 151/2
inches tall and has a 71/2-by-93/4-inch footprint, the 21/4-pound Mini-Prep
Plus reaches only 91/2 inches tall and has a 5-by-71/2-inch footprint.
We didn't notice any straining or stuttering of the Mini-Prep Plus's 250-watt
Motor, even when blending a thick curry paste. Since you won't use it for
Heavy tasks like making bread dough, we don't think there's much risk
of burning out the motor.
The Mini-Prep Plus excels at emulsifications. Actually, of all the food
processors, blenders, and immersion blenders we've tested for various
guides, we found making mayo easiest in the Mini-Prep Plus. That's because
Its lid has a tiny indent to hold oil, and two small holes that allow the oil to
Pour directly onto the blades so you've got a consistent, measured stream.
With this method, the mayonnaise comes together without your having to
control the flow of oil. The KitchenAid offers a similar feature but has only
1 hole in its lid, so in our tests the oil took much longer to drip down--so
Long, in fact, that we wouldn't use the KitchenAid for making mayonnaise.
Neither the Farberware or the VonShef have small holes to add oil.
food processor cuisinart mini-prep plus mayonnaise
Making mayonnaise in the Mini-Prep Plus is exceptionally easy due to a
small well and two holes in the lid for adding oil.
We also think the build of the Mini-Prep Plus is nicer. Its jar has a handle,
while the KitchenAid and Farberware jars don't. We struggled to remove
the jar on models that didn't have a handle, especially when working with
greasy hands. And the Cuisinart model has seamless buttons on its motor
base, while the KitchenAid has grooved buttons on its lid, where they could
trap gunk.
The Mini-Prep Plus Won't make bread dough or shred cheese, and its
Small bowl means it isn't a excellent selection for chopping large quantities of
anything. You'll need a full-size machine for any of those tasks, as well as
For making shredded salads, pie crust, or multiple servings of blended
tomato sauce.
Consumer Reports recommends the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus, and on
Amazon this model has an average score of 4.4 stars (out of five) over 2,370
user reviews.
This is the machine you want if you plan to use it several times a week or
Need a challenging motor when cooking for large groups. But it's twice the price
Of our principal pick, and it's more powerful (and much bigger) than most
People need.
We think the Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor is more than enough
Machine for most people, but if you need additional power or a bigger blending
bowl, or if you don't mind paying twice the price for nicer features, the
Breville Sous Chef was the best performer in our testing. It chopped
vegetables, ground bread crumbs, pureed hummus, and shredded
Mozzarella about as well as the Custom did, and it excelled at slicing. The
Sous Chef powered through an entire russet potato in under a second--
noticeably faster than any of the other models. And despite its power, it was
the quietest of the bunch at kneading dough.
food processor breville sous chef
The Breville Sous Chef performed best overall in our tests, but it is very
Large and has more attachments than most people need.
It was the Sous Chef's thoughtful design that really sold us.
Although we weren't huge fans of the mini bowls on the Majority of the big
processors, we liked the Sous Chef's 21/2-cup bowl better than those of the
Cuisinart Elite and KitchenAid ExactSlice. Deeper than the others, this
bowl's design seemed to make it easier to mince fresh parsley uniformly.
food processor breville sous chef minced parsley
Both the mini and large bowls on the Breville Sous Chef produced evenly
minced parsley.
It was the Sous Chef's thoughtful design that actually sold us. We love how the
Bowl fits flat on the motor base because that lets you put it on a scale
if you're into cooking by ratio. Instead of the standard shank that you place
The work bowl on with other models, the Sous Chef has a flat attachment,
With the shank attached to the interior of the work bowl. This design means
You are able to measure ingredients into the bowl with the blade attached and then
seamlessly connect the bowl to the motor base. If you've ever struggled to fit
A blade over a pile of flour in a processor bowl, you will appreciate this
feature.
We also like how the work bowl is removable with the lid attached; the
KitchenAid ExactSlice and Cuisinart Elite also have this handy feature, but
Most models (including the Cuisinart Custom and Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus)
require that you loosen the lid before removing the bowl.
Breville clearly put a lot of thought into other design elements also. For
1 thing, the buttons are easy to press. The Sous Chef is also the only
model we tested with an LCD timer (which counts up and down), and it has
retractable cord storage. Along with the standard blades, the Sous Chef
Comes with a reversible shredding disk and an adjustable slicing disk that
goes from a whisper-thin .33 millimeter to a generous 8 millimeters. It's a
true alternative to using a mandoline. We didn't try the machine's french
fry disk, julienne disk, or emulsifying disk attachments, but the handy
Cleaning brush did a excellent job of getting trapped bits out of the slicing disk.
The machine's seamless food pushers also make for easy cleanup, since
They've no crevices to trap food. The pressers aren't dishwasher-safe
(water can get stuck inside them), but they are easy enough to rinse off in
the sink.
food processor breville sous chef case
The Breville Sous Chef Includes a plastic case to store loose attachments,
Though it takes up a lot of cupboard space.
The Sous Chef is the top choice in reviews from Consumer Reports and
Great Housekeeping. Cook's Illustrated also recommended this model and
says it, "excelled at chopping, slicing, and shredding." When chopping
carrots, celery, and onions, we noticed it was difficult not to make a puree
Using the "on" setting. In Another test, though, we used the pulse button,
And the Sous Chef cut everything to a uniform size in just a couple seconds. It
has an average grade of 4.8 stars (out of five) across more than 550 Amazon
user reviews.
The Sous Chef comes with a limited one-year product warranty and has a
25-year warranty on the motor--by far the longest of any of the models we
tested.
Care and maintenance
Food processor blades aren't designed to be sharpened. They should last
You a very long time, but as Cuisinart told us, if a "consumer is using it more
aggressively or more frequently than the average consumer it can become
dull. They can always order a replacement through the cuisinart.com
website."
If you have to schlep your processor from a cupboard across the kitchen,
You may not use it often. Norene Gilletz recommends Purchasing a processor
that will fit on the counter under your cabinets. She keeps her machines on
Folded dish towels so that they'll slide out more easily.
Those with limited counter space can get creative, as Jean Anderson did
When she lived in New York City. "I had a pop-up, like those old typewriter
pop-ups that folded down underneath the desk. My processor pop-up folded
down into the base cabinet, and I just swung it up whenever I used the
machine."
As for cleaning, Gilletz recommends putting water and a few drops of dish
soap in the work bowl and running the machine. A bottle brush is handy for
Cleaning around the feed tube, inside the food pressers, and along the sharp
blades. Never submerge the base of a food processor in water; you should
only wipe it down with a damp cloth or sponge.
After testing models with storage boxes, we found that such boxes are
convenient for keeping attachments organized, and they're worth investing
in if your model doesn't come with one. You can also organize blades and
disks in a designated Tupperware-style container, basket, or other
receptacle. We store the Cuisinart Custom's extra blades and disks inside
the processor's work bowl (but be advised that this can scratch the bowl).
Most brands sell replacement parts, which may come in handy after the
limited warranty on parts expires. You'll find replacement bowls, food
Pushers, blades, and several other attachments for the Cuisinart Custom,
the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus, and the Breville Sous Chef.
Recipe tips
For many tasks, a food processor can replace an upright mixer. According
To Jean Anderson, you usually need to use specific recipes developed for a
food processor. In her book Process This, Anderson employs a Number of
Techniques for making quick breads, yeasted breads, cookies, and cakes. In
One recipe she allows a yeasted bread dough to rise in the work bowl
and then "punches" it down by pulsing the blade.
In a Serious Eats article, J. Kenji López-Alt Claims that a food processor
surpassed a standing mixer at kneading pizza dough. His dough came
together in a food processor in a fraction of the time it took in a standing
Mixer, and rose nearly twice as much--indicating that the food processor
made dough with better gluten formation.
The competition
In our tests the Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus didn't mix big batches of dough as
well as the Cuisinart Custom due to its smaller, 11-cup bowl. The Prep 11
Plus struggled to grind bread crumbs, leaving large chunks unprocessed
while over processing the rest. This model also leaked around the shank at
The center of the bowl when processing wet ingredients. Michael Zhao, our
Associate editor, has had the exact same issue with his Prep 11 Plus. Good
Housekeeping gave it an A- (ranking it above the Cuisinart Custom).
The KitchenAid 13-Cup ExactSlice was our least favorite of the large
processors. The base shook and the motor eventually seized when
processing pizza dough. And the food presser easily plugged up with
mozzarella and sticky tahini from our hummus recipe. In January 2013,
Cook's Illustrated tested this model against the Breville Sous Chef and
Cuisinart Custom, and found that "in almost every task, it lagged behind the
Cuisinart and the Breville."
The KitchenAid 3.5-Cup Food Chopper performed well at most tasks. We
Felt it was user friendly, and the bowl capacity is perfect for making small
Batches of bread crumbs, vinaigrettes, and the like. It didn't make
mayonnaise as nicely as the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus, however. We also
didn't like the need to pull up on the KitchenAid's blade to release it, which
could easily cause a cut. Additionally, half of the KitchenAid's lid is covered
in black push pads for the buttons, and we noticed that water and soap got
under those pads; washing the soap out was difficult.
The Cuisinart Elite FP-12DCN performed well in our tests, but it comes with
a gasket on the lid that frequently trapped ingredients like flour and sticky
tahini. Our testers also preferred the Cuisinart Custom Pro's 14-cup
capacity over the Elite's 12-cup capacity.
The Farberware 3-Cup Mini Chopper lacks a handle on the bowl, which
made it difficult to remove from the base, especially when working with
greasy hands. This model comes with two bowls but our testers found them
unnecessary. This chopper left behind an entire piece of onion after pulsing
and was the most inconsistent. It produced the most unevenly chopped
Almonds out of all of the models we tested. This model doesn't have holes in
the lid for making mayo and lacks a feed tube. We also found the lid-locking
mechanism slightly weak on this chopper compared the Cuisinart Miniprep
Plus.
Our testers found the base of the VonShef Food Processor to be too large for
a mini-chopper. For the amount of space it takes up, you're better off
Buying a full-size food processor. The biggest problem with this processor is
the wide gap between the top of the slicing/grating disc and the bottom of
the feed tube, which caused onions and cheese to roll around and create
irregular slices. This model couldn't make mayo; the gap between the blade
And the bowl was too large to create an effective emulsion.
We considered other models, but ultimately didn't test them for a number
of reasons.
The Cuisinart Elite 2.0 FP-14DCN 14-Cup Food Processor, Die Cast is a
Larger version of the Cuisinart Elite we tested two years ago. In our past
tests we found the gasket that keeps the lid tightly secured traps ingredients
Like flour or tahini and was more challenging to clean.
The Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-16DCWS is like the above model and
Only has a few reviews on Amazon.com.
Consumer Reports gave the Oster Designed for Life 14-cup Food Processor
a score of 44 points. Cook's Illustrated also gave this model poor marks and
Does not recommend it.
The KitchenAid KFC3100OB Chef Series 3-cup only has a pulse button,
Unlike the trickle and grind buttons on the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus. Our
Testers liked the ability to reverse the blade direction on the Mini-Prep Plus
Depending on the items being processed.
The Cuisinart CH-4DC Elite Collection 4-cup is about $20 more than our
current pick for mini chopper and has considerably fewer reviews. One
Reviewer on Amazon reported that the blade mechanism began to crack
after only occasional use.
We feel the Rival is too small for most people. We preferred a larger bowl
capacity in our tests.
The Magic Chef has a tiny bowl capacity and very low rating on Amazon.
Like the model above, the Cuisinart DLC-1BCH was a little small. We found
a three-cup jar capacity to be an ideal size for most small food prep tasks.
The Magimix is the original French processor made by Robot-Coupe. We
saw mixed reviews in Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping, and The
Wall Street Journal for the 11-, 14-, and 16-cup models. Since we didn't find
Overwhelming support for any one model, we opted not to test them.
Hamilton Beach 70580 Big Mouth Duo Plus 14-Cup Food Processor: Good
Housekeeping's review says that this machine is loud and that it struggled
to make dough in trials, so we chose not to test it.
Black & Decker HC306 11/2-Cup One-Touch Electric Chopper: This 11/2-cup
model seemed less versatile than the 3-cup models we tested.
Breville BSB530XL All In One: This machine resembles Breville's Control
Grip immersion blender that we like, but it's far more expensive than the
Mini choppers we analyzed. We opted instead to include Breville's immersion
blender chopper attachment in our testing.