 Versatile and very powerful food processor; great for bread! |
| Review Date: December 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Mary, North Carolina |
I didn't buy my Cuisinart Elite model FP-14DC here, but have had a model FP-14DC Cuisinart Food Processor (from a local department store) for about ten days now. Mainly I wanted to post something this soon because I carefully read all the Amazon reviews and had some reluctance in the purchase due to a worry about a seam catching and holding onto flour. So, for all those who might be thinking of a new food processor for Christmas right now and worrying about a seam problem as I did, here's how I feel about my brand new (non-seamed!) processor.
I notice now that the last person to mention a seam was posting fairly recently and did buy the unit at Amazon. A possibility: that maybe Amazon's stock in September was a bit older than what is widely available now, or at least widely available from other sources who might have smaller amounts of stock that have to be replenished more frequently than Amazon's. (This assumes that perhaps there used to be a seam but that Cuisinart must have fixed the problem with the very latest models off the assembly line.)
Anyway, I don't see any seam at all. Perhaps it's not one-piece construction, but it looks totally like one-piece plastic construction to me, just as if the whole bowl was made from a single mold. If it's made of two pieces and glued together or something like that, it is surely one fancy piece of equipment achieving the miracle of what I see here. There's clearly no problem at all here with anything to do with food not becoming incorportated due to clinging to a corner anywhere.
I'd recommend this unit to anyone needing a really large food processor. That mainly might be people who want to make bread. It does a superlative job at that. I've made the best bread ever in this new food processor. It has also done an excellent job of everything I've had the time to try it with in these ten days.
The reason to narrow the recommendation at all is that (obviously) the unit is huge; if you don't need large capacity, then you wouldn't want to take up that much room with it. It's hugely attractive in my kitchen and I like that part of it, though I'm less than crazy about the height of the unit off the counter, since I'm short. Still, I'd buy it again, and buy it again over the other unit I was seriously considering, the 14-cup Limited Edition. I do bake bread and am doing that regularly now, and I don't see how the Limited Edition could possibly be any better at it than this unit. If all the bread you ever do is just enough for a single loaf or pizza dough, you might be able to get by on a smaller model, but if you're a big bread maker, I'd strongly recommend a large model, and particularly this model.
Why this model over the Limited Edition? The motor on this one is very, very powerful and there's no strain at all with large loads, so in retrospect the main reason I was considering the Limited Edition wouldn't have been a good reason. The other thing was that the mixer attachment on the Limited Edition looked interesting and perhaps I might have used it. But not likely, considering that I have a heavy-duty mixer on a stand right on the counter next to the new food processor.
This one has three bowls, so in a way it's three food processors for the price of one. Not exactly, as you have to have the larger bowls inserted to use the smaller ones, but still better than buying three different food processors and taking up all that counter or storage space with them. The three bowls nest perfectly, so it takes up no more room than the single unit. Before seeing this new model and buying it, I was actually considering buying two new processors, one in the 14-cup range, and the other in something much smaller. (I still do have my Custom 11 Cuisinart that I've had since the 1980's, and it still does work if you push down on the top to compensate for a small piece of a plastic lip that got broken.) I guess Cuisinart must have heard the same set of wishes from other longtime users of their food processors? Anyway, it felt as if Cuisinart knew exactly what I was looking for when I first saw the new unit with its three bowls. You can partially make up for not having the ideal number of bowls by good planning, but not always, and I didn't always see the way I should have planned until I thought up the next item in the meal--after having already used the bowl & blade for what ideally should have been the second use of the bowl, not the first.
Another thing Cuisinart fixed in this new design is an ability to lock down the blade. Apparently it's the only 14-cup unit that does that. I've always wished for something like that with my old processor. It's not perfect--I don't think the dough blade will lock--but the bowl is so roomy the chances of having the dough push the blade up and run far up inside the blade mount are greatly reduced. The dough blade isn't totally clean on the inside after use, but the clinging food is so near the opening that it's not hard to clean. The non-dough blades are basically whistle perfect on the inside and pose no cleaning problem whatsoever; the dishwasher can take care of everything. My old blades were always in horrible, horrible shape for cleaning after using them, often requiring intensive hand cleaning. What was even worse was the mess of dough or processed food with the largest loads pushing the blade up so far and oozing up and over onto the unit itself, and down onto the kitchen counter sometimes too (ugh). So I think of this new processor as a sort of miracle design, and it's not available on any other Cuisinart model. One note: the dough blade fits only in the large bowl, but with my old processor if you had smaller amounts of dough, you were supposed to use the regular blade, not the dough blade. I'd guess that with a small amount of dough, you could just use the regular blade in the 11-cup (medium) bowl in this one too.
I like having the storage unit that comes with it for the blades, etc. I would have had to buy something separate--another cost--if I'd gone with the Limited Edition instead of this one. Overall, it's an expensive unit, but packs a lot of value into its cost, with its three bowls, its adjustable slicing disk and its two-sided shredding disk (two degrees of fineness there). With my old unit, I ended up having to order extra disks for slicing and shredding to offer variety in sizes; with this unit, that flexibility comes with it. With the old unit, I never got around to ordering a storage unit for all the blades and that was one big mess (and maybe a dangerous mess) for one of my kitchen drawers. I couldn't have gotten away with that with all the extras coming with this unit, so if a storage container hadn't come with the unit, I'd have to have bought one. I'm grateful for having a food processor that comes with everything I'm likely to need.
Another good thing about this processor is the DVD it comes with. Rather long--longer than just the initial portion, which is also available on the Cuisinart web site on the page with this model--but well worth watching in its entirety. I usually don't pay attention to recipe booklets, etc. that come with equipment, but this one was different; the persons on the video actually do know something about cooking. I intend to use some of those recipe ideas sometime too; they all look good.
I'm not used to using the unit yet, so I'm nowhere close to using it so quickly and efficiently as the second cook on the video, the professional who generated most (or maybe all) of the recipes contained in the booklet. She demonstrates making a signifcant number of those recipes, and it's well worth watching even if you never intend to use any new recipes; it'll get you into the habit of using your new food processor a little differently than the ways you might have grown used to with your old unit. For instance, I paid attention to the method she used for bread, and decided to try it her way, which was the opposite of what I'd always done. I'd guess that some people who have trouble with the dough not working up well and not cleaning itself off the bowl sides are doing it my old way. Instead of specifying that method now, I'd ask you to watch the entire DVD; there's _lots_ there that will help you to get used to this new food processor.
If you buy this one, I hope you enjoy using yours as much as I'm enjoying mine!
Mary
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Purrs like a Cuisinart
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| Review Date: December 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Penmouse, |
Update: Dec. 24 - You pay for the convenience of easy cleaning and variable slicing disk. Today, I used the food processor to finely chop onion for the caramelized onion dip recipe found at the Cuisinart web site. The food processor left semi-large pieces of "chopped" onion in the food bowl. I fished out the not-so-finely chopped onion pieces. I also noticed this problem when shredding potatoes for potato pancakes. The dough cycle seems to work fine. I used it today to make up a batch of dinner rolls.
The choice is yours. Do you want the convenience of multiple bowls, variable slicing disk and easy clean up? Or do you prefer the older style bowl that seems to promote more evenly processed food. It's up to the buyer to decide what works.
Update: Dec. 20 - I've had a few days to play with my new Cuisinart food processor. Overall, still happy with the purchase. This morning I used the shredding disk. I selected the fine shredding side of the disk. The disk made quick work of shredding potatoes for potato pancakes. I did not a few large pieces in the bowl when I was finished processing the potatoes. I tossed them back in the hopper to re-shred them. The fine shredder did a fantastic job shredding the potatoes quickly.
Also, the booklet says to wash the food processor bowl, feed tube, etc. in the top rack of the dishwasher. I can not fit the feed bowl and cover on the top rack of my KitchenAid dishwasher. The feed tube and pusher fit just fine on the top rack. So do the disks and knife blades.
~~~~~
Yesterday the food processor arrived thanks to the UPS delivery person. Both my daughter and I managed to get the food processor out of the box. It was a bit difficult but with clear Cuisinart directions we managed to get everything out safely. There were repeated warnings of being careful when handling the blades as they are sharp.
Last night I used the Cuisinart to process some chocolate chips, flavoring and warm heavy cream to make up a batch of truffles. The Cuisinart hummed right along processing the ingredients. Yup, this food processor has the famous Cuisinart hum and associated power that I have grown to love.
Ease of use: This Cuisinart 14 cup food processor is very easy to use and set up. While the traditional closure is no longer offered the new closure is a no brainer. After almost 20 years of twisting the lid shut to close the food processor bowl, it seemed a bit strange to just snap the lid down with this newest model. But it's not difficult and after a few times it was becoming habit.
Tech Specs:
The 14 Cup Food Processor will handle the following amounts of food:
14 cups of sliced or shredded fruit, vegetables or cheese
12 cups of chopped fruit, vegetables or cheese
12 cups cooked pureed fruit or vegetables
2 1/4 pounds of chopped or pureed meat, fish or seafood
10 cups of thin liquid such as soup
2) 9-inch cheesecake recipes
4) 8-inch homemade cake layers (or two boxes of 18.5 ounce cake mix)
Dough for 8 dozen cookies based on the average chocolate chip cookie
6 cups of flour for bread dough
4 cups whole wheat flour for bread dough
7 cups nuts for nut butter
Slicing blade: The slicing blade is adjustable from 1 mm to 6 mm. I'm thrilled to have a 1 mm setting as I use this setting to make my holiday cucumber salad. The 1 mm setting provides paper thin cucumber slices.
Shredding blade: Both a fine and medium shredding blade is offered. This blade is reversible so you just flip it over depending on the type of shredding desired.
Knife blades: A small knife blade is provided for use in the small bowl. A larger blade is used for both the medium or large bowls of the food processor.
Dough blade: A plastic dough blade is included. This is blade I have not used much in my other Cuisinart food processors as I found the metal blade worked just fine for kneading dough.
Touch pad: The food processor comes with a touch pad. The touch pad has On, Off, Dough and Pulse buttons in that order. The Dough button provides a specialized dough processing cycle to process bread dough. The On, Off and Pulse buttons operate as listed.
Ease of clean up: The food processor was easy to disassemble and clean. The new touch pad base makes clean up a snap.
Storage: The new all-in-one storage box makes it easy to store everything in one location. No more hunting for the missing stem or blade.
Power Cord: Since I purchased the white Cuisinart food processor, the power cord has the standard two prong plug. It did not come with the third ground. I do believe the die cast model comes with a grounded plug. Note: This food processor comes with a retractable power cord.
Overall, very happy with this newest model of Cuisinart food processor.
Recommend. |
Fantastic at first blush
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| Review Date: January 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: David E. Lewis, Utah |
I purchased this for my wife for Christmas. First impression - it over-delivers!
I am not a professional chef, but have been a professional carpenter. So I appreciate a good tool. This one is everything I expected it to be at first impression. The brushed metal finish is good looking. The bowls are heavy plastic and feel like they'll last a long time. And when in use, there is no shortage of power from the motor. It's quiet, and feels like it's not even working up a sweat.
I have used it only two times so far, once for some BBQ sauce, and once for bread. Both times, awesome.
I used the fine grating disk to shred two full onions for the sauce. I quartered the onions, and they were grated in 5 seconds. I then dumped in a few cups of ketchup and some of the other spices and used the cutting blade to puree. Smooth sauce in another 15 seconds. And the 14 C capability is marvelous.
The bread as well. I just followed the Cuisinart recipe for Classic White Bread. I followed the directions exactly, and the dough rolled up into a perfect, soft wet ball inside, and kneaded perfectly for 45 seconds. I have read a review where the user was not happy with the bread making feature.
My observation is that the flaw may have been with the technique, and not the machine. I started with the flour in the 14 C bowl, and slowly added the water until it got to the right consistency. Of course if you over-do the liquid, it's going to turn out too sticky just as bread dough mixed in a bowl does with too much water. The solution is a little more flour of course.
Overall, first impression is a 5. The blade storage box is ingenious and works great. Clean-up is a snap if you finish what you're doing and then give it a quick brush with a bristled scrub brush and some warm soapy water.
I would highly recommend this machine to anyone interested in purchasing a food processor. |
A Heavyweight food processor can even crush ice
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| Review Date: January 13, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Roy Rothstein, cumming, Ga |
| I just purchased this food processor to use for a weight loss program I am currently enrolled in. One of the things I make with this is a lo-cal mouse which involves chopping alot of ice for the base formuls. I just returned the 11 cup plus machine because it couldn't handle this rigorous routine. The plastic container on that one cracked and the machine would dance across the counter while chooping the ice, this processor is as steady as a rock. I plan on using this machine for many other things but this is currently my primary function. Great machine and it is easy to take apart and keep clean. |
14 cup food processer
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| Review Date: January 21, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Ed Winslow, Troy, Montana |
I purchased model #FP-14DC food processor for my wifes birthday. She previously had a cuisinart 11 cup that my mother bought for her 31 years ago. Now that's quality!! The old one was still working, but would get "tired after a few minutes of mixing dough. Ya could hear the moter lugging down, but it still was working!!
This one has been used only a few times so far, but has preformed wonderfully. What she really likes about the new one, is that it has 3 mixing bowls that comes with it, and a storage case for the blades & discs. We hope to have this one for another 30 or so years as we did the last one, & I'm sure we will.
One other wonderful feature of this model is the warranty on the motor. It has a 20 year warranty on the motor!!! Now that is something you won't find on many other processors. Cuisinart stands behind their machines with warrantys like that!!
Amazon delivered this item with amazing speed and with an amazing price. We have NOTHING NEGATIVE to say about Cuisinart or Amazon concerning this purchase. We would do it again in a heartbeat.
Anyone that is looking for an amazing food processor should jump on this model. |
Great item!
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| Review Date: December 31, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jayne Starkey, Central Ohio, USA |
| I am very pleased with my food processor. I had a very old Cuisinart that still worked well but just wasn't big enough for me. I make a lot of different bread and pizza doughs using whole wheat and grains which makes a very heavy dough. They kneaded up easily. I was happy to see it came with a plastic dough blade, I had read someone else's review stating hers didn't and I was concerned, The video was very informative also. My only complaint would be that if I use all of the bowls it's not practical to use the diswasher because they need to be in the top shelf and I never have the room. I invariably end up washing them by hand which of course I would rather not. |
Great processor!
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| Review Date: January 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dnice, Ellicott City, Md |
| Works great on all types of vegetables and fruits. Mixing is a breeze and making bread has never been easier. Just stick it in the dishwasher when your done. |
Wow!
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| Review Date: January 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Susanne F. White, Boston, MA |
| I am so pleased with this machine! I love the multiple work bowls, the adjustable slicer and the power of the machine. It's very simple to use and cleanup is a breeze. The Potatoes au Gratin recipe in the book has pleased many people over the last month and a half; it's easy to prepare because I use the Cuisinart slicer to slice the potatoes. I've had a DC-8 for about thirty years and it's been a real workhorse. I expect I'll be using this new one for at least the same length of time. This was an excellent purchase for me! |
What's Not To Love??
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| Review Date: February 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Anne R., South Florida |
Allow me to preface this by saying that the only food processor I've used before this, was the Cuisinart mini (3 cups) that I bought as an attachment to my stand mixer. For starters, this 1,00 watt powerhouse is quieter!! Having three bowls of varying sizes is wonderful, and even better because they nest, and with my very limited space (my whole kitchen is 8' x 8'), that means not having to find a place to hide them. And because I keep this baby on my counter (it's big, but not as huge as some reviewers have made it sound), and because it's right there, it gets used, and frequently. Same kudos for the storage box included, for the blades. I now never have to rummage in a kitchen drawer to try and find the blade I need, and now there's no risk of accidentally slicing myself because a blade is hidden when I'm rummaging. I keep the box on my counter too, and it's so convenient.
Today, I used the adjustable slicing blade for the first time, and not only didn't I wind up with burning, crying eyes from the onions I sliced, they came out a nice, uniform size (I set the blade for *2*), and that's something I've never been able to accomplish by hand.
I can't address the dough blade, because I haven't had an opportunity to try it yet, so I'll leave that to others.
I've been a Cuisinart fan for years, and this food processor just convinces me I will be a Cuisinart fan for many more years to come. Heck, with a 20 year warrantee on the motor, it will probably outlive me. |
A great machine
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| Review Date: January 31, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Susan D. Jebens, little Canada, MN |
| Thank you Cuisinart, this is a great product. Its great to have a product that has everything compact. I love that you need only 1 blade for the different size of cutting. I also love that a case comes with it, makes storage a whole lot easier. The motor is very quiet. Thank you for improving on this product. |
Cuisinart FP-14DC Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor
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| Review Date: February 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Mom D, |
Amazing food processor! The 3 bowl sizes and adjustable slicing disc give this product great versatility! I use this food processor much
more than my previous model. Great pricing at Amazon and as always quick delivery. A great product I would recommend. |
Serious Kitchen Tool
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| Review Date: February 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: W. Marc Schmitz, Severn, Md United States |
| This item has the extra size to avoid splitting recipes in half and running two batches, a big plus for large serving items like cookies, slaws, and doughs. The power is noticeable and reassures you that this product is meant to work. A nice piece of equipment. |
Awesome food processor
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| Review Date: February 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Kristine Burgesss, Roswell, GA, US |
| This product is amazing. Although intimidating at first and a little vague in the how to literature. You just have to get in there and work with it. I had an old La Moulanex which lasted for 35 years (the motor was still going strong..it was the plastic that pooped out!) I went ahead and bought the best as I expect the same amount of rugged service I got with my old unit. I sliced potatoes with it the other day and counldnt believe the short and accurate work it made of the job! I think I am going to love this machine! |
love it!
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| Review Date: February 12, 2010 |
| Reviewer: mom2two, |
| Didn't think I'd actually use this much-- it was a christmas gift. I absolutely LOVE it! It's PERFECT for making double recipes of biscuits-- in the large bowl.... The small bowl is great for making deviled eggs... and the list just goes on. I love love love this machine! |
Love my Cuisinart!
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| Review Date: February 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Whitewolf, Indiana |
I bought the FP-14DC Elite because my old one was 30 years old and the bowl cracked. Replacing it seemed to cost around $100, so I decided too spring for a new one. I did a lot of research online before deciding on this one and I believe that I have made the right choice. This machine is amazing!
I love the 3 bowls! What a great idea! Really useful, and not difficult to handle. The power of this machine is amazing! So far I have made pizza dough, rye bread, shredded cheese, sliced potatoes, tomatoes and shredded cabbage. I use this machine almost daily and find it easy to use and very efficient. I would buy this again, for sure. |
rs37
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| Review Date: March 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: RS37, TOMS RIVER, NJ, US |
| The machine works as stated.The three bowl sizes are very useful and the machine has the power to get the job done. The price was very good. |
Pleased with our Cuisinart FP-14DC
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| Review Date: January 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Steve Jones, North Carolina |
| The product arrived on time with the box in pristine condition. Easy to unpack. The enclosed CD provided easy to follow set up instructions and operation tips. We would definitely recommend this product. |
Happy to have
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| Review Date: January 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Pamela Blackamoore, |
| I am very pleased with the Cuisinart food processor. It works great and is just the right size for my needs. |
16 cup unit at William Sonoma
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| Review Date: September 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: C. Saxon, |
| Outstanding machine. William Sonoma has the exclusive 16 cup model for about the same price. |
great item - blatantly false discount
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| Review Date: August 22, 2009 |
| Reviewer: gesserwp@conesul.com.br, Brasil |
It sure does seem to very great item, but CUISINART'S on site has it for a list Price of exactly $299.00
who is kidding who? |
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