Food processor recommendations

[Dogmama]

I really want something that is decent & I'm not afraid to spend the $$. Problem is, reviews are contradictory & consumer reports review is several years old.

Does anybody have one they love? I looked at a KitchenAid at Bed Bath & Beyond that was nifty - you could adjust the slicing thicknesses. But reviews said it was wimpy. Argh.

If anybody has had really good luck with one, please let me know!

[withm]

I really want something that is decent & I'm not afraid to spend the $$. Problem is, reviews are contradictory & consumer reports review is several years old.

Does anybody have one they love? I looked at a KitchenAid at Bed Bath & Beyond that was nifty - you could adjust the slicing thicknesses. But reviews said it was wimpy. Argh.

If anybody has had really good luck with one, please let me know!.

I think a lot of your answer will lie in how you want to use the food processor. What do you want to do with it? There are things it does not do well - it's not a very good blender, nor can you use it to beat egg whites, and it's not good for cookie dough. But slicing, chopping, and mixing heavy doughs for bread or pie crust works really well.

I've had my Cuisinart for probably close to 30 years. I broke the mechanism that locks the top onto the bowl, and they replaced it no charge after 10 years or so. I use it a couple times a week. Today to make seasoned breadcrumbs for some fish. I make pesto a lot with it, bread dough, pie dough and if I have a lot of chopping to do - but I'm just as likely to use a knife and do it myself too.

If I were to buy another one, I'd get another Cuisinart in a heartbeat, but a larger size. I have a DLC-8 Plus. Making 2 loaves worth of bread dough is a little taxing for it, but I've managed to do it all these years, so it can be done. When I make bread at my sister's house, she has the DLC-11, and her machine handles the dough much better than mine and the result is more predictable.

One thing, if you leave it out on your counter you will use it more frequently. If you have to get it out of the cupboard, you'll find reasons not to use it. It IS HEAVY and will be a PIA to get it out and put it away. Which is the problem I have with my Kitchen Aid mixer, so I rarely use it.

[Irulan]

Yep, cuisinart. I love mine. I did have to buy a blender for true puree`s.

[carolp]

I've got three different size Cuisinarts, but I recently got the Breville Sous Chef and I am in love. It comes with two different size bowls, and the big one is bigger than any Cuisinart. It is fast, powerful and is easier to clean than the Cuisinart. It was pricey, but worth every penny. I love it!

[smilingcat]

love my cuisinart.

Use it to make falafal dough, raw cranberry sauce, chop walnuts for my cookies, puree my sauce for fish stew...

And I too have broken the locking mechanism or that thing-a-ma-gingy on the top. I just use a very dull table knife. Even with the handicap, it gets used often.

[Dogmama]

Currently I have a KitchenAid that is just so-so. It's a PIA to clean, food gets caught between the blades & the top & the blades are getting dull.

I looked at the Cuisinarts & like the big feed tube that they have, plus the adjustable cutting disks. But a lot of the reviews I'm reading say that the older ones are much better than the newer, made in China, models. BUT, Costco currently has a top of the line on sale for $119. (I love a sale!)

The Breville looks really nice. I haven't seen one up close & personal, but they sure get good reviews. Pricey, but if you have it for 10+ years, it averages out in convenience. Does the food get caught between the blades & the top? Williams Sonoma has a sale on it - $399. I may take a look at one today.

I want it for the tedious tasks, like making matchstick cuts in carrots, grating cheese, mincing garlic, etc. DH was diagnosed with diabetes, so our diet has drastically changed. Lots more veggies, so lots more chopping. I have arthritis in my hands, so a nice food processor would be great.

[ehirsch83]

I have the CuisinArt 14 cup professional. (got it at bed bath & beyond on sale after the holidays). We love it! Though we use it mostly for hummus, salsas,etc.(and margaritas:) )

[L-Bell]

We've had a Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus from Bed Bath & Beyond for almost a year and I love it. Very heavy base (which I like b/c it won't scoot around) & needs some storage space, but works great for carrots, garlic, pesto, cheese, etc. I'm still working on lightly chopping onions instead of accidentally pureeing them - it's much more powerful than my old mini-pre model.

[Irulan]

I'd watch Macy's for sales. What do you suppose that those aren't bought at bulk discount to sell in a warehouse store? (speculating)

[malkin]

I too love my Cuisinart from the mid 80s. The new ones aren't made in France anymore, so I'd check around if I were ever in need of replacing it.

Twice I've broken the thing that everyone breaks, and I also broke the stem that is mounted permanently on the base.

[Dogmama]

I'd watch Macy's for sales. What do you suppose that those aren't bought at bulk discount to sell in a warehouse store? (speculating)
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. But it's the same machine, right? Is there such a thing as "seconds"?

I'm still leaning towards the Breville. It's expensive but if I keep it ten years (hopefully) it would be worth the extra money. Apparently Breville started out making professional small appliances & then branched out to things for the house. The motor has a 25 year guarantee...

[snapdragen]

I took a look at the Breville -- now I want one. Someday....

[carolp]

I have not had problems with food getting caught above the blade the way it does in the Cuisinart. In addition, the blades are adjustable, reversible and far more easier to clean. It also has two different size work bowls, making my other Cuisinarts pretty well obsolete. If you have a Sur La Table where you live get it there because if you have any problem they will take back anything. Otherwise, Williams Sonoma is a good bet. I wouldn't buy any serious appliances from someplace like Macy's because they really don't know anything about them and if you have questions are problems, they are hopeless.
Be careful with appliances bought at places like Costco. They are generally made just for that store and they are usually a little different than the ones at other stores, so parts are not compatible.

[carolp]

and while I'm going on about Breville, I have their toaster/convecton oven and their juicer. They are fantastic. Like everything else these days, they are made in China, but they actually own their own factory so they keep good control over quality. I love their stuff.

[OakLeaf]

I've only had experience with one Breville appliance, and it's probably my last.

I bought an espresso maker for DH one Christmas. (Not a super expensive one, but not a cheap one either.) The first couple of times he used it, it smelled funny, like electrical overheating, much more so than you'd expect from a new appliance. So he called Breville's customer service hotline. They told him to try it again while he was on the phone. Smoke started pouring out of the machine, and when he reported this, they hung up on him! They'd already taken his phone number and never called back, so it wasn't just a coincidental disconnect.

Fortunately I'd bought the machine at a store that's very good about returns, so we got a refund.

Watching this thread with interest ... my latest FP motor is just about to burn out again, so I'll be in the market before long. One of these days I'm going to learn to re-wind electric motors, I've thrown away WAY too many blenders and FPs.

[Dogmama]

I called my local Williams Sonoma - they don't carry it so I'd need to go to Phoenix (120 miles away.) BUT the lady raved about it - said they've never received a Breville appliance back. Apparently, the company started making commercial equipment.

CarolP - do you need to use the 16 cup bowl to slice or grate - or can you use one of the smaller bowls?

Oak - anything that catches on fire is terrifying to me.

I was wondering if the Costco stuff is the real-deal. Sometimes I've bought things that are just not quite up to snuff. Things that make you go "hmmm"

[Blueberry]

I stopped shopping Williams Sonoma over a Breville appliance. Someone gave me one of their multi temp water boilers as a very nice present (thankfully, including a gift receipt). The first one wouldn't been when the water was ready as it is supposed to, so I exchanged it. The second one wouldn't open when it was hot (i.e., you had to stick your fingers over the spout in the path of steam to refill it). I brought it back. The clerk accused of me lying in the store, plugged the thing in to "make sure I was telling the truth" (yes, other customers witnessed this lovely experience), and then told me this was the last exchange they would accommodate even though I had received 2 defective units. This was around the time they drastically shortened their return policy. I haven't purchased anything from Williams Sonoma since, and I would hesitate to purchase a Breville appliance after their tea kettle. FWIW I think the lid thing is a design defect. The lid release doesn't work on unit number 3 either - I've become very adept at getting it open without getting scalded by prying up the lid.

[carolp]

I tend to use the big bowl for everything because I'm too lazy to go to the garage to get the small one. As far as Breville espresso makers, I would NOT recommend it. I'd get a Gaggia or a Saeco, or if you want real simplicity, Nespresso.
How awful that someone at Wm. Sonoma would accuse you of lying. I used to work at Sur La Table and they take back anything, any time.
I have a Capresso electric kettle and love it, but again, never saw the brevilles coming back.

[Atlas]

I have a 14 cup Cuisinart (like this (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DFP-14BCN-Processor-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B0000645TW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1337119900&sr=8-4)) and I love it. I looked at the new Kitchenaid one because my mom has had one for years but I really didn't like the newest incarnation. The lid was hard to work and it didn't seem as well built. I use mine mostly for making hummus/frozen banana ice cream/pesto/grinding nuts for baking. I used one of those 20% coupons from Bed, Bath, and Beyond so it was a pretty great deal.

[malkin]

As long as this is the internet dream land, I might as well admit that if someone offered me a ROBOT COUP I wouldn't refuse it!

[Dogmama]

I have the coupon & think I'm going to go to BBB for the same thing. But here's my question - for $100 more you get basically the same machine but it's listed as "die cast metal." So - does that make it worth $100 more? The motor has a longer warranty & it comes with a case for the blades but...$100?

What the heck does that mean, anyway??

[Atlas]

As long as this is the internet dream land, I might as well admit that if someone offered me a ROBOT COUP I wouldn't refuse it!

We have one at work and it's so amazing. Even well used and slightly broken it's better than any food processor I've ever seen in a store. It's impossible to kill those things.

[Irulan]

I have the coupon & think I'm going to go to BBB for the same thing. But here's my question - for $100 more you get basically the same machine but it's listed as "die cast metal." So - does that make it worth $100 more? The motor has a longer warranty & it comes with a case for the blades but...$100?

What the heck does that mean, anyway??

if it's anything like sewing machines, it means that the gearing and machine parts inside are all metal and not super hardened plastic.

FWIW, I got my cuisinart at Tuesday Morning on sale.