Here's the bright red KA I purchased about 9 months ago. I love the adjustable slicing blade without having to switch discs, the "Slow" speed (it's slow enough to gently mix muffins), the variable feed tubes especially the very large one, the small bowl is handy right now for a quick batch of salsa, and I love the accessory storage case.

But, you said you didn't want a large, heavy FP so this is NOT the right machine for you. This KA is a beast - a heavy duty machine designed for large scale FPing.

I had a Cuisinart before getting this KA for many years and it was a nice FP - wouldn't hesitate to recommend Cuisinart to anybody.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: KA 13-Cup FP

Mine is a stainless steel KitchenAid and it's been a good machine, Elery bought it for me before we got married, so that's five years now.

I broke a blade a week before Christmas the second year I had it and called to order a new blade. The very nice young lady (who spoke impeccable English, incidentally), asked me to hold and then told me that they felt it could be a safety issue since the blade broke in the food. They shipped me a new machine, overnight, so I'd have it for the holidays, and even paid the postage to send the old one back.

Great customer service, I'll never hesitate to buy Kitchenaid if I need a replacement.

Annie

I have three. Cuisinart CFP-5 from late 1970s, Cusinart DLC-7 from the 1980s (similar to today's DLC-8 or "Pro Classic"), and a small Cuisinart "mini-prep" (looks like today's DLC-1).

The DLC-7 is my favorite. The feed tube is wide, it will knead dough, still fits under a low upper cabinet. So I'd at least go look at a DLC-8 or Pro Classic. These are about 15" tall. I don't know if that is any shorter than your KA.

The other option would be, keep your KA for big jobs, get a mini one, like the DLC-1 or DLC-3, for the more frequent little jobs.

I have the Cuisinart DLC-7, as John says, a relic from the 80s. I had the DLC 8 before, but gave that to my mother and got the 7 as a replacement. It is a wonderful FP, I use it several times a week. I also have a mini-cuisinart, I don't recall what model number. I use it for chopping herbs, garlic, ginger etc. I use this just about every day.

I don't know if Cuisinart performance has fallen off in the decades since I got mine, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. They, and my old Kitchenaid (with the precious Hobart label) are my sous chefs.

Cheryl

This post has re-piqued my interest in food processors.
I 'had to have one', back when they first came out.
But, my experience was not satisfactory. Seems that
whatever I put into it got plastered on the walls of
the bowl of the processor, and I had to add a
TON of liquid in order for the food to drop down into
the vacinity of the blades. In my opinion, a food processor
was just another 'blender'.
Was I using it wrong? Please, food processor devotees,
tell me the truth.

lbpod - No, no it's not just another blender! The design (wide bowl, straight sides) is meant to have food fall back onto the blade. What were you chopping? What kind of FP do you have?

I use my large FP to: chop vegetables finely, pulverize hard cheeses (parmesan, pecorino) instead of grating, make egg pasta dough. I use the slicing or shredding blades to shred cabbage or jicama for slaw, slice citrus for marmalade, shred daikon and carrots for pickles. It does all of these and more with ease.

Cheryl

lbpod,

Watch the video of the KA food processor on my link. Gives a good representation of what are the FP's strengths.

/tricia

I had a Cuisinart when they first started getting popular in the 1970's because I hate to chop. It was the largest available because I used it for EVERYTHING and wanted to be able to make bread in it (which I did for years). I don't remember the Model #. It lasted until about 2007 or so. The shaft finally gave way or something...I can't really remember but it wasn't repairable. I bought a new one, also the largest available...it lasted a couple of years of very light use....I never make bread anymore, but still chop/slice/grate everything in it or in my mini. It quit working and I sent it in for warranty repairs which took 3 months or some gawd-awful length of time. Got it back, it lasted less than a year. They wanted to repair it again but I threw a hissy fit and they replaced it. So if you can find an old, lightly used 1970's or 1980's Cuisinart, I'd recommend it. The new one works fine, this replacement has lasted a couple of years with no problems, but I have no confidence it will last the 30 years of my original one. Made in China now.

I have to have my cuisinart....love it use it for all sorts of things...I have a DLC 10 which is now a DLC & I think....it's an ole work horse....
I had a cheapie for about a year and saw that I needed a good one...
I slice, chop, knead, shred, puree, jullienne and mix in the thing....

1980s Cuisinarts are easily found on eBay. 1970s models turn up sometimes. The bowls etc for the 80s models are still available new.

I have had my Cuisinart since 1983.......it has been used a lot and just keeps going.
I used it to make bread today.

I would just go to a good store that has a selection and check them out for one that doesn't seem cumbersome. I have a new one that is a 14 or 16 cup Cuisinart and has 3 separate bows...now that is cumbersome! I love it though.

Nancy

I had a Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic 7-Cup Food Processor, it is extremely well designed and well constructed. It makes my food preparation much quicker. One word of caution, unless you need to prepare food for more than 2 people, this is not for you. Quantity of food makes a difference in your experience. I don't chop my green onions or mince one or two carrots in there.

Here is a link that might be useful: best food processor

I have the same experience as Olychick regarding Cusinart made after 2005. Bought a Cusinart food processor after 2005 and it broke within 3 months while making pesto.

Agree with what Olychick wrote: "I don't remember the Model #. It lasted until about 2007 or so. The shaft finally gave way or something...I can't really remember but it wasn't repairable. I bought a new one, also the largest available...it lasted a couple of years of very light use....I never make bread anymore, but still chop/slice/grate everything in it or in my mini. It quit working and I sent it in for warranty repairs which took 3 months or some gawd-awful length of time. Got it back, it lasted less than a year.

From Straw: I still have my KitchenAid heavy-duty food processor for 15 years, works great in grinding meat. Kneading bread didn't work though. I need to shop for a smaller one to grind a smaller amount of meat or pesto, with less cleaning.

I am intrigued by the Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor. I especially like the very wide feed chute, which is one of my main requirements. Pricey, but thank goodness for BB&B's 20% off coupons.
Cooks Illustrated said it would have been their first choice if not for the price. Out of about 175 reviews on Amazon, only 14 were not 4 or 5 star.

Gemini, you might want to check it out. And I would love hearing from anyone who has one.

Here is a link to a really good comparison on Amazon between the Breville and a Cuisinart FP-14dc

Here is a link that might be useful: Comparison of a Breville and a Cuisinart FP

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Mon, Feb 24, 14 at 16:57

I would just suggest that you make sure it's not too big for your needs. If it is, the small amount you want to process will just get stuck to the sides of the bowl.

islay--
I am pretty sure the Breville comes with both a large and small bowl--another significant asset.

The Magimix comes in three sizes for home use. If you consider these, be sure to get the version with the wide feed tube. I have the middle sized one and prefer it to the current generation of Cuisinart. Magimix is still made by Robot Coupe, in France (like the original Cuisinart). Had the one linked below been available when I got mine, I would have gotten it. Two smaller sizes are available, although not in chrome, if that matters. It operates very smoothly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Magimix

Here is a link to a smaller one. It seems metal is now available for this one, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: 3200XL