A kinder, gentler and more bad a** Cuisinart Food Processor

As usual, I've gone far too long without posting anything in my blog. Going to have to change that and get those recipes going. New addition on the house is now built, and while I've got some outside projects to do, such as building a new chicken coop and rebuilding my greenhouse, I should be able to find the time to write a bit more.

One thing to note, and then I'll be on to the review. I'm going to start a companion blog that will focus on different diets with respect to various athletic endeavors, as well as plans for weight loss. What I hope to accomplish is to get folks on track with their current diets and help them to achieve the goals they set. I'll also look at promoting locally raised produce, meats and poultry, as well as the use of naturally raised and organic (and the difference between the two) on both blogs. I know around Central Texas, we have a great resource with our farmers' markets, and would like everyone to experience them and keep their money local.

Onward to the review. My first ... and most recently deceased ... food processor was the venerable Cuisinart Deluxe 11. It served me well for many years and was at the top of its game when I got it. Because of the catering that I do, and the many cheesecakes that I make, it finally gave up the ghost. Without a doubt, the food processor is the greatest tool for making a very dense cheesecake. It thoroughly mixes everything without adding a bunch of air to the batter, such that a mixer would do. However, the Deluxe 11's motor couldn't handle the strain, and the bowl would barely hold the 3 lbs of cream cheese and the other ingredients. So I ended up smoking the motor. Anyone that needs a bowl, cover, and other accessories for a Deluxe 11, give me a ring. I'll let them go really cheap (read:free).

So after a bunch of research, I purchase the Cuisinart DFP-14BCN 14 cup Food Processor. That's a mouthful, I know. I looked at a bunch of different food processors and read the reviews, but for the cost, this one fit the bill. I'd have liked to have purchased a RoboCoup, but that was just a bit too outside my budget (actually a lot outside my budget) for a home based food processor (that can double for catering as well). One thing I found is that too many food processors try to be really sleek and stylish, costing double what the 14 BCN cost, and not having near the wattage or power. The 14 BCN is a workhorse that has 720-watts, ample power for anything you will build at home. There is nothing really sleek about the black and chrome square base, but it is stylish in a sexy, utilitarian kind of way. The 14-cup Lexan work bowl and extra-large feed tube make it very useful for someone who has a need to prepare lots of food quickly. I like the large bowl. With the older food processor, I would make a nice mess when making a cheesecake as the ingredients put it at max capacity. The 14 BCN gave a light sigh, took in all in stride, had lots of extra space, and kind of just told me, "What else you got for me this evening?" Very nice. And when you want the blade to stop, you press stop ... and it stops on a dime.

Something else about this machine. While food processors, by their very nature, are a bit difficult to clean, this one is pretty easy. It has fewer parts than the older one, and the parts just fit together better. They are easy to clean by hand, but also are dishwasher safe (my normal MO). And it's also very quiet. I like to be able to listen to music and actually hear the song while my equipment is running.

Finally, there is the issue with regards to price. I was quite satisfied with the price at most all of the places I looked, both online and off. The department stores had their 50% markup compared to the price directly from Cuisinart, and there were some decent prices on Ebay (one price that seemed too good to be true, was ... and we got our money back, but that is another story). I finally decided on Bed, Bath and Beyond. Their price was exactly the same as Cuisinart's direct order price of $199.00, yet I didn't have to pay for shipping. Other places offered it a bit less, but shipping actually made it more expensive, so I was still doing good with BBB. My lovely wife told me to look online for a coupon (something I rarely do), and I found a 20% off on one item at BBB, printed it out and took it with me. All said and done, I paid under $175.00 which was less than any of the prices I saw online, before shipping.

Needless to say, I'm happy with this purchase. I'd recommend this product to any home cook that plays a lot in the kitchen. It will definitely hold up to most domestic abuse.

I hope this review was helpful to anyone looking for an effective food processor. I plan on doing some other equipment reviews in the future. Let me know if there is something you would like to see reviewed.

It's coming. Stay tuned.