Author Topic: Food Processor - KitchenAid - or - Cuisinart ? (Read 5350 times)

canadianbacon · « **on:** June 01, 2012, 08:50:30 PM »

Hi everyone,

Back in the 80s, mom bought a beautiful Cuisinart brand food processor. The thing still works, and is built like a tank.

I'm currently thinking of buying a new one, and wonder if anyone here has a newer model of either a Cuisinart or KitchenAid food processor....

I don't see many good reviews on any of the Kitchen Aid food processors, this is really sad to see from such a great
company. Lack of power is a constant complaint with so many of the KitchenAid models. == Perhaps it's because I'm looking at the wrong model. Is there a KA model that
has tons of power ? perhaps so... if you have one, please let me know.

If you DO have a KitchenAid model that does have tons of power, I really want to hear from you. I find it so difficult to find info like "what is the strongest, most
powerful food processor that KA has to offer" - I can't find a good answer.

So with that said, those of you that do have food processors, are you Cuisinart fans ( using new models ? ) if so, what model should I be looking for ?

Thanks for any advice, info, help !

barryvabeach · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2012, 09:50:49 PM »

To me, the best indicator of quality is the motor - induction motor usually means quality, and fairly quiet, universal motors are usually cheaper and louder. I bought the 14 cup Cuisinart PowerPrep think the model is DLC-2014, but it could have a different combination of letters - depending on when it was made. I bought mine off ebay for a good price, as you said these are built like tanks. It is a discontinued product, but I don't think it was 80's, I would guess 2000 or later. I just went to the Cuisinart site, and they make a few 14 cup models, but they don't say whether the motor is induction or not. Amazon says the Elite 14 is induction, If you go here http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DFP-14BCN-Processor-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B0000645TW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338601513&sr=8-1 scroll down to the review in Oct of 2009 and he does a great job describing the diff Cuisinart models, though since it is 3 years old, you need to make sure things haven't changed.

Tatoosh · « **Reply #2 on:** June 01, 2012, 10:10:12 PM »

Cooks Illustrated rated these back in 2010. I don't always agree with them, but they are one source of testing/evaluation info. I do not have a Food Processor at this time (full disclosure

).

They used to rate the 12 cup Kitchen Aid as their top pick but that has been replaced with a 13 cup unit they do not like as well.

They also rated the Viking 12 cup pretty high but it also has been discontinued.

So the current "top" food processor according to them is the Cuisinart DFP-14BCN, but did note that veggies have to be cut into smallish 1 inch chunks to fit the feed tube. Other than that, it worked pretty well according to them.

Just food for thought.

canadianbacon · « **Reply #3 on:** June 01, 2012, 10:34:42 PM »

Hi Tatoosh,

Thanks for the input, it's greatly appreciated. Now that I have a bit of info, and a model number I can start doing some searching. Thanks !

I'm starting to guess that perhaps Cuisinart is just making a better product, because they have been making food processors for a LONG time. If you went and asked
100 women in their 70s what food processor they bought back in the 1980s, I'm going to say the majority of them bought Cuisinart. I know 3 ladies all in their 70s right now, and
ALL of them had the same machine my mom bought. Pure power. Huge base ( heavy heavy ) white model, very plain looking, but man oh man it could whip up pizza dough
in no time with that little plastic blade.

I don't necessarily want a food processor for pizza dough, BUT it would be nice to have one that is very capable of making dough, considering how much money we invest in a good quality appliance.

Thanks again for your help !

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #4 on:** June 02, 2012, 06:50:52 AM »

First things first, if you have an old Cuisanart that still runs great why buy a new one. I have an old (Hobart) KitchenAid that still runs great and I wouldn't trade it even up for anything KitchenAid makes today. Cuisanart was once a French company which was later sold to Conair, yeah that's right, the same Conair that made their name selling cheap hair dryers in the 70's. I did a ton of research over a year ago on food processors, and at the time I bought a KitchenAid 750. Very happy with it, it's a machine, not a piece of junk like many are. That said, the newest KA has been changed and apparently not for the better. Perhaps you could find a KA that's a year or two old that would make you happy. I bought mine through Overstock.com, they may still have some of the older models available. Good luck, and caveat emptor.

Tatoosh · « **Reply #5 on:** June 02, 2012, 07:25:23 AM »

I did a check on eBay and there were a lot of NIB Kitchen Aid food processors available of the sort that CI preferred a couple of years back. Try hunting for a KFP750. I may get one myself, though it is a bit of pain to get it shipped to the Philippines. The food processors sold here are, for the most part, a joke with a bad punch line.

The newer Kitchen Aid stand mixers are not the equivalent of the old Hobart manufactured machines. Oh, the newer Pro 600 series isn't horrible bad and the recently introduced 7 quart machine with vastly superior drive internals may start to regain some of the reputation tarnished over the last few decades. But the cost is high. I think the new 7 quart mixer is about $700 or so*. But then those old Hobart made machines are not cheap either, even if they are 30 years old.

I will probably pop for a Pro 600 as a stand in because my wife likes to do pastry and small-ish amounts of baking. But the food processor is reportedly great for doing small doughs, so that might just be the place to start.

*Williams-Sonoma carried them for $650 but has dropped the price to $549 now.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #6 on:** June 02, 2012, 08:08:55 AM »

Tatoosh

Yeah, the KFP 750 is the one I got, it's a heavy, powerful, well built machine. In my research I found that the company that used to make blades for Cuisanart's food processors was dropped by Cuisanart. They were considered the best blade maker in the business. After being dropped by Cuisanart, they began to provide the blades for Kitchen Aid.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #7 on:** June 02, 2012, 08:10:52 AM »

Mine cost $129 through Overstock. I think they charged like $2.50 for the shipping.

Tatoosh · « **Reply #8 on:** June 02, 2012, 10:06:11 PM »

Very interesting about the blades. Do you remember what the name of the company that makes them is? The KFP750 is going for about what you paid for it on eBay but the shipping is higher. I may pop for one while they are still plentiful in a month or two. It would be handy for making quick batches of some doughs for my pizza project along with other things.

Surprisingly, a number of chefs I know seem to disdain the food processor, saying that they own them but rarely use them. Other machines seem to do individual jobs better for them. Mixers for doughs and knives for cutting. Of course, professional chefs usually have better knife skills than most of us mere mortals, simply by the nature of their job and training. So why drag a machine out that will have to be cleaned when a chef's knife will give them the same result and is a lot easier to clean.

But I want one, to be sure. I am a such a gadget guy.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #9 on:** June 02, 2012, 10:50:00 PM »

Tatoosh

I don't remember the name of the blade company, but for some reason I want to say they quite possibly were from Japan. Don't quote me on that, my mind could be mis-remembering on that one! To tell the truth, I seldom use mine. I have a small kitchen and when I have to drag it out it dominates all my free space. YMMV

Meatballs · « **Reply #10 on:** June 03, 2012, 10:42:23 AM »

I have a KFP750 Kitchen Aid that I use regularly to emulsify meat. Two days ago I finally got the guts up to put a full recipe of 2 pounds of meat into the unit for emulsification, pork and beef, at one time. The unit handled it perfectly with no strain, how much more power do you need? Cuisinart was a good machine at one time but the Conair story is true, its no longer top quality stuff and hasn't been for a long time. I don't know of another unit that can emulsify meat regularly without burning up (I have a few dead units awaiting recycling in my shop to show you if you doubt that). I don't know of a tougher job for a food processor than to emulsify beef and pork, most people don't even approach that kind of drag on the blades and a proper emulsification takes a few minutes too.

Ron

Tatoosh · « **Reply #11 on:** June 04, 2012, 11:10:50 PM »

Do you run your meat through a grinder first? I definitely want to emulsify meat in mine too. I want to make hotdogs since the locally mad ones are of poor quality and the imported ones are two bucks a pop. I read one recipe that does a sausage grind then runs the meat through a food processor to get that find emulisfied texture necessary for hotdogs.

I need to get one of these going pretty soon while they are still out there.

Pizzamaster · « **Reply #12 on:** June 05, 2012, 01:21:07 AM »

Quote from: Tatoosh on June 02, 2012, 10:06:11 PM

Surprisingly, a number of chefs I know seem to disdain the food processor, saying that they own them but rarely use them. Other machines seem to do individual jobs better for them. Mixers for doughs and knives for cutting. Of course, professional chefs usually have better knife skills than most of us mere mortals, simply by the nature of their job and training. So why drag a machine out that will have to be cleaned when a chef's knife will give them the same result and is a lot easier to clean.

Really. I have excellent knife skills But there are certain sauces and mixtures that you just can't do with a knife alone.

Tatoosh · « **Reply #13 on:** June 05, 2012, 03:04:35 AM »

Pizzamaster, just repeating what I was told. I had mentioned the Kitchen Aid food processor on a different forum that has a number of pro chefs. At least two of them replied their food processors collected dust and a third said it is used but very infrequently. I have a number of recipes that suggest using them, including hotdogs, pie crusts, and dough recipes, along with the normal chopping, shredding they do. And sadly my knife skills are only so-so at best, though I have taken a couple of courses to improve them. But to be good, you need to chop a lot of veggies and break down more than a chicken once or twice a week.

I am envious of your skills to be sure.

Pizzamaster · « **Reply #14 on:** June 05, 2012, 02:29:09 PM »

Oh nothing to be envious of. Just years of repetition as you said. I know guys who make those Benni Hanna cooks look bad. There was one lady in particular from Thailand who used to work for me. She could toss melons in the air and whack them on the way by. Apparently that's quite common over there. Never seen anyone so fast.

Meatballs · « **Reply #15 on:** June 08, 2012, 09:15:08 AM »

To make emulsified meat you grind the meat first then process to an emulsification with some water. It takes some power. Here is a link to just about every sausage recipe known to man including lunch meats.

http://lpoli.50webs.com/index.htm

If you cook a lot and make your own meats, hummus, etc. a food processor is indispensable. I have a hard time thinking a professional chef does not use one much, he must be a line cook or griddle chef. We use ours at least twice a week.

Ron

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #16 on:** June 08, 2012, 10:49:33 AM »

Meatballs

Thanks for the link, sausage making is something I want to get into , looks like some good info.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #17 on:** July 04, 2012, 08:24:16 PM »

For any of you guys who might be interested in the KA 750, I just saw a beautiful refurbished one on Overstock. The color is silver cocoa, $140.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #18 on:** July 05, 2012, 03:07:33 PM »

Again today they have one in blue for $123.95

Tatoosh · « **Reply #19 on:** July 07, 2012, 08:09:31 AM »

Wish I could hop on that but I depleted my "discretionary funds "on getting some hickory and cherry shipped over along with a couple of rib racks. My grill is getting a bit crowded, this time with pork chops.

Next month or September and I'll be on one in a flash.