A Review Of The Cuisinart Custom 14
And given that this processor is huge—more than 18 inches tall and nearly 20 pounds—you’ll need a big counter to keep it on. We recommend the inexpensive KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper for anyone who wants to make small batches of dips, spreads, or mirepoix. It chopped vegetables more evenly than the other mini models we tested. On cuisinart pots and pans set top of that, its handled jar with push-button activation was the most convenient to use. And this KitchenAid is a great option for people who don’t want to invest in a $200 machine. You can’t knead dough or shred ingredients in it, but you can grind or chop small portions of vegetables or nuts, which is more tedious to do by hand.
The ON mode will keep the motor running continuously until stopped with the OFF paddle, or until the lid or the large pusher is removed, which is a safety feature. The detachable stem fits both discs, making storage easy in limited space. Michael Sullivan has been a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter since 2016. Previously, he was an editor at the International Culinary Center in New York. He has worked in various facets of the food and restaurant industry for over a decade.
This has two speeds plus a pulse option, so you’ll always get the results you want. The proprietary drizzle basin on the lid lets you add oil slowly to make emulsified dressings with ease. Not too big, and not too small, the 13-cup Elemental from Cuisinart comes equipped with two size work bowls to handle any size job—small or large. The design is mid-size, so it doesn’t take up as much room as slightly larger processors. It comes with three different size work bowls, including an impressive extra-large 16-cup capacity, that nest for compact storage.
In the modern kitchen, there are appliances for all the heavy kneading, quick chopping, and endless stirring. I reviewed the Kitchenaid Pro 450 Mixer for Tools & Toys and noted how you could walk away from the Kitchenaid while performing other tasks in the kitchen and come back to a perfectly mixed batter or dough. However, maybe it’s just me, but I don’t like putting good quality dishes or appliance accessories into the dishwasher. If I don’t want to dirty a bunch of accessories, I’ll opt to hand-chop a cucumber instead. Once the “On” button is locked into place, you have to hit “Off-Pulse” to stop the processor.
The Sous Chef powered through an entire russet potato in less than a second—noticeably faster than any of the other models. And despite its power, the Sous Chef was the quietest of the bunch at kneading dough. But it’s oversized and significantly more expensive than the Cuisinart, and it comes with a bulky bundle of accessories that you may not need. While pretty much every food processor has a chopping blade and can slice or grate using a disk, some models may have extra features, like an accompanying recipe app or various color options. If you need something slightly larger, but aren’t committed to a full-size appliance, check out the 5-cup version. Available in six colors, it allows you to chop, mix, and puree from coarse to fine with the stainless steel multipurpose blade.
If you do have room to keep it out, you’ll appreciate the thoughtful design—for instance, built-in storage is available for the food processor’s many accessories and slicing and chopping disks. A true kitchen workhorse, this doesn’t have a lot of fancy frills, but it will get the job done easily. This brushed stainless steel food processor has two large paddle buttons, one for “on” and one for “off/pulse,” and that’s all you need for the machine to perform all of its functions. With a 14-cup capacity bowl, extra-large feed tube, and easy to operate paddle controls, this is a classic kitchen workhorse. To use the attachments, place the disc upside-down on the counter and click the plastic post into place.
When I’m not researching dishwashers and blenders or poring over market reports, I’m likely immersed in a juicy crossword puzzle or trying to love exercise. The metal blade chops raw and cooked fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese to the exact consistency you want – from coarse to fine, even to a purée. We also like that you can remove the work bowl with the lid attached. The only task the Cuisinart Custom 14 didn’t excel at was chopping nuts.
However, according to several critical reviews, the Mini-Prep Plus series is apparently not up for grinding. To be more specific, the ground results from the process is likely to escape the unsealed cups. The auto-reversing SmartPower blade with sharp edges to chop/mix/ puree soft produce and blunt ones on the other side to grind will get all the actions done without replacement of the blade.
And Cuisinart’s food processors have a solid reputation for overall durability—anecdotally, we know of some that have lasted for decades. The Cuisinart has a strong motor and a heavy base that keeps it stable. Though its 750-watt motor is less powerful than those on some other models we tested, such as the 1,200-watt Breville Sous Chef , this didn’t negatively affect cuisinart griddler elite the Cuisinart’s performance. Making pizza dough was our most motor-intensive test, and the Custom 14 kneaded it effortlessly, without wiggling across the counter like some other processors we tried. They’re versatile and large enough to handle bread dough, and often come with a a second small work bowl for smaller tasks and an assortment of accessories, too.