Custom 14-Cup Food Processor DFP-14BCNY

You are not going to be saving much space by going with a Vitamix food processor attachment. It takes about the same space as the Cuisinart custom food processor. (The Vitamix fpa takes a little less space, but not by much, especially if you buy additional slicing blades). The good thing about the Vitamix fpa is it does a high amount of liquid mixing(I believe about 12 cups, but read the manual), while the Cuisinart one does only 3 cups of liquid mixing. And the Cuisinart custom 14 cup comes with only 2 slicing blades, they are not reversible or adjustable, so if you need more blades, it'll take up more space. You can buy more blades from the Cuisinart website, but if you buy all of them at regular price, the price does get close to the Breville option. Also, the safety mechanism on the Vitamix can trap water from the cleaning process, so if that's a concern, be mindful about it. (If you shake the water out, and let it air dry, it does disappear, but takes over a day in a normal room for those small water droplets to fully evaporate out. The Cuisinart will also trap some water in its safety mechanism, but it has a bigger air vent/gap for the water to evaporate, so they evaporate out a bit faster. It probably doesn't matter to you on a train, but the Vitamix fpa is a bit louder than the Cuisinart custom 14cup food processor. If you are frequently using the Vitamix blender and mixing a thick solution close to the full 2.0L, I would say get another food processor instead of the Vitamix food processor attachment. In my home cooking, I've had the motor base (A3500) overheat if I am mixing thick solution at the full 2.0L mark and then it could take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour for the motor to cool down enough for you to safely finish mixing again. So, if that were to happen in a commercial kitchen, you'd be out of a blender and out of a food processor for that duration with the Vitamix fpa option. If you're in a country with a good return policy, and are okay spending money, Breville makes one of the best food processor (never personally used it). However, with their additional attachments, it can get expensive. And the attachments do end up taking physical space. With a commercial kitchen setting, know that you might not be entitled to a full 10 year or 3 year warranty (at least in North America) if you tell them you use it in a commercial kitchen. As for the other comment, about a food processor that does multiple speed, I don't know any high end consumer grade food processor that offers multiple speed. (And I have 0 knowledge about commercial kitchen products). Cuisinart does make a few versions of the food processor, but I am Specifically talking about their custom 14 cup food processor that they have been selling for multiple decades now. Newer models come with more attachments, but you'll have to check their reviews to see how they hold up.

Cuisinart Custom 14 Cup (DFP-14BCNY). I’ve had mine for 12 years, and it still works like brand new. Most of the home cooks I know have the same one. My mom and mother in law have had theirs for way longer than me, probably 20 or 30 years. It’s a workhorse. I wouldn’t put food processors in the same category as blenders, but I suppose it depends on how you use them!

2nd is newer and smaller. The first one is now known as a Custom 14. But it's older than that and likely better built. Plus it's less money.

To tell the truth, I rarely use the upright jar blender. Mostly i use an immersion blender. But I'm not a smoothie person. Get the 14 cup Cuisinart food processor. That's going to take most of the budget.

Just as "KitchenAid" is often synonymous with "stand mixer" for a reason, "Cuisinart" is often synonymous with "food processor". Matching kitchen items are nice, but when it comes to kitchen equipment I think usefulness and design are the top priorities. I love my KitchenAid stand mixer, but my food processor is a Cuisinart Custom 14 and it's fabulous.

The main Cuisinart blade is on the bottom, but it also comes with a stem and 2 discs - one for slicing and one for shredding. But yes, they aren't cheap. The Custom 14 is around $250.

I have had my Cuisinart 14-cup version (DFP-14BCNY) for over 25 years. I also have the small version for quick chopping/grinding of small amounts. The 14-cup version was less than $79 when I purchased it many years ago, but the same version is $250+ now. (was about $190 in December). Would still be worth it. Look for prime day or Black Friday/cyber Monday sales.

We have the Cuisinart Custom 14 Cup food processor and a Vitamix 5200 Classic blender. Both were a little pricey, but both are straight up workhorses that have handled every job thrown at them. I wish I would have bought them before burning out several mid-tier ones over the years. Cuisinart Custom Food Processor: [https://www.cuisinart.com/custom-14-cup-food-processor/DFP-14BCNY.html](https://www.cuisinart.com/custom-14-cup-food-processor/DFP-14BCNY.html) Vitamix 5200 Classic [https://www.vitamix.com/us/en\_us/products/5200-standard-getting-started](https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/products/5200-standard-getting-started)

Magimix or Breville make the best 14-16 cup models money can buy imo. You hear the Cuisinart Custom 14 recommended a ton as well and, while its still good, it’s a marked step down in just about every way, but it does tend to be a lot cheaper, so that’s a good option for bang for your buck.

You shouldn’t try to use one machine for both. They’re different. The Magimix is great and seems much more suited to your needs though if you’re going large batches of prep. A 7 cup food processor really does not go far and KA is not known for their food processors. If you want something cheaper than the Magimix, I’d recommend the Cuisinart Custom 14. It’s a step down, but a good value I guess I’m confused how you’re making your daily smoothies rn if you don’t have a blender.

A large, high power food processor (like a Cuisinart Custom 14, Magimix, etc) does a very good job kneading doughs under many conditions, but it’s not a complete replacement for a mixer because it’s not great at things like batter, whipping eggs, etc. Of course, a food processor is your best bet for stuff like hummus. If you don’t have the space or budget for both a food processor and a stand mixer, you can do a food processor plus a *hand* mixer instead for a lot less money and minimal tradeoffs in terms of capabilities.

Magimixes are great (my mom’s Cuisinart Custom 14 feels like a poorly designed toy compared to it) and come with a smaller bowl insert. Certainly doesn’t take up less space than the Cuisinart though. imo big food processors are the only ones worth having though.

> is it the sort of appliance where it’s worth spending a bit extra? Absolutely. It’s one of the only appliances I can think of where the absolute top of the line version (Magimix 4200XL or 5200XL) won’t be past the point of diminishing returns for most people. If you want something cheaper, a Cuisinart Custom 14 is a noticeable step (or two) down, but a good value. If the Cuisinart isn’t within budget, I’d honestly rethink if it’s something you need since anything cheaper than that is gonna have a lot of limitations and/or shortcomings.

imo this is actually one of those rare cases where the high end option isn’t well beyond the point of diminishing returns. Yeah, having used both I’d say the Magimix is at *least* twice as good as a Cuisinart Custom 14.