Cuisinart - Elite Collection 14 Cup Food Processor (FP-14DC)

I have 14 cup Cusinart but it has half bowl insert. Check if you can add it to your model

I have the Cuisinart elite 14 cup,. It's 15 years old.and going strong I often use the 4.5 cup bowl insert for.small batch things. I don't think I have ever used the grating and slicing attachments.

I used a food processor to teach my bagel baking classes. They work really well for dough. For classes, I’ve assembled a collection of Cuisinart 14 and 16 cup Elite Food Processors. They are discontinued as far as I know, but I found all of them on FB marketplace for under $100. I fully expect them to outlast me on this planet given my 7cup model C from the late 1980s is still going strong. The key to food processors is getting ones with an induction motor, no gears. The telltale for that is, no speeds, just on and off (and pulse) and a very heavy base. I do use a FP for dough at home, but I also have a tilt head KA stand mixer, a KA bowl lift, and an ankarsrum at home. Far too many machines that I’ve bought, in theory, to test for classes mostly. At least I can speak about them when asked! If you don’t have a need for what stand mixers do well like whipping egg whites or batters, then a FP will do well for you. For bread dough, is do the entire process in the machine. I do the same for Chinese dumpling dough, dough for scallion pancakes, even bao dough. I do use the stand mixer for har Gow dough but it’s a non-gluten dough that doesn’t need to be worked, mostly just mixed well. For breads, it really depends on my mood and type of dough. For a high hydration bread I’ll likely do that by hand. But for a sandwich loaf, I’ll use a machine. The FP is the quickest, but the ankarsrum is the easiest to clean.

I have had the 14-cup Cuisinart with nesting work bowls for years and it is a classic for a reason - it's a workhorse! Because it has a small, medium, and large workbowl, it is fine for small numbers of people as well as bigger groups. There are sales on now and just bought one for my kid and daughter-in-law.

What's your budget? The determines a lot. The Cuisinart 14-cup is my recommendation, but it's almost $300 on Amazon right now. If you are patient, you can wait for a sale. I was able to get it for $150 back in 2021, but those days may be over. My only gripe with it is it does not work well with small amounts, but that might not be a fair gripe, considering its size.

Cuisinart 14 cup. Nice capacity and the short pulse allows for good texture without completely liquifying everything.

Cuisinart is the benchmark for a reason. I’ve had my 14-cup model for about 10 years at this point, never regretted it.

I got mine over Christmas for $160 so it still happens. I love mine and use it all the time but I’d really struggle to pay $300. That’s a Le Creuset price

I have both. I think you’d be happy with either machine.

The Breville one I got, I was able to add additional blades. The dicing blades are very cool. The Breville one feels more powerful and smoother. I think you’d be happy with either one. If I had to pick one it would probably be the Breville. When I was considering purchasing the Breville I watched a lot of YouTube video reviews to help me decide in case that is of any help to you. Happy to answer any specific questions you have.

Either machine can do any food processing task you throw at them. The motor power is noticeably better with the Breville. The Breville has a blade specifically for dough; it does just fine with dough. The Breville has optional blades for making diced cubes of vegetables that are not an option with the Cuisinart.

I bought the same one in 1995 for $50 on clearance at Mervyn's Department Store. 30 years later you have to fiddle with the lid to get it to lock on. Picked up a NIB 7-cup pro classic for $20 at Goodwill last Thursday. Now I have one set up to chop and the other to grate. I'm living the life here lemme tell you.