Cuisinart FP-14DC Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor, Die Cast

Extremely Useful And Easy to Clean
I was planning to buy the Kitchen Aid food processor, but the store was out of the model I had researched. I desperately wanted to walk out of the store with a food processor in hand after fighting traffic in freezing rain for an hour to get there. The Cuisinart FP-14DC Elite was in stock, a bit higher priced than I had budgeted, but it was huge and shiny and promised a tight seal over the 3 working bowls that, putatively, would allow me to process liquids with minimal collateral damage. The Kitchen Aid model I thought I was going to buy had several concerns expressed online about leaks and spills, which may or may not have been accurate. This Cuisinart model had numerous issues posted online about food getting stuck inside of the lid and toothpicks, toothbrushes, power washers, and steam-powered carpet cleaners being required to remove all the little particles. There were also some ancillary comments about the dough blade not picking up all the ingredients and food getting stuck...
Huge Disappointment
I had the original Cuisinart for home use and have been using a Custom 11 for at least 15 years. The multi-bowl, locking blade, and reversible/adjustable discs on the 14-cup Elite totally hooked me. After seeing a TV ad and doing some online research, I just couldn't order fast enough. While those features are nice, the most important thing is how the machine functions as a FOOD PROCESSOR and in that regard....what a disappointment. The ONLY thing I did before boxing it up to return was shred carrots for a salad. While filling the large feed tube, a couple of baby carrots fell right through the finger hole of the shredding blade into the large bowl. Okay. Reposition blade, try again. Use small feed tube, assuming that will make fallout less likely. I might as well have taken a weed-whacker to a bowl of carrots. There were many nearly-whole carrots left around the rim of the blade (over 1/2 cup) and the contents of the bowl ranged from crumbs to nearly whole baby carrots. Nowhere...
Cuisinart FP-12DC Elite 12-Cup vs DLC-2011CHB Prep Plus 11 Cup
First let me say that it is disappointing that Amazon has only one page for both the 12 and 14 cup Elite processors as they are very different machines. Having said that, I purchased both the FP-12DC Elite 12-Cup and the DLC-2011CHB Prep Plus 11 Cup. I did this because Consumer Reports rated the DLC-2011CHB Prep Plus 11 very highly (it is currently their second highest rated processor), but did not rate the FP-12DC Elite 12-Cup at all. I was interested in many of the features of the Elite 12, but not at the cost of functionality. Having tested the machines for a week now, I can say that I am pleasantly surprised and quite taken with the FP-12DC Elite 12-Cup processor.

The Motor:
While there is little information from Cuisinart regarding motor in the Prep Plus, I believe it to be the same as that in the Elite. Other places have said the Prep Plus has a 768 watt induction motor, and the Elite box states it has a 1000 max watt induction motor. In addition, the motor...
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