Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor

Breville vs. Cuisinart Chop Wars!
2012 Year End Update: I continue to use and appreciate both the Breville food processor and the Cuisinart. I do reach for the Cuisinart more frequently than the Breville but that is mainly because I use it to make some sort of dough on an almost daily basis. Please see the comments section of this review for a discussion of the cheese grating issues and the resolution for the Breville Food Processor. (Kudos to the company for resolving this issue.) Also please note, I have added a Cleaning section to this review based on issues with the Cuisinart food processor lid.

Update:

Cuisinart - After 4 months of regular use I have to say that this has become my "go to" machine. I typically need to make some sort of dough with my meals and so I use the large bowl for my dough and then the smaller bowls for slicing and dicing. My only complaints about this machine are that sometimes there is spill over from the smaller bowls to the larger bowls when processing the food and...
Just in time for Thanksgiving prep.
The Breville Sous Chef is a powerful food processor. It has a 1200 watt motor, a size found in many restaurant food processors. My son-in-law has been a kitchen manager at several restaurants. He said this is very similar to the Hobart food processors they used to chop a case of onions at one time. He was impressed with the 25 year warranty on the motor. He did say they would have to replace the bowl every couple of years in the restaurant from running it through the dishwasher. Breville did say in the instruction book to not use the dishwasher regularly on the bowl, so that sounds like the restaurant's experience with theirs.

Breville has included several safety features in their machine. It will not turn on if the bowl, lid, and large shoot pusher are not in place. They have a finger hole on the plug to help you remove it safely from the outlet. The cord is also retractable for storage. The instructions frequently remind you to be careful with the blades and...
Will Burn Your Hand!
I love the features of this food processor. I was replacing a Black and Decker unit I picked up at Walmart that was about ten years old, so the step up to this model was more of a leap. The two bowls (the big one is huge, while the little one is perfect for tiny jobs), the giant chute, and the slicing blade that changes the width of a slice with a simple twist, are all favorite features of mine. I also like the storage case, the look of the machine(the base is easy to keep clean), and the way the large bowl has no hole through which contents can spill.

BUT, there are drawbacks, and a few of these would be enough to have me looking at alternative models were I to shop for a processor in the future.

First, and most troublesome (even dangerous), is that the metal spindle at the top of the blade attachments gets HOT. I mean burn-your-hand when you acccidentally touch it, hot. And you can't help but touch it. If you run the unit for more than a couple of minutes, the...
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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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Cuisinart DLC-2011CHB Prep 11 Plus 11-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless

Does a great job with no hassle
I avoided food processors in the past because the food chute was always too small, the motor wasn't up to the job, and they were a pain to clean. My fiancé bought me this food processor as a Christmas present. I'm pleased to say that we're both impressed by its appearance, thoughtful design, and performance.

The brushed stainless finish is attractive and easy to wipe clean. The handle-in-front work bowl design is accessible to me (right-handed) and him (left-handed) equally. The machine doesn't take up a huge amount of counter space, and sits securely without "walking" or shimmying even when processing heavy foods.

The work bowl has a HUGE opening that greatly reduces pre-prep knife time. However, you are not stuck using the big opening all the time. The pusher has a smaller round "sub-pusher" in it that provides a smaller opening for holding long vegetables upright or for adding liquids while in motion. The lid is secure but can be removed and replaced...
Good, solid, basic machine.
My first attempt at purchasing a food processor was to buy the $69.99 Oster. I did this because of the price. Predictably, it did not perform well and I had to return it. Perhaps Oster does better with blenders, I don't know. After doing further research, I was torn between KitchenAid and Cuisinart. There are hordes of loyal followers in each camp on this issue, and it was hard to choose based on reviews. I finally just went with Cuisinart, because it happened to be the model that my local store carried. In general, I'm happy with the product and would recommend it to other home cooks. I've only had this appliance a few months, and I don't use it every day. I probably use it once every couple weeks because it's only my husband and me so I don't cook for a crowd. I do love to prep a lot of food and then freeze it ahead because I'm a busy teacher, so the processor is a big help with that. If it were not so heavy and easier to clean, I'd probably use it more because this...
Cuisinart stole my heart from Kitchenaid!!
I'm a Kitchenaid kind of girl, so when my husband surprised me with the Cuisinart Food Processor, I was faced with quite the quandry. I began to research both the Cuisinart 2011 and the Kitchenaid 760. The reviews pointed slightly towards the Kitchenaid so I figured I'd swap mine for it. I visited a local store to compare them in person and was so disappointed to realize that the Cuisinart fits together more securely and smoothly. In denial I stared at the blades for quite some time. Finally I had to admit to myself that the Cuisinart ones were heavier. They felt better and looked more solid. Oh how I tried to convince myself that the Kitchenaid was better. But I just didn't like how the top on the Kitchenaid snapped into place. It's not as smooth. The KA comes with more tools. Surely I'd end up with the Kitchenaid.

I went home and joined the online Kitchenaid Conversation Forum. Who does this? It's a group of people who post back and forth about their devotion to...
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Cuisinart DFP-14BCN 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel

Every Kitchen Needs a Cuisinart
Every kitchen needs a Cuisinart, and after the work bowl of my former much loved 14-cup Cuisinart Food Processor of 20+ years finally gave out, I opted to purchase the new Cuisinart 14-cup brushed chrome model DFP-14BC.

First the aesthetics, this model compliments all my other stainless steel appliances, including my double oven, toaster and microwave, etc. It looks very sleek compared to my former white model. In other words, I'm very pleased with the way it looks.

I use my food processor quite often and shopped around before deciding to choose this particular model. I picked this square-shaped model, similar to my older replaced DLC-7 model, with the two rectangular buttons that `click'. Since my former Cuisinart of like design served me well 20+ years, this design appeared more durable and was less expensive than another Cuisinart rounded model with oval buttons that looked less heavy-duty.

Other than a few modifications to the food pusher assembly, this new DFP-14BC...
The food processor SHOW DOWN: A comparison of 14 cup stainless Cuisinart food processors
Update: Captain Katie says you should know it's hard to find the Limited Edition now. However, every so often Cuisinart introduces it again. In which case you can utilize this review to decide some things to compare on new food processors as they come out, or utilize it to decide if the other ones reviewed would be too your liking...or, sometimes when you check, you'll also find Cuisinart reintroduce the Limited Edition for a spell. At the time of my review it had been out ongoing for a few years but now it's easier to find the other models.

When I buy a new kitchen or household item with lots of competitors I do loads of comparison/contrasting and research first if it's over a hundred bucks...Knowing it was time for a new food processor, I began comparing models. However, I found it a tad difficult to do with all the different blades, codes, etc.

Therefore, once I had completed my own shopping and comparisons, I thought it might be helpful for anyone else in the...
Powerful and attractive
I read the reviews listed here before I purchased my Cuisinart 14-cup food processor from Amazon. Since I have received my processor, I can say that I have had similar experiences as many others have. Yes, it is aggravating that you have to leave the pusher assembly in place while running, having to remove it to add extra ingredients. Yes, it is very aggravating to wash those shredder discs, especially after shredding mozzerella cheese. It took me almost ten minutes to dig all the little gummed-up pieces of cheese out of the nooks and crannies. But it is powerful. Nothing will bogg this thing down. It works like a breeze. I love the large bowl and the large feed shoot. I made my decision to purchase based on the size and the watts. Mine is also very quite, which suprised me. It looks beautiful and massive sitting on the counter. Yes, you will want to leave it out. It is very heavy. But from now on, I'm going to stick the blades in the dishwasher.
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Cuisinart FP-12 Elite Collection 12-Cup Food Processor, White

I like it a lot, but not in love.
Let me begin by telling you this processor replaces a 30-year-old original Cuisinart DLC-8. It didn't have a wide feed tube, and had much less power, so I'm not making a comparison with a newer, comparable machine. It's kind of like comparing an economy car to a Mercedes. Also, I got it for a significant discount during a Macy's sale, which is the only reason I bought it. I don't know if I'd pay the regular price for it. Another reviewer liked the limited edition better when spending the big bucks. That said, I'm happy with it, but not as thrilled as I expected to be.

First of all, be forewarned, this baby is BIG. I have a small appliance garage on my counter. My old one fit in there facing front-to-back, with the work bowl attached and the cover inverted. This one is so large I can't face it forward -- the door won't close. So it's in sideways, with the bowls attached, but the cover sits on its side next to it, because with the large feed tube you can't just turn...
The food processor SHOW DOWN: A comparison of 14 cup stainless Cuisinart food processors
Update: cuisinart no longer carries the Limited Edition. However, it periodically gets reintroduced by them. I've been asked to leave my review up based upon it covering the other two and noting things one might consider in comparisons. However this old model of the LE is hard to find now so I wanted to note that up front.

When I buy a new kitchen or household item with lots of competitors I do loads of comparison/contrasting and research first if it's over a hundred bucks...Knowing it was time for a new food processor, I began comparing models. However, I found it a tad difficult to do with all the different blades, codes, etc.

Therefore, once I had completed my own shopping and comparisons, I thought it might be helpful for anyone else in the same situation if I posted my own comparisons here.

I'll start by saying, after all the testing I decided to order the CUISINART LIMITED EDITION Metal (NOT THE ELITE) 14 cup food processor on Amazon. I found it...
Not an improvement...
I've owned various models of Cuisinarts for many years and have always considered them the Cadillac of food processors. Recently I gave away my DLC-2014 model to a relative and upgraded to the FP-14DC, their newest model. I'm beginning to think I may have been too hasty. The most obvious difference between the newer and older model is the design of the workbowl. Cuisinarts have always had straight-sided bowls, but the FP-14DC's bowl is flared -- wider at the top than at the bottom. Presumably the company's engineers determined that the newer design performs better -- or at least as well -- as the older design, but that hasn't been my experience. One problem is that food seems to collect in the seam between the side and bottom of the bowl much more readily than in older models. I used it the other day to chop about two cups of walnuts. When I dumped the chopped nuts out of the bowl, I saw that two or three tablespoons of walnut powder had collected and jammed in the seam. I had to use...
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Cuisinart FP-14 Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor, White

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...
Click to Editorial Reviews