Me and Mrs H have been on the lookout for a good food processor for a while, and the Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor definitely fits the bill. It does pretty much everything we want it to. In fact we're trying to teach it to walk the dog for us..*
It comes in a versatile three-in-one design and can deal with different sized batches - there's a 4-1/2-cup small work bowl and an eleven-cup medium work bowl which nest neatly in the 14-cup large work bowl so, for example, if your recipe requires using a number of bowls, you can begin with the smallest bowl to reduce cleaning. This way the small bowl can function as a prep bowl to prepare chopped ingredients| for a recipe. The bowls lock into place while nested. All three bowls are constructed of highly sturdy polycarbonate, they have measurement marks up the side, and drip-free pouring spouts so you do not have to wash your clothes every time you use it.. It also has a unique SealTight Advantage System to seal the bowls and lock the blades for clean, safe processing and pouring (this ensures that you keep all your fingers too, which is a bonus). The Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor additionally has a large-mouth feed tube which accommodates larger ingredients, reducing the necessity for chopping food into smaller pieces, and the electronic touchpad control panel offers four choices - on, off, pulse, and dough.
Accessories include an adjustable 6 position stainless-steel slicing disc (1 to 6 mm), a reversible stainless-steel shredding disc (fine/medium), a large and small stainless-steel chopping/mixing blade, and a dough blade for doing, erm, dough.
The Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor is very well designed in my opinion. It additionally has blue LED indicator lights, a very simple 'on/off' locking system with a push-button release, dishwasher-safe removable components and a retractable power cord so theres less clutter. Additionally included are a lockable accessory storage case, spatula, "how-to" DVD, and recipe/instruction book. The unit measures 7.8 by 10.55 by 17 inches and comes a three-year limited warranty plus a ten-year warranty on the 1000-watt motor. It is also obtainable in both black, white or die-cast colours.
So, just to recap The Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor (Taken from the Cuisinart website) :
• 3 Food Processors in 1!
• 14-cup Large Bowl, 11-cup Medium Bowl, and 4½-cup Small Bowl with Pour Spouts & Measurement Markings
• Exclusive Patent-Pending SealTight™ Advantage System – Seals Bowls and Locks Blades
• Easy On/Off Locking System with Push-Button Release
• Stainless Steel Adjustable Slicing Disc (1 to 6mm)
• Stainless Steel Reversible Shredding Disc (fine/medium)
• Large and Small Stainless Steel Chopping/Mixing Blades with BladeLock System
• Dough Blade
• Cuisinart® Supreme® Wide-Mouth Feedtube and Cover Assembly
• Electronic Touchpad Controls – On/Off/ Dough/Pulse with surrounding Blue LED Lights
• 1000-Watt Peak Power Motor
• Retractable Cord
• Accessory Storage Case with Lock
• Spatula
• How-to DVD
• Recipe/Instruction Book
• All removable parts are dishwasher safe
• 20-Year Motor Warranty 3-Year Limited Warranty
• Available in Die-Cast, White or Black.
All parts except the housing base are dishwasher safe but it's advisable that you wash on the top rack only. You can wipe the housing base with a soapy, non-abrasive cloth and then dry after cleaning. Remember, in case you wash the blades and discs by hand, be REALLY cautious as their cutting edges are very sharp so, for your safety, please remember when handling, use the plastic hubs on the blades and finger holes for the discs.
Should you buy The Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor? Yes. Well I think so.. We bought ours from Amazon, it was an extremely good price and you can read some good reviews on there.
*The Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor cannot really walk the dog..