Your favorite LARGE food processor

[saxmaam]

I'm tired of making multiple small batches and ready to spring for a large FP. Which model(s) do you have, and what's good and bad about them?

Thanks!

Susan

[raweater]

I don't know what you mean by large, large for a house model, or large as in restaurant/industrial models?

I have the Cuisinart MP-14 which is 14 cups and wouldn't need a bigger one. As a bonus it's the only Cuisinart with a 20 year warranty on the motor and it's not that ugly "box" look. It also comes with a whisk attachment which allows it to replace a stand mixer but whipping is rarely used in raw food, I haven't used it much, sometimes to whip avocado but the S blade often does a good job for that too.

Cuisinart MP-14N (http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/product.php?product_id=301&item_id=406&cat_id=7)

http://www.cuisinart.com/share/img/full/406_full.jpg

[carolg]

20 year warranty...can't beat Cuisinart. I have 11 cup for years and love it.

carolg

[snoops]

And mine is 26 years old. Got it for a wedding present. Still running.

[saxmaam]

I don't know what you mean by large, large for a house model, or large as in restaurant/industrial models?

I was thinking 12-14 cups (house model).

Amazing how tempting that whisk attachment is, even though I probably won't need it.

[juliebove]

The Hamilton Beach Big Mouth works fine for me. And it's cheap!

[SheLovesToEat]

you might want to check with a resturant supply store ...i got mine there and they have loads of them in BIG sizes with no bells and whistles. these babies are work horses ! i found just the size i wanted....and even got it on sale.

[saxmaam]

Such a dilemma. I'm tempted by the high end and might be happy with the low end (HB/Big Mouth).

[raweater]

One thing I learnt in life is that opting for the cheaper things normally ends up costing much more (by the way, the Cuisinart I mentioned is also an ultra wide mouth, 2.5x the widht of normal ones), because they either don't properly do the job they were designed to, or if they do, they break years before a superior model would break.

So by getting a $200 model, it may not only not do it's job as well, but may break after 2 years, the $350 Cuisinart I mentioned (which can be had for much less elsewhere) has a 20 year warranty on the motor and every single part is replaceable. A cheaper company like HB likely doesn't sell replacement parts, meaning that as soon as one of the flimsy plastic parts break, the whole thing is good for the trash, with Cuisinart, you simply buy another $20-40 or so part and it's like new again (assuming the warranty has expired, otherwise it's free, I also checked HB's site and they do not seem to have replacement parts, I never buy anything where no replacements parts are available because like I said, as soon as a cheap part breaks the whole thing is trash).

These are important things to consider, I've had lots of bad luck buying cheaper things which ended up costing me far more than getting the quality version from the start, so since years now I've been only getting top quality (such as getting the Green Star rather than an Omega juicer which has a known problem of grinding it's own plastic into your juice or pulp, and the green star extracts 33% more juice, so it will pay for the extra cost in time).

[MelissaO]

I agree that the Cuisinart brand would be a smart purchase. I have a small one that I have had for 10 years and it is still going strong. I would rather spend a little more on the upfront then have to replace a few years later.

[saxmaam]

Thanks for all the replies:)

Actually, I think you can buy HB replacement parts:

http://abtecparts.com/proctor_silex_fp_70450C.htm

But I know what you mean. I got a Champion juicer a few months back and now I wish I had gone for a Greenstar. Other times I've been happy with a best buy. For example, I have the HB 70450 6 cup FP and couldn't be happier with it. I don't remember what I paid for it, but surely under $40.

I looked at Cuisinart and Kitchenaid FP's in Bed, Bath & Beyond today. I'm actually leaning toward the Kitchenaid. Still haven't made a decision, in case anybody else wants to chip in.