Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Buying a food processor based on reviews isn't easy. First of all, there are all the obvious fake reviews, and then there are the reviews complaining that the brand isn't good since manufacturing moved to China (which is basically all of them), and then many of the reviews that seem honest are from people who mostly make smoothies.None of those types of reviews are useful for me, so I'm writing a fairly detailed review here to help others who use their food processors like I use mine. I use my food processor for everything. On most days, it gets used several times a day for things like mayo, nut butters, meat and veg pates, veg purees and, of course, shredding and mincing veg. A cheap food processor can't keep up with this sort of load; I've burned through a few low-end models that have received excellent reviews from people using their machines in a less intensive (more normal) manner. I was torn between this Cuisinart and a Breville at the twice the price.Because a food processor is the most important tool in my kitchen, I don't mind spending for a good one, but I want it to last. I was concerned about the issues mentioned by other reviewers, in particular, the tricky mechanism for the big pusher and the water pooling in the handle. I bought the Cuisinart Elite anyway, since it was one of the best reviewed food processors on many sites and in many articles, and the Breville's reviews were pretty much the same as the Cuisinart's. Just in case, I also bought a Square Trade protection plan with it; I never buy extended warranties, but this time it seemed like the smart thing to do. Other reviewers have mentioned the tricky food pusher mechanism. I agree, it's tricky and it's likely to be the first point of failure, but I think it's okay, largely because I've been very careful with it due to the warnings. During washing, I put it aside and do it last so I can dry it and replace it in the handle right away. The other problem mentioned by other reviewers that concerned me was the problem with water in the handle. So far, I haven't had that happen. I really like the way the bowls are set up. I can use the small ones to make mayo or sauces that, if made in a big bowl, would require a lot of scraping and result in a lot of waste when transferred to a storage container. The small bowl is very practical, but there is one problem with it: It has small ribs around the upper interior that run about 1.5" around the rim, and that makes that area of the bowl hard to scrape. Not a deal-breaker, but the ease of use would be greatly increased if these ribs were encased in an interior space rather than protruding into the work space. No problems with the big bowl. I like the pour spout and the fact that I can leave the blade in place while pouring. The seal around the inside of the lid and the crevices on both the interior and exterior of the lid are a bit difficult to clean around. I keep an old toothbrush under the sink and use that to get into the difficult spots. Problem solved. The base is heavy, as others have noted; this is a benefit if you're making things like nut butters that require a lot of processing since you can walk away and not worry about the machine wandering off the counter, and it's a detriment if you have to move your machine from the counter to a storage space, like I do. My kitchen is too small to leave appliances on the counter, so I store mine in a lower cabinet, and lifting it in and out would be hard for people with mobility issues or back problems. The other complaint that came up in earlier reviews was that it's difficult to know if the lid is properly secured before turning on the machine. I'm not finding that to be a problem; there's an audible click when contact is made. You have to push in two places--the handle and the spout area--to lock the lid in place. Just listen for the clicks and all will be well. Releasing the lid is very easy, just squeeze the buttons on the handle and gently push forward. So far, I'm very pleased with this food processor and hope it lasts for many years. If it doesn't, I'll be sure to update.