Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have been using this 7-cup processor for about 6 months, and my conclusion is that I like it a lot. I have owned several food processors in the past 20 years, alternating between Cuisinart and Kitchen Aid. Each time I buy one of these dependable brands, I always think "this is better," but then something happens, and I switch brands again. Usually it has been a crack in the plastic feed bowl. I have had some difficulty deciding which size was better for my needs too. In the end, I hope this is the last food processor I will need; so far, it fits all my desires quite well, although there are some drawbacks that took some getting used to. First the good: the plastic in the work bowl is heavy-duty and does not cloud over from washing it in a dishwasher. This is a major difference between this model and all other processors I have owned. They all clouded over after one or two washings. Also, the slicing disk has 6 different thicknesses that you can easily dial to choose one. I can make coleslaw with just the right shreds on thickness "2," for example, which was something I could never do properly with the Cuisinart machine. The shreds were too small and mushy. There are also two choices on the shredding disk, which you can get by simply turning it upside down or not. I love that. The design with 2 holes in the disks is also amazing: you can pick it up easily without trying to slip your fingers between the disk and the bowl in order to get it out. The difficulty of attaching the top is not a problem, once one gets used to it. You just need to remember the steps. Both the bottom and the top snap into place. Every machine has its quirks in this regard, so one just needs to learn how each one works. Now the bad: The push-button system at the front is difficult to manage when you want short bursts and are trying to cut or chop in a particular way. You need to press the "low" or "high," and then press "off" to stop the machine. ("Pulse" does go off when you release the pressure.) Cuisinart machines are much easier to regulate, since they go off immediately when you let up the button. Pulsing in short increments is also much easier with Cuisinart. The pressure required to start the button on this machine is significant. Maybe that's a safety feature, but I find it too stiff and hard to start. All in all, I am very happy with this Kitchen Aid processor. The feed tube is large, and the work bowl is a good size for 2--4 servings. It doesn't leak either--at least it hasn't yet--which is a difference from other processors I have owned. I gave it 4 stars, because the buttons are too hard to press, in my opinion, which makes the chopping and shredding time hard to regulate, but otherwise it's a fine machine, and I recommend it highly.