Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have owned two previous Cuisinarts (DLC-8 and DFP-14) over the past twenty years. I generally loved them but as a serious home cook I had two big complaints: liquids would overflow (when pureeing tomatoes, for instance) and you had to be careful when pouring contents out not to spill them or dump the blade out as well. Those two issues along with a number that I hadn't thought of have been addressed by the FP-14-DC Elite. It is more powerful and does a better job overall of chopping, cutting, slicing and all of the other basic tasks. The blade lock function frees up a hand in the kitchen which is always important. Having three bowls is also a big deal - we have been able to retire our mini-processor which required some hand cleaning. The nesting bowls helps with space in our Manhattan apartment and we appreciated the blade/disc storage unit that came with this processor (we had to buy them for our previous units). When I was buying this processor I was very concerned by a couple of comments that other people left and I would like to address them: 1. CLEANING THE LID - The lid has a silicon gasket, which is why it doesn't leak fluid. A number of people complained that it's difficult to clean. This is true if you try to clean it by hand. In my experience, though, it gets fully clean in the dishwasher (top shelf only). 2. Leaking - some people complained about leaking. I think I understand why. With the old system of closing the Cuisinart (twisting), the machine would not operate unless the base and top were both locked in and the pusher was inserted. In the new system (where you press directly down on the lid to shut it), it is easier to close, but you have to make sure it snaps shut at the front AND back. I like this system better, however and my wife also finds it much easier to remove the lid. 3. Leaking between the three bowls - we haven't had any problem with this and we frequently use the smaller bowl to prepare foods for our toddler. If you use the pour spout as the reference it's easy to align the bowls correctly to nest them inside the machine. We've used all three bowls in succession several times. My overall impression is that this is a really thoughtfully designed product which was actually created by people who cook frequently. It has made our home life just a little bit easier. Cuisinart probably should have introduced this product a little sooner, but it is welcome in our kitchen.