Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased this product about 2 months ago and I wish I hadn't! It arrived quickly and in excellent condition, but that's about the only thing good about it. Let me say, I owned a Kitchen Aid 11 cup processor for about 15 years and used it for so many of my meals, mixing, and baking needs. It was easy to open and close to add ingredients, it was easy to clean, and it did the job. I loved the processor and had to replace the bowl portion once during those years. The motor finally gave out and I had to purchase another. When I saw the price of how expensive they were, I looked for other options. I settled on the Cuisinart, hoping that it would be similar in function with a smaller price tag. I was mistaken. First of all, the work bowl must have the feed tube and the pushers locked in place for it to function. The pusher has to be threaded precisely into the feed tube after the tube has been locked onto the bowl. It may not sound like much, but the pin that fits into the feed tube is about the width of the shaft of a crochet hook in diameter and it doesn't just slide in. It has to be exactly aligned and it has a bit of resistance as you push.. The bowl clouds up easily and you can't see the amount inside the bowl. And, it doesn't have the chopping, shredding, or mixing abilities of my old Kitchen Aid. All said and done, it takes me about twice as long for the same jobs my Kitchen Aid did. When it comes to cleaning, I've seen some complaints about this machine as well. I don't put my appliances in the dishwasher. I thoroughly clean them after each use. Food can easily get caught up in between the locking system of the pusher and lid. I can't for the life of me figure out how a previous reviewer had the horrible mess inside this mechanism that was shown in a picture, but I do feel it is a difficult process. I can see how you might even have to get a Q-tip or very small brush to get down into it to get all the debris out. At minimum, you will have to have a sink sprayer with some force to dislodge the food particles. So if you really want this Cuisinart, I'll sell it to you at a big discount! I wish I had just spent the extra money to get the Kitchen Aid because of the easy locking system, the ability to see and do the job quickly, and for the ease of clean up. This is the 2nd Cuisinart product I have purchased that was messy and a major disappointment. It will be my last.