Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Food Processor 4 Cup Brushed Stainless Shiny

We didn't really want to own (and store) another kitchen appliance. Years ago we'd been given a full size food processor and never used it, ended up giving it away. We finally decided we needed to get one because we love hummus and it is so much cheaper to make than buy, and the blender just wasn't the tool for the job. Searching for small processors, the Cuisinart stood out for the number of high ratings of it. I looked at the smaller ones, but caught a comment along the lines of "you can't really use more than half the volume". While it looks like you can fit a lot in the processing chamber, and they call it 4 Cup capacity, the blade sits over an opening that is about half the total height, so if you've got a lot of liquid it is going to flow right through and out the bottom of the chamber. This is the biggest food processor we would want to store, and it turned out to be the perfect size for us. The brushed stainless plastic housing looks fine, I'd rather not pay for real stainless steel for a product that is kept behind a cabinet door. It was packed well, and came with a small plastic spatula which at first looked like a throw away item but turns out to be just the right size and shape to get nearly all the processed food out of the chamber. Not having used other food processors, I can't compare this one's functions to others. I'd imagine that a full size model with a more powerful motor could do more, but for us this is a good compromise. The first batch of hummus (the users' manual included a recipe for hummus which varied from my usual one, so I gave it a try and it is good) was all it took to confirm we had made a good choice buying this. It's fast, easy to use, does a great job and is easy to clean, and stores in a small space. I've used it half a dozen times now, and can see already that I'll be trying it out on other things- pesto, tapenade, guacamole . . . Bottom line is that I'm very happy with the way it looks, the way it works, the ease of use, and the reasonable price. If you want to make soups or process big batches of food consider a bigger model, but if your needs are like ours, this is a good choice. May 18, 2013 Now that we've had it and used it many times, I've got two things to add: the recipes in the users manual are good, and the processor is very noisy in use. I use a lot of power tools and I wear hearing protection when I use them. This kitchen tool seems to be as loud as my belt sander, and that is loud. Read more

This was a wonderful surprise for us because I have arthritis that is becoming worse in my hands and handling the big and heavy glass blender was getting nearly impossible. I like to chop up a variety of veggies for my three dogs to mix into their dinner. Carrots are the most loved and I was very concerned that this cute little Mini-Prep Plus Processor would not be up to the task. It works fast, it works effortlessly, and it leaves not one carrot chunk behind. The finished product is perfectly minced and easily blends into their food. The one thing that worried me at first was that this little tyke makes a good deal of noise while performing its magic. However, not one of the three dogs noticed and the blind cat stayed right where she was when the noise started. The job is started and finished in about three seconds! Actually, now I do not have to yell "Dinner is served!" because the little machine does it for me! Washing up is a breeze as the parts are simple to separate from one another, very small, and go back together in two seconds or less! Plus the parts weigh nearly nothing. It is like working with toy appliances that work like a charm. I love this little wonder and only wish I had purchased it earlier. Plus, it has been serving us non-stop, twice a day, for over a month and it has not skipped a beat! Read more

Chops very well. Blade has a wider sweep and sits lower in the bowl so it chops more thoroughly. Got the taller bowl which has been useful. Very happy with this food processor. Read more

This looks nice. I got a red one. Its all plastic except blade. Easy to clean. It does not seem as sturdy as my 20 yr old 1 cup. I replaced with this one bc the blade in old one is dull. Nothing is made heavy duty or long lasting anymore. This chopper works. Its larger than my 1.5 cup chopper but not able to handle 2 or 3 cups either. I haven't figured out how to make it chop evenly. You are supposed to pulse it rather than steadily holding chop or grind button. I chop carrots and other veggies. Onions, nuts. I can only do one cup at a time. If you think to chop a large amount at one time, forget it. This does chop. The blade is quite sharp. If you overfill, it will spill out. Again, getting it to chop evenly has eluded me. There are always larger pieces that get missed while the rest gets overly pulverized. I wld recommend hand washing it. I dont think the cup or lid wld survive the temp in dishwasher. I kept it bc I needed one with a sharp cutting blade. Im not a daily or big time cook. It suits me for now. I have other Cuisinart brand kitchen supplies. This is not their worst but, not their best either. Read more