Food Processor Quick Tips!

Food Processor Quick Tips!

FP Quick Tips!

Washing: Remove the blade, and place an empty plastic film cartridge (usually free at camera stores) over the hole. Now you can fill the work-box (full) with soapy water. It WON'T LEAK with the hole the center plugged!

	Chopping Blade: One trick of keeping the blade from plopping out, as you are scraping out your contents, is to insert your finger (beneath and through the hole) securing the blade in place.
	Dough: For 14-cup size machines, use metal chopping blade for dough recipes with 3 cups (or less) it sometimes does a better job on recipes, i.e. 1-loaf bread recipes, pasta or pastry.
	Knead your bread dough to perfection in just 40 seconds! (Power Prep: Dough Blade) Dough Blades: Either dough blade is better for larger dough recipes (up to 6 cups of flour for the 14-cup size machines). (Custom Pro: Dough Blade)

White Flour: Make just 1 loaf in the 7-cup or 11-cup sized work-bowls. You can make 2 large white loaves* (up to 6 cups flour) in the 14-cup work-bowl. Also easily make soft dinner or sweet rolls in a Cuisinart®.

*Wheat Flour: For the smaller machine, follow your manual's recommendations, but the large 14-cup model, because wheat flour's gluten is twice as dense as white flour's, just do 1 loaf, but the 14-cup size easily handles 3 cups of the heavy wheat dough!

Funnels: A simple canning funnel often fits over the center feed tube, great for adding "just enough flour" until the dough begins to clean the sides of the work-bowl!

Or piece of parchment paper or a flexible cutting board, rolled into a cone shape, will help too.

Many Uses: Easily mix cakes, quick breads, and pie crust's. Effortlessly chop, slice and shred food; you can even grind meat. More FP Quick Tips!

My Experience

Some of my recipes are sized for the 14-cup sized work-bowl, but most are fine for smaller sized models too.

I received my first Cuisinart® (11-cup) Custom Pro® size, as a wedding gift, 26 years ago. After 6 months, I loved it so much, I traded up for a 14-cup model & hired to teach classes in local cooking stores, for Cuisinart (among other things).

The 11-cup Power Prep Plus® model will knead about 4 1/2 c (plus 1/4 c ) WHITE flour (2 1/4 to 2 1/3 cups WHEAT flour).

I LOVED my Cuisinart® 14-cup Custom Pro model for 22+ years! Sadly, I literally wore it out finally. It had lived such a long, hard working life before that. I went out and bought a Cuisinart 14-Cup Power Prep Plus, the next day.

BUT... honestly, maybe my Custom Pro was as good for me and $100 cheaper! So if I could do it over again, I'd buy the 14-cup Custom Pro all over again! On the other hand, if I didn't also own a heavy-duty Bosch Universal Mixer/Blender Combo, then the Power Prep is easily worth the extra $100 (but if you ask me, I recommend saving the $100, towards a Bosch) in addition to getting a Cuisinart® 14-cup Custom Pro.

Below I explain the differences and benefits between the two same-sized machines.

Features and Benefits (IMHO)

Cuisinart® (14-Cup) Custom Pro

Model # DFP-14 (Stainless, White or Black)

Manual Switches: Has two manual switches (Pulse and ON). The ON switch kneads 3 lbs. white dough (6 cups flour for 2 large loaves) to perfection in 30-40 seconds. Note: ALWAYS only make 2 lbs or less, of wheat dough (which is 3 cups or 1 large loaf, remember wheat flour is twice as DENSE as white!)

Blades (4 total): Comes with one metal blade for chopping, pureeing and mixing and a HARD plastic "dough" blade (I liked this dough blade more than the PPP's "metal" dough blade (shrug "old dog" theory?). There's 4mm medium slicing blade and a medium shredding blade (it's detachable stem fits both) is included.

Locking System: This seemed to confuse some of my students at first! :-( I never seemed to have that problem ever, but they always seemed to get the hang of it pretty soon too.

Lid: Includes a lid with 2 pushers (with a large feed and a smaller inner feed tube).

Misc: Custom spatula, recipe and instruction book and how-to-video. All parts are dishwasher safe. Limited 3-year warranty on entire unit, limited 5-year warranty on the motor.

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Cuisinart® (14-Cup) Power Prep

Model # DLC2014 (White)

Touch Pad: I love it's smooth, easy to clean and computerized touch pad.

Buttons: (OFF, ON, Pulse and Dough) The dough button kneads 3 lbs white dough (6 cups flour for 2 large loaves) to perfection in 30-40 seconds. Plus it features a powerful induction motor for HEAVY DOUGH. Note: The manual still recommends to only make 3 lbs. wheat dough (1 large loaf) even in this model. (Wheat flour is twice as dense as white!)

Blades (4 total): This model uses two metal blades; with one for chopping, mixing, kneading dough (also for lighter dough recipes of 3 c or less white flour, particularly small wet sweet doughs). The other metal "dough" blade is for kneading the heavy dough recipes (anything over 4-6 cups of white flour or 3 cups wheat flour). There's also one 4mm slicing blade and a medium shredding blade (it's detachable stem fits either).

Locking System: Here's where the PPP shines! :-) The improved lid and feed tube assembly (with it's safety locking system) is much easier to use (at least to figure out).

Lid: Each Cuisinart includes a lid and 2 pushers (with a large feed and a smaller inner feed tube).

If you want a "top of the line" food processor, for your smallest to larger needs, you won't be disappointed with this model! --Sharon Anne

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Additional Accessories

Various Blades: There are extra blades to available too, which fit either model. I own about 4 extra blades. They aren't cheap to buy, but I still suggest anyone eventually getting (extra blades). The fine shredder (a must), fine 2mm slicer and the 6mm thick slicer are nice to own too.

Flat Lid (For the 14-cup Custom Pro only) This terrific extra lid eliminates the large feed tube from sticking high up (but it still had a small opening to add flour). I LOVED IT, and it fit perfect in my "pull out shelves" with my custom baking cupboard. I used it for all my kneaded recipes, plus anytime, I didn't need to use the feed tube lid! :-) Sadly the PPP's locking system isn't compatible with the nifty flat lid! :-(

Whisk Attachment: I was given one by Cuisinart years ago. As for ANYONE else, I recommend you save the $83 bucks and instead purchase a Braun Multi-Quick, immersion hand blender & whisk. That that's a whole lot more versatile! (I use my hand blender daily) it's great for BB Buttermilk and used in BBB Classes.)

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