Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor Review

THIS MODEL NUMBER HAS CHANGED. There was a recall on the earlier version of this model (the DFP-14BCN) due to a safety issue. Cuisinart redesigned the machine and now the newer version of this model is the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor. The review below has been updated and revised to reflect these changes and to add information from the most recent consumer feedback.

Rating: 4.5 Reviewed by Susan

Cuisinart is well known as the first name in food processors, and for years the brand has had a reputation for superior quality. The Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY Food Processor has a 14-cup capacity and offers some nice features, though not all the bells and whistles of some of its competitors. Over 78% of consumers give it a 5 star rating, yet there are some common complaints.

It may be worth noting that this food processor is now made in China, and more than a few long time Cuisinart users feel that the quality of the manufacturing seems to have suffered a bit in recent years.

Is this the best food processor for your kitchen? Below you’ll find details about both pros and cons to help you decide for yourself.

Features

• 720 Watt Motor
• 14-Cup Lexan Work Bowl
• Work Bowl Cover with Extra Large Feed Tube
• Large and Small Pushers for Feed Tube
• Stainless Steel Slicing Disc (4mm), Shredding Disc, Chopping/Mixing Blade
• All parts except base dishwasher safe
• BPA Free
• Spatula and Instruction/Recipe Booklet Included
• 5-year Motor Warranty; Limited 3-year Warranty on Unit

America’s Test Kitchen chose the earlier version of this Cuisinart model as their top pick in food processors in 2013. In 2016 they reaffirmed this, saying that their winning food processor has a new model number the DFP-14BCNY. After tests comparing it with the high end Breville, they said this in their 2013 review:

“The Breville performed solidly and efficiently, but we’re not convinced that its extra features are worth an additional $200.” … “After running 12 tests (everything from making a double batch of pizza dough to slicing tomatoes), we believe the Cuisinart is still the best choice.”
(Source: America’s Test Kitchen)

Note that the price of the Breville has come down considerably. To compare, you can read our Breville Sous Chef review here, or click here to see it on Amazon.

Demo Video of the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY Food Processor

This video is long (a little over 10 minutes), but even if you watch only part of it you’ll get a good look at this unit and its parts.

Consumers who are most pleased with this model use the same words over and over to describe it. This food processor is fast, quiet, durable, big enough to make larger recipes, and has blades that are sharp and precise. The base unit is heavy, which may make it more difficult to move around, but that’s also what keeps it stable on the counter so that it doesn’t “jump around” while in use.

The metal chopping/mixing blade works for chopping raw and cooked fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, cheese and nuts. Some of the many foods you can prepare include nut butters, mayonnaise, sauces, dips, and hummus, and you can mix pastry, cake batter, cookie dough, frostings, quick breads, biscuits and muffins.

Note: As you may be aware, there was a massive recall on the blade that came with the earlier version of this model. This model, the DFP-14BCNY, comes with the new chopping blade that has been completely redesigned to correct the issues with the original blade.

The plastic dough blade is sold separately and is for mixing and kneading bread dough. When your recipe calls for more than 3 1/2 cups of flour, the plastic blade will work more efficiently than the metal chopper blade. This food processor does not have a specific speed setting for dough, but most people find that pulsing works well enough. No matter what brand or model you decide to purchase, the extra cost of a machine with a dough speed setting probably isn’t worth it unless that is your main reason for buying the processor.

The slicing disc is used for slicing whole fruits and vegetables, cooked meat, semi-frozen raw meat, and mini bread loaves.

The shredding disc will process vegetables, as well as most firm and hard cheeses. You can also process chocolate to a grated texture.

A Note About Cheeses — Any cheese that is soft enough to be cut with a knife can be processed using the chopper blade. The shredding disc will process semi-soft, semi-hard, and hard cheeses. A few examples include cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, Parmesan, Romano, and blue cheese. The slicing disc works only on semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar, Jack, Longhorn, Swiss, Gouda, and Provolone.

One very nice feature of this model is the extra large feed chute. Some sites claim it will accommodate a whole potato, but of course that depends on the size of the potato. Suffice it to say that this is one of the largest feed tubes available and will work for some whole foods or very large chunks.

Also, this pusher assembly has two parts. There is a small, removable clear pusher that fits into a small central feed tube. This tube is for processing foods that are smaller in diameter (such as carrots), for drizzling liquid during processing, and for continuous feeding of small hard foods (for example, chopping pods of garlic).

Will this unit puree foods like a blender?

Experts will tell you that a food processor can certainly do a decent job of pureeing fruits and many other foods. However, whether you’ll be happy with the results depends on your expectations. It works fine to liquefy some foods such as tomatoes for pasta sauce or fruits for making fruit leather in your dehydrator. When you use it to process liquids, there is a limit because the bowl is not a sealed container. (For more detail about that see Size and Capacity below.) However, if want to crush ice for smoothies, or if you’re after a very silky, smooth-as-velvet texture in processed fruits and veggies, then you will probably be happier with a blender instead.

Amid all the rave reviews, even some of the folks who love this food processor complain that it is difficult to use because of it’s safety features. That is, the bowl and lid must be correctly aligned and locked in place, or the motor will not run. The consensus of opinion is that assembling the unit for processing may be a little tricky at first, but you can quickly get the hang of it. The 11 minute video below shows you how it works, and it also gives you good close-up shots of the discs and other parts. A demo of how the lid locks in place starts at about 4:30 in the video.

As you can see, the locking system isn’t all that difficult. It’s a safety feature, and a little extra trouble is certainly worth it to save your fingers from those razor sharp blades. However, these instructions are not in the accompanying product manual, so it’s no wonder so many people get frustrated with it.

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Size and Capacity

Dimensions of the assembled unit are 7.50″ x 9.75″ x 15.75″. The feed chute is located at the back of the work bowl, so consider that before you buy. If you have an open island, great. Otherwise, your countertop needs to be deep enough that cabinets above it won’t interfere.

The total bowl capacity is 14 cups, but your total usable capacity will depend on what you’re processing. Our chart below contains information provided by the manufacturer, which should help you understand what is (and isn’t!) possible:

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What’s Included with the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY?

The Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor includes:

• 14 cup work bowl
• Work Bowl Cover with Extra Large Feed Tube
• Large and Small Pushers for Feed Tube
• Chopping/Mixing Blade
• 4 mm Stainless Steel Slicing Disc
• Shredding Disc
• Spatula,
• Instruction/Recipe Book

As mentioned above, the small pusher is designed with a hole for adding liquids while processing, such as when you need to drizzle oil for making mayonnaise.

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Optional Food Processor Accessories

• 3-Piece Specialty Disc Set:
  • Julienne Disc – produces 6mm x 6mm strips of vegetables or semi-hard cheeses
  • Fine Grating Disc
  • Thick Slicing Disc (8mm)
• Blade and Disc Holder

The Blade and Disc Holder may sound like an unnecessary luxury, but these blades are incredibly sharp. There is another style of disc holder that costs a few dollars less, but it only holds the discs. The one shown in the link at right holds the steel blade, dough blade, detachable disc stem, and three cutting discs.

Note: To the best of my knowledge, Cuisinart does not offer a flat bowl cover for the work bowl that comes with this new DFP-14BCNY model. There is one pictured on the manufacturer’s website, but I would not buy it without first calling the company to be sure it will fit the bowl that you have.

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Customer Reviews

Those who give this model a low rating do so mainly because of frustration with the locking system. They think it is too much trouble and annoying. Many others who are older are not happy with overall quality. These folks have owned some of the early Cuisnart models and will tell you that the company’s quality standards are not what they used to be. It’s hard to prove such a claim, but my personal opinion is that this seems to be an unfortunate truth about appliances of today in general.

A few other folks complained that the unit is too heavy, but that is actually both a “pro” and a “con”. The weight does make it harder to move around or get in and out of your cabinets, but that weight also keeps your food processor from jumping all over the counter while you’re trying to use it.

On the positive side, an overwhelming number of consumers love this model. Out of almost 2,300 online reviews, over 78% give it the highest possible rating, citing reasons such as:

• performs very well
• good quality, good weight and size, durable
• adequate speeds and features without being “too” fancy
• stylish and looks nice if you plan to leave it out on counter

Another favorite feature is in the design itself. The blade is wide and sits close to the bottom of the bowl, which makes it work more efficiently even when you’re processing small amounts of food. For mixing dough and making sauces, the blades incorporate all the ingredients well, and that saves you from having to constantly remove the lid to keep scraping the bowl sides.

Interestingly, even those who thought the safety locking system was tricky still comment on how easy this model is to use. Once you get the hang of that, everything else is simple, including changing blades and discs.

Average Customer Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.5

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Pros

• Fast, powerful motor that is reasonably quiet
• Large 12 cup capacity
• Heavy enough to remain stable on counter during use
• Includes enough discs and blades to accomplish most basic food processing tasks
• Reasonably priced for a model with a full range of discs & blades

Cons

• Safety locking mechanism can be tricky to learn and/or inconvenient
• Feed chute located at back of unit can be awkward and requires plenty of height clearance on countertop
• Some key instructions are onl on YouTube and not in user manual
• Dough blade now sold separately
• Cost of additional discs is excessive

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Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor Review: Summary

The Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY Food Processor is considered a basic unit as it lacks a few of the bells and whistles on pricier models, but it works very well for most common food preparation tasks. It has a powerful 720 Watt motor, includes the blades and discs needed for most standard jobs, and its 14-Cup capacity bowl makes it one of the largest of units designed for home use. Considering the high percentage of satisfied customers, this could be a great choice for the average user who wants a food processor in the mid-price range. One drawback, for some, might be the cost of extras. Just be aware that if you plan to purchase the Specialty Disc set, that’s going to increase your overall cost.

Want to know more?

Check out the high end competitor from Breville:

• Read our complete Breville Sous Chef review
• See the Breville Sous Chef on Amazon

To learn more about other brands and models see our Food Processors Comparison Charts. There are three charts on one page: Large Capacity Food Processors, Medium Capacity Food Processors, and Small Capacity Food Processors (food choppers). View details and prices side by side to see how these model stack up against each other.