Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor Review: Still the Best?

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Is the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY Still the King of the Kitchen?

There is a saying in professional kitchens: “You don’t buy a food processor; you buy a Cuisinart.” For decades, this brand has been synonymous with the appliance itself. But in an era of smart appliances, digital touchscreens, and gadgets that connect to your Wi-Fi, does a heavy, mechanical machine still hold up?

The Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor (DFP-14BCNY) is an industrial-style beast designed for one purpose: to process massive amounts of food quickly. It promises to save you hours of knife work, turning the tedious task of chopping onions, shredding cheese, or kneading dough into a matter of seconds.

We wanted to see if this classic stainless steel workhorse is still the gold standard for home cooks, or if it has been surpassed by flashier competitors. We put its 720-watt motor to the test to find out.

Key Features: Built Like a Tank

The beauty of the DFP-14BCNY lies in its simplicity. It doesn’t have 15 speed settings. It doesn’t have a timer. It has raw power and capacity. Here is what makes it tick.

1. The 720-Watt Motor

Wattage isn’t everything, but torque is. This motor is heavy—literally. The base is weighty enough that it won’t walk across your counter when you are kneading a stiff pizza dough. It provides consistent, low-end power that prevents the blade from stalling, even when chopping dense root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes.

2. The Extra-Large Feed Tube

This is arguably the most important feature for daily use. Many cheaper processors have tiny feed chutes that require you to chop your food before you… chop your food. The Cuisinart features a massive feed tube that can accept whole russet potatoes, blocks of cheddar cheese, or whole cucumbers. This drastically reduces your prep time.

3. 14-Cup Capacity

This is a “Custom 14” model, meaning it has a massive bowl. You can make a double batch of salsa, a week’s worth of hummus, or enough coleslaw for a barbecue in a single go. If you meal prep or cook for a family, this size is non-negotiable.

4. “Paddle” Controls

Instead of buttons that can get gunked up with food, the Cuisinart uses large, tactile levers for “On” and “Off/Pulse.” They are easy to hit with the back of your hand if your fingers are covered in flour, and they provide a satisfying mechanical click.

Hands-On Experience: The Prep Test

We ran this machine through the three most common kitchen tasks: Chopping, Shredding, and Dough Kneading.

The Mirepoix Test (Chopping)

We loaded the bowl with onions, celery, and carrots. Using the pulse lever, the stainless steel S-blade decimated the vegetables in about 4 seconds. The result was relatively uniform. A word of warning: because the motor is so powerful, it is very easy to over-process. If you hold the button down for 10 seconds, you will have onion smoothie. The “Pulse” lever is your best friend here.

The Cheese Block (Shredding)

Pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose (wood pulp) to keep it from clumping. Freshly shredded cheese melts infinitely better. We attached the medium shredding disc and dropped a 1lb block of cheddar into the feed tube. The Cuisinart devoured it in under 6 seconds. There was almost no waste left on top of the disc, and the motor didn’t even change pitch.

The Pizza Dough Challenge

This is where lesser food processors die. Kneading dough requires immense torque. We added flour, water, yeast, and salt. The blade mixed the ingredients into a ball in 20 seconds and kneaded it for another 45. The base stayed planted on the counter. The result was a smooth, elastic dough ready for proofing, achieved in a fraction of the time a stand mixer takes.

Cleanup and Usability

The bowl, lid, and blades are dishwasher safe. However, the S-blade is razor sharp—seriously, handle with care. The safety mechanism on the bowl is strict; the machine will not turn on unless the bowl, lid, and the large pusher are all locked in place. This can be annoying at first, but it ensures you never lose a finger.

Pros and Cons

Comparison: Cuisinart vs. The Competition

Is it worth paying for the brand name, or should you look elsewhere?

Verdict: The Heirloom Choice

The Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY is not the flashiest food processor on the market. It doesn’t have a timer, and it doesn’t come with a storage box for the blades (unless you buy a bundle). But it is, without a doubt, the most reliable.

This is for you if:

• You cook from scratch frequently and need to chop large volumes of veg.
• You want a machine that makes pie crusts and pizza dough effortlessly.
• You value durability over digital features.

Skip this if:

• You have a tiny apartment kitchen (it has a large footprint).
• You rarely cook for more than one person (a 3-cup chopper might suffice).

Ultimately, this Cuisinart is an investment in your cooking. It turns 30 minutes of prep work into 5 minutes, and unlike cheaper appliances that burn out in a year, this one is built to last a lifetime.