Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DCN processor review

The Cuisinart Elite 14-Cup FP-14DCN is a high-performance food processor designed to handle a wide range of foods.

Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DCN processor review
(Image: © Amazon)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The Cuisinart Elite 14-Cup food processor is a powerful device that easily cuts through all types of food, though its processing results aren't always uniform.

Pros

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    The food processor's motor is protected with a 20-year warranty

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    Great capacity

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    Powerful 1,300 watt motor

Cons

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    It does not yield perfectly uniform food after processing

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    Expensive

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The Cuisinart Elite 14-Cup FP-14DCN is a high-performance food processor designed to handle a wide range of foods. This device is among the best food processors we tested, due to its powerful motor and durable parts that effectively reduced food of varying types in our tests. While in every instance the processed food left small variances in size, the machine rarely left behind large chunks of the original food.

Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DCN processor: How it performed 

This food processor delivered consistently high results in all of our tests that spanned chopping, slicing, shredding and more. Although the end results weren’t perfect, it still quickly cut food down to ideal sizes and left few remaining chunks. The device occasionally created inconsistent thicknesses between pieces when slicing, which we found to be a common outcome even with other food types. For example, when shredding cheddar, it left some unevenly-sized pieces and balls of cheddar clumped on the blade. However, it delivered perfectly-grated parmesan with minimal variances in the uniformity.

None of the tests we performed delivered perfect results, but the end result was usually moderately uniform, with only tiny variances in size and texture. Some of the other food processors we tested left huge pieces of the food mixed in with small, but the differences in size here were much less noticeable. For this reason the Cuisinart Elite 14-Cup earned relatively high marks in our performance tests.

The Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DCN processor has straightforward controls.  (Image credit: Cuisinart)

This is one of the best food processors due to its ease of cleaning and use. The device contains very few pieces, which makes it easy to clean by hand. The bowl is dishwasher safe, though the blades and disks should still be cleaned by hand. When sanitizing the device, it took us almost exactly 10 minutes, which is among the fastest times we measured.

In addition, the device is quite easy to use due to its straightforward button controls. It has a pulse and dough speed setting, in addition to an on speed that keeps the blades rotating continuously. Assembling the bowl and attaching the blades or disks are also easy tasks and require next to no work once pieced together.

Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DCN processor: Main features

The design of the attachable 14-cup bowl adds to its convenience and simplicity of use. One attribute we noticed when evaluating the top-rate food processors was the resistance level of the bowl lock. With many food processors we tested, it required significant force to detach the bowl; however, thatching the bowl from this Cuisinart Elite machine required only a simple push of a thumb. Although this understandably contributes to concerns that the bowl might easily unlocking on accident, we never encountered such a problem. The bowl remained solidly attached to the body of the processor throughout each of our tests.

The design of this blender food processor facilitates its exceptional performance with all types of food. It is equipped with a 1,300-watt motor, making it the most powerful of the processors we tested. The high power rating ensures this device will operate with the speeds necessary to chop hard and soft foods alike with the same care and efficiency.

The Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DCN processor has a high power motor.  (Image credit: Best Buy)

The included three blades and two disks allow for the most common processing tasks, such as chopping, shredding, pureeing, kneading and cutting. You can set blades and disks alike for thicker cuts, which helps you to avoid mushing food into paste while processing. The accessories for cutting food are quite sharp, which means the machine can thoroughly cut food and leave few food chunks behind.

The warranty for this food processor is among the best we found when compared to other models. The body and individual pieces are covered for replacement for a period of three years. In addition, the motor itself is protected with a 20-year warranty, which was nearly the longest guarantee of repair or replacement that we found.

Should you buy the Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DCN processor?

The Cuisinart Elite FP-14DCN is a powerful and efficient 14-cup food processor. Its large bowl allows you to process large quantities of food, and the design of its blades make it efficient and effective. In our tests, it consistently processed food with mostly uniform results and only a few small chunks of food left behind. The lengthy warranty period and quality blades further contribute toward its quality. We found its versatility and performance levels created results that were great for cooking and fully justified the device’s value in the kitchen.

Angie Parkinson

A contracted writer for TTR, Angie has been reviewing vacuum cleaners, countertop appliances and other home goods for more than eight years. Her spare time often goes to planning improvements for her quirky 103-year-old home or hiking in the gorgeous Utah mountains. In her past role, she was a newspaper journalist and she has a bachelor's degree in Technical Writing.