Cuisinart Elite Collection 12 Cup Food Processor Review

We have been slowly changing our eating habits for the family, including eating more foods made from scratch and eating more fruits and vegetables. This has added a little more work to my day, as “prep time” can add up when you have 3-5 ingredients that need to be finely chopped, diced, sliced etc. for a recipe large enough to feed a family of six.

I have been complaining hinting that I needed a food processor for a few months now. (I even pointed out in Jamie Oliver’s book that a food processor was a kitchen necessity!) My husband and I have casually browsed the “marts” and we just weren’t impressed with the processors they have to offer… so it was hand prep for the momma.

I have heard many great things about Cuisinart  appliances, so when they agreed to a review I was a giddy little girl. After a few emails back and forth we decided on the Cuisinart Elite Collection 12-Cup Food Processor FP-12DC. 

Just look at everything this food processor offers!

Product Features

• 2 Food Processors in 1!
• 12-cup Large Bowl and 4-cup Small Bowl with Pour Spouts & Measurement Markings
• Exclusive Patent-Pending SealTight™ Advantage System – Seals Bowls and Locks Blades
• Easy On/Off Locking System with Push-Button Release
• Stainless Steel Adjustable Slicing Disc (1 to 6mm)
• Stainless Steel Reversible Shredding Disc (fine/medium)
• Large and Small Stainless Steel Chopping/Mixing
Blades with BladeLock System
• Dough Blade
• Cuisinart® Supreme® Wide-Mouth
Feedtube and Cover Assembly
• Electronic Touchpad Controls – On/Off/Pulse
with Blue LED lights
• 1000-Watt Peak Power Motor
• Spatula
• How-to DVD
• Recipe/Instruction Book
• All removable parts are
dishwasher safe
• 10-Year Motor Warranty
3-Year Limited Warranty
• Available in Die-Cast,
White and Black

First of all, I adore the wide mouth feed tube. This reduces the need to cut and chop your food into smaller pieces before you put it in the food processor. The feed tube is in two pieces. If you have a larger item to process you use the entire presser. When processing a smaller item or just dropping an item into the bowl you would leave the larger part in place and take out the smaller presser to expose the feed tube. The processor won’t function if the larger section of the feed tube is not engaged (fabulous safety feature!). It only takes me a few minutes now to slice an entire pound of mushrooms, chop a couple of green peppers and chop an onion. The 12 cup capacity is just the right size for our family of six. Our pound of mushrooms (after sliced) fills the bowl.

Another feature that you won’t find in very many food processors is the interior bowl. This, in essence, makes this two food processors in one. I’ve used the smaller bowl to chop several green onions. If you were making a recipe that required prep of several items you could chop in the smaller bowl… remove it, then process the rest in the larger bowl and combine.

This food processor has so many potential uses. We have used it for the obvious… prepping veggies. But, we have also taken on a few (new to us)  recipes to try to save a little money. We’ve made almond milk (did I mention this food processor has a water tight seal?), made our own hummus (store bought can’t compare to fresh… delish!) and we even had our own masterpiece disaster trying to overstuff the processor making a double batch of bean burgers.

Words cannot express what an awesome appliance Cuisinart has here. Take a look at this video of the highlights from the Cuisinart website, then you will start to believe. I also decided to take a small video of me using the processor yesterday while chopping veggies for our salads. It is so helpful to have them on hand and ready to use… it helps keep me on track for Nutrisystem, that’s for sure! Instead of stuffing my face with chips, I can reach for cucumber slices!

I cannot say enough good things about this food processor. The quality, the appearance, the functionality, the convenience… I adore everything about it! My husband and I were discussing it just the other day. We have decided that on certain items, you have to spend a little more to get an item that will function the way you want and function well. I don’t put very many items out on my countertop for storage, but I know that this appliance will grace my countertop for years to come.

Do you have someone on your Christmas list that is trying to live a healthier lifestyle? This would make an incredible Christmas present that will keep on giving for years to come. You can purchase the Cuisinart Elite Collections 12 Cup Food Processor for $218.00 (sale price…normally $450.00) at Amazon.com or for $249.00 direct from Cuisinart.com.

You can connect with Cuisinart here:

Disclaimer: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. I received product for review purposes only. I was not compensated for writing this post. For more information please read my disclosure policy.