The
Cuisinart 7-Cup Food Processor DLC-5 is an excellent investment for any kitchen. This machine will save you hours of time in chopping, mixing, slicing, and shredding.
Many Uses
I have used this machine for many purposes, but my favorite use is mincing meat. I no longer buy ground meat from the supermarket (who knows what cuts the supermarket uses?), in favor of selecting healthier and leaner cuts that I mince using the food processor. I also use the food processor to make cakes. Making banana bread using hand tools used to take me an hour and a half (not even including baking time!). With this food processor, I can have the batter ready in 10 - 15 minutes, and the bread ready to eat within an hour. All I do is dump in all the wet ingredients of the recipe into the food processor bowl, and "pulse" it several times until everything is mixed. After that I dump in all the dry ingredients at once, and again "pulse" it a few times until everything is mixed. That's it! And I cannot tell the difference in taste. I also like to make minestrone soup using this food processor. I can chop enough cabbage, zucchini, carrots, onion, celery, and tomatoes to fill a 4-quart stock pot in only 15 minutes.
Technical Stuff
The illustrated instruction manual is easy to understand and teaches you how to operate the food processor. Even without the manual, you can probably figure out how to assemble it -- it
is that easy! The motor base is the heaviest part of the machine, so that the food processor will not "walk" across your kitchen counter when cutting hard foods. I have noticed that it does shake slightly though when mincing large amounts of meat, but it performed the task without a hitch. On top of the base goes the clear plastic bowl, which has a hole in the middle where the motor rod inserts. The chopping blade or shredding/slicing discs fit over this motor rod, so that when the rod turns, the blade/disc spins around and processes your food. (A blade especially made for kneading bread dough is available for separate purchase, but I believe that the included metal blade can also do the job.) Over all of that is the bowl cover, which has a feeding tube attached to it. Everything is made out of plastic (except the blades), and is easy to wash and clean. At the front of the machine is the on-off switch: the neutral position is "off"; push it up is the "on" position; push it down is the "pulse" position. The speed is not adjustable, which I have not found to be a problem. Everything is dishwasher safe, except for the motor base (which should not be immersed in water). However, beware of liquids! This food processor should only be used to process solid foods. Otherwise, you risk having liquid leak into the motor base, which isn't completely sealed because of air vents at the bottom to let out the heat created by the motor.
Minor Drawbacks
When the machine was new, I noticed a slight burning odor after the motor has been on even a short while. However, the motor was just being broken in and its operation was not affected. This did not occur again once I used it a few more times.
The feeding tube is not wide enough for you to stuff large vegetables (such as tomatoes or potatoes) or other bulky food items in there. Keep in mind that the opening is an elongated oval shape, of only 8 cm in length. You will have to cut large items down to a size that can fit into the tube.
The
DLC-5 model has a 7-cup capacity. I only cook for myself -- albeit large batches of food that tide me through the whole week -- and this size is perfect. If you cook for a large family, though, you should consider purchasing a 11-cup food processor.
The bowl cover is not completely air tight. When mixing cake batter, for example, I have noticed flour seeping through the crack between the lid and the bowl. However, this is just a small matter and does not affect the operation of the machine in any way.
I do not recommend the recipes included with the instruction manual. I have made a couple of things from it without success, and I suggest that you rely on other food processor cookbooks out there on the market. It is also extremely easy to adapt regular recipes so that you can use the food processor to do part of the work.
The food processor does not handle runny liquids well, which tends to leak out of the bowl. I tried making mango lassi on it once, and it was a big mistake. More liquid ended up on the table and floor instead of in the bowl. To make smoothies or mixed drinks, you are still better off buying an electric blender.
Final Word
I love this food processor, and did not even know how heavily I would come to rely on it when I bought it. This is a must for any kitchen!
UPDATE 12/6/02
I have just purchased a stick/hand blender made by Braun (the
MR430HC), and I'm sad to report that my
DLC-5 food processor has been neglected of late. If you do not need the capacity or the strength of a food processor, especially if you only cook for one or two people, you should seriously consider getting a stick blender instead. Stick blenders are a lot cheaper, and the only things that they can't do are process large quantities of food and chop meat. I use my stick blender all the time to whip up cake batter, and there is less to wash than if I use a food processor. I highly recommend the Braun series of stick blenders, and have written a review (
http://www.epinions.com/content_82797760132) to help you decide between the different models offered by Braun if you are interested. Thanks for reading!
Goodmans
