My Cuisinart is part of the same generation. I think I got it in 1978. It's still working fine, never had a problem other than the lid and top of the bowl must be worn down a little because sometimes it is hard to remove the top of the lid. If I remember to put a drop of water or olive oil on the edge of the bowl I don't have any difficulty. I've thought about a new one because mine is only a 10 cup bowl. But I have slicing and shredding disks that I use a lot and I'm sure they would not fit a larger new model. I don't know anyone who has a new Cuisinart, guess I would be reading reviews on Amazon if I was shopping for a new one. I'm glad to hear that Linda's experience with a new one at her church is good. Lee

It's usual that in a quality product what breaks is a part that is possibly simple, for the right person, to repair. If it's a part made of steel it can be brazed for $20 at a friendly shop. Do you know what part(s) you need? I would look at craigslist, nationally this way to see if anyone would consider repairing it. Then see if they'll do it under an 'ebay' advert. That way you have some recourse if they take your money. Go to gooogle and type: site:craigslist.org cuisinart repair try variations like this: site:craigslist.org "cuisinart repair" site:craigslist.org cuisinart -"for sale" site:craigslist.org quality small OR kitchen appliance repair Those should keep you busy. Write a note that's' the same to each one like boilerplate saying what you said here: If anyone replies then post the reply here and ask them if they want 'more work' from your connections to a national web site. If yes then you have a 'winner' for round one. Let us know how it goes. Repairs was a thing of the past.. our generation is learning that it's the trend of the future. You and your machine are in the middle and I'll try to help - Andre

'Oh sorry, I should clarify that .... it wasn't 20 pounds all at once ' no problem, I figured that. I'd do the same - run a bunch of something thru, dump it in a container and re-load - lol! I ordered the ninja from qvc (4 easy pays). I figured if it didn't work out, at least my money isn't tied up. I'm thinking positive tho so don't pay s/h back. I also thought about the weight of the bowl/pitcher and plastic is good for me. also less likely to break if it slips out of my hands. It does have a huge pitcher that I thought would be good for making juice and sauce/ salsa. I'll probably use the smaller one most of the time. most of the others don't get over 500 w, the vitamix qvc had on this a.m. is 1380 watts and the ninja is 1100 I think. it should be here this week and I hope I have the time/feel up to spending time figuring it out and doing a test run with it!

I do have that food processor, and I store it on a shelf in the butcher block table that I got from IKEA, which holds my electric meat slicer. I use the meat slicer a lot more than the FP, but I need the FP for when I make hummus or bean dip, which is about twice a month. I do like that the slicer blade is adjustable so that you can dial whatever thickness you want, but I still seldom use it - only when I am making huge quantities of sliced vegetables, which is almost never. (For slicing pickles, I use the meat slicer.) I use the FP to grate potatoes and onions for latkes, and I do not make those that often. For cheese grating, I prefer to use my Kitchenaid grater attachment, as it is much easier to clean, and the mixer has to live on the counter anyway. It has a place in a corner that is otherwise inconvenient, but it is perfect for the mixer and its attachments. When I puree stuff in the FP, I put plastic wrap over the top before I put the lid on, and that way the top does not get dirty. The bowls are definitely bulky to store, and I do not have excess storage in my kitchen. If I am chopping small quantites of vegetables for a deviled egg or deviled turkey, I use my Kitchenaid stick blender chopping attachment. It is the right size and will chop without pureeing. I do not put anything into the Cuisinart unless I want it pureed, as it will not do a coarse chop or even a mince. It does a great job of pureeing, however, and I need it for that. Lars