I have a KA and have been very pleased with it. It's been used here at home and before that at the deli. I'd replace it with another in a heartbeat. Get the largest size you can.

Nancy

Tami, you can't go wrong with either a Cuisinart or a KA Food Processor. I had Cuisinart for over 30 years and for the last couple of years I've had a 16 cup KA. I like the KA as much as I did the Cuisinart. My son has my hand-me-down Cuisinart.

If you are going to use the FP to make pastry, just use it to cut in the fat. Then tip the flour and fat into a bowl to add the ice water. For me pastry is all about feel when you add the water. Something that you can't obtain when you mix in a FP.

Ann

Cuisinart's customer service is terrible. When I alerted them that pieces of the plastic pusher were grated into the work bowl with grated zucchini, they showed no concern. Their only suggestion was to purchase a new pusher! Right, so I can take a chance that it won't happen again, no thanks.

I can let you know soon if I recommend KA. I had been wanting to replace my 20 some year old Cuisanart (cracked bowl, shredding disk broken log ago) and decided to go with the KA 12 cup KFP750 in black. I got it for $83 (after using a $30 coupon) today at Kohls. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

After lots of going back and forth I chose the MagiMix made in France and available in the states in Chef mag. I have to say it has done everything I wanted. Clean up is easy. Chef has a return policy that you do not have a time limit on returning items. So, I felt comfortable that if it did not work I had protection. They now the smaller one available.

Let us know how it works out.

Sue

I got a KA 9 cup (in chrome) for my birthday in August. I like it. I never had a FP before so am enjoying it. My favorite thing is the slicer/shredder. I never knew how much extra I was paying for those refrigerator hash browns! Turns out there is like 3 small potatoes in the package for about $2.59! The KA slices or shreds in seconds, the cleanup is a breeze and I have my morning 'taters! I might just have to make some this morning. Looking forward to making cole slaw too. I think LindaC said that the Cuisinart it better for liquids, and she is probably right. The KA doesn't handle liquids well. They leak out. Sigh. But so far I haven't used it for too many liquid situations. Good luck!

Duane

Another vote for the MagiMix.... and I can tell you what not to get: Vikiing. I bought a Viking last year after my beloved 25 year old Robot Coupe bowl broke and I couldn't find another. King Arthur was selling them and I thought it must be good... WRONG. The grating disk doesn't fit the size of the bowl, so big chunks of whatever you're grating fall into the bowl. Also it didn't chop as evenly as what I was used to. After two months, I sold it on ebay.

I finally found a place online that sold parts to discontinued appliances and I'm using the old Robot Coupe again. Now Chef's Catalog is selling the Magimix which is the same as the old Robot Coupe (I think Robot Coupe was the overseas name at one time) Strong motor, instant on/off, easy chute to clean, solid product.

Grace

OK, I'll toss in my recommendation for KitchenAid. I don't use it for pastry, but it's great for Jessica's Lime Chipotle Marinade. I don't use it to chop vegetables because I can't seem to get it right, but it was wonderful for shredding all that cabbage for sauerkraut and for chopping pork for sausage.

Elery was chopping pork a couple of weeks ago and the blade broke. I called KitchenAid to order a new blade. The very nice girl on the phone asked if the blade broke in the food, I told her yes.

She put me on hold, then came back and told me they'd be sending me a new food processor, although mine is less than 2 years old. It's a "safety issue" if the blade breaks in the food.

They sent a new processor (with a new one year warranty) by FedEx, I packed the old one in the box and sent it back. They paid shipping both ways.

They even expedited service because it was just before the holidays. Now THAT'S customer service.

Annie

Annie, Good for you. That certainly reinforces the whole KA product quality. I don't hesitate to contact the company when I have a problem; I'm experiencing about 70% positive over the years. Now, if I could only get the roofing company to respond to all my new roof issues.

Cathy

I was sorry to see the bad review on the Viking as I got one for my birthday this summer. So far, I've had great luck w/ mine. No problems with the fit on any of the attachments, and it chops really well.

I leave mine on the counter and I like that it has back wheels for me to roll it out when I want to use it. My KA was heavy and awkward to lift, and I tried not to drag it over my soapstone countertops.

Now that I've used it for several months I'd say it's comparable to my old KA in terms of performance and clean-up. So, as far as recommendations, unless the back wheels feature is important to you, you'll do better price-wise to go with KA over Viking.

Thanks for all the recommendations. It will probably be the KA.

Now, what all do you use yours for?! I have a mini chopper, so I won't need it for that. Unless I make cole slaw, and pie crust, I don't really know what I am going to use it for, but I want one!

Tami

I used mine this morning to make Ann T's raspberry scones for brunch (we're still entertaining holiday guests..)

I used the small bowl tonight to make a garlic/herb paste for chicken breasts I cooked for dinner.

Yesterday I used it to chop onions, carrots, red and green peppers for my vegetarian chili.

I finally became proficient at making a good pie crust by using it to cut in cold butter to the dry ingredients.

If you do a lot of cooking/baking and keep it in a spot where it is easy to use, I bet you will use it a lot. People I know who say they never use theirs often keep it stored out of sight. If they have to lug it out and clear a space to set it up and plug it in, it usually stays under the cupboard or in the pantry.