Review of Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor

I am a sucker for home shopping network. I get caught up in what they are selling, I get caught up in the promises, and when I like the product, they always go and throw a second one in for free right before they move on to the next product available on the show! Hot damn a second one for free! What a deal, what a steal! You can't stop my fingers from beginning to dial.
Last year while I was sick in bed with the flu they had a cooking special on HSN. I became enthralled with a food processor they had up for grabs. I was obsessed, but due to the fact that I felt like I would throw up if I got up to get the phone, I sort of just laid there and watched this magical food device in action. It would slice up carrots in any fashion imaginable. You want string carrots, you got it! You want circular cuts, you got it!
I knew that having a food processor would allow me to make my famous tuna salad in just minutes...I could make coleslaw in seconds! I could do it all! I just needed the damn food processor.
It was not shortly after that my boyfriend bought me one. You see, he loves cooking, and I love cooking, so when I told him I really, really wanted one, he was on board.
Instead of buying a standard food processor though, he went all out and got this monster of a device. I must say when he brought it home I was a bit taken back. It was big, really big...too big! What did he think we were making meals for baseball teams or something?
The Food Processor:
Raymond brought home the Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor.
Appearance:
The Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor he bought was white. However it comes in red, brushed metal, and black. I would of preferred the brushed metal color, but for some reason he liked the white one and got that one instead.
Looking at the box was overwhelming, and I truly did not even know where to start. For some reason I became confused, there was all these parts, and blades...I didn't get it, yet just a few weeks earlier I seen them using it on TV with ease; so why did it look so confusing now!?
Anyhow inside of the box came a DVD, the DVD is instructions on how to use the food processor. This was the first thing I did. I popped the DVD into my player and learned a few things about the Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor before I began to use it.
The DVD shows you how to attach blades, how to attach the bowl, and which blades are which, and what types of cuts you can expect with the blades.
After watching the short video, I was enthusiastic about getting my processor up and chopping. I brought out all of the contents inside of the box. Inside I pulled out a slicing disk, a shredding disk, a chopping blade, a dough blade, a spatula, 2 11 cup bowls, a small feed tube and a large feed tube. Included was also a small plastic enclosed shelving unit for the blades to sit in while not in use.
I liked the included unit because it kept the blades safely inside without exposing the blade themselves.
My Use:
In the box I took out the large 11 cup bowl and attached it to the processors base. Next I attached the chopping blade. I was planning on dicing up some onions just to test the machine.
I placed the onion into the processor, closed the lid (the processor will not turn on unless the lid is closed and in place. This is to make sure you don't stick your hand in and accidentally turn the processor on. It will not work without a lid, so the machine is very safe to use.
After locking the lid in place I hit the pulse button which I had complete control over. A simple tap or two and within seconds I had perfectly diced onions. This machine was a monster!
One issue I had with the chopping blade though was it's length. Due to the fact that the blade does not come close enough to the walls, a lot of the onion flew to the sides of the bowl and stood there uncut. I think they should of made the blade wider.
Next I wanted to slice some carrots up for my tuna salad. I removed the onion, and attached the shredding disc to the proper spot on the machine. For the shredding disc to work you have to attach it to the top of the bowl, not the bottom. From there you add the lid, and attach the feeding tube.
After setting the Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor up properly for my cuts, I then fed a carrot into the feeding tube. Everything worked like a charm, however some of the carrot cut in odd weird shapes. I know this was most likely due to it being my first time using it...but even after becoming a pro at the whole processor thing, I still at times end up with an odd cut carrot that should of been shredded, but ended up a lump at the bottom of the bowl.
Cons:
Aside from the shredding blade giving me odd lumpy cuts at times the Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor has some other issues that I feel consumers should know about.
-The plastic bowl chips and breaks easily. I put mine in the dishwasher, and it came out with a crack up in the top lip of the bowl. This does not mean I cannot use it anymore though...it just means that it is not safe for my dishwasher. I now hand wash my 11 cup bowls after I use them.
-Placing the disks inside of the attachment arm can at times be difficult and frustrating.
-Clean up is a real pain in the butt. It may even be worth it to just chop your things with a knife if you are not cooking in abundance.
-It takes up quite a bit of counter space. It measures in at 7 x 9.5 x 14.8 inches and comes to 15.5 pounds in weight. Leaving it on the counter is your best option though, because totting this thing in and out of a cabinet is just a pain.
-You can over cut if you are not careful, diced onions become onion soup if you hit the on or pulse button for too long.
Pros:
-It chops fast, and can save tons of time if you a preparing a large meal that calls for diced onions or fruits/vegetables.
Warning:
-You can cut yourself if you are not careful handling the disks! They are very sharp, and very dangerous, keep them away from children! That's not just a warning from me, thats a warning on the box. It is not necessarily an issue though. Its a WARNING!
Overall:
The Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor had quirks I will say that. It is not a perfect machine, and it has some loose ends that I think the company should fix. As you can clearly see the cons (in my opinion) outweigh the pros.
I use the Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor during holidays, and for the remainder of the year it sits silently in our cabinet. It just takes up too much space, and requires too much clean up after all is said and done.
For me, it's a real helpful gadget to have in the kitchen when I'm cooking for the whole family, but for the rest of the time, it's a very wasteful product. I wish he would of just bought a mini cup food processor. That's just my opinion though.
Price:
For the $200 dollars he paid, we bring it out once or twice a year. So it is my overall statement that Cuisinart DLC-2011 PowerPrep Plus 11 Cups Food Processor was just a waste of money. It will most likely be sold at a yard sale when we move out of the house we are in now.