I've only owned a small cuisinart blender/food processor combo prior to this kitchenaid. I did a lot of research on cuisinart vs. kitchenaid, and finally settled on this model thanks to a great amazon deal plus a rebate.

I am extremely pleased with this processor. It is so much quieter than my mini cuisinart (which sounded like a blow dryer and seriously had me considering purchasing ear plugs). This is more like a significant hum as opposed to an ear blasting motor.

So far I've used it to make biscuits, chop onions (just to see how it would do), dice ginger in the mini bowl, and dice bok choy stems/leaves. Using the pulse button the processor did a nice, regular job on all materials. The mini bowl does a much better job dicing ginger and garlic than my mini cuisinart.

Cleaning isn't a problem. I didn't have an overflow from minibowl into the main bowl as mentioned by others, though bits tend to get stuck on the bottom edge of the lid, but not in a spot that's difficult to clean. So far handwashing, I really only have to do a quick rinse to clean out everything. I haven't thrown anything in the dishwasher.

A past review has mentioned cheapness of materials in terms of plastic. I wonder if there's some inconsistency in how each product is made, because the one I received seems just fine. I did some banging around with everything when it first arrived, just to see how much man-handling the bowls could take. Honestly, the bowls feel just as sturdy if not more so than the cuisinarts I looked at. I played around with the lid, and it doesn't feel flimsy, or like it may break if I do something wrong (as mentioned by some previous reviews).

Also, my mini cuisinart either didn't chop things, or pureed them into gel...there was no in between even with the pulse. The mini bowl in this kitchenaid doesn't have that problem. Great control.

It is hefty. But I think it's worth it. Very pleased with this product.

I received this for a wedding present in April. It works wonderfully! I use it all the time for chopping, making pestos, and pie dough. Be careful... the blades are very sharp!

I love, love, love this processor! It is really heavy duty, quite nice looking & works like a dream.I use it almost daily.I mostly use the small work bowl, but like having the large capacity for soups & larger volume
foods. You won't regret this purchase for the price on Amazon.

Missouri G-Mom

My son-in-law is a serious cook. He selected this food processor. While visiting my daughter and son-in-law, we have been enjoying using it. When we return home, we'll miss it.

We are cooking Red River Gumbo for a Cookbook Fair. It has collards and pork in it. We ground those using the food processor. My son-in-law loves using it to prepare gyros. This processor really does a fantastic job.

This is a nice machine; but it is very heavy & not easy to move around. It does the job very nicely otherwise.