Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Food Processor, 4 Cup, Brushed Stainless (Shiny)

We didn't really want to own (and store) another kitchen appliance. Years ago we'd been given a full size food processor and never used it, ended up giving it away. We finally decided we needed to get one because we love hummus and it is so much cheaper to make than buy, and the blender just wasn't the tool for the job. Searching for small processors, the Cuisinart stood out for the number of high ratings of it. I looked at the smaller ones, but caught a comment along the lines of "you can't really use more than half the volume". While it looks like you can fit a lot in the processing chamber, and they call it 4 Cup capacity, the blade sits over an opening that is about half the total height, so if you've got a lot of liquid it is going to flow right through and out the bottom of the chamber. This is the biggest food processor we would want to store, and it turned out to be the perfect size for us. The brushed stainless plastic housing looks fine, I'd rather not pay for real stainless steel for a product that is kept behind a cabinet door. It was packed well, and came with a small plastic spatula which at first looked like a throw away item but turns out to be just the right size and shape to get nearly all the processed food out of the chamber. Not having used other food processors, I can't compare this one's functions to others. I'd imagine that a full size model with a more powerful motor could do more, but for us this is a good compromise. The first batch of hummus (the users' manual included a recipe for hummus which varied from my usual one, so I gave it a try and it is good) was all it took to confirm we had made a good choice buying this. It's fast, easy to use, does a great job and is easy to clean, and stores in a small space. I've used it half a dozen times now, and can see already that I'll be trying it out on other things- pesto, tapenade, guacamole . . . Bottom line is that I'm very happy with the way it looks, the way it works, the ease of use, and the reasonable price. If you want to make soups or process big batches of food consider a bigger model, but if your needs are like ours, this is a good choice. May 18, 2013 Now that we've had it and used it many times, I've got two things to add: the recipes in the users manual are good, and the processor is very noisy in use. I use a lot of power tools and I wear hearing protection when I use them. This kitchen tool seems to be as loud as my belt sander, and that is loud.

I never leave reviews on products, but this food processor is so amazing, I just have to! This is the first food processor I've ever owned--in fact, the first I've ever used. I chose this food processor based on price and the good reviews, but mostly I wanted it because it was so cute. The price was so great, I was half-expecting it not to work at all, but the first time I used it I fell in love. Vegetables come out beatiful and evenly chopped. It's the perfect size of hummus, one-person smoothies, sauces, and nut butters. This morning, as the ultimate test of my food processor, I made almond butter. I really expected the motor to give out or to be unable to get the almonds smooth enough for butter, but I was blown away! This product is fun to use and amazes me every time. It's a pretty appliance and easy to store (you can wrap the cord around a base underneath that hides the cord, keeps it from tangling, and allows the processor to sit balanced). Everything I have made (excluding a smoothie) has been pretty easy to clean. It comes with a small spatula that is the perfect size for the processor's bowl. It has exceeded my expectations in every way--value, appearance, ease-of-use, and function. It's a great appliance for anyone who usually cooks for one to two people, likes to make side dips, or just chops a lot of vegetables. It would be a great gift for a college student with a kitchen. I have only had mine for a week, so I cannot attest to its durability, but for the amazing price I wouldn't be heartbroken if I had to buy another one in a year. If something does happen to the blade or bowl, there is a way to order a replacement through Cuisinart without having to replace the whole processor. I waited too long to order this food processor and now that I finally own it, I couldn't be happier.

I've used this product for over 10 years, ought this to replace my older one, which I burnt out overworking it. This new model is as good and reliable as the one I had, excellent for pulverizing nuts, vegetables, and fruits fast, easy to clean, and takes up little space for storage. Superior to the 11-cup Cuisinart counterpart in speed when making cashew butter, this little machine can finish the job in about one-fourth the time it takes the bigger one to do twice the amount. Not as powerful or fast as the Vitamin, but a LOT easier to clean. Bottom line, unbeatable for small jobs.

Update 4 years + 1 month later: In the interest of full disclosure: As of a couple of weeks ago, the blade unit is cracked vertically as well as halfway around one of the blades. It's never been abused - dropped on the floor, banged on anything, exposed to excess heat, etc.. I think either it was cracked initially and I didn't/couldn't see the crack, or the corrosive nature of automatic dishwasher detergent has weakened it. It still works, but I'm reluctant to use it because any kind of cracked food utensil can never be guaranteed to be sanitary. Four years is a fairly long life span in these days of built-in obsolescence. Ten dollars per year (averaged) is not a horrendous amount to have spent on a product that served well. The cost to replace the broken blade unit is currently $27 + shipping, so I haven't decided whether to replace the part or the processor, or purchase a different brand. I did not buy the extended warranty on this item, but, even if I had, the longest coverage available is 4 years, which would have expired last month anyway. (Of course!) If I were to buy this specific processor again, I would add the longest possible warranty I could get, just in case. My original review of my February 02, 2014 purchase: I've used my Mini-Prep about 20 times, now, and am very pleased with it. For such things as rough-chopping vegetables for soup, making dip or sandwich fillings, or making cracker or bread crumbs, it is just fine, and that's all I wanted it for. I have had good and bad results with chopping Cheddar cheese. The cheese must be firm, not soft and sticky. Firm cheese will chop to a fine consistency that can be used instead of shredded cheese. Cheese that is softer and sticky just turns to a kind of cheese dough. Now that I know that, it won't be a problem. I would probably not try to chop a cheese like Monterrey Jack or Havarti, and certainly not Velveeta (if you can call that "cheese"). Fresh Parmesan can be chopped very finely and stored in the freezer. One thing I like about the reversing blade action is that, if the food gets a bit jammed up around the blades on one setting, you can pulse the other setting a time or 2 and it will change directions, usually breaking up the jam, then you can go back to your original mode. It saves a lot of the business of removing the lid and rearranging the food that you often have with other small choppers or processors. I like the way the blade unit is designed. It's very easy to get hold of it and remove it, even when the food is something that is heavy and wants to cling to it. The blade, bowl, and lid can all go in the dishwasher. The special spatula that comes with the processor is not impressive. It's flimsy and the handle is too short. I also wish the base were a bit heavier. Having it very light is nice for moving it around, but it also makes it more difficult to put the bowl on and lock it, or unlock it and remove it, with your one clean hand (assuming your other hand has been handling messy food), because the force (not much, really) needed to remove the lid and bowl will turn the base before it turns the bowl. With a little practice, it's OK. To those who have complained in their reviews about liquids leaking out, if you are trying to process something that liquid, and that much of it, you should be using a blender. Liquids are not what food processors were designed to do. To those who complained about not being able to fill up the bowl, you should find that almost any food processor is the same in that regard. To work, it needs space above the food so the food can be tossed up and drop down on the blades as it processes. If the bowl is too full, the blades can only keep processing the food that's around them, and the top food does not drop down. If you want to be able to process 4 cups of food at once, you should get a processor with an 8-cup bowl. If some pieces of what you are chopping are small and some large, you are 1) starting out with pieces that are too large - cut them smaller, and/or 2) filling the bowl too full in the first place. Sometimes less is more. To the person who complained that they thought the base was stainless steel but it's not, they are right, it's not. "Brushed Stainless" is the color name. If you must have a food processor with an actual stainless steel base, this isn't it. Cuisinart makes another model, which is almost identical, that comes in colors. This seems to be a good product overall. I would buy it again.

This mini food processor is a total game-changer! It’s super easy to use, clean, and store—exactly what I needed for small tasks like chopping veggies, making sauces, or whipping up quick dips. I have a full-size processor, but this one is way more convenient for everyday use and doesn’t take up much counter space. If you’re tired of dragging out your big machine for small jobs, this is 100% worth it. Compact, efficient, and reliable!

Fantastic chopper and blender! I like the larger than average size too.

I purchased this little machine to hopefully make salad dressings and dips. I have a full sized vintage Cuisinart that I love for bigger jobs so I had some trust in the brand. This works well for chunky dips, like if you already chopped your onions and just want them slightly more smooth, but it will LEAK all over itself if you try to make salad dressing. Yes, even if you are careful not to overfill it. It will mangle leafy herbs like parsley or tarragon but never really blend them. You can hope for smooth hummuses but don't waste your time trying to make a smooth dressing unless it's just mayo. I just feel guilty for spending $60 on this piece of junk. I'm careful with it so the plastic hasn't broken yet but I can see how it would be very easy to break because it feels cheap and flimsy. I thought that I liked Cuisinart better than Ninja because the Ninja was hard to clean, but now I really miss that old thing because it did everything that I thought this one would do better. They say I can't return it but I feel guilty selling junk so I'll probably just donate it when I thrift another little Ninja.

The Cuisinart 4-Cup Mini Prep is great for simple light-weight jobs like making salad dressing and chopping onions, but when I use it with heavier foods (like cooked spinach) I can smell the motor burning. So to avoid motor burnout, I no longer use the Mini Prep to process even small quantities of high-density foods - a use limitation I hadn't anticipated. Regarding capacity, keep in mind that although the total volume held by the work bowl is 4 cups, you really can't work in batches much over 2 cups (less for dry items). If you exceed the batch limit, you'll end up with a result that is over processed on the bottom and untouched on the top. The user manual also advises that to avoid motor strain, the work bowl should never be filled more than two-thirds the way up the blade assembly column. So in practice, the 4-cup work bowl translates to a best-case maximum of 2 cups end product. I'd also like to point out that the motor casing for the Cuisinart Mini Prep listed here (model DLC-4CHB) is plastic with a faux stainless steel finish. When I bought this product, I inferred from the item title that the casing was constructed of stainless steel. But if you look closely at the detailed item description, you'll see (as I discovered only after purchase!) that the construction is plastic made to look like stainless steel. And the plastic is pretty flimsy at that, so just be aware of what you are buying. Bottom line: Would I buy this Mini Prep again? Probably not. For my needs, I think I'd look for something sturdier and more versatile. Do I think the Mini Prep is a complete train wreck? No, I use it for what it's worth at least 4 times a week and I appreciate how easy it is to clean. The important thing is to have a firm idea of how you want to use the Mini Prep prior to purchasing one. Want small batches of pesto, salsa or chopped onion? You're good to go. Want to make smoothies or process heavy and dense foods? You'll need to look for something with greater capacity and a stronger motor. One final note on a lesson I learned the hard way...if when using the Mini Prep you consistently end up with onions that are pureed not chopped or nuts that are pulverized to dust, try alternating pulses between the Chop and Grind buttons. Alternating the two buttons moves the food around the work bowl for a more even result.