Cuisinart 5-cup Chop & Shred Food Processor, Silver, FP-5

Surprisingly Simple, Powerful, and Easy to Clean
I have always wanted a food processor, but one thing has always held me back, and that was watching my grandmother use hers back in the ’80s when I stayed with her. I remember how it helped her quickly chop onions, apples, mushrooms, and shred tons of cheese for her mac and cheese… but when she was done, there were pieces and parts everywhere. There was no storage for the blades, and cleanup always seemed like a real pain.Obviously, over the years they have improved many of the downsides of food processors. Everything except the base is dishwasher safe, and all the parts fit inside the bowl, so it stores away easily.It’s just me in my household. I occasionally have a person or two over for dinner, so this is the perfect size for me. I don’t want or need anything larger, both from a food standpoint and a storage standpoint. I just don’t have the room.As soon as I got this, I followed the instructions, put everything together, and figured out how to use it. It’s very simple, with a paddle control for on, off, and pulse. No complicated dials or anything like that. I quickly and easily chopped onions, peppers, mushrooms, and shredded cheese for a fajita dinner. Since I’ve never used anything like this, I was blown away by how quickly it prepared everything and how well it chopped and shredded the cheese.It will definitely get lots of use around here, and it actually has a small enough footprint that it might earn a permanent spot on my counter. Overall, for my needs, it worked extremely well. Some people might prefer lots of dials or several blades and shredders, but what this comes with is perfect for me. I can’t speak to the value at the current price of $89, but it seems comparable to others like it, especially for a brand name like Cuisinart.

Good Little Workhorse
The Cuisinart 5-cup chop & shred food processor arrived today. Been waiting 2 weeks for this to come out. It’s really a chopper and shredder more than a fully functional food processor because it’s only 5 cups. This is a perfect size if you’re only cooking for two though, and I am. It’s easy to put together. I used the directions, always a fine idea 😉 There aren’t many moving parts; just the universal blade and the reversible shredder piece. I decided to make Hummus and this little Cuisinart worked great. It is easy to operate, there are only two buttons; on and pulse/stop. I added the garbanzo beans and it made quick work of them. I was able to add the olive oili through the top funnel, kinda cool being able to add liquids this way. Cleanup is easy too. It’s dishwasher safe if you’re not the dishwasher at your house. The parts fit inside the bowl to store it and the cord has a recessed spot in the base, a nice little feature. This will be great to make salsa or pico de gallo. I’d say you can chop a big onion and a couple of cloves of garlic at once. It only takes 30 seconds to whip a pint of cream too 🙂 This feels well built and I’ve had other Cuisinart appliances last for years so I’m happy with the brand. This will chop nuts but probably won’t make nut butter, which I was hoping for. I may try it anyway, this food processor has a decent sized motor. The chopper is silver with a plastic translucent bowl and lid. It has some heft but is not heavy. I like this little chopper and shredder and look forward to lots more dips, casseroles and soups this winter. The price is currently $89.95 which is a little higher than other commensurate 3.5 to 5 cup food processors, but you get the Cuisinart guarantee, plus a quality brand with a good history. I feel that this is a fair value for your money.

Tried it for chicken and veggies, works great for now. I want to try it with nuts to see how it goes. Will update then!