Cuisinart® Prep 11 Plus™ 11 cup Food Processor

I have here right now the Elite, the Prep 11 cup, and the Breville. Bought a bunch of food today and a/b'd them side by side. So I thought I’d write a review, for the first time in my life. First let me say I'm no good cook. My wife does the cooking. I'm just the slicer and dicer/food prep guy. So for me it was just about the machine functions. Strictly that, oh and ease of cleanup/storage. I wasn't worried about the aesthetics or who has the fancier blades. So.....Synopsis: Breville sure is well made, sturdy etc, but in real world applications, side by side shredding and slicing and dicing, the Cuisinarts (both) cut better. The carrot slices were smoother, if that matters to you (due I think the semi serrated slicer vs regular smooth blade) and seems thinner and sharper than the Breville. That said the Breville cut ok, just a big jagged, not as smooth. More torn than cut, or like it was cut with a duller knife using force sort of thing. It's also a lot noisier and vibrates more, which bothered me. Pulse mode isn't as smooth, has more initial torque/kick. Too much I'd say. Almost jumps off the counter when you first hit the button. I am using btw the new 12 cup Breville. Not the 16. But I also have checked out the 16 and it was simply too big for our kitchen, which isn't that small. And overkill for my needs, which are basic (no dough etc, just basic slicing and dicing and chopping). But I noticed the cutting quality etc was the same. It just is bigger and comes with more stuff. The lack of being able to adjust the slicer thickness on the Cuisinart Prep 11 didn't disturb me. I tried adjusting it on the Breville and the difference wasn't very noticable. Same with the Elite. But again, I'm no gourmet, and my wife doesn’t care. It’s still better and faster and more constant than cutting with a knife. Foods sliced and/or diced: carrots, semi-soft tomatoes (the Breville crushed them more than cut them), cucumber, celery, peppers, onions, potatoes. In every instance the Cuisinarts did a better and faster and smoother job. Nicer smoother cuts, looks more like it was cut with a knife. No tearing etc. Esp onions, big difference. The shredding blade has one size on the Prep, not 2 like the others, but again not a big deal for me. I guess you could probably buy another blade for the Cuisinart Prep if it mattered. Out of the box the shredder holes are a little bit smaller on the Prep than the Breville or Elite, which both have 2 sided shredders. But to me that's meh. A shredded carrot is a shredded carrot. Bread crumbs. More fine and consistently cut on the Cuisinarts than the Breville. Fewer big pieces left. And faster. To use the chopping blade on the Brevile you slide it down over the taller Post that also holds the top mount slicers. I may be wrong, but watching the action in the bowl as bread crumbs were being made, and later onions were minced, the tall post that sticks out past the chop blade seemed to interfere with the swirling air action in the bowl, which was more apparent and seemingly unobstructed on the Prep 11. I didn't expect this result btw, I fully expected the Breville to stomp on them, from what I'd read online. But I decided to run my own real world test, and it didn't. Certainly not worth the extra weight, size, and cost imo. For what I/we do. But if you're a more ambitious cook then maybe you need the extra horses and options. Even then I'd just get the Elite. I haven't run into the leakage problem with the Cuisinart Prep since I haven't tried anything liquid per se. But can see how it would happen, with the spindle hole 'open', not sealed. I would say the prep isn't really suitable for liquids. But then isn't that what a blender is for? The Breville won't do that, it's fully seated and sealed. The Elite also seats and seals. However it costs more, I didn't get the point of the extra bowls really, just more to clean, more parts to store, and doesn't clean as easily. I also don't like how the top clicks on instead of rotating on and off. But that's just me. Not worth the xtra $ again imo. Oh and speaking of messy, when using the slicing/shredding disc, for some reason the Breville has a lot more residual detritus between the top surface of the blade and the ‘lid’. When I reoved the ‘lid’ on both the Breville and the Prep 11 after some sliding the Cuisinart was nearly dry and the Berville had a bunch of left over liquid and gook there that I felt like rinsing each time between shreds. I don’t know why, but guessing I’d surmise it gain the fact the motor is ’too strong’ and has too much torque. Or let’s say a lot more than necessary. The Prep 11 is 660 Watts, half of the Breville, but it cuts better. So go figure. And is naturally quieter and smoother. Looks like bigger stronger isn’t always better. I think they’ve “overbuilt” this thing, to the detriment oddly enough of the finished product. I did not get to try the Custom 14 that is the industry standard other pple have mentioned here. Local shops didn't have one. Tho I like the price point. But it's 14 cups and probably works about the same as the Prep 11, other than just being bigger. The bases are different but I think the blades and bowls and stem are about the same. I think the Prep 11 is more of an updated aesthetic than anything else. And I don't need 14 cups. If 11 isn't enough for you, then you'll have to choose the Elite or Custom or Breville. But to my mind, cutting and ease of clean up are the main points of a FP, and the prep 11 won hands down in all areas. As well as the all important cost factor. Let’s not forget that one. The Breville isn't too bad for cleaning either, but it has raised ridges and a rubber seal around the top rim, so it took a bit more effort. It's also heavier and bigger all the way around. I thought that would mean it was better made and more efficient, but in application it's just heavier. It takes up more counter space, more space in the sink for cleanup etc. It's nice, just not worth double the price to me and my wife. Again it depends on your usage, ours is pretty basic. So I can't speak to how the Cuisinarts do dough etc. Haven't tried that. Conclusion: If your needs are fairly basic, get the Prep 11 or Custom, depending on what size you need. If you need to do liquids, get the Elite. If you want heavy duty with longer warranty, and don’t care if the food is ripped a bit more than cut, and don’t mind that it almost leaps off the counter whenever you turn it on, and don't mind noise, get the Breville. I wanted to like the Breville more. Ask my wife, I like spending money, it’s a bad habit she is trying to break me of. I assume if it’s ore expensive it must be better. But regardless of price, if the bottom line is how does it cut, clean, store. The Prep 11 is the winner of the ones I tried. So apparently I’m wrong. Btw I didn’t get to try the Kitchen Aid, they didn’t have one at the store. But they had a display and I didn’t like it. First it’s so light it can’t possibly have a motor in it. Second it felt cheap and weak. It’s all plastic base, the external blade height adjustment lever looked like it would break pretty fast etc. Esp in my hands. But that’s all I can say about that one. So for those comparing I hope this helps. I have them all, side by side. I tested them, and that is what I found. Cheers and happy cooking! Now to dean/box up and return the non-keepers. Oh and don’t forget, if you go to BBB to get the Cuisinart you can use your 20% off coupon. That makes it a great deal.