Food Processors

[Jenise]

The motor on my beloved 40 year old made-in-Japan original model Cuisinart soldiers on (they really meant that lifetime warranty!) But just this week we discovered that the workbowl is cracked in an integral locking location and will likely be kaput soon. Most likely, of course, in the middle of something really important because that's how things go here at Chez J.

Honestly I'd rather replace the bowl than buy a new machine. That is, fearing something like this years ago I bought a new Cuisinart, hated it, returned it, then a new Kitchen Aid, same thing. Neither had the strength of my fugly old machine. At a garage sale in my neighborhood about 15 years ago, I found the same model and for $25 got a raft of spare parts including the motor/base I thought I'd need most. Instead, I've cannibalized all the plastic.

Searching on line this morning for a new workbowl, I found a website for replacement parts for DLC-8's. Yay! BUT buried in the parts list is this: The latest Tritan workbowl and workbowl cover are NOT compatible with the DLC-8E, DLC-8F or DLC-8M series machine. And mine's one of those: end search.

The option now is to buy a whole 'vintage' machine to get the bowl I need with the same brittle 40 year old plastic that's failing on me now, or start over. People the world over are happier with their newer food processors, so why can't I be?

Would you recommend what you use? If so, I'd like to hear about it. (I'd also like to hear from you if you have one you hate and wouldn't recommend anyone else buy.) I'd especially be interested to find out if any mfgr has invented a model that has multiple bowls; a small workbowl that would allow me to toss my mini-Cuisinart would be lovely. It's a dog and only barely better than none at all.

Exactly which model number do you have? I'll look around for you.

I'd look on Ebay and Etsy.

[Jenise]

It's the DLC-8F. But like I said, it's a VERY VERY early model. Looks like the DC7 but all the bowls were amber and they didn't even put the part numbers on the early components yet. They apparently never really made/stocked replacements until they went to the clear bowls which lock differently, so any suitable parts lying around are also 40+ years old. Like I said, very brittle at this point. I appreciate your looking, and I'd be happy to pick something up cheap, but not sure it's worth your time and it wouldn't be worth a big expense on my part. I saw a whole machine for $130 or so--wouldn't go there.

I poked around for you, Jenise. Here's what I found:

1. The consensus is if it's a Japanese model, keep it and find a bowl.
2. I found a DLC-865AGTX bowl in my garage, but it won't fit your model.
3. There's quite a number for sale on ebay.

[Jenise]

Yup, Japanese. In fact, I have two Japanese bases.

Looks like the DC7 but all the bowls were amber and they didn't even put the part numbers on the early components yet.

I have an early DLC7 Super Pro, and the parts were, in fact, amber, and didn't have part numbers (as far as I can see). I've replaced most of the parts except the base at least once, but luckily they still seem to be available.

[Jenise]

Yours is amber too? The parts website I went to seemed to indicate otherwise, but of course you'd be right since you have one! I've been shopping parts on ebay. Lots of sellers clearly don't know what they're selling. But I did find this workbowl which appears to be exactly like mine though I can't match (or unmatch)* up to the part #:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cuisinart-DLC- ... Sw7oZgO8xJ

*This early, they weren't numbering parts yet. In fact, mine is so old that it was stamped "Patent Pending".

Yours is amber too? The parts website I went to seemed to indicate otherwise, but of course you'd be right since you have one!.

The original, and the first replacement parts were amber. They only seem to sell clear ones now. As I recall, I replaced the original bowl with an amber one, but when I replaced the pusher assembly, it was clear. Unfortunately, the bowl has a couple of small cracks near the top, which will eventually lead to it being replaced, along with the lid since the clear bowl is not compatible with the amber lid. Fortunately, they are still available.

I think the only original parts now are the base (thank heavens, since it's the more powerful Japanese original!) and the small central pusher itself (which doesn't lock in place any more, but otherwise works).

[Robin Garr]

A little interesting Cuisinarts history ...

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/07/gard ... oined.html

[Jenise]

Robin, thanks for that. Interesting news from 1981, and a story I never knew. Mine dates to 1978-1979. This statement interested me:

Robot-Coupe is introducing a new machine whose disks do not have their own posts and thus are much easier to store than the CFP and DLC disks. The new machine also has a larger capacity and safety lights and can handle smaller quantities, such as half a garlic clove.

A half clove of garlic? Even the baby Cuise won't do that, it will fly around in the bowl but without more quantity it won't grind.

I have an FP12C https://www.cuisinart.ca/FP-12DCNC.html?lang=en

I note that the bases are made in China now, which makes sense. This one has been very good!

[Jenise]

Two bowls, one only 1 qt? Oh I love the sound of that.

Two bowls, one only 1 qt? Oh I love the sound of that.

Sounds good, but I find that I rarely use the smaller set up - I usually just use the large one and clean it. There is the odd job here the smaller bowl is worth getting it out and using it though.

[Jenise]

I make lots of small-lot sauces and dressings that require a fine chop or puree of herbs and stuff, so that would be very useful to me. I bought the baby Cuise just for that purpose, but it's not capable of anything better than a very coarse chop. In fact, I'd call it chunky, not just coarse. As a result I hardly ever use it; would be quite happy to toss it.

What model is your baby Cuisinart, Jenise?

For chopping nuts, etc., I use a little Sunbeam Oskar that I picked up somehow along the way.

But my big food processor is an old Norelco that I picked up at a garage sale 30+ years ago in Minneapolis. Like new then, I talked them down to $8. It's really heavy duty: the base weighs a ton. But I really like it.