Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 9-Cup Food Processor Review

Shopping for a food processor can be a real hassle with so many brands and models to choose from, add to that the wide range of pricing from under $30 to well over $300. If you are considering the Cuisinart brand, my Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 9-Cup Food Processor review can help you decide if this particular model meets your needs.

There is no arguing the fact the a food processor is a very convenient and versatile kitchen tool, but can this model replace your other trusted kitchen tools like your mandolin slicer, shredders, or mini chopper? Will it become your favorite small appliance?

The DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 has great reviews and come from a trusted brand, but does that guarantee that it work as advertised? Let’s get right into the review and see what we can find both good and bad on this model.

Capacity

The 9-Cup BPA free Lexan work bowl is a good size to have. Many customers were happy with this size bowl. Some people considered it a negative because this machine does not hold a lot of liquid, but this is not a blender and it wasn’t designed for that purpose. Cuisinart gives guidelines as to the amount of liquid that you can safely use without leaking and that is 2 ¾ cups of thin liquid and 6 cups of thick liquid. The bowl can take 4 cups of flour for bread dough, 4 cups of nuts and 8 cups of chopped fruits and veggies.

Though this 9-Cup may seem that it can hold a lot, think about how you are going to use it and how much food you will be processing at one time. Do you have a large family or entertain a lot or do you do a lot of canning? These questions will help you decide if this is the right size for you. The last thing you want to be doing is having to stop the machine and empty out the bowl and repeat this process several times.

It’s inefficient and in my opinion defeats the whole purpose of having a food processor, which you purchased to say time in the first place, right? So when in doubt, it’s best to buy the bigger capacity model.

This work bowl does not come with the compact cover which is available with the DLC-10S Pro Classic model, only the cover with the wide mouth feed tube.

Size of Feed Tube

The Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 has a wide mouth feed tube that can take whole fruits and veggies, like potatoes. This greatly cuts done on the amount of pre-cutting that you have to do.

Knead Dough

The included dough blade will have you baking like a pro. You can make all kinds of dough in this machine, from cookie dough to bread and pizza dough and Indian flatbreads. If you’re making yeast based doughs you want to be careful and not pulse too much as this can heat up the bowl and kill the yeast.

Controls/Speed

With the smooth clean touchpad controls, you won’t have to worry about food getting trapped between or inside of the control buttons. The DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 has two speeds plus the off button.

Pulse – The pulse button let’s you chop up foods to the size you want, it gives you more control over the consistency of the final product. Use a light touch when pulsing, especially when processing foods with high water content like onions and tomatoes or else you’ll end up pureeing everything when you wanted it chopped or shredded.

On – You’ll use the on button when you need to process continuously, for instance when you’re making nut butters, chopping hard foods or making herb butter.

Power

Inside the sleek stainless steel finish housing base hums a powerful 600 watt induction motor engineered to tackle all of your tough processing jobs. The induction technology is what makes the machine fairly quiet, reliable and virtually maintenance free.

Blades

The standard discs that come with the Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 9-Cup Food Processor are:

Stainless steel serrated medium slicing disc (4mm) – You can use the large feed tube along with the slicing disc to quickly get uniform slices of potatoes for your escalloped potatoes recipe.

Stainless steel shredding disc – This is great for shredding cabbage for coleslaw, carrots or potatoes for homemade hash browns

Chopping/ mixing blade – This is the workhorse of the blades and probably gets used the most. It can chop raw or cooked veggies and meat, make nut butters and sauces and also puree foods.

Detachable disc stem – This part attaches to either of the discs before you put them into the processor. Since there is only the one stem, if you’re using both discs in the same job, then you’ll have to stop the machine, remove whichever discs you’re currently using, remove the stem and attach it to the other disc. I read one review where the owner thought it was a hassle to do this, but really considering the time savings of not having to do all that prep work by hand this is a none issue.

A very small number of customers said they were getting inconsistent results when chopping and slicing certain vegetables, particularly onions and carrots. Even using the pulse button, they were unable to get uniform pieces. When chopping onions some of the pieces were finely chopped while some were left in bigger pieces. The same inconsistency happened when slicing carrots, some of the pieces were wafer thin while others were thicker.

However, the vast majority of users said the slicing disc slices “any vegetable” quickly and uniformly. I think there is a learning curve and some experimentation involved in getting the results you want. For instance, one review noted that to get long shreds of carrots, you need to “use the big feed tube and lay them sideways – for short shreds use the small feed tube and stand them upright.”

Extra Attachments

Cuisinart BDH-2 Blade and Disc Holder – Since these blades and discs are razor sharp, I recommend you purchase the blade and disc holder to store them when not in use. The holder has slots for three cutting discs, the dough and chopping blades and the disc stem. It is a convenient, compact and safe way to keep all the blades and discs clean and organized. The lid also locks for safety.

 

Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 Food Processor Dimensions

Height: 14.75 inches

Width: 7.75 inches

Depth: 10.13 inches

Weight: 15.7 lbs

Power cord: 30 inches

Additional Features

There are lots of great things to like about this model.

1. You can use your existing blades and discs from the DLC-8, DLC-10 and DLC-2007N and also the specialty discs – (2mm and 6mm slicers, and the french fry disc) with this model.

2. The included spiral bound instruction booklet is very helpful, easy to follow and it also has lot of great recipes for you to try with your new machine

3. The 9-Cup capacity seems to be the perfect size for most people, it’s not too small like the 7-Cup and not too big either

4. If you make your own salad dressings, you’ll find the little “drizzle” hole in the bottom of the small pusher to be indispensable. You can pour your oil or other emulsifier into the pusher and it slowly and evenly drips it into the bowl to be blended with the other ingredients already there.

5. The removable pusher assembly (which fits into the wide mouth feed tube) consists of a:
small pusher, which makes it easier to slice or grate long thin items like carrots or celery
large pusher that can be used for bulky veggies like butternut squash, cabbage or lettuce

Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 Food Processor Included Accessories

BPA free 9-cup Lexan work bowl
Cover with Cuisinart Supreme Wide Mouth Feed Tube
Pusher assembly fits inside feed tube
Stainless steel serrated medium slicing disc (4mm)
Stainless steel shredding disc
Chopping/ mixing blade
Dough blade
Detachable disc stem
Spatula
Recipe/ Instruction book
How-to-DVD
Full 10-year motor warranty
Limited 3-year warranty

Pros

• Wide-mouth feed tube
• Dishwasher-safe parts
• Very easy to clean
• Quiet
• Razor sharp blades
• Power cord stores in base
• Compact space saving design
• Powerful enough to make nut butters and knead dough

Cons

• Unevenness in chopping some things
• Tricky locking mechanism
• Foods get trapped between the lid and blades

Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 Food Processor Reviews and Ratings

There are hordes of loyal Cuisinart fans and the reviews show that. The reviews for the Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 food processor are numerous and impressive. Lots of repeat customers on their second or third Cuisinart food processor. Some love the product so much that they are giving them as gifts to their loved ones.

Here are some of the positive comments for this model: “It makes fast work of many food prep functions.” “The product surpassed my expectations.” “If your recipes uses multiple ingredients which require lots of prepping, this machine will cut your overall cooking time in half or more.” Also, many customers were very surprised at how quietly the machine runs.

Now for the negatives.

Some reviews noted that the brushed stainless steel looks more like polished chrome and is “shiny.” They were disappointed that it is not really stainless steel at all, but plastic coated with a metallic finish. This is not really a negative at all, because while you want a nice looking machine if you are going to leave it out on your counter, what’s really important is how the machine performs.

Another issue that kept popping up is that the locking mechanisms is tricky or difficult to work. However, some customers said that after they watched the DVD and after some practice they were able to get the hang of it.

They were some issues with the food getting stuck between the lid and the blades. This seems to happen most often when shredding hard cheeses. But I think this happens with most food processors anyway.

Overall the reviews were positive and most would recommend this model.

Price

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I would say this food processor is in the mid-price range. Generally it can be had for under $150.  If so, is the extra expense worth it? Are you paying the extra for a motor that will last longer or is the motor just quieter overall?

Now, if you’re like me, you’ll be sort of scratching your head at that price. I mean, you can get an 8 or 9 cup food processor for a lot less than this one costs so what is it you’re getting for that extra money? Here’s what you’re really paying for:

• It comes standard with a nice selection of blades including a dough blade
• Powerful motor 600 watt motor that is quiet and can handle heavy processing like kneading dough and grinding meat
• Extra attachments available to give you more versatility in processing
• BPA free work bowl
• Wide mouth feed tube can take whole fruits and veggies
• Very fast processing
• If you have specialty blades from an older model (DLC-8, DLC-10 and DLC-2007N), they can work with this one as well
• Trusted brand that has been making food processors for a long time

All of these benefits is a good argument for the price, especially if you have blades from an older model that you don’t want to throw away. With the wide mouth feed tube you don’t have to do so much pre-cutting unlike the cheaper models.

Overall I would say this is a good price for all you’re getting – the motor is going to last a long time and it is relatively quiet when processing, so you’re surely going to get your money’s worth not to mention saving time in the kitchen.

Summary

Food prep is a cinch with the Cuisinart-DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 9-Cup Food Processor. From chopping garlic and shredding cheese to making fresh hummus and homemade bread, this unit does it all, plus it looks good on your countertop. If you’re on the Paleo, vegan or raw food diet and need to do lots of chopping, this machine will come in handy.

If you’re into canning or you are a gardener with lots of produce to can and freeze, this model will make short work of your chopping, slicing and grinding jobs and make your canning so much easier.

In my opinion the DLC-2009CHB-Prep-9 will definitely make your food preparation go so much faster, freeing up your time to do other things.