After having murdered many, many a cheap little kitchen appliance, I recieved my Cuisinart from a fellow culinary student who had one and was out of money for drugs. Yeah, cooks are crazy. I have owned it for six years now and I can't even slow it down. I've put whole green walnuts, shell and all in it and nothing stops it. Nothing. There's no smoke, no shaking, no horrible noise when the motor can't turn. I love this machine like nothing else. I cook for a living, and the other professional models are big and bulky and can't do anything more impressive than the little guy who sits on my counter and wins every single time. I have the extra blades to slice and grate and they come in handy when you need a double batch of carrot cake or you're making wontons for 8, or cheese for lasagna.... I have done horrible unspeakable things to this little machine and made it work harder than it ever should have to, but it has never failed me. In six years the only repair it's ever needed is to have the blades resharpened, something that most grocery store butcher counters will do for you at a nominal fee. Please note: that is a very, very important little piece of maintenance that you should definitely do from time to time, especially if you put anything really hard in there.... like green walnuts with the shell. It's big, roomy and absolutely awesome. I had a dream I lost it once and I was upset for a week. And they really do mean unbreakable plastic. Despite the afore-mentioned wear and tear, no cracks, no holes in the bowl. If you do have it full though, be warned that liquids and small particles of dry goods may leak out around the edges of the bowl, where it meets the lid and at the top of the middle section underneath the blade portion. This is a small price to pay for making your life that much easier.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 20