Part of Cuisinart's premier series, the Prep 7 DLC-2007N is an upgraded version of the Pro Classic 7-Cup Processor. This beauty features a smooth touchpad control panel as part of its sleek, rounded styling.

The Prep 7 comes with a sturdy power base, tinted 7-cup work bowl with cover and expanded feed tube assembly, stainless-steel chopping blade, plastic dough blade, medium slicing disc, shredding disc and How-to DVD. Four rubber feet on the base keep the unit firmly positioned during use.

The Prep 7 is a nice model for first-time owners as well as proficient users. The user-friendly control panel has three simple touchpad buttons: On, Pulse and Off. A small indicator light glows bright red when the unit is operating. It would be hard not to obtain excellent results with this unit. The slicing disc has an ultra fine serrated edge that cuts through ingredients quickly and efficiently. You'll achieve perfectly chopped, diced or minced produce, evenly blended batters and doughs or lump-free pureed vegetables in a fraction of the time it would take to complete those tasks by hand.

The slicing and shredding functions are likewise quick and efficient. The main thing to remember is to stack the feed tube properly so foods remain upright for even slices. When shredding, apply even pressure with the food pusher to obtain perfectly shredded cheeses, vegetables and other produce item.

The food processor is a huge time saver in the kitchen. Even so, some initial prep work is required -- i.e., peeling, removing large pits or seeds and cutting larger foods into smaller pieces. We know that cutting foods before processing them may seem counterproductive, but in the long run, you'll achieve much better results. You don't have to go crazy. Just quartering an onion, or cutting a carrot into fourths is enough.

The trickiest thing to contend with was the expanded feed tube assembly. There are actually only three pieces: cover, large food pusher and small food pusher. The cover has a built-in wide-mouth feed tube that is more than twice the size of standard feed tubes. The oval opening measures 4.5 inches wide by 3 inches deep. There is ample room to accommodate a whole tomato, potato or onion; however, the height of the tube -- 3 inches -- may require longer produce, such as a cucumber, to be cut in half and stacked side by side.

Built-in safety mechanisms prevent the unit from operating until the work bowl and cover are locked in place AND the activating rod on the large food pusher is inserted. Also, you can't lock the cover in place until you remove the large food pusher. We found this to be a minor annoyance, since you may not think to remove the pusher when inserting the cover. Once the machine parts are assembled, however, operation is a snap.


Pros: Wide-mouth feed tube accommodates whole fruits and vegetables, touchpad controls
Cons: Expanded feed tube plus safety mechanisms complicate assembly/disassembly of unit

Warranty
3 years, limited; 10 years, motor