Even if you suspect you’ll only use a full-size food processor occasionally, it may be worth the investment (especially the Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup, since we’ve found it lasts for years and years). While you may not want to bother taking it out, setting it up, and cleaning it for everyday meals, it can shave hours off your prep time when you’re cooking a huge holiday meal, kneading a big mound of dough, or batch-cooking food to freeze for later. “I don’t pull out my food processor frequently, but when you need it, you need it,” says kitchen editor Gabriella Gershenson. “What it can do is hard to hack or replicate.”
