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KitchenAid KFP720OB 7-Cup Food Processor with 3-Cup Mini Bowl, Onyx Black
From KitchenAid

KitchenAid Model KFP720 Food Processor is a powerful and durable tool for creative cooking. This model has a 7-cup work bowl with Full-size feed tube and pusher for continuous processing. Features KitchenAid's exclusive 3-Cup Mini Bowl delivers mini chopper convenience - perfect for chopping herbs, nuts, and onions. Other added features include a Powerful induction motor, Premium-quality stainless steel blades, Easy-to-Clean design, and a Hassle-free replacement warranty.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #162 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Color: Onyx Black
• Brand: KitchenAid
• Model: KFP720OB
• Released on: 2005-02-01
• Dimensions: 14.30" h x 7.30" w x 9.10" l, 14.00 pounds

Quiet, but small.
I spent a long time looking at food processors before I finally bought one. My criteria, and what I learned:

- Noise: I don't want a food processor that I dread to turn on. Kitchenaid got top marks for its lack of noise by Consumer Reports, so I went with KA instead of Cuisinart. Incidentally, CR lists different model numbers than this one. My suspicion is that the model numbers don't mean anything: the motor is probably the same, and the accessories are what determine the price, since that's the usual means of getting consumers with a wide range of price points.

- Cleaning: I also don't want a food processor that I dread to use, lest I have to clean it. I chose to buy a dark color (blue) so that I wouldn't have to worry about carrot stains on the white finish, and the KA again had smooth buttons compared with Cuisinart so it's easier to clean and nothing can get stuck between. On both counts, I'm happy about the decision.

- Shredding, slicing: Slicing is wonderful. I get even slices, and they're prettier and faster than what I could do with a knife, even given clean up time. Shredding is somewhat inconsistent, but not a huge deal. I do kind of wish I had an option for two finenesses for shredding: thicker shreds and fluffy ones.

- Durability: I read way too many of the Amazon reviews, which give a perspective not given by Consumer Reports, and the reviewers seem to say that KA is more durable and has blades which stay sharper than Cuisinart. Apparently Cuisinart switched to cheaper blades. I'm pretty frugal and would love to consider the brands cheaper than these two, but it sounded like the other brands (Black and Decker, Hamilton Beach) are less durable and noisier; Consumer Reports gave the cheaper brands black marks in many areas.

- Size: the food processor is a good size and weight. I can pull it down from the cabinet without any difficulty, and it holds as much food as I need it to. I almost bought the 5 c and am glad that I didn't because it would have been too small. Likewise, I'm happy that I got the model with the mini-bowl. If I had gotten a larger one like 9 c or 14 c, that might have given me more flexibility so I don't have to empty out the bowl as often while making a salad, but it would have cost 50-100% more than I paid. So far, this size is JUST FINE.

All in all, I'm happy with my purchase, and I hope that my decision making helps someone else. Amazon didn't put a lot of information on their website about the differences between the several 7 cup models, possibly deliberately, so I'm hoping this gives useful info.

As an update a year later: the plastic has etched, so the bowl is cloudy and doesn't look as clean as it is. The base still looks clean, the blades are still sharp, and I'm still happy with it.

Great product!
This is a very nice food processor. I bought it based on reviews of the more expensive models, and found it to be very good product. It has a very strong yet quiet motor that seems to handle jobs with ease. The 7 cup size is good for most typical food processing I do for my family of three. I can easily shred a full pound of cheese in the 7 cup bowl.

I was impressed with this product especially after seeing a new Black and Decker food processor that sounded like it was grinding rocks even with an empty bowl. This kitchen aid model appears to be very well built. It is definitely worth the $80.

The food processor comes with the base, 7 cup bowl, chopping blade, shredding/slicing blade, a "pole" for the shredding blade, and a spatula to help clean out the bowl.

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase.

Great for pesto and cole slaw.
I bought one of these for my wife. We're at the limit for storage space. I actually brought home one of the larger Kitchen Aid units and I had to take it back because we didn't have room to store it!

This unit is heavy, powerful, and quiet for its size. So far we've had nothing but good experiences with it, but it's a good idea to read all the reviews to see if your particular favorite food is something people have had trouble processing with this particular machine.

It seems that all food processors have their strengths and weaknesses. Our main purpose for the machine is processing veggies, and it's working just fine so far. And, its small enough to hide away when not in use.

Finally, the three cup bowl is great for doing small jobs. That was one of the reasons we chose this machine.