Cuisinart have been making kitchen appliances for many years now, and they also have a range of food processors. One of their most popular food processors is the DLC-2011CHB, which comes with a shredding blade so it is capable of grating cheese. So how well does it manage to do this? Lets take a closer at this machine below.
Product Features:
When you first see the machine in person, you may be surprised that is a little smaller than it looks in photos. This is a plus in our books, as no one wants a big bulky model hogging counter space. The base of the machine is covered in a tough polished stainless, and the Cuisinart logo is on the front. This is a modern design, and we think it looks really fantastic. This particular model is also available in a plain white color, and chrome. There are also two variations of this machine, the 9 cup capacity model and the 11 cup capacity model which costs a little more. They are essentially the same, except the larger model has a bigger work bowl. The construction of the machine is very sturdy, and it feels very well made. All of the parts fit together with a very satisfying “click”, and are very easy to undo and pull apart.
The working bowl is made from a virtually shatterproof material, and the feeding chute is a super wide variety. This is the largest feeding chute we have seen, which means you can fit entire blocks of cheese in there if they are small enough. Whole vegetables such as tomatoes and potatoes will also fit in there without any problem, so there is often no need at all to slice up any food prior to shredding or slicing it. There are two main presets on this machine, which are on and pulse. These are operated via the touch pad on the front of the machine. There is a little section at the back of machine where the cord can be stored away when the machine is not in use.
There are a number of accessories included with the Cuisinart electric cheese grater. There are two blades, a shredding blade and a slicing blade. These are both made out of heavy duty stainless steel, and feel very strong to the touch. There are weights on the underside of both these discs which help to make sure they are properly balanced when in use. Connecting them to the main shaft is very simple, and this is done using the disc stem. Also included are the dough blades and the standard chopping blade. Some nice little extras included are a plastic spatula, the recipe guide and an instructional dvd which covers everything related to the usage of the machine. Overall it is a really nice package, and the little extras such as the instructional dvd really help to set it apart from the competition.
Now all those lovely features are a bit wasted if the performance of the machine is sub-par. So how well does it work? The answer is very well. The Cuisinart can handle big blocks of cheese with ease. The DLC-2011CHB can do a whole block of cheese in a matter of seconds thanks to the powerful motor. We tested it with a variety of cheese including hard parmesan, and softer mozzarella and the machine managed to slice through them all without breaking a sweat. The fact that you pop big chunks of cheese straight into the chute is a major timesaver, and this is a big advantage of the machine. After all who wants to chop up their cheese before shredding it, when you can skip that step altogether? For those of you who like finely grated cheese, you can also buy a fine shredding disc. There are also a variety of different sized slicing discs you can purchase, so keep an eye out for these if you intend to shred or slice other kinds of food.
Clearly cheese was no match for this machine, so we switched over to the slicer blade to give that a very quick run. We gave it a quick test with a tomato, which shot through into perfect slices. After that we got a cucumber, which seemed to get sliced up even faster this time. Lastly we switched over to the chopping blade and chucked in an onion. We gave it a few pulses, and were left with lovely chopped onion in a few short seconds.
Cleaning up the machine is very quick and easy, as all the parts can be quickly taken apart and hand washed. All the removable parts are also dishwasher safe. The warranty on the Cuisinart DLC-2011CHB is also worth mentioning, as it is one of the longest ones we have seen which definitely inspires confidence in this machine. There is a limited 3 year warranty on the various parts of the machine, while the motor has a limited 10 year warranty. This is much more than the normal 1 year warranty offered by most other manufacturers. The price tends to vary from place to place. We aren’t sure what the retail price is, but it seems to be around $190 or so. It may seem a little pricey, but if you want a decent quality grater then you won’t find a better one than this. With over 500 5-star user reviews on Amazon, we certainly aren’t alone in loving this model.
Pros:
- Great modern design
- Very well made
- Large 11 cup capacity
- Large chute which fits blocks of cheese or whole vegetables
- Nice recipe guide & dvd included
- Hidden cord storage
- Very powerful
- Easy to clean (dishwasher friendly)
- Longer than normal warranty
- Extra blades are available for purchase
Cons:
- May be a little pricey
Summary:
The Cuisinart 2011-CHB is a fantastic food processor, and shreds cheese in no time. The large chute means you often won’t need to chop up the cheese first, and it looks great in any kitchen. It is easy to clean, and comes with a few nice extras. This is certainly one of the best cheese grater models we have seen, and it could even be used as a heavy duty cheese grater. At the time of writing this model was on sale on Amazon at a heavily discounted price. You can check to see if it is still on sale at that discounted price over here.
Our Rating: |
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4.5 |