Braun K650 CombiMax Food Processor 600 Watts

Comment: We've started cooking more, so have been exploring new methods and tools. We bought this based on the reviews here, and have found the Braun K650 a very useful tool in the kitchen. It shines at vegetable prep, of course, and has had plenty of power for everything we've thrown at it, from shredding cabbage to chopping onions and carrots to making chicken liver pate. Ease of use is outstanding, as is cleanup. Thanks for the heads-up, previous reviewers.

A light touch-up with a fine sharpening stone (well, ceramic in this case) improves the performance of the blades noticeably.

Purchased the adjustable slicer and holder; nifty gadget and takes care of all slicing chores. The original slicing blade yielded a very thin slice.

Comment: This was my first food processor purchase and I wanted one with the most number of features and hassle free controls. After reading numerous reviews about different brands of food processors, I decided to purchase the K-650 because of its good reviews and the speed control feature that was not available in any other kind of food processor. It's been only a week since I've started using the K-650 but I'm pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of its performance. I've used it for the chopping, slicing, shredding and dough making functions so far and have found the machine to be quiet and amazingly effective in what it does. The variable speed feature is a brilliant way to minutely control how you want your end product to look like and wonder why other food processors have not incorporated that in their design. I've used the course shredding feature for a big cabbage head to make slaw and got done with shredding in a couple of minutes. The 9 cup bowl is a good size and has a light gray tint to it which masks scratches on the inside of the bowl that may occur due to usage. I've not put this in the dishwasher yet and will probably refrain from doing that after reading a recent review about lid warping problems in the dishwasher. However, I do recommend using a spatula to pour materials out of the bowl and also a soft-sponge kind of scour pad to clean the bowl since I scratched mine during the very first wash using a regular scotch brite pad. That said, the bowl itself is very easy to clean.

The base is quite light and not obnoxiously big. It can be easily stored away if you don't like too many pieces of equipment on your kitchen counter like me. The bowl and lid are very easy to click close and mount on the base which makes KA and CA food processor locking functions look elaborate, unnecessary and akin to a safety deposit box.

The juicer insert is an added beneficial feature not available in most food processors and although I generally drink juice out of a carton, this machine inspires me to make my own, especially in summer when citrus fruits are abundantly available. I am ordering the adjustable insert carrier and the course slicing insert since the thin slicer provided with the machine definitely slices too thin. As many reviewers have already mentioned, the K-650 does not look as snazzy as the other variety of food processor but it beats them by its functionality hands-down. Although it did not match any of the other equipment in my kitchen, I chose to spend money on a machine that works than one that just looks good. I wish Braun reads these reviews and decides to manufacture this product for US customers again, they're sure to have a good market for it if advertising is done right.

Paid $158 with shipping for this to a third party vendor through Amazon on June 27, 2010.

Comment: I think this food processor is discontinued but there are a couple of things that I would have liked to know before I bought this. The manual says that it is dishwasher safe but we stuck it in the dishwasher and it warped the lid so that it wouldn't go on anymore. I called customer care who blamed it on the dishwasher but let off when I pointed out that the manual says that it is dishwasher safe. They don't stock replacement parts so they had to be ordered from [...] on my dime and then they reimbursed me. It worked out really quickly but I wish they could have just sent me a replacement.

All that said I would recommend air dry in the dishwasher!

Comment: After having lived overseas for many years I was familiar with this brand. I highly recommend this machine. I have put it through its paces many times and never encountered a problem. The price is right and the quality can't be beat.

Comment: The Braun doesn't match anything in my kitchen, but it is a beast at what it does best: process food. I love all the included blades, the juicer, the ability to vary speeds in addition to the obligatory Pulse button. Anything gets chopped, sliced, grated, whisked, juiced &etc in a jiffy. It's not too big of a pain to clean. The feeder tube can handle most items without needing to cut the object. I also like that it has a visual key on the front to help processor newbies like me to determine the best speeds and accessories to use for which item. I could have gotten a KA whose form best matched my kitchen, but I'm glad I chose the best functional processor instead.