KitchenAid KFP690NK Professional Food Processor, Brushed Nickel

This sleek appliance demonstrates why KitchenAid food processors enjoy an unsurpassed reputation. It's big: the main bowl holds 11 cups. It's powerful: a 670-watt motor guided by an electronic sensor provides smooth, consistent speed. It's remarkably easy to use: precisely fitted parts assemble and disassemble quickly, the flick of a fingertip controls the on/off and pulse switches, and a two-piece food pusher makes it easy to process herbs and other small items. It's flexible: a 9-cup chef's bowl nearly doubles the processor's capacity while permitting a second ingredient to be processed without cleaning the main bowl, and a 3-cup minibowl with its own blade fits inside the big bowl for smaller jobs.

Operating the processor is a thrill--like driving a luxury car. It measures 14-1/2 inches high, 8-3/4 inches wide, and 10-1/2 inches deep. There are no seams to trap food, making cleanup a simple matter of wiping the base and placing all parts in the dishwasher.

Included with this model is a citrus press for quickly extracting juice; a whip for egg whites and cream; a dough blade; a thin (2 millimeters), reversible disc for slicing and shredding; and medium (4 millimeters) shredding and slicing discs. All store in a transparent plastic case (10-1/2 by 7-1/2 by 7 inches). The instruction booklet is exceptionally easy to follow and includes dozens of recipes. Should the processor fail during its first year, KitchenAid's total replacement warranty guarantees delivery of another machine. Other than that unlikely eventuality, no cook would part with this processor. --Fred Brack