Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4-cup Food Processor – My Experience!
I bought the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4-cup Food Processor about six months ago as a replacement for a cheap 2 cup chopper. It was an amazing upgrade! I went from being able to chop carrots with much difficulty, to easily chopping up all kinds of food, and I even make smoothies and milkshakes with it!
It is my favorite kitchen gadget. I use it on an almost daily basis and often use it instead of my blender!
It’s also easy to clean (a BIG plus)!
The following models of this 4 cup food processor are similar and most of what I say would apply to any of these: Cuisinart DLC-4CHB, Cuisinart CGC-4BCPC
Buy the 4-Cup Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor – Don’t settle for a 2 or 3 cup one.
I’m so glad that I bought the 4 cup one. It’s big enough to make a decent size smoothie or milkshake, something I couldn’t do with a smaller food processor. I didn’t buy this intending for it to replace my blender, but for personal size drinks, it has done just that. It does fine with frozen berries and partially frozen fruits. This food processor is not designed to chop frozen foods or ice. According to the manual, I should be thawing the berries first.
Things I’ve Chopped with This – Just about everything!
- Carrots – They chop easily. I’ve chopped whole baby carrots in seconds. No problems at all!
- Frozen Berries – I’ve chopped these, and added yogurt to the chopper to make delicious frozen yogurt or a yogurt smoothie.
- Mushrooms, Pickles, and canned Veggies
- Cooked Ground Beef, Sausage, and other Meats
- Fresh Fruit and Partially Frozen Fruit
- Rolled Oats – These turn into almost like a flour, and can be added to smoothies.
- Cheddar Cheese – Easily shreds it. No more buying shredded cheeses! Now that is saving me money, as whole block cheese lasts longer than pre-shredded cheese.
- Spices – However, my coffee grinder still does better, but this chopper can process greater quantity.
How I make a Smoothie with this food processor
Yummy nutritious “real fruit smoothies”
1. I choose my fruit. Combinations I’ve tried:
Banana & Peach
Frozen Fruit Mix (Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Strawberries)
Frozen Berries – Blueberries & Raspberries
2. If I’m using frozen fruit, I partially thaw them in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
3. I put the fruit in the Cuisinart food processor and hold down the chop button for just a little while until it’s mostly chopped.
4. I add plain low fat yogurt. Sometimes I add powdered vitamin C for extra energy. If I’m using just the berries, I add honey for sweetener.
5. I chop again until smooth. It doesn’t take long!
How to Clean the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4 Cup Food Processor
Dishwasher Safe, or Easy to Wash by Hand
I try to clean it after each use so that food doesn’t dry on it.
Sometimes I put water and a drop of soap in the food processor, and then turn it on for a few seconds. This cleans up a lot of the mess.
Some foods easily rinse out. Other foods, especially greasy ones, are a little harder to clean off of it. Sometimes I use a bit of isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel and this cleans up the oils.
I use a soapy pipe cleaner to clean the hard to reach spots.
Important Links about the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4-cup
- Instruction Manual for the Cuisinate Mini-Prep Plus 4 Cup DLC-4CHB
This manual has operating techniques, troubleshooting, tips for processing food, cleaning and storage guidelines, recipes, and warranty information. - DLC-4CHB – Mini-Prep® Plus 4-Cup Food Processor – Food Processors – Parts & Accessories – Cuisi
Cuisinart Parts for Kitchen Products. Replacement bowl, cover, blade, and spatula for sale.