Cuisinart FP-5 Chop & Shred Food Processor Review

The reversible disc is the reason to pick this machine over a plain mini chopper. It cuts fine and medium shreds, which covers cheese, carrots, zucchini and anything else you would grate by hand. Chill firm cheese before shredding it, use the pusher, and press lightly on soft cheese and firmly on hard.

Chopping and pureeing

The universal stainless-steel blade handles onions, garlic, herbs, nuts, breadcrumbs, dips, hummus, salsa and pesto. Cut food into even pieces of about half an inch, pulse in short bursts, and scrape the bowl down for an even result.

Small-batch dough

White bread and pizza dough are made with the universal blade, up to 1½ cups of flour. There is no separate dough blade, and the universal blade does the job within that ceiling.

A small footprint

The base measures 7.9 inches deep and 5.91 inches wide and weighs 6.99 lb, so it tucks into a corner or a cupboard between uses. The bowl has an ergonomic handle, and the wide-mouth feed tube takes most pieces without pre-cutting.

Simple controls and easy cleaning

Two paddles do everything. ON runs the motor until you stop it, and PULSE/OFF runs only while you hold it, so there are no numbered speeds to learn. The removable parts are dishwasher-safe on the top rack only, and the base wipes clean and is never immersed.

Build and backup

The blade is stainless steel, an interlock keeps the motor off unless the bowl and cover are locked, and a thermal breaker cuts the power if the motor overheats. The warranty is a limited 3 years. The shredding disc, the compact size and that warranty are what justify choosing this machine.

The FP-5 shreds but it does not slice. There is no slicing disc, so cucumber rounds, potato slices and apple wedges are out. This is the disappointment that two buyers mention, and it is worth settling before you order.

Five cups is the bowl, not the batch

The manual sets working maximums for each job, and they are well under the headline number. Plan on about 4 cups of shredded fruit, vegetables or cheese, 2 cups of chopped fruit or vegetables, 1½ cups of chopped cheese, 3 cups of cooked puree (1½ cups once pureed), ¾ lb of chopped or pureed meat or fish, 1 cup of thin liquid, 1½ cups of nuts for nut butter and 1½ cups of flour for dough.

The dough ceiling

Never push past 1½ cups of flour. This is a small-batch machine, not a bread machine, and the motor and bowl are sized for one pizza or one small loaf.

Height

Assembled, the machine stands 13.31 inches tall, which is taller than a 5-cup processor sounds. Measure your cabinet clearance and your appliance garage before buying, and do not run it under a wall cabinet or inside an appliance garage.

One disc only

The single disc gives fine and medium shred. There is no coarse shred, no julienne and no slicing, so check that the cuts you cook with most are covered.

The thermal breaker

If the motor overheats it stops on its own. Unplug it and let it cool, about 10 minutes in most cases and longer in extreme ones. Treat this as a safety feature rather than a fault.

Cleaning and storage details

Dishwasher-safe means top rack only, and the bowl is not microwave-safe. The cord stores in the base but does not retract, so a short length stays out. A small motor like this one has a higher-pitched note, which is normal at this size.

Power and durability

The product sheet lists 300 W at 120 V. Buyers on Amazon most often praise the motor's power for the size, along with the compact design and how easy the machine is to clean. They are divided on durability, with some finding it sturdy and others flimsy, and the 3-year warranty is the backstop if something goes wrong.