Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Deluxe 70575

Performance

Does a good job, but not a great one. At most kitchen tasks -- grating, slicing, chopping, grinding and making pizza dough -- its performance is merely average. It does excel at making piecrust, however. Users at Amazon.com say it handles a variety of tasks well, including shredding cheese, grating cabbage, slicing veggies and mixing dough for banana bread. They also like the French fry disc, a feature most models don't include. Laura Moser of The Wall Street Journal is less impressed with the attachment, saying it "produced some fairly ragged specimens."

Ease of use

Assembly is a snap, but might not be sealed. One professional source specifically praises its well-labeled blades and lock/unlock markings. Moser likes that the slicing/shredding disc is reversible, leaving fewer parts floating around. Owners at Amazon.com appreciate the wide feed tube and suction-cup feet, which help hold it securely in place during use. The biggest problem most reviewers have with the Big Mouth Deluxe is that spills and leakage are common. Many complain that the center hole is not nearly as deep as the processing bowl itself, leaving a gap from which liquids can escape. Reviews are split on the subject of cleanup; Amazon.com owners say it's easy, but one professional source complains that because the elaborate feed tube is not dishwasher-safe it is difficult to clean.

Durability

No complaints, but not many weighed in. However, there were only 40 reviews to analyze, so it's possible that problems may show up in a larger sample. Hamilton Beach does offer a warranty on this food processor, but it's only for 12 months.

Noise

Can be loud on its higher speed settings. Most say it's not loud enough to be a problem, and one even notes that her noise-averse preschooler isn't bothered by it. However, another user calls it the "biggest and loudest food processor I've ever seen."

Bottom line

For most cooking tasks, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Deluxe 70575 can't match the performance of pricier, top-rated machines. However, it delivers decent performance and ease of use at a hard-to-beat price. If you're willing to deal with the hassle of handling it extra carefully to avoid spills, this basic model could be a good budget pick.