Magimix 4200XL

The pricey French Magimix 4200XL handles most any food processing task with relative ease in tests -- even tricky jobs like chopping parsley and kneading bread dough. It purees well, too, although testers say its big 14-cup bowl can't be filled very full without leaking (a common failing of all food processors). Experts and owners are impressed with its heavy-duty build, stability on the countertop and long, 12-year motor warranty. They say it's also quieter than some other processors -- more of a low hum than a high-pitched whine. It has a wide-mouth feed tube that can handle big, whole vegetables, plus a narrower insert to handle bunches of carrots and the like. Some testers find the tube assemblies tend to trap bits of food and can be hard to clean, and their height can make the Magimix difficult to store. It comes with 6-, 12- and 14-cup bowls (you can't use the little bowls without putting them inside the big bowl, which some testers find fussy), plus a bunch of attachments: two cutting blades to fit the different-sized bowls, fine and coarse grating disks, fine and coarse slicing disks, a dough blade, a blender mix attachment, egg whisk, spatula and a storage case to hold them. Reviewers say the slew of attachments somewhat justifies the steep price, but the Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus DLC-2011CHB (*Est. $165) works just as well or better in tests.

KitchenAudition.com publishes an incredibly comprehensive test of the Magimix 4200XL, critiquing every possible aspect of its performance. Which? magazine, a British publication similar to ConsumerReports.org, also thoroughly tests the Magimix 4200XL and rates it against other food processors. The Wall Street Journal also reviews this food processor, as do customers at Williams-Sonoma.com, where it is sold.