Cuisinart FP-14DCN Elite 14-cup Food Processor vs Breville Sous Chef 16-cup Food Processor:
I have tried both of these machines and they both had their pros and cons and I really wrestled over the decision. I'm happy I ended up with the Cuisinart machine for numerous reasons:
1) The Cuisinart has a Dough button. The Breville does not and it just processes too hard and fast to make a decent dough with ease. Having the ability to make dough was very important to me.
2) The Cuisinart is substantially more affordable. True, it does not have the extra blades that the Breville has - French Fry, Julienne, and Whipping Disc, but I didn't think I would use those discs very often anyway. In fact, I felt the Breville did a very poor job of cutting french fries. I personally wouldn't probably use a whipping disc. The only one I might miss is the julienne disc, but I can buy that separately for the Cuisinart. The Breville really overprocessed the julienne strips anyway. It didn't do a great job.
3) I like the lid on the Cuisinart better. It's really easy to put it on and take it off (took a little bit of practice to learn how to do it right). It seals tightly and now that they have redesigned it, you can remove the rubber seal for cleaning. But there are also holes in the other plastic part of the lid that allow for water to get in and to help clean it out. So, I only occasionally feel the need to remove the ring for deeper cleaning.
4) I like the retractable cord better. The Breville had a cord which could be stowed by pushing it back into the housing, but it wasn't retractable.
5) I like the oval shape of the smaller feed chute pusher better than the round shape of the Breville
6) The Cuisinart has a higher wattaage
7) The Cuisinart has a longer warranty
8) I preferred a slightly smaller machine. 14 cup is plenty big for my purposes.
The Breville did have some things I liked better - the design was slightly more attractive, with rounded edges. Sometimes I feel the Cuisinart design is sharp on those corners - not enough to cut, but just a bit uncomfortable. And the housing isn't weighted evenly which makes it a little cumbersome to pull it out from a cabinet (the Breville was heavier but more comfortable to grab from a high spot). I thought the Breville accessory case was much nicer and seemed of higher quality and it had those extra accessories. The Breville has a taller feed chute. I feel the slicing and shredding of the two units is comparable. There might be a little bit more waste (unprocessed bits) in the Cuisinart vs the Breville, but the difference is minor (plus I like the smaller shredding of the Cuisinart better. Breville made my parmaggiano reggiano cheese too fine and powdery). In the end, Cuisinart's Dough button, affordability, and longer warranty helped make the decision between the two units and I'm very happy with that choice.
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