BLACK+DECKER FP1600B 8-Cup Meals Processor with Stainless Metal Blade, Black

Good Food Processor
This is a great food processor for most jobs. I had an earlier model from years ago that I had to dispose of when I moved into a place that turned out to be roach infested. Before I could get the roaches under control, they had taken up residence in the motor and laid eggs. I cleaned it and aired it out and could never get rid of the roach smell. I had stopped using it and the next time I moved, I disposed of it. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to buy a new one.It shreds, chops, and slices beautifully. Like a few reviewers said, some food does get stuck in the corner by the chute. I do find that in this model the food chute seems higher up so the presser doesn’t go close enough to the blade and I end up with a chunk of whatever I was processing spinning around or getting stuck in the corner by the chute. It’s a minor thing to deal with, so I’m still very pleased. It’s a great value for the price.One other thing I found odd is that the food chute in in the back of the food processor instead of the front. If you try to put the lid on so it’s in the front, it won’t engage the safety mechanism. I like the safety mechanism which prevents it from turning on until you engage the lid.The suction cups on the bottom are super strong and keep it steady.I shredded apples to put on top of a salad and they were delicious! That would make a good snack too with some raisins. It’s shreds carrots perfectly. Zucchini came out good too! It’s wonderful for folks who like to eat raw and makes the salads easier to eat without so much chewing. I used to chop up frozen banana’s too to make “banana ice cream” when I had my old one.Bon Appetite!

Why it doesn’t work for you.
I have been using this product for about six weeks and I love it. I would have given it 5 stars but the assembly instructions are poorly written causing a number of reviewers, myself included, to encounter operating problems. Fortunately, once you know the procedure, it is so simple. 1) Set bowl on base (leave lid off for now) with its handle pointed in the direction of the power buttons and handle slightly turned to the right of center – no more than half an inch. Once the bowl is in this position and firmly on the base, slide the bowl left toward the center of the two power buttons. You will notice a lip on the front of the base, just above the center between the buttons, on which the handle rests when engaged. This lip has a dot on it into which the spring lock in the bowl handle fits. Slide the bowl handle toward the lip until it engages. 2)Place the chopper blade over the center post spindle (not to be confused with the spindle attachment which accommodates the round shredder/slicer blade)in the center of the bowl. 3)Now put on the lid the same way you positioned the bowl. The food chute on the lid goes toward the back of the base and away from the handle on the bowl. Place it on the bowl a half inch or less off center to the right front. Note that there is a small locking cylinder on the underside of the lid just behind the chute. The metal pin in the top of the chopper blade fits into the lock on the lid. Make sure the chopper pin is inside the lid lock, then slide the lid toward the handle until it slips into place. You can see the spring lock depress through the clear handle of the bowl as the lid engages. Now the lid and bowl are locked onto the base.When you are finished processing, remove the lid FIRST and then the bowl by reversing the instructions. Slide less than a half inch to the left and lift. This might sound complicated but it truly isn’t. You just have to get the hang of it. Remember you must lock the bowl to the base first, then the lid and then remove in the reverse order due to the locking system design. This processor is well worth the price and has performed beautifully for me but there is something about the setup of this appliance that initially struck me as counter-intuitive. Maybe its because the bowl handle and the lid chute are opposite one another. Whatever the problem, once you know how to assemble the parts, it is a beautifully functioning machine. Please remember that you cannot remove the bowl from the base until you disengage the lid lock. You can use the slicing/shredding disc without the chopping blade by slipping the(spindle)adapter over the center post in the bowl.As mentioned by another reviewer, there is a small space between the bottom of the chute and the inside edge of the lid where food can collect. Just be sure you rinse it right after using when any remaining food can be easily dislodged with a stream of water, a stiff brush or butter knife depending upon the density of the food. This entire appliance cleans up quickly and easily with a little soap and water. And keep in mind that this is NOT a blender so I would not recommend trying to process liquids. I foolishly tried to process ingredients for a quiche and it leaked rather badly. However I have made salsa many times with no leakage so liquids combined with bulk haven’t been a problem. Just don’t let them sit too long or you will probably have leakage.As for noise,I expect any kitchen appliance with a motor to produce some sounds so it really hasn’t bothered me. It is no more offensive than the blender, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner and sometimes the washer when it is off balance. But I will tell you that I have yet to use anything other than pulse mode. This processor is crazy powerful so unless you are pureeing baby food or making a thick sauce I suggest you use the pulse button, at least until you can judge the power of the machine for your particular purpose.The suction cup feet on the base are unusually “muscular.” Don’t think you can slide this baby around your counter because you have to break a strong suction to move it. I think this is a wonderful safety feature for those with toddlers because there is no way they have the strength to pull it off a counter onto their heads. And the locking system which secures together the base, bowl and lid ensures that the bowl won’t be dislodged from the base by tiny fingers pulling on the handle.I am always searching for quality products at a great value and this B & D processor is one of my favorites. I hope my assembly instructions help but if you guys find them confusing just let me know and I will delete this post. Or maybe someone can improve my directions. I would have submitted a video review of assembly which takes about 5 seconds but can’t find my camera… A picture is worth a thousand words.For those of you who are in the market for a sturdy, powerful, simple to use, easily maintained and inexpensive processor, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one. It’s kind of like a woman, know how the parts work before you expect it to function properly.