Bottom line
The Cuisinart Custom 14 is the better fit when a 14-cup bowl, 720-watt motor, and straightforward controls cover your prep. Choose the Breville Sous Chef 12 when three chute options, an adjustable slicer, a heavy-duty induction motor, and safety braking are worth giving up two cups of listed capacity.
Home cooks choosing between maximum bowl capacity and more controlled feeding.
Your prep jobs are mostly one onion, a few herbs, or other small quantities.
The Cuisinart Custom 14 and Breville Sous Chef 12 are both serious food processors, but their priorities differ. Cuisinart publishes a 14-cup work bowl, a 720-watt motor, a brushed stainless-steel body, and a large feed tube. Breville’s Sous Chef 12 is a 12-cup machine with a heavy-duty induction motor, three feed-chute options, an adjustable slicer, and an S-Blade system.
That leaves a useful choice between more bowl capacity with simpler controls and a more engineered prep system with multiple chute sizes and direct-drive induction. Neither is a small herb chopper; both need a permanent or at least deliberate storage plan.
Choose Cuisinart for maximum bowl capacity; choose Breville for feed-chute control
The bowl-size difference is real but not the whole decision. Cuisinart gives you the larger 14-cup work bowl and a simple control set; Breville gives you a 12-cup bowl with a more elaborate feed system and induction motor. Pick the interface and batch size that match the prep you repeat.
Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup food processor
Cuisinart makes the Custom 14 the direct, high-capacity option. The manufacturer lists a 14-cup work bowl, a 720-watt motor, brushed stainless-steel construction, and a large food tube that can handle whole fruits and vegetables for slicing and shredding. The stated functions cover chopping, shredding, slicing, and kneading dough.
The product’s appeal is that the bowl and controls do not ask you to manage many modes. Put the ingredients in, choose the standard blade or disc, and use the machine for the larger batch the 14-cup bowl makes possible. The size is still substantial, so the bowl and discs need a home even when the base is not running.
Why the extra two cups matter
- Fourteen cups give Cuisinart more headroom for coleslaw, vegetables, dough, and party-size prep before the bowl reaches its working limit. That does not make it faster in every recipe, but it can mean fewer batches for a large household.
- The trade-off is a simpler feed-tube concept than Breville’s three-chute design. If small ingredients regularly fall awkwardly through a wide opening, the Cuisinart’s capacity may be less useful than a more controlled chute.
Current guide pick
Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup
Best overall
Video: Cuisinart's own product video
Breville Sous Chef 12 food processor
Breville’s Sous Chef 12 is built around control at the lid. Breville lists three feed-chute options, an adjustable slicer, a micro-serrated S-Blade, and a heavy-duty induction motor with direct-drive control and overload protection. The system is specified with a 12-cup bowl, so it remains a large home processor while sitting below the Cuisinart’s stated capacity.
Breville also publishes a safety-braking system that rapidly stops the S-Blade if the lid is unexpectedly opened. That is a design detail rather than a reason to ignore the manual, but it shows where the Sous Chef is trying to differentiate: controlled feeding, repeatable slicing, and a more engineered motor system.
When chute options are the real upgrade
- The three feed chutes give the Sous Chef a better fit for cooks who process ingredients of different sizes without wanting a single oversized opening. The adjustable slicer also adds control when thickness matters to the dish.
- Breville is the more expensive-feeling choice in design, but the 12-cup bowl still sets a limit. If your main need is the largest possible single batch, the Cuisinart’s extra capacity is the more direct specification.
Current guide pick
Breville Sous Chef 12
Best premium pick
Video: Breville's own product video
Custom 14 and Sous Chef 12 specifications
The entries below are manufacturer-published bowl, motor, feed, and safety details; they are not claims that either processor was tested in this guide.
| Detail | Cuisinart Custom 14 | Breville Sous Chef 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Published bowl capacity | 14-cup work bowl | 12-cup work bowl |
| Published motor/design | 720W motor | Heavy-duty induction motor with direct drive and overload protection |
| Feed system | Large food tube | Three feed-chute options |
| Slicing/chopping equipment | Standard blade and slicing/shredding discs | Micro-serrated S-Blade and adjustable slicer |
| Construction or safety detail | Brushed stainless-steel body; BPA-free work bowl | Safety brake stops the S-Blade if the lid opens |
| Best practical advantage | More room for large batches | More control over feeding and slicing |
Who should buy Custom 14, and who should buy Sous Chef 12?
Choose Custom 14 for larger batches and simpler operation
Cuisinart is the sensible recommendation if your recurring jobs are big bowls of slaw, shredded cheese, chopped vegetables, or dough and you would rather have more capacity than more chute choices. Its 14-cup bowl is the clearest reason to choose it.
Choose Sous Chef 12 for controlled prep
Breville earns its place when you care about the way ingredients enter the bowl. The three feed chutes, adjustable slicer, induction motor, and safety brake suit cooks who process often and will use those controls rather than treating them as expensive decoration.
Skip both if your jobs are only small
A full-size processor is a poor value for a kitchen that only chops herbs, garlic, or one onion at a time. A compact chopper or a knife will take less space. Buy one of these machines when batch prep is frequent enough to justify the bowl and storage.
For the broader prep category, see the food processors that make prep feel less like a chore.
Questions, answered
What is the main difference between the Cuisinart Custom 14 and Breville Sous Chef 12?
Cuisinart publishes a 14-cup bowl and 720-watt motor. Breville publishes a 12-cup bowl with a heavy-duty induction motor, three feed-chute options, and an adjustable slicer.
Which food processor has the larger bowl?
The Cuisinart Custom 14 has the larger published work bowl at 14 cups. The Breville Sous Chef 12 is listed with a 12-cup bowl.
Does the Breville Sous Chef 12 have different feed chutes?
Yes. Breville lists three feed-chute options, which gives the Sous Chef a more controlled way to feed ingredients of different sizes.
Is the Cuisinart Custom 14 good for dough?
Cuisinart lists kneading dough among the Custom 14’s intended tasks. Use the current manual for ingredient limits and operating guidance.
Which processor is better for a small kitchen?
Neither is small in the way a mini chopper is small. Choose the model that will replace enough batch prep to justify storing a full-size bowl, discs, blades, and base.