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Quick answer: Buy the Cuisinart Custom 14 (DFP-14BCNY) if you cook for a family or batch-prep, since it has the bigger bowl and stronger motor. Buy the Pro Custom 11 (DLC-8S) only if you want its 2 mm slicing disc and included dough blade and can find one in stock.
Check Custom 14 Price on Amazon
Check Pro Custom 11 Price on Amazon
Custom 14 vs Pro Custom 11: Specs at a Glance
Highlighted rows show where the two products differ.
Warranty terms and box contents come from retailer listings and can differ by seller, so confirm them before you buy.
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
Capacity and power
The Custom 14 is the larger machine in both senses: 14 cups against 11, and 720 watts against 625. Three extra cups is the difference between one batch and two when you are slicing vegetables for a crowd or shredding a block of cheese for the week. The 11-cup is still roomy for a typical family meal. If your counter or storage is tight, the height difference is negligible, so size alone won’t push you toward the smaller machine.
Winner: Custom 14
Discs and blades in the box
Here the 11-cup gives you more. The DLC-8S listing at Bakedeco includes a chopping blade, a dough blade, a medium shredding disc and both 4 mm and 2 mm slicing discs. Abt’s listing for the Custom 14 has the chopping blade, the 4 mm disc and the medium shredding disc, with no dough blade, and TechGearLab confirms its test unit lacked one. If you want very thin slices or a dedicated dough blade straight away, the Pro Custom 11 is better equipped.
Winner: Pro Custom 11
Dough and heavier jobs
A dough blade isn’t everything. TechGearLab found the Custom 14 was its fastest machine at making pizza dough using the regular chopping blade, and it handled the work without strain. The reviewers were less pleased with pie crust, which threw flour around the bowl. The Pro Custom 11 has a dedicated dough blade, but it has less power and a smaller bowl, and we did not find a comparable dough test for it, so we can’t say it does better in practice.
Winner: Tie
Noise and everyday use
TechGearLab measured the Custom 14 at 61.5 dB from three feet, the quietest of the models it tested, with others ranging from about 80 to 96 dB. It also had the largest feed tube in that group and fit even big tomatoes whole. Cleanup is easy overall, since the bowl, lid, blades and discs go in the dishwasher, though reviewers said the short blade shaft is awkward to clean around. We found no equivalent noise data for the 11-cup, so this result covers only the 14-cup.
Winner: Custom 14, on available data
Availability
Check stock before you decide. Cuisinart’s site labels at least one 11-cup variant, the DLC-8SBCY, as discontinued, and other 11-cup listings are out of stock at some retailers, while Bakedeco still showed the DLC-8S as in stock when we checked. The Custom 14 remained listed at Abt at the time of writing. If the 11-cup model you want shows only third-party sellers, confirm the warranty is valid, or simply buy the 14-cup instead.
Winner: Custom 14
Winner by Category
Who Should Buy Which?
Buy the Custom 14 if:
- You cook for four or more or batch-prep weekly
- You want the stronger 720 W motor
- You want a machine TechGearLab measured at just 61.5 dB
- You want a model that is still widely sold
Check Custom 14 Price on Amazon
Buy the Pro Custom 11 if:
- You want a dedicated dough blade in the box
- You want a 2 mm disc for thin slices
- An 11-cup bowl covers your usual batches
- You find a new unit with a manufacturer warranty
Check Pro Custom 11 Price on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Custom 14 come with a dough blade?
Abt’s accessory list does not show one, and TechGearLab said its test unit had none, but listings vary, so check the box contents. Reviewers made pizza dough successfully with the chopping blade.
Is the 11-cup Cuisinart discontinued?
Cuisinart labels the DLC-8SBCY page as discontinued, but the DLC-8S was still listed as in stock at Bakedeco when we checked. Availability depends on the exact model number.
How tall are these food processors?
Both are close: 14.8 inches for the Custom 14 and 14.5 inches for the Pro Custom 11, so check your cabinet clearance with either one.
Are the parts dishwasher safe?
Abt lists all Custom 14 parts except the motor base as dishwasher safe, and TechGearLab recommends the top rack. We could not confirm the same for the 11-cup.
Final Verdict
The Cuisinart Custom 14 is the better choice for most buyers. It gives you more capacity and more power, tested quietly in TechGearLab’s review, and it is the easier of the two to find new. The Pro Custom 11 only makes sense if you specifically want its extra disc and dough blade and can buy one new with a warranty.