Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This is the story of how the Cuisinart Food Processor went from the expensive appliance that no one thought would sell to the most desirable kitchen gadget of the 1970s.
Sources:
“New French Machine Works Magic in Kitchen,” James A. Beard, The Florida Times-Union, Sep 13, 1973
“Food Processors: How Much Are They Worth?,” Phyllis Hanes, Intelligencer Journal, Dec 18, 1975
“Revolutionary Kitchen Marvel a Cut Above Other Gadgets,” Mary Knoblauch, Chicago Tribune, Sep 20, 1976
“New Kitchen Gadget is Processor,” Helen R. Stephenson, Wall Street Journal via The Daily Item, Sep 22, 1977
“Cuisinart Shortage Whips Buyers, Sellers into Frenzy,” Carol Pucci, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Dec 18, 1977
“Carl Sontheimer’s Better Mousetrap,” James Cook, Forbes, Mar 6, 1978
“Miracle in the Kitchen, A Fortune in the Bank,” Anne Anable, The New York Times, Apr 16, 1978
“Food Processor Maker to Enter U.S. Market,” Eric Pace, The New York Times via The Spokesman-Review, Jan 7, 1981
“The Cuisinart Complex,” Forbes, Jan 5, 1981
“Food Machine Rivalry Flares,” The New York Times, Mar 7, 1981
“Cuisinart Competitor Can’t Use Its Ad,” The New York Times, Mar 12, 1981
“Food Processor War Escalates,” Floyd Norris, A.P. via Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mar 17, 1981
“Renegade Slices Food Processor King’s Turf,” Marian Burros, Washington Post via The Sacramento Bee, Apr 29, 1981
“Blade Battle,” TIME, May 18, 1981
“The Face-Off: Robot-Coupe vs. Cuisinart,” Fran Zell, Chicago Tribune, Jun 29, 1981
“Shootout in the Kitchen Corral,” Lesta Cordil, Sunday Journal News, Jun 23, 1985
“Little Oskar, Big Processor Sales,” Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, Jan 29, 1986
“Losing the Cutting Edge,” Forbes, Oct 6, 1986
Experience, Inc.: Men and Women Who Founded Famous Companies After the Age of 40, Joseph J. Fucini, 1987
“Cuisinarts, Inc. Sold to Investors,” Patricia M. Carey, Norwich Bulletin, Feb 10, 1988
“Cuisinart Bankruptcy Reflects Food Processor Competition,” Judith Blake, Seattle Times via The Sacramento Union, Sep 6, 1989
“Diced and Sliced,” Forbes, Oct 2, 1989
“Conair Buys Cuisinart Line,” The New York Times, Dec 28, 1989
“Business People: Conair Head Planning Strategy for Cuisinarts,” Anthony Ramirez, The New York Times, Jan 2, 1990
“How Cuisinart Lost Its Edge,” N.R. Kleinfield, The New York Times, Apr 15, 1990
“America at Home: A Celebration of Twentieth-Century Housewares,” Victoria Kasuba Matranga, 1997
“C.G. Sontheimer, Cuisinart Backer, Dies at 83,” Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr., The New York Times, Mar 26, 1998
“Conair Agrees to Buy Waring,” Dan Haar, Hartford Courant, Apr 14, 1998
“The Best Food Processors,” America’s Test Kitchen, Jun 29, 2024, youtube.com/watch?v=DpTffAKVM8Q&t=1s
“Cuisinart’s Buy-It-For-Life Kitchen Tool,,” Wirecutter, The New York Times, Dec 22, 2025, nytimes.com/video/smarter-living/wirecutter/100000010603836/cuisinarts-buy-it-for-life-kitchen-tool.html?smid=url-share
“Alton Brown Cooks Food | Episode 10: Gone to the Dogs,” Alton Brown, Jan 24, 2026, youtube.com/watch?v=pafXcv0N858
This is the story of how the Cuisinart Food Processor went from the expensive appliance that no one thought would sell to the most desirable kitchen gadget of the 1970s.
Sources:
“New French Machine Works Magic in Kitchen,” James A. Beard, The Florida Times-Union, Sep 13, 1973
“Food Processors: How Much Are They Worth?,” Phyllis Hanes, Intelligencer Journal, Dec 18, 1975
“Revolutionary Kitchen Marvel a Cut Above Other Gadgets,” Mary Knoblauch, Chicago Tribune, Sep 20, 1976
“New Kitchen Gadget is Processor,” Helen R. Stephenson, Wall Street Journal via The Daily Item, Sep 22, 1977
“Cuisinart Shortage Whips Buyers, Sellers into Frenzy,” Carol Pucci, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Dec 18, 1977
“Carl Sontheimer’s Better Mousetrap,” James Cook, Forbes, Mar 6, 1978
“Miracle in the Kitchen, A Fortune in the Bank,” Anne Anable, The New York Times, Apr 16, 1978
“Food Processor Maker to Enter U.S. Market,” Eric Pace, The New York Times via The Spokesman-Review, Jan 7, 1981
“The Cuisinart Complex,” Forbes, Jan 5, 1981
“Food Machine Rivalry Flares,” The New York Times, Mar 7, 1981
“Cuisinart Competitor Can’t Use Its Ad,” The New York Times, Mar 12, 1981
“Food Processor War Escalates,” Floyd Norris, A.P. via Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mar 17, 1981
“Renegade Slices Food Processor King’s Turf,” Marian Burros, Washington Post via The Sacramento Bee, Apr 29, 1981
“Blade Battle,” TIME, May 18, 1981
“The Face-Off: Robot-Coupe vs. Cuisinart,” Fran Zell, Chicago Tribune, Jun 29, 1981
“Shootout in the Kitchen Corral,” Lesta Cordil, Sunday Journal News, Jun 23, 1985
“Little Oskar, Big Processor Sales,” Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, Jan 29, 1986
“Losing the Cutting Edge,” Forbes, Oct 6, 1986
Experience, Inc.: Men and Women Who Founded Famous Companies After the Age of 40, Joseph J. Fucini, 1987
“Cuisinarts, Inc. Sold to Investors,” Patricia M. Carey, Norwich Bulletin, Feb 10, 1988
“Cuisinart Bankruptcy Reflects Food Processor Competition,” Judith Blake, Seattle Times via The Sacramento Union, Sep 6, 1989
“Diced and Sliced,” Forbes, Oct 2, 1989
“Conair Buys Cuisinart Line,” The New York Times, Dec 28, 1989
“Business People: Conair Head Planning Strategy for Cuisinarts,” Anthony Ramirez, The New York Times, Jan 2, 1990
“How Cuisinart Lost Its Edge,” N.R. Kleinfield, The New York Times, Apr 15, 1990
“America at Home: A Celebration of Twentieth-Century Housewares,” Victoria Kasuba Matranga, 1997
“C.G. Sontheimer, Cuisinart Backer, Dies at 83,” Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr., The New York Times, Mar 26, 1998
“Conair Agrees to Buy Waring,” Dan Haar, Hartford Courant, Apr 14, 1998
“The Best Food Processors,” America’s Test Kitchen, Jun 29, 2024, youtube.com/watch?v=DpTffAKVM8Q&t=1s
“Cuisinart’s Buy-It-For-Life Kitchen Tool,,” Wirecutter, The New York Times, Dec 22, 2025, nytimes.com/video/smarter-living/wirecutter/100000010603836/cuisinarts-buy-it-for-life-kitchen-tool.html?smid=url-share
“Alton Brown Cooks Food | Episode 10: Gone to the Dogs,” Alton Brown, Jan 24, 2026, youtube.com/watch?v=pafXcv0N858
