Should I Buy a Thermomix?

To outlay big bucks and buy a Thermomix or to resist the temptation? Will I really use it? Will it change the way I cook? Will it be worth it? These are questions I hear all the time and which I myself pondered for over a year. I read what seemed like thousands of blog posts and forums on the topic, and I bugged my friends who owned one with lots of questions. For those who don't know, a Thermomix is billed as an all-in-one kitchen - it can chop, beat, mix, emulsify, mill, knead, blend, cook, stir, steam, weigh and melt. Pretty amazing.

My Thermomix

In mid-February, we (my husband and I) took the plunge and bought one. I haven't regretted it in the least and I use my Thermomix almost every day for one thing or another, even if it's just to boil eggs in the morning! This may seem crazy when I can just boil eggs on the stove, but I will tell you why I love it...and why I'm also not shoving it down people's throat! Despite my plethora of social media posts about my machine and the food it has produced, I'm not a consultant and I understand it's not for everyone.

I know people who have bought one and love it to death, people who use theirs occasionally but don't rave about it and people who have bought one and then sold it because they just weren't using it at all. My advice to anyone who does buy one is give it a chance. I set myself a challenge to use it every day for the first month (see video at end of post) and it certainly helped me get familiar with the machine and its functions.

Everything that a Thermomix can do can also be done using other kitchen equipment. Life won't end if you don't own one. However, for myself, the main attraction is the speed with which it can do things and the ease with which it does things. The time when I need to prepare dinner is taken up with children's sporting activities, homework, shower time for the boys and so forth - sometimes being able to make a great meal in half an hour is a blessing. Plus I'm not an overly ambitious cook - prior to owning a Thermomix, I never made my own custard and I certainly never made choux pastry! I love the fact that I can throw ingredients in, push a few buttons and let it cook away without the need to stir. It beeps when it's done :) I also love the in-built weighing function that allows me to weigh ingredients as I go without having to use extra measuring cups and spoons. I'm all for gadgets that make my life less complicated!

Some of the food I've made using my Thermomix - Clockwise from top left: Soft boiled egg, spaghetti marinara,
chocolate custard cannoli and profiteroles and finally sausage rolls.

The Thermomix isn't exclusively for those who are brilliant cooks nor for those who are hopeless cooks. If you're an average cook, it helps you make things you probably wouldn't have made before (quickly and easily) and if you're a professional chef, the Thermomix acts like your very own apprentice in the kitchen. You may have noticed Thermomixes on the benches of contestants in this year's Masterchef television series - both George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan, along with a host of other chefs, have been using them in their professional restaurant kitchens for years. Whilst the Thermomix may appear a fad to some, it has actually been around since 1970 globally and since 2001 in Australia!

I don't use my Thermomix for absolutely every meal and I haven't thrown out every other kitchen appliance. Since buying it, I have not used my steamer, cake mixer, juicer or food processor - however I still prefer to make rice in my rice maker. There are plenty of great recipes for the Thermomix and it's just a matter of working out which you like cooked in there and which you prefer to make by traditional methods. Everyone is different.

One last thing - many traditional recipes can be converted to Thermomix recipes and vice versa. This blog will feature a mixture of both because I still cook both ways. Wherever possible, I will try and include both methods. Below is a very short video of some of the food and drinks I made in the first 30 days of owing my Thermomix! Incidentally, unlike many others, I have not given my Thermomix a pet name!

 

Do you own a Thermomix or do you want one?

What has your experience with the Thermomix been?