Thermomix

Lacehim

On Monday I joined the Thermomix cult!   http://www.thermomix.com.au/

I have to admit to not having heard of this thing until my neighbour bought one and had a "demo".  I admit I thought she was bonkers buying one because I couldn't believe one applicance could do some much,  but after seeing it in action I was seriously impressed.  It was also extreamly easy to clean!

So on Monday I put an order in.  Not cheap I admit ($1939 outright) but I can see myself using it on a daily basis.  At the moment I find cooking dinner, and juggling the kids (homework and therapy stuff) a bit tough.  Some things you can't wander off and leave because you have to keep stirring it.  Then you end up with a big pile of dishes afterwards, which I end up doing aswell because quote "you know how do stack the dishwasher better!!!"  :pan  Hopefully those days are over!

Anyway I'm looking forward to it and can't wait to start making a lot of things from scratch instead of pulling out the packets of stuff to cook.

I'll keep you updated.  I'll also be hosting my own demo in the near future so if your interested in seeing one in action, let me know and I'll invite you along.

JamesM

I have one, and use it daily.. I have two young kids (3 and 5yo) and find it great for my family. I recommend regularly making the 'stocks' which are in the everday cook book. The "ragu" recipe is great for spag bog and as a base for other things (like some pies, etc) the pizza base recipe is great, not just for pizza, but for scrolls, bacon buns, etc. make sure you get in recipecommunity.com.au too, loads on there! here is my iced coffee (milk) recipe: 2 tspn raw sugar, mill for 10 sec on speed 10 get your fave glass, add 3/4 ice blocks, and top to brim with whole milk, add to thermie run off a shot of your fave spro, pour it in the thermie blitz for 30 sec on speed 9. it will come out creamy and delish. have fun!

Lacehim

Great to hear that someone else has one on here. I've got young kids too, and find it hard to balance cooking vs helping/playing with them. I also found an unofficial thermomix forum, which has heaps of recipes too!  http://www.forumthermomix.com/ I will be getting mine tomorrow morning!  Can't wait I'm so excited.  I'll give that iced coffee a go too!

Lacehim

Just made myself an iced coffee!  Very nice, thanks for posting it up!  I'm tempted to have another one after such a hot day!

Kelsey

I've entered a competition to win one. Can't justify or afford the $2K right now, but jeez it'd be good for kids meals.

UNM

I am sure I must be missing something. What benefit does a $2k thermomix  have over a magimix or blender for making  iced coffee? I can see  some circumstances others might get value from a heat/stir appliance, but as I already have a perfectly serviceable spouse and actually enjoy hands on cooking when possible, I doubt it would add any value to my life. So, thermomix owners, persuade me. What would it do for me?

Lacehim

The Thermomix blends, minces, heats/cooks and weighs all in one.  I've just sold my mixer and blender for about $500 on gumtree, so I now have empty cupboards, and the Thermomix is much easier to clean! I agree, if you have a spouse that likes the hands on cooking you might not see the benefit of one, but they are great for dishes that require stirring, because it does the stirring for you.  It kneads dough etc.  They are used in some commercial kitchens too! I just made icecream in mine in 5 mins.  All I did was put the ingredients in and 80C for 5 mins, speed 4.  Done, I didn't have to watch it or even be in the kitchen, poured into a bowl, and freeze.  Kids love it and I know what's in it, and it's cheaper than bought icecream! I didn't' take much interest in food when I was younger, and I lack a lot of the skills my wife has with cooking, but we role reversed, and I'm now "The Minister for House and Home Affairs", and cooking was a task I didn't enjoy especially when you also looking after the kids!  The Thermomix makes lightwork of lots of chopping, and cooking, and I'm actually enjoying making and baking now. I was very negative towards the product before seeing a demo, so if your interested in knowing more book a demo, or get a few friends together and host one.  Someone comes and cooks 6/7 things over 2 hours, no obligation to buy.  They don't harass you either!

UNM

Lacehim - doesn't persuade me, but you do make some useful points. Ta.

Koffee_Kosmo

Its the first time that I have heard of the Thermomix I did a search ? and some online sites have them for $1400 Good luck with your new machine I am sure the reason for the price is longevity and quality build KK

Lacehim

They aren't cheap KK, $1900, but the sales and support is very good in Australia. I've been impressed so far, and I like the fact that there is less washing up, and more time spent with the kiddies!

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1359696654:

They aren't cheap KK, $1900, but the sales and support is very good in Australia. I've been impressed so far, and I like the fact that there is less washing up, and more time spent with the kiddies!

The greatest savings are the ones you don't factor in e.g. Time , water savings at wash up, less waste of ingrediants and it will work great for years KK

shape_shifter

:rofl: Lacehim you sound like an advertisement. One of my friends friend is an on seller for them and she kept on and on at me to have a party or come to her place.  I don't cook well and OH wouldn't pay that much for something we can do with everything else we have.

UNM

Slightly off topic, but I saw one of those antique style tin signs a while back that had a young woman's smiling face and the  words ' If it  fits in a toaster, I can cook it'. Presumably she did not  see the need of a thermomix either.

Lacehim

on 1359776325:

:rofl: Lacehim you sound like an advertisement.

Probably do SS, but I just can't believe how good this machine is.  The engineer in me just likes the fact that it does so many things in one but I was very sceptical before I went to the demo. I didn't know how to cook until about 2/3 years ago and I wasn't at all interested in food before I became a house hubby.  I've got more interesting in cooking out of necessity really, I've found it's spurred me on to thinking about food more, what goes into our food etc instead of buying packet stuff that contains god knows what.  I also find that we throw out a lot of food, so using vegies that would otherwise end up in the bin, I will make stocks, sauces etc.  I've also culled the pantry because I found that many things can be made from basic ingredients.  You don't need a Thermomix to do most of them, but I've learned a fair bit from the info on the web (great community behind this product) and from the basic cook book you get with it. I just buy plainflour and make my own selfraising flour now. Raw sugar, 6 secs into icing sugar Buy block cheese, grated in secs which is cheaper I've made my own vegetable stock concentrate (lasts 6months in the fridge!) I do my pizza sauce is it, my dough too (as you know I have a woodfired oven) I will also mince meats as needed (but I do have a lovely butcher who looks after me) I've been making the kids cookies for school, custard, icecream, bread, risotto, white sauce, macaroni cheese (kids inhale that), steaming rise, steaming chicken.  It's replaced 3 items in my cupboards, 2 have been sold already. I hadn't even heard of this machine until Christmas.  My neighbour bought one.  Ask me what I think in 6 months time, I think that will be interesting!  At the moment I'm enjoying the ride! Anyway back to sipping on the lovely homemade lemonade I just made in my Thermomix!

JamesM

the biggest thing for us is the no preservatives. We know exactly what is going in each meal. Things are made from scratch, eg. spices can be milled fresh from seeds/raw rather than bought in packs, same for sauces, stocks, etc. make icing sugar by milling raw sugar, in 10 seconds. Make butter, ice cream, yoghurt, dough/bread. It's also a steam oven. go and price up a steam oven. I've cooked whole chook's, lamb, beef, fish. Chilli muscles in under 10 min Its expensive but it's been great for us and is used every day, often more than once too

Koffee_Kosmo

Hate appliences that we use because they are popular at that time and after a brief period they get placed in the back of the cupboard for 20 + years So I am glad to read in your post that its a daily use on the Thermomix KK

conikal

on 1359964259:

Hate appliences that we use because they are popular at that time and after a brief period they get placed in the back of the cupboard for 20 + years So I am glad to read in your post that its a daily use on the Thermomix KK

I cannot imagine life in the kitchen without a microwave oven ! Thermomix sounds good .......but can it roast coffee ? :stir

Koffee_Kosmo

I have a question Can it handle large meals to feed 6 adults ? KK

Kelsey

on 1359964763:

I cannot imagine life in the kitchen without a microwave oven ! Thermomix sounds good .......but can it roast coffee ? :stir

I asked this question at the demo I went to a month or so ago - it tops out well below the temperatures needed to roast coffee. They do claim it can grind it however, and given how consistently and finely it powered the sugar I have no doubt - if you wanted fines so small it'd completely choke your machine!

Lacehim

on 1359965203:

I have a question Can it handle large meals to feed 6 adults ?

Probably more like 4 Adults KK for the meals, but it's great for making sauces while you boil the pasta on the stove etc.  We have 2 adults and 2 little sparrows, and my wife usually takes some to work the next day, and my little ones takes some to school. There is a recipe in the book for making a latte (with instant :stir ) but I don't think I will be going down that road. Today I made fresh pasta, and then cooked a ragu in the thermomix, pasta took a few minutes to cook near the end, and it was lovely.  Washing up was minimal, I just rinsed the jug and it was clean again! I'm going to try to make my own butter tomorrow, and use that to make cheese scones.   You can use the buttermilk in the recipe too.  Made mayo at the weekend, turn out great and the lemonade is to die for.  Great for a hot day!

JamesM

that ragu recipe is a great base for many things, including pie fillings, with small adjustments. I add sultanas, peas, and chopped up broc Sometimes I won't cook a whole meal in it, I'll just use it for certain tasks that you'd normally use a different appliance for, like grating cheese, mashing potato, chopping a coleslaw, milling and toasting herbs/spices. I make things like this regularly and just throw em in the freezer for work lunches. Saves me an absolute fortune. If I spend an average of $15/day on work lunches, and do the math, it turn's out I can afford a Thermomix after 26 weeks of buying lunch, and that's just me, my wife would easily spend that also at work. Starting to sound like a sales person, hah! I just love it I spose...

Lacehim

I've put together a website to post all the recipes that I'm making or using.  There's so many out there I find I can easily lose them, or friends asking me for a copy, so it will be a great place to store them all, and share. I hope to get a few videos up there later, and some handy hints and tips that I get given all the time by our consultant. The website is www.thermoman.info if anyone is interested.   I'm sure Kelsey can put my website skills to shame, but the template has potential and I just need to fiddle, and keep uploading content.  It will build over time I'm sure.

Bottom Line

Argghh... Mine stopped working. The motor wouldn't turn. Why? The motor has a cooling fan at it's base. The inlets are very close to whatever surface the Thermomix sits on. Dumb design.... Particularly because of the hole at rear of where the bowl sits in would direct liquid spills there. Some liquid hot chocolate was spilt on the surface and got sucked up into the fan. Due to heat all the fat dissipated and the choco became like candy. Pulled apart, repeatedly soaked just the base of the motor where only the plastic fan is in hot water and sat for a few days to dry out. Working again. So keep the surface clean! And stop immediately if you do spill something.

Koffee_Kosmo

That name Vorwerk is farmiliar I have a vacuum cleaner from the same company KK

Lacehim

They make quite a few things KK. Thanks for the heads up BL.  I'm a messy cook so I will keep an eye on that I think!  Usually if it's all going everywhere I stop and mop up.  Maybe you need a new seal for the lid?  I remember reading the manual is said it will need replacing now and again. Still love mine.  I've made butter today, spreadable butter, and burger buns. 

Moon

on 1359964763:

I cannot imagine life in the kitchen without a microwave oven ! Thermomix sounds good .......but can it roast coffee ? :stir

Good point conical. Costs a little more than than a Ponte Vecchio Lusso Coffee machine and a Compak grinder. Hmm? .. if you haven't got either .. and have to choose ... that's a real tough one? Perhaps the coffee gear might just have the edge there?  :rofl:

Kevohere

Sounds like conikal's toughest choice would be the microwave. I haven't had a kitchen use for a microwave for at least 10 years now. I much prefer the taste of "cooked" food. Removed the special-built micro shelf to fit the Strega!  :coffee2: I have seen the Thermomix in action, but I couldn't justify the cost at the time and like the more relaxed, manual food preparation/process. Just as with making good coffee I prefer the "manual" approach for most things over automated.  :P