Is a Thermomix really worth £900?

[TheToadLessTravelled]

I want the ultimate kitchen gadget so I can get rid of all our blenders, juicer etc and expand my cooking gadget repertoire while saving space in our tiny kitchen.

I was just reading about the Thermomix which supposedly blends, juices, cooks, kneads etc etc etc.

Does anyone have one, and is it really as good as it sounds?

And more to the point is it worth £900?

[Iheartpasties]

Oh, I'm gunna lurk coz I am so curious about this machine. they seem to use it on Masterchef australia, but dunno if it's any good.

[MousyMouse]

it is good if you use it a lot. it is a heavy duty mashine that would last a long time, compared to a cheap(ish) food processor.
my sister has one and loves it, but she is at home a lot and cooks a lot for a large family.

[MoreBeta]

They do sound fantastic but just bought a 650 Watt low end Magimix 3200 with 3 bowls, dough hook, 2 blades, 2 grater/slicers and an egg/cream whisk for £180.

Is it really worth £900 for the extra features?

[Lougle]

MoreBeta, the thermomix also cooks the food.

I know someone who has one. I have to say it is amazing. But I couldn't spend £900 on a gadget.

[MousyMouse]

it really depends on what you do.
I bake bread a lot, so would invest rather in a gadget that can handle bread dough.

[MoreBeta]

Lougle/Mousy - thats the thing. I just effortlessly made two really good bread loaves by mixing and rising the dough in a breadmaker that cost £80 and then baking in loaf tins.

The thermomix really is a super machine but for half the price you can buy a a good food processor, breadmaker, electronic weigh scale, good pans and utensils and cook loads of different dishes all at the same time - whereas that machine weighs, processes, cooks just one thing at a time.

If it came down to say £250 I might well buy one.

[shinyblackgrape]

Hmmmm......lurking. My cousin has a thermomix and a bit of me think they sound fab. She has been encouraging me to get one in prep for first DC arriving and weaning etc. however, I have a fab and very powerful magimix with a teeny weeny bowl attachment which I was planning to use.

So, not sure. Think it will just take up room on the work surface and I won't use it enough!!

[fivepies]

Buy one!! We've had ours for about 4 years now and love it, love it. It seems like a big outlay, it's not cheap. But it has lasted really well. The blades are still sharp, it works perfectly despite heavy use. Proper German engineering! The only thing we've replaced is the plastic cap (part of the lid) - our fault, we cracked it. It's very easy to get replacement parts from Thermomix.
Ours gets used all the time and we wouldn't be without it now.

[MoreBeta]

shinyblack - believe me. When your first DC arrives, it will drink milk for a while and when it starts eating then jars of Hipp Organic straight out of the fridge (and warmed in a microwave if necessary) will be your first choice every time over getting out the thermomix.

[shinyblackgrape]

more - that seems more my style ! I was too embarrassed to admit to cousin that I actually planned just to squirt Ella's purees straight in to baby's mouth!

[ChunkyPickle]

Does anyone know how it compares to the Kenwood Cook Chef? I have a soft spot for Kenwoods as my mum's has been going strong for 35 years now.

[PoppyAmex]

Oh I'm very curious about this too.

Mum just told me that apparently "everybody" has one in Spain and Portugal and it features in every single wedding registry.

I have a Kitchen Aid, would it still be worth it?

[MoreBeta]

I have never had a food mixer. Only a Magimix food processor. I do all my cake mixes in it and bread by hand or in a breadmaker. Food mixer I would sort of like in my heart but in my head I know it would be big and sit on the side kitchen unit hardly used.

[Lougle]

I have my Mum and Dad's old (30 years old - they bought it in 1980 and loved it so much that they had it shipped out to Brunei when Dad got a contract there!) Kenwood Chef. Still going strong after 30 years. Mum and Dad only parted with it because Dad wanted the updated model with stainless steel bowl.

I love it, they love it.

[DameFanny]

My aunt has one and uses out at least twice a day - soup from scratch, bread dough, steamed stuff with stuff.

I have thermomix envy.

[Iheartpasties]

fivepies what do you make with it?

[EIizaDay]

My friend was showing me her Thermomix (which she loves) and showed me with great joy the fact that the scales reset to zero while you added each ingredient in. She told me that was the best bit. She is sadly unaware that ALL electric scales do that - and I didn't burst her bubble.

[fivepies]

Iheartpasties, DH is the cook in our house (I just get to clean it - very easy by the way). DH uses it to steam vegetables (it comes with the steamer, it sits on top), to cook rice (comes out perfectly fluffy), to make mayonnaise and sauces, to weigh ingredients, to make bread (well, the dough) and things like flapjacks, to make soups, to make sorbets, to gring spices/make curry pastes, the list goes on. The blades are ultra powerful so it can make powder from sugar or rice in seconds, also makes sorbet in minutes as it crushes the ice. All without dulling the blades, it's amazing! And no, I don't work for Thermomix! I was dubious when DH told me how much it cost, but it's been worth every penny.

[PoppyAmex]

Do they come in nice colours?

[fivepies]

No, no nice colours. It's too 'serious' for that! Just black and white.

[TheToadLessTravelled]

It sounds like it could be useful. I will arrange a demo and will report back with how it goes....

[ariadneoliver]

I have one. I love it, but I am a keen cook and if I weren't I may not get the use out of it that I do. I make lots of soups and I also find it very good for making a proper dinner from scratch in the evenings when otherwise I'd get pre-prepared stuff due to lack of time.