Thermomix is a kitchen appliance that features 12 different appliances in one small unit. Find out if Thermomix is worth the high price today in our review.
What Is Thermomix?
Thermomix is a versatile kitchen appliance that’s been popular for decades in Europe and Australia. In 2004, it stopped being sold in the United States. However, sales resumed in 2016, and now Americans are wondering: is a Thermomix machine worth the $1800 price tag?
One of the unique things about Thermomix is that you’ll never find the appliance sold in stores. Instead, you’ll need to go to the Thermomix website and setup a demo.
A salesperson will come to your house, demonstrate how the machine works, and show you all the cool things you can do with it. Then, you can decide whether or not it’s the right choice for you.
If that’s too intense for you, then you can also visit a Thermomix demonstration in your area.
Thermomix is made by a German company named Vorwerk. It first launched in 1961 after being invented by Carl Vorwerk. Today, the machines are manufactured in factories in France or Germany.
How Does Thermomix Work?
Thermomix is essentially a combination between a blender, food processor, and heating unit. The specific device has changed quite a bit over the years. The latest version, which was just released in 2016, is the Thermomix TM5.
That’s the version you’ll find sold by most distributors today.
Thermomix is officially advertised as having 12 different functions, including weighing, timing, sautéing, melting, steaming, stirring, emulsifying, whipping, chopping, blending, grinding, and kneading.
As you might expect from a multi-purpose machine, it’s larger than an average blender. Still, you won’t have trouble fitting it on most kitchen countertops.
The TM5 is also a notable new entry in the Thermomix lineup because it has a relatively small base, so even apartments or condos with limited space won’t have trouble fitting Thermomix in.
The dimensions, by the way, are 13.4 x 12.8 x 12.8 inches.
Inside the base of the machine is an internal heating element. That heating element heats the base, which heats up whatever is in the stainless steel container above. You can also add a mixing bowl to the base for different recipes.
How To Use Thermomix
You control your Thermomix using four buttons along the bottom. One button takes you to the main screen, while the others activate the scale, activate the turbo or dough modes, or reverse the blades to “mix”.
Powering everything are recipe chips. The side of the machine features a slot for recipe chips. By default, the machine comes with 150 recipes included on the chip – including the usual blend of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts, etc.
After you turn the machine on (by pressing the big dial button), you’ll be taken to a screen with three circles. The circle on the left is for time, the middle is for temperature, and the right is for speed.
You don’t have to follow a Thermomix recipe if you don’t want to. You can use the machine’s tools for general food preparation and cooking. You can dice an onion, for example, using the buttons we just mentioned.
Or, you can melt butter by popping a stick of butter in, setting the timer for three minutes, and setting the desired temperature.
Once you’ve pressed the buttons you need, you place the lid on the Thermomix. The device locks everything in place, and then the blades start turning. The timer ticks down, and your food is ready in a few minutes – or an hour, depending on the recipe you selected.
Depending on your recipe, you may have to go through certain steps. The display will list these steps as they’re needed. If you need to add an ingredient, for example, the display will send you an alert.
You can also easily skip a step on the display – say, if you don’t want to add chopped onions to your dish.
The locking lid is an important feature: in the past, Vorwerk has faced lawsuits and recalls after machines were operated with high RPMs while the lid was open, causing people to be burned or scalded by hot foods or liquids.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported there were 87 incidents presented to the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission as of 2014.
Fortunately, those incidents occurred with the old TM31 model, and the locking lid enhances the safety of the TM5 model.
Don’t like the recipes you find in the Thermomix catalog? You can find plenty of recipes available online. There are hundreds of customer recipes online that integrate with the Thermomix chip system.
And, all previous Thermomix recipes that worked with the TM31 still work with the new TM5 model.
Once you’re done cooking a meal with Thermomix, you can place everything in the dishwasher. Or, you can put a couple of inches of water in the machine, then turn on self-clean on speed 10 for a few seconds, which lets the device automatically clean itself.
Thermomix Pricing
Thermomix is priced at $1899.99.
As previously mentioned, you can’t just walk into a Best Buy and purchase Thermomix. You’ll need to setup a Thermomix demonstration through their website.
In the United States, Vorwerk hosts public demonstrations across the country. If you can’t make one of those demonstration, then you can book a demo with the company using the online form.
After requesting a demo, a consultation will contact you to schedule a demo at a time convenient for you.
Thermomix Summary
Thermomix is a high-priced kitchen appliance catered towards the luxury market. Most people don’t want to spend $2000 on a kitchen appliance – no matter how many functions it can perform.
If you’re interested in a machine that has 12 different functions in one, however, and you like the simplified cooking process, then Thermomix is one of the most popular all-in-one cooking machines on the market.
The new TM5 is very well-reviewed online by tech blogs and customers, and many people particularly enjoy the recipe system that gives you access to hundreds of recipes – including official Thermomix recipes and recipes created by Thermomix users.
Thermomix has been popular in Europe and Australia for decades. Today, after a decade long absence, the machine is available for sale in America once again.
