Australia’s love affair with Thermomix.

[Anna N]

Click.

The Thermomix has survived a safety scandal, resulting in user injury and multimillion-dollar fines, and been the subject of parody (The Katering Show ran a long segment on the product/“hot wet rice” that has been viewed north of 2.7m times).

 

The latest version Phelps is demonstrating is wifi-enabled, connected to a global repository of recipes which users are guided through via the device’s step-by-step digital interface. In addition to the heating, blending, milling and steaming, it can generate shopping lists based on meal plans and directly order delivery from Woolworths.

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by Anna N (log)

[liuzhou]

Yeah, I read that earlier today. Made me want one even less than I already did, something that hardly seemed possible.

I was surprised that the article mentioned that China is a major market. I've never heard of or seen one here. Do they only sell through those consultants, like Tupperware in the past? A search of China's largest online merchandiser* returns zero results.

 

*Actually, the world's largest. No, it in't Amazon.

[Duvel]

22 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Yeah, I read that earlier today. Made me want one even less than I already did, something that hardly seemed possible.

I was surprised that the article mentioned that China is a major market. I've never heard of or seen one here. Do they only sell through those consultants, like Tupperware in the past? A search of China's largest online merchandiser* returns zero results.

 

*Actually, the world's largest. No, it in't Amazon.

It was „a thing“ in Hong Kong. Maybe because a lot of expats owned one ? I remember my secretary purchasing one (even though she basically didn’t cook), and when I checked on her experience a few month later she explained that „it makes good congee“.  Which basically means its useless as everyone owns a rice cooker that makes good congee 😜

[palo]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

Click.

 

 

That's a hilarious couple, will have to watch some more!

[liuzhou]

5 minutes ago, Duvel said:

It was „a thing“ in Hong Kong. Maybe because a lot of expats owned one ? I remember my secretary purchasing one (even though she basically didn’t cook), and when I checked on her experience a few month later she explained that „it makes good congee“.  Which basically means its useless as everyone owns a rice cooker that makes good congee 😜

 

Yes, I found they have a presence in HK, but although they have a website in mainland simplified Chinese, it's rather basic. Zero information on where or how to buy one. Not that I want one.

 

From what I can gather, it is mostly people who can't cook that find them appealing. 

[Anna N]

45 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Yeah, I read that earlier today. Made me want one even less than I already did, something that hardly seemed possible.

I was surprised that the article mentioned that China is a major market. I've never heard of or seen one here. Do they only sell through those consultants, like Tupperware in the past? A search of China's largest online merchandiser* returns zero results.

 

*Actually, the world's largest. No, it in't Amazon.

As far as I know their business model is and always has been the Tupperware model. 

[Duvel]

It‘s a tool. I find the „stirring while cooking“ concept appealing (a someone who spend almost a decade working in labs, surrounded by magnetic stirrers). I also think that the motor is quite powerful and makes a good mixer. I cannot subscribe to the emotional attachment some of my friends (who are decent cooks) have formed, but they produce appealing meals with it. But - so far - I haven’t encountered anything so striking or impressively made easier that I would purchase a Thermomix.

[Anna N]

12 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

Yes, I found they have a presence in HK, but although they have a website in mainland simplified Chinese, it's rather basic. Zero information on where or how to buy one. Not that I want one.

 

From what I can gather, it is mostly people who can't cook that find them appealing. 

Except you’ll find it in the kitchen of some of the Michelin starred chefs! 

Edited April 25, 2021 by Anna N (log)

[liuzhou]

2 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Except you’ll find it in the kitchen of some of the Michelin starred chefs! 

But did they pay for them?

[liuzhou]

5 minutes ago, Anna N said:

As far as I know their business model is and always has been the Tupperware model. 

 

I was coming to that conclusion. Odd choice given that Tupperware abandoned it.

[Anna N]

Just now, liuzhou said:

But did they pay for them?

My suspicion is that they certainly did but of course I have no way of proving this. I have never seen anything on any Thermomix site that takes advantage of knowing that the machine is favoured bycertain chefs. I would think if they were handing them out they would expect some return on such an investment. 

[Anna N]

Here’s another take including an explanation of how it is used in one restaurant kitchen. 

[gfweb]

6 hours ago, Duvel said:

It‘s a tool. I find the „stirring while cooking“ concept appealing (a someone who spend almost a decade working in labs, surrounded by magnetic stirrers). I also think that the motor is quite powerful and makes a good mixer. I cannot subscribe to the emotional attachment some of my friends (who are decent cooks) have formed, but they produce appealing meals with it. But - so far - I haven’t encountered anything so striking or impressively made easier that I would purchase a Thermomix.

More than once I've almost bought a mag stirrer/hotplate on eBay

Esp before affordable immersion circulators arrived

[teonzo]

Considering the cost, getting a Thermomix for home use has not much sense, unless you are full of money. It may help advanced amateurs in some things, but for sure it won't help average amateurs to get any better.
In a restaurant setting things are completely different. If you need to make creme anglaise (for an ice-cream base or what else) then it gives you a good help: you can weigh the ingredients directly in the mixer, launch the program and the machine does the work on its own. Nothing impossible for an inexperienced amateur with a pot, a spatula and a thermometer (all tools that one should have at home before splurging for a Thermomix). The difference is just in the saved time. At home saving 5 minutes every other week is not a big factor. In a restaurant, saving 5 minutes many times a day is a big factor, the machine pays for itself pretty quickly.
Plus it helps for other advanced uses.
There are purees/similars that give a better result if mixed while being cooked, something you can't do with a standard blender. Not a sensible problem at home, but in fine dining you alway try to raise your quality for small percentages. If at home your soup is at 90% quality then you are happy, if you are in a restaurant that asks $50 for that soup then 90% is not acceptable.
If you want a really smooth nut paste that's freshly made (bought ones are always old and you risk rancidity) then the Thermomix is one of the best mixers out there for this job. There are other powerful blenders that can take care of this, but they cost much more than a standard blender. So it's better spending a bit more and get the Thermomix, for all the other advantages.
In a restaurant you aim to save 1 minute every time possible, and to raise your quality of 1% every time possible, so the Thermomix is really useful, so much that most michelin star restaurants in Europe have one (or more). At home? Better spending that money in ingredients.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[AAQuesada]

Are they more common than Vitamix in Europe? I recall years ago doing a stage at 3* Martin Berasategui there was a a Thermomix but no high speed blender. 

[EatingBen]

I recently purchased a thermomix and it took me 4 years to do it. 
 

as an avid cook, lover of good food and enjoy cooking everything from scratch (and sometimes compulsively EVERYTHING from scratch) it has quickly found a home in my kitchen. 
 

Is it worth the cost? For me, obviously yes. As a blender/food processor it’s brilliant and stupidly powerful it will emulsify butter back into milk to make cream. I’m still appalled at doing that but it did. It’s amazing for what it is, the fact you can put stuff into the machine set it to heat to a set temp and leave it stirring for however long you want is brilliant. 

 

I’ve mixed cakes, sautéed onions, the sautéed mushrooms are pretty damned amazing. I’ve done lime curd and it requires nothing from me just throw it all in and wait until it chimes at you to say it’s finished. I’ve made bread (including kneading) all types of pastes for Thai, Malaysian, Indian curries and sauces. It’s fantastic using it with gels and other modernist powders to thicken. Although if you want to thicken a sauce you can just throw in corn flour and turn up the speed to blend it in. 

 

I’ve turned cinnamon sticks into perfect fine powder and milled down all kinds of things. Also made perfect hot chocolate. 

 

I’m only a couple of weeks in, this machine is expensive (no, I’m not made of money) and I can cook with the best of them but it’s saving me time and I’m doing a lot more cooking now that I can leave the attention kinda stuff to a machine and I do all the more interesting fun bits I enjoy. 

 

For those who are zero cooks or only somewhat alright at it or heck even people like me, I’m learning tons using it and also using cookidoo (the online thermomix cookbook) it’s giving me ideas for tons of things and teaching others how to cook more delicious tasty food really easily. Mostly I see people either take to this like its a life style (as in, we’ve all here taken cooking good food as a life style lets be honest) or they get a little scared off. 

 

Thermomix is a tool, all these people who love it could be doing all these things without it but cooking especially really good cooking can have a high barrier to entry with knowledge and the thermomix drops that and helps you out, makes it easier and somewhat more fun. 

 

It’s getting used every day since I got it, sometimes repeatedly. It’s excellent kit! 

 

Also, anyone thinking about it go watch hot wet rice on YouTube… its funny as heck.. also risotto in the thermomix is stupid easy and as good as anything I’ve made, 

[ElsieD]

I have had a Thermomix for a number of years and I hardly ever use it.  I will occasionally use it to make one particular dish, a risotto, but I have found the Instant Pot does a great job of that.  I just registered on the Cookidoo site and maybe having a good look at that will inspire me to use the machine more.  Thanks, @EatingBen, for your post.  It may have given me the nudge I needed.

[EatingBen]

2 hours ago, ElsieD said:

I have had a Thermomix for a number of years and I hardly ever use it.  I will occasionally use it to make one particular dish, a risotto, but I have found the Instant Pot does a great job of that.  I just registered on the Cookidoo site and maybe having a good look at that will inspire me to use the machine more.  Thanks, @EatingBen, for your post.  It may have given me the nudge I needed.

I’ve been using it for ideas since I got it. Made a few of the full dishes as well. It is a good site. If you haven’t the stock pastes work well when you are making not clear “foods” that call for stock. Making bread is awesome but watch your machine doesn’t try going for a walk. 

[teonzo]

On 5/2/2021 at 1:34 AM, AAQuesada said:

Are they more common than Vitamix in Europe? I recall years ago doing a stage at 3* Martin Berasategui there was a a Thermomix but no high speed blender. 

 

There are no Vitamix here, meaning the producer. You can find professional powerful blenders, but they are more expensive than what you pay for a Vitamix in the USA. The ones I tried gave a worse result than a Thermomix, they had high speed but not great blades. This is the main reason for the Thermomix success in fine dining restaurants.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[AAQuesada]

Thanks, I was curious about that

[lindag]

Anyone who's been lusting after a Thermomix should know that it is now on sale at Amazon for 31% off.