Thermomix - saving money by cooking from scratch?

[peanutter]

No pressure cooker (I have a slow cooker - is that the same?) and shopping bill is anywhere from $150 to $400.

Ah, n2l there's the rub. I used to cook on Saturdays. I'd do the shop in the morning, unpack and clean the fridge when I got back, cook until I dropped then I'd clean it all down, then fold all the washing in front of P+P. Pre DS2. A non-sleeping baby kind of throws everything out the window, and I never got back into it.

And realistically, I don't want to spend any where near that much time cooking, instead of being with the boys now - but if it could be achieved without the hands on time, that would be good.

And if we cut out the crap and save some money, tops.

[Astrid]

Pressure cooker cooks in a lot less time than standard stove top, oven cooking. You can cook a 2 hr casserole for example in 20-30 minutes. Just one of those things that can save you time.

[LuluHB]

I definitely save money - I'd say around $50 per week. That is partly because I'm cooking from scratch so saving on so much packaged crap (and with three kids and a husband who thinks 8 scotch finger biscuits with his morning cup of tea is normal, biscuits seriously add up!), but also because I'm (A) not buying takeaway ever - those nights when I'm too tired/too late from work/too whatever I now will throw something in thermie to cook, and (B) I tend to do more stuff with the TMX than I would have previously so I'm less likely to throw out any vegies.

For me though, while the money is nice, I'm loving the time and health factor. For instance today I made a cake, biscuits, slice, scones, sweet and savoury scrolls that are now all in the freezer. They will do the kids for school lunches and snacks for a good couple of weeks. They're preservative free, using more whole foods than over refined, over processed stuff etc. I also use it to make up heaps of fruit puree things for DD3, who for whatever reason flat out refuses to eat an actual piece of fruit, but sucks down those fruit pouches in 0.3 seconds. Now I make my own, put them in re-usable pouches, and save a fortune.

I got my TMX just before Christmas on the 12 month interest free plan they have from time to time, and while I'm nowhere near as good as Rouge is with what she does, I more than cover the monthly payment in the savings I make.

[Livinthedream]

I made peanut butter the other day in about twenty seconds

But how much did the peanuts cost?
Last I checked they were on a par with a jar of shop bought PB. (Pound for pound)

Black Rosé, I am curious, are you able to make porridge in the TMX from whole oats, or are you talking about buying rolled oats and making it with them ?(I am talking plain rolled oats, not flavoured satchets)

Do those that have a TMX make thier own tomato paste/purée/concentrate? How do you find that works cost wise?

As for curries, unless you are going to grow the plant and use the TMX to process it, how do you save on spices?

I think that you will likely save time with a TMX, but not so much $.

Cause you can make all those things with out one.


(Cept for the tomato paste, I don't know how to make that lol)

[wysiwyg]

But how much did the peanuts cost?
Last I checked they were on a par with a jar of shop bought PB. (Pound for pound)

Depends on the peanut butter you buy, I always bought the ones that are peanuts and peanut oil nothing else (often bought from market as supermarket doesn't always have) and using the TMX is certainly cheaper than that). Can make for a quarter of price of market bought. You can also do other nut butters or combinations which are very expensive to buy and get the consistency you want (we like quite chunky).

For me a big part of making my own is I am now not contributing to making of more plastic containers (glass isn't so bad but only pricy stuff comes in glass) I have one tub and I just refill it. (This is also true for other spreads, pasta sauce, curry pastes etc)

[briggsy's girl]

(Cept for the tomato paste, I don't know how to make that lol)

We make our own. Not difficult but very time consuming (you basically have to cook down the tomatoes in a lot to get rid of as much moisture as you can, then dehydrate in a low oven for ages). Might be easier for the first part n tax but I suspect the oven aspect would still take just as long. Not sure how much you would save dollars or time wise. But flavour is awesome


Sorry. I read the tmx threads with interest as we contemplate one. Couldn't help but answer that

[OceanPrincess]

I bought a kilo of grape tomatoes (little guys) from Costco as DD was going through a tomato phase... Guess what... Phase ended! So I had a kilo of tomatoes. Prior to tmx they would have sat there going slimy and skanky, until I guiltily threw them out... But no, I did some googling and made us a yummy tomato sauce that we then proceeded to use as a baste for some slow cooked ribs, pasta, chicken parmas, nachos!

So like lulu I'm saving money by not wasting things. Reverse saving? Lol.

[peanutter]

Read away, BG! I have looked at them from time to time too, but only got around to seeing one in action last Friday.

Should probably go to another demo or two, to get a better idea of how they work, and some other things they do to figure out whether we'd use it enough for it to be worthwhile.

Living: my answer for most of those things are in the same vein:-

- peanuts are more expensive but I don't live the amount of sodium, preservatives, etc in commercial peanut butter
- tomato pasatas and pastes and sauces etc are pretty cheap too - but if we were doing at home with TMX I could be getting much fresher ingredients, and again reducing preservatives and salt content - and being fresher, it would taste much better and be better for us
- with curries, we're slack as all get out - we use jars of Pataks these days
- ditto for yoghurts, dips, white sauce, steak sauce, etc - much less crap in them, much less preservatives, fresher food, more robust flavours.


Porridge is different - I keep a kilo of cheapie rolled oats and a tub of cheapie sultanas and jar of manuka honey at my office, and I nuke 1/3 cup oats with 2/3 cup water and 10 sultanas for 90 seconds in the microwave and then put a teaspoon of honey on it. Couldn't get easier or cheaper (other than going with cheaper honey or brown sugar I guess) if I tried. I can't imagine using a TMX to make porridge, unless I was doing it stovetop with milk or something!


And yes, OP - I like the idea of reducing wastage ... we could do with a little reverse-saving here, too ...


Maybe step 1 is for DH and me to learn our slow cooker. I should get a book and just use it ... and if we do that well, then look at the TMX.

[nothing2lose]

Just as an aside, both Woolworths Macro and Sanitarium have peanut butter that has nothing added (salt, sugar, preservatives). I make my own almond and coconut butter but it's not worth making peanut butter IMO.

[Livinthedream]

I have no doubt that a TMX is an amazing piece of machinery, and probably worth every cent.

But I don't think it will turn a "non foodie" into a Nigella.

And I don't think you need to spend $2k to make wholesome and cheap from scratch food.

I have contemplated buying one from time to time, but of all the things I could do with an extra $2k, I sort of think "meh, I would rather have xyz"

As for the porridge, it's kind of my point.

I just nuke rolled oats, milk and water in a bowl, add cinnamon and honey and eat. 1 spoon, 1 bowl.

How could a TMX be easier than this?

I think it's the way that its is marketed that ****s me lol.

But if you have the $ and you think it will encourage healthier eating n your lives, then it should be a great investment

[chody47]

I read these threads with interest too. We don't have a TMX. I've never been to a demo. I've heard they are amazing but I also am one that wonders if they are 2K amazing. We already cook a lot of our food from scratch. I don't cook pasta sauces, but when you can buy them for a few dollars from the supermarket, it'd take a long time to save the cost of the TMX back IMO. I already cook bread (was ding it regularly, need to get back into it). I cook the majority of our cakes and biscuits and I love cooking. DH is also a wonderful cook and will cook various Thai dishes (including sauce) from scratch. This year we began a 'no wasting food' thing and better plan out meals and use left over veggies in soups for lunches for example. I guess my point in this is saying (as someone who hasn't seen a TMX in action) I think you can do a lot of this stuff without one, however, if you have the money, it sounds like it'd save you lots of time.

[~Kim~]

TBH I bought mine because I thought it was awesome rather than for a purpose. I didn't buy lots of processed stuff before. If I'd bought it to save money I would have been disappointed. If I'd bought it to do everything - I'd have been disappointed. It's like an extra set of hands rather than a do everything machine.
It takes a while to learn to use it. It's a different way of cooking.
I love that I can make more fancy stuff tha0n I would ever have thought about before from basics. We eat our freezer and pantry down quite a lot and it's awesome for helping with that. I am quite remote so I can make some of the things I couldn't otherwise procure here.
It is a quicker way of doing stuff, but it isn't something you can just walk away from and do something else all the time.

LtD I'm interested in what sort of marketing you are annoyed about. I had to find the product myself because there was no advertising? It's only a website that you have to make contact with.

[Livinthedream]

Kim, marketing is probably the wrong word, but a reoccurring theme that always seems to come up is " oh, it will help me make healthy food, I will be able to make from scratch" or I will save so much $" if I only just buy this $2000 dollar machine.
And certainly when I went to the demo, these were some of the key selling points

You don't need a $2k machine to do this.

But if you don't have a good blender and stand mixer, then I defiantly think it is worth considering getting one.

If that was the case for me, I would almost certainly get one.

[Rouge]

Like I said before I think you will find different views on how it's used and why people purchase it. Out of all my friends that use it every single person is different.

As someone who could cook before and as someone who has worked in the kitchen appliance industry every appliance can be useful and do things that another one can do.

In my kitchen I have a mixer, rice cooker, scales, a food processor, a hand blender, a rocket blender, a mincer and a multitude of other gadgets that make my life easier.

For me the appeal of the TMX is the fact that it does combine appliances. Yes I could use other appliances and when I cook lots of things I still do. I haven't thrown out my scales, or my knife or my mixer. They all still have a place in my kitchen. I still cook on the stove. I was a "from scratch" person prior to owning a TMX. So that in itself hasn't changed. But I do find because I mostly use my TMX cooking/prepping/mixing 10 things in a day is a breeze because I can do it all in one bowl, with a quick wash in between. I don't have a multitude of measuring cups etc to wash up, or numerous bowls etc. And that too saves time in prep and cooking and washing up. Mixing a cake is faster in my TMX. And I have found that I can replicate the same end product as with my mixer. Breads knead faster. It is faster for me to chop up a mammoth amount of veg than lifting out my food processor (or grating/chopping) and it's a lot easier to clean than my food processor. Gravies and sauces can be done quickly and without me needing to be there. I can do whole meals including steaming veg in my TMX and cleanup is a breeze. And I know when that timer goes off it's all ready... which is good for those who suck at time management during cooking (not a real problem with me as I've been doing it for years).

Things I do in my TMX:

Chopping Veg
Sauces
Doughs
Baking Powder
Spice Mixes/Herbed Salts/Curry Pastes
Flavoured Butters
Custard
Vanilla Paste
Sorbet/Gelati (in a few seconds I might add... this is a HUGE plus in summer with the kids)
Jams/Curds
Condensed Milk/Dulche de Leche
Passata
Chicken Stock Concentrate (this alone is one of my favourite things!)
Choux Pastry
Grate Cheese/Chocolate
Perfect Ganache for cake decorating (I can't replicate this with anything else as it's specific to the temperature it's cooked at)
Tempering Chocolate
Caramalising White Chocolate
Smoothies
Fudge
Mincing Meat
Soups
Curries
Steamed ANYTHING
Boiled Eggs, Soft Boiled Eggs, Poaches Eggs, Slow Poached Eggs
Sous Vide anything
Steamed and flavoured Rice
Pilaf
Flours/including nut flours
Kneading Meat for meatballs etc
Dips
Haloumi/Ricotta/Mascapone/Cream Cheese (and any hard cheeses if you have the kits)
Yoghurt
4 second Salads
Pulled/Shredded Chicken and other meats
Crackers for lunchboxes
Risotto (I still do make risotto on the stove but for arancini or nights when it's either I chuck stuff in the TMX or we get takeaway I will use the TMX)
Cooking Pasta
Mashed Potato/Vegetable Purees
A whole heap of mains
Slow cooking
Coconut Milk/Cream
Washing Powder (doing this today!)
Beauty Products
Chai Tea
Nut Brittle
Macarons
Pavlovas
Fritters/Hash Browns

Can I do these things with other appliances or basic kitchen tools? Of course. But I think unless you have one it's hard to see how much time you save.

And can I just say I totally understand why people can't see the value, I totally get that. And please do NOT think I'm trying to convince anyone they NEED one because I actually think like any appliance it isn't for anyone, and second to that I love mine but that doesn't mean I'm going to try and talk anyone into using one, nor does it have any impact on me whatsoever if you get one or not LOL.

I personally don't like the marketing either. But that's because it is marketed for people who don't know how to cook, or don't have time to cook. And whilst this is obviously a great selling point or people wouldn't have the success they do have with using them for me that wasn't what sold me. I didn't buy it to cook every meal. I also don't feel guilty pulling out a pot or turning on my mixer. But there are very involved techniques and methods of cooking I just couldn't do, or should I say couldn't be bothered doing without using a TMX or adding a multitude of other expensive gadgets to my kitchen. I also don't think I would enjoy doing 10 things in my kitchen the same way I do with the TMX, and neither would my kitchen hand who usually helps with the clean up

I think if you want to see if it would work for you, your best bet is to get in touch with someone that has one and get them to give you an idea of a weekly meal plan, time spent actually standing there doing the cooking etc, cost savings etc And maybe just go have a play. It may not be something that you will use, or it might. I can't tell you. I don't know how or what you cook in your kitchen and what your blocks are (besides time) that prevents you from eating less convenience foods.

Check out some of the TMX recipe blogs online, google some recipes and see if they are things you would make, and make easily. For me the $2k price tag was worth it. And I would have made that back in time and money already. But I also don't stare at it thinking "I must use this every second of every day to get value out of it."

[Livinthedream]

. But there are very involved techniques and methods of cooking I just couldn't do, or should I say couldn't be bothered doing without using a TMX or adding a multitude of other expensive gadgets to my kitchen. I also don't think I would enjoy doing 10 things in my kitchen the same way I do with the TMX, and neither would my kitchen hand who usually helps with the clean up

See, that sells me right there.

That makes me think that it's something I would buy, even with all of the stuff I have.

Great post

[chody47]

Rogue, seeing all the stuff you do, and the point about tricky techniques makes me think that maybe I could use one after all. I guess when I think of all the stuff I already cook from scratch I think 'why bother', but if a whole new world of cooking possibilities opened up to me, as someone who loves to cook, then perhaps it is something I should look into in the future (when I have a bit more $$).

[Astrid]

I think this has been a great discussion. I am one of those people who are in 2 minds about it. I cook most things from scratch with very little drama, I can use a knife and a chopping board quite well (and I don't give thanks to) There are some things I have zero problem buying the jar version (ie Pataks), but other things I do like from absolute scratch (chicken stock, passata from home-grown tomatoes).

When I see many people's lists of what the cook with it (well others than Rouge's list), I just think "well, really?, I do that anyway". So I do struggle to see how it will help me in the kitchen, especially at the price. Also I have a real issue with the sales speil at the demo I went to treating me like a dill "OMG, I had no idea you could make your own dip!!" comments

So a discussion like this great , I love the honesty from those that use one (without all the fangirl hype) and from those, who like me, have doubts.

If it came in Tardis blue I would buy one tomorrow

[Rouge]

I totally get what you mean astrid, and especially because I thought exactly the same as you.

As you know I love playing so for me it's totally awesome fun. And I do a lot of "chefy" things. I love that aspect. Day to day use is awesome but a lot of people don't use it for the chef stuff because they don't have the basic understanding, or the drive to do that kind of stuff. So whilst it's a tool in the kitchen some use it as complimentary and some use it to do everything. I think I personally fall into both categories. But I'm a bit of a food nerd so I care more about what temperature it can cook to (i.e. it holds specific levels of temps to allow for sous vide, tempering chocolate, cheese making etc). Than just "Oh wow it mixes and cooks!".