Bellini Intelli Kitchen Master vs Thermomix

Ok, first off I will start off with that I do believe that essentially you get what you pay for and that the Thermomix is a far superior product.

Anyway, I've been wanting to get a Thermomix mainly to deal with DS's food requirements, but $2000 quite frankly is out of my range, payment plan or not. I do not want to commit to a $2000 debt right now.

I'm a foodie, I love cooking, and I like all that is involved in cooking... Chopping, cooking, mixing, all the steps. I see the Thermomix as a fantastic appliance for one whom is perhaps not a good cook or a bit time challenged. But, without tooting my own horn, I am a good cook and don't need help if you know what I mean. I'm worried that the novelty off a Thermomix will wear off. So I've thought if I get a tester or stepping stone Bellini, I can test out if I really would fair well with a Thermomix? With the 12 month warranty, I would get a good use I imagine and in the meantime set aside money for the genuine thing. My blender broke and I've never had a food processor, and by golly I'm going to need a blender for summer!

What do you think?

if your on FB there is a page called bellini addicts that always has people talking about the bellini.

i have a thermomix so cant comment on the machine

If you google the comparison, there's loads of reviews comparing them out there.

Even world class chefs use them, and Rouge is the ultimate foodie and she totally rocks hers.

FWIW it is a different way of cooking but it does become part of the skill IYKWIM?

I got one for similar reasons my blender and food processor both broke and I didn't want to spend $2k very happy with it so far, it's no biggie to use scales and have worked out how to convert tm recipes using the Bellini addicts page. For me it's a good trial to see if a tm would be worth it if I am still using it in a few years. Don't know why people seem to bash them so much on the internet!

My girlfriend has the Bellini and she said it was great for a few months but she returned it because it was burning her food. Another friend recently bought the thermochef and she loves it!
I'd love a thermie but like you I'm hesitant due to the price. I think it makes good sense to try one out first and you can always upgrade!

A friend demos the Thermomix here in Perth and I can see why it's so popular. Another friend uses her Tmx several times a day - dinners, grinding coffee beans, snacks and cakes etc. But, I too love cooking and don't think I'd get the same satisfaction in having it all done for me, iykwim. Plus the $$! DH already has every gadget known to mankind, so there's really nothing extra it can do, except save time. I like that she does sorbets and yoghurt soft serve instantly, and make her own almond meal, caster sugar etc but I worked out I can do all that in my food processor too. Another friend has had her Bellini about 12 months and likes it, but decided it wouldn't get enough use if she upgraded to a tmx.

One of my good friends is a consultant so I've been talking to het about the Thermomix but I'm finding she is biased so its hard to get genuine answers. I know she uses hers everyday and I can see she loves cooking NOW but she's the first to admit she hated cooking before. I'm very creative and quick in the kitchen so I see it as an accessory whereas she can't live without it, know what I mean?

My thermomix makes me and even better cook in a shorter amount of time. 4 words... interest free payment plan :dance:

Lady neon - that's exactly me. It would just be an (expensive) accessory, not a necessity. Just spoke to my Bellini friend and she's just taken her Bellini back after about 11 months. She said the blades were getting hard to put in. The lady said it looked like a bit of rust and gave her her money back no worries. She's now looking at a food processor/stick mixer combo.

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My thermomix makes me and even better cook in a shorter amount of time. 4 words... interest free payment plan :dance:

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I would if I was in a position to go into debt right now...

JLeigh29 hmm maybe that's not a bad idea. To be honest I cook some things much better stove top. I've been to a few demo's all have served custard, plus friend has made it several times when I've been over and I could barely swallow it.. I make it much better myself! I would be getting it to predominantly blend - smoothies and soups - also to process like blitzing things to make my own recipes easier, and the odd batch of coconut milk, butter etc. Still a bit unsure what to do!

I looked at the Choice review of all three - I think the Thermochef and Bellini were both about 70% and TMX 95% something like that - so then I was thinking is it worth all that extra money for the extra 25%. Then I looked at prices of second hand TMX (there are not many about but are a few) and you were only losing the price of a Bellini if you sold it - so that swung it for me - if I didn't use it then could sell it and would have cost me only the same as the Bellini - and the chances of me not liking the TMX seemed slim based on what I had read. (For me personally upgrading from one to the other wouldn't seem a waste of the resources gone into making the Bellini - the fact the TMX has been around since 1960's also appealed)

I've just ordered my TMX for all the reasons wysiwyg stated. I have done a fair bit of research and really needed to be convinced that the TMX is worth the price tag. As a couple of others have mentioned, I also love to cook and I have wondered if I will get full use out of the TMX because I prefer to use the stove top? The thing is, with 3 kids, part time work and other commitments, sometimes cooking is a luxury and we end up with a quick meal instead of a beautiful meal! I'm hoping the thermie will allow quick AND beautiful meals! I love to bake but don't always have the time and the kids lunchboxes end up being filled with packaged food when I'm perfectly capable of baking at home... which brings me to the other reason I decided to take the plunge. I carry a lot of guilt about the additives and preservatives in the foods my kids eat some days! My DS has renal issues and I'm so conscious of the amount of salt and sugar in the foods that he and his sisters eat. I hope the thermie will make it easier to get all that baking done so that they can still enjoy treats, but without the salt, sugar, preservatives, anti-caking agents... Finally, my mum is coeliac and I'm keen to perfect home made gluten free bread - for less than $8 a loaf!

Happy to let you know over the next few weeks if I'm using the TMX and whether I reckon it's worth the $$$.