But I'd love to hear other people's pros & cons - especially those who have one. These are mine so far:
PRO:
We have a heap of food restrictions in our house. I like the idea of using it to have more variety in our diets by easily replicating recipes with just a smidge of substitution to cater for our intolerances.
As my DS (allergic to treenuts & eggs) gets older, I may find I do need to do more baking to help ensure he's not "disadvantaged" IYKWIM.
I think we might become healthier cooks
I love the idea of making lots of new stuff more easily
Looks very very efficient
My DH's health isn't great, and he can be a bit of a "habitual man-style eater" - you know, the same stuff all the time. Maybe cooking more variety & more veg would be great for him.
Hiding veggies from the kids, could be awesome
Making veggie stock - I cannot buy ANY veggie stock I can eat.
CON:
We're not huge "baking" kinda people which is one thing that makes me nervous - would I get the value from it.
I think my DH thinks that we don't have time to use it to its full potential... I reckon maybe it would be enough of a time saver which is the whole point.
I also don't tend to do steamed food (but maybe we should more!)
Some folks are very passionate about additives & preservatives. On top of everything I already exclude, I don't worry about that stuff. If I can buy it in a jar easily, I will.
Cost.
All those appliances I already have!!! Blender, food processer, juicer... arrrgh. (yes, ebay I know!)
Some of the things you can make, we just don't eat a lot of - sauces, jams, custards, cakes... etc. Or just ONE of us eats it, cos the others can't eat that food. Plus both DH & I are trying to lose weight, I don't want to make a heap of biscuits, cakes, custards & icecreams!
Noisy (with kids sleeping in the house during the day?...)
I love having food labels on things, with ingredients. When you make everything from scratch & stick it in your own jars... don't have labels. Guess I could make my own... but I honestly, can't see that happening!
Things like making stock & dip - I don't do that now... would I enjoy doing it, or would I still say, well that's more work when I can buy it in a tub? Would be nice to have more than the 2 dips we currently can tolerate tho!
I think part of me is nervous do I just want it cos it's new & cool? I REALLY don't want to pay $2k for something then not use it fully! But it does my head in a bit to imagine using it all the time - as obviously I don't have one yet & so can't really imagine how it would change my days & weeks! I seem to have more cons than pros... hmm.
Anyway, next step is a demo at our place in July so DH can see it. In the interim, if you've stuck with my waffle, love to hear your thoughts - especially from those who have one.
I'm interested also to hear from those that have one. My parents gave one and love it so I've used it a few times when I visit. It is easy to use but it's hard to make a real judgement when your not using it for everyday stuff iykwim. My parents make their own butter, stock, bread, everything really. It really works for them. Interested to hear from families who have one though as we have a little one on the way.
2 of my friends have one and they use it constantly. Several times a day. They make everything from scratch (really quickly) and they both say it's reduced their food bill and they arent spending as much time in the kitchen.
The only thing stopping us from getting one is the cost, we just don't have that kind of money.
i would have to say the biggest con of having one is the outlay of the price in the beginning!
BUT in saying that i absolutely LOVE my thermomix! i use it almost everyday ( i work partime so the days that i work an afternoon shift i dont use it) and have found it fantastic. i made hazlenut chocolate spread the other day (similar to nutella) and loved it! even my friends thought it tasted much better then the original! i have made cookies, pizza dough, boiled eggs, made mashed potato (which was so fluffy and delicious), made 2 different kinds of risotto from scratch, beef stroganoff from scratch, the spread, cooked rice, dip, and made a custard! and i have only had my machine for 3 weeks!!! i cant wait to try the corn chips and other recipes in the books. i am gluten intolerant so its been the best investment we have ever made. i think the machine is worth ten times more then what i paid for it!!!
my demonstrator said she never cooked until she bought a thermomix now she cooks all the time! i definately think its the best thing out!
Funnily enough, a lovley lady came to our playgroup this week and did a demo.
I have been wanting to see one of these in action for ages. I kind of didnt get what they were all about, so it was great to see one in action.
Can I afford one? probably
Would I buy one? no
I know that its job is to replace all the other crap you have in your kitchen, but TBH, the first 3 dishes that she made (lemon sorbet, garlicky dip and beetroot salad), I could do in my food processor in exactly the same manner that she did,just rinse bowl out between each use.
She then made bread dough and then a risotto.
Now, I already make my own bread from scratch, I have a kitchen aid mixer, but I do believe that many food processors come with dough hooks. I really truely do not see the difference between washing out the bowl of the kitchen aid or washing out the bowl of the thermomix.
I do really like that you can prepare and cook in the same bowl (like the risotto) and for making lots of stews and slow cooker type thingies, I can see how it would be great. I didnt see the demo of the top wok style thingy, so am not sure what that is about.
Also,making your own sauces is great, but seriously, they are really really easy, like, you so do not need a $2000 machine to make them! a $400-$600 food processor and a saucepan will do exactly the same job. (BTW making stuff from scratch is not so cheap, look at recipes for jam and tomato sauce and see the quantities of fruit you need to make them, they are really for people with vege patches)
I dunno, lol, I love cooking, so I guess i dont see the value.
The only time I would buy a thermomix is if my house burned down and I didnt have a single appliance, then, I can see the value (but you still need to buy an oven to bake the bread
Lol Livinthedream, I read your post and wanted to counter everything. And it was then that i realise yup, I really do want it! So I'm really glad you posted, helped me realise what my heart already knows
The bit where it replaces everything you have, ah that makes me wince. But the ease of doing things all in the one vessel is just soooo efficient & tempting. And for me it's making things like stock, soups - puree it in the pot you made it in - noice! Plus making curry pastes, curries, risotto's, curry pastes & dips etc. My food processor was a basic model in 1999 when I got it... it's not that good. And there is like a gazillion parts, none of which can be dishwashered. It's more trouble than it's worth to pull it out - so of course I rarely do. And I don't have a mixer. So I guess I'd really have to upgrade to something anyway.
I'm also more interested in the savoury stuff than the sweet stuff, and I love the fact it cooks in the same pot that sliced, diced & sauteed everything. A mixer won't do that!
Teresa - among other things I'm wheat-free, and sick of paying $7 per loaf of bread, so I plan on trying to make my own bread too Glad to hear you're loving yours!
I used to love cooking but I find it very frustrating with our extreme range of limitations. And I think I've become very focussed on the basics because we do have to do everything pretty much from scratch ourselves... not by choice but by necessity. Maybe this is to compensate for all that? but either way... I think we're doing it. DH has been doing some research and even he thinks its a great idea and he hasn't even seen the demo yet lol.
Still interested in hearing any other points though - I'd rather hear it now than after I've shelled out the cashola!
I understand you on the cooking in the processor part, it is very convienient.
Dont get me wrong, I think they are great, and if I didnt already own a couple of appliances I loved so much, I would consider it. I will say, there is a very big difference between a $99 food processor and a $699 though
I guess I love the process of creating food,to me alot of the joy is in the cooking. So the thought of a machine that takes it out of my hands is not so appealing.
I have no doubt that they are very well designed and made and will last for years, so if you really think that it will make that much difference to your life, go for it!
GL xx
I had seen one demonstrated ages ago and fell in love but DH wasn't convinced until he went to a demo but like you was thinking would I really use it.
My mum bought one while we were living with her and I love, love, loved it!!! I used it every day and really miss it now we are back in our own place, DH has seen it in action and said I can have one......eventually.
I used it make custards for my DD, baby rusks, bread, pizza dough, pastry, risotto, soup, dips etc It's fantastic for grating parmesan and chopping things like carrots, onions, garlic, herbs in just a few seconds.
I love my thermomix. Yes initally they are expensive but if you look after it then it will last forever. If you want to see what it can do google forum thermomix
My SiL is a "aaaahhhh Thermomix, what can't you do" kinda person. She made chicken mince, made mash, made her own icing sugar, made slice all while we were there the other day. Definately considering one!!! I was wondering about KA because I do actually *love* the act of cooking and the colours of KA.
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Pros & cons of a Thermomix!
Glad to hear you're loving yours!
but either way... I think we're doing it. DH has been doing some research and even he thinks its a great idea and he hasn't even seen the demo yet lol.
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