I'm yet another Thermomix wannabe!  What a treasure trove of info this forum is and I appreciate all the generosity of so many helpful members.

I finally got a new Vitamix blender that I've been dreaming of for 20 years last July (and I admit we adore it in our house) and just a week after I received it I discovered Thermomix - I had no idea such a brilliant machine even existed!  So, I'm back in savings mode and plan to get a Thermomix next year.  I don't mind having 2 machines because our oven has been dying this year (we're down to Turbo Grilling everything with a cookie sheet diverting the heat around    ) and we're discovering wonderful work-arounds to cooking food.

I toyed with the idea of getting a used TM21 from France via ebay... but don't know if saving a few bucks is worth it in the long run - I love shiny new toys with buttons.   

Cheers,
Eva