I'm 99% there...

[CraftyMum]

Hello everyone,

I'm Sandra and I live in Brisbane with my husband and two young primary-school aged kids! (how cold is it in Bris today!!)

I've been lurking on this forum since going to my first TMX demo in Feb. I've since been to another demo and have had a couple of my friends and sister buy a machine, meanwhile I'm still sitting on the fence!! I do love everything I've seen of it but I guess my main thoughts are that I already have every other kitchen appliance and do I really need to spend $2000 on another one? I love to cook and I know that I will use it, but I also need to know that it will be worth it. So I'm wondering, why to you love your Thermomix? And there must be something you don't like about it ... Would love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers

[judydawn]

Hi Sandra, welcome to the forum. By now your sister and friends would be raving about their machines - are you getting any feedback from them?
Why do I love my Thermomix - mmm, I don't usually give that much thought but it is an ongoing love affair and I still get excited and proud of every single loaf of bread or batch of rolls that comes out of my oven.  Steaming vegies and making all-in-one meals is so easy and there is very little washing up which includes rarely having to clean the stove top and back splash either. I love the fact that we can make all our sauces from scratch, pastes to add flavour to any meal and can whip up a cake or a batch of scones whilst the oven preheats.  Soups are another thing ideally suited to the TMX, chop, cook and puree in the same bowl.
Finally I love my Thermomix because it has put me in touch with this wonderful forum and the many caring, happy members who visit it each day.

[CraftyMum]

Hi Judy, Yes, I love the thought of all those things too. And my friends are raving about it ... But are there any downsides? Am I trying to find some faults?? LOL - just getting my mind around it all and trying to convince myself that I will love it!!

[dede]

Downside of owning a TM?...............help me everyone, what are the downsides?...............honestly I can't think of any downsides.
Like Judy said the TM is so easy to use and saves on a lot of extra dishes. I love it when the TM is busy cooking and stirring for me and I can have everything cleaned up and put away by the time it finishes.

Oh I just thought of a downside, I'm not sure how I would cope if something happened to my TM and I had to go back to traditional cooking. Not sure I would remember what to do lol

[judydawn]

There are no downsides Sandra.  There are too many good points to worry about the odd thing it can't do.  If you don't think the TMX does justice to a particular recipe then you just do it the traditional way. 

[deedub]

Hi craftymum, you probably won't get too many complaints about the TMX from this forum! I suppose one downside is it can be pretty noisy, but the really loud functions only take a few seconds so you don't have to put up with it for long. I guess if you have an open plan kitchen/living area this might be a slight problem. Another downside is that you become completely obsessed with cooking & all things TMX related, including this forum! That's actually been a good thing for me, as I had very little interest in cooking before. The TMX has completely changed my attitude to food & cooking and my family are reaping the benefits. So go on..... jump off that fence, you won't regret it!

[bickie]

I was in the same boat as you Sandra - trying to talk myself out of it. One thing I thought would be a downside is the 'loss of traditional skills' but in fact, I am a much more 'traditional' cook now as I can be bothered to make bread, sauces from scratch, lasagne etc. BT - (before Thermomix) I knew how to make a white sauce or knead a loaf of bread - I just never had the time to do it. I am a very busy working FT mum of 3 and I wanted my children to grow up with a sense of 'homemade meals'. The thermomix is the only was this has been possible. I still use stove top, wok and oven a lot as I find night after night of thermomix a bit too 'soft'. So don't feel it has to be the only piece of equipment you will use. It just makes cooking a lot more fun and fast. Hope this helps. And hope you get one - it is worth it.

[fundj&e]

Hi Sandra, welcome to the forum, the only down downside for me is that it does not make bol sauce to me liking and if it did, the bowl would be to small 

[Aussie Brenda]

Hi Sandra, you are a goner, just like me I thought the same as you and went to three demos before I couldn't resist any longer, best decision I've ever made.  You might as well get it now and start enjoying it because it is inevitable......LOL

[cookie1]

Hi Sandra. Welcome. I bought my TMX because it could make rice custard for my DH. In fact he has made himself about 6 in the last 3 weeks. He saw it and convinced me I had to have it. It turned out he wanted to buy a vintage car and this was the trade off. There is not a day goes by that I don't say I'm glad I have one.
I love the fact that things no longer need to be stirred all the time. I adore making all our bread and icecream. Cakes and biscuits can be wizzed up in no time. a very important thing for me is that I know exactly what goes into our food.
Noise can be off putting for some people. It has never worried me. I try to do the noisy things when no one is around. If I have to make lots of noisze with it I usually preface it with - 'it will only be for 30 seconds ' or whatever the time is.

One thing about the thermomix: unless you are careful it causes you to put on weight. I don't really knosw why, it must be an extra with the machine.

[Merlin]

Sandra- welcome to the forum and the answer is YES- you need one and YES your life does change when you get one, I was always a keen cook before getting my TM and now I am totally obsessed by cooking and how my culinary skills have advanced so much since getting one, It is the one appliance that I use daily and  even though I do cook conventionally ie stovetop and oven, it enhances every meal I make even if it makes a part in making one component of a meal. A lot of my other appliances are now redundant eg rice cooker, slow cooker, scales etc. I know most people on this forum seem biaised and totally rave about the TM but it is truly an amazing machine and rather than making  lazy cooks I think it enhances your current culinary skills and as far as I am concerned, any appliance which encourages people to make more food from scratch rather than using processed foods is worth it's weight in gold!

[Tasty]

Hi Sandra

The positives about the TMX for me are the variety of things the TMX can cook and the fact that I can make them....most recipes I would not have attempted to make beforehand. Also, the fact that you can leave it to do its thing while you do other household tasks. They're the main ones for me.

Negatives - noisy - especially if you have a little one sleeping and they wake up 'cos you chop nuts or something by accident. Some bits can be tricky to clean, espcially if you forget to self-clean. Recipes don't always work out - I made the assumption before I bought it...that if you followed a recipe correctly, everything would taste great. Not so!

However, despite what we say, I think you have already made up your mind. And even with the negatives, I am sure it won't be too long before you buy it 

If you love cooking, it will be great for you!!

[Blue Wren88]

Of course nobody has bothered to tell you that you will put on weight!

I went from having no interest in cooking, to whipping up loaves of bread & making calorie laden cakes, just because it's sooooo easy!
Then I had to eat them....that's when I realised that maybe there's a downside!

[Cornish Cream]

Welcome Sandra to the forum.I can't think of any downsides to owning a TM,maybe that I will never live long enough to cook all the recipes that are available

[CraftyMum]

Thank you for all of your comments. Yes, I think my mind is already made up perhaps I'll be getting one soon and the next time we chat I'll be asking the 'how do I' questions ...