Another Victorian Newbie!

[LouLouB]

Hey all,

I'm another newbie from Country Victoria. I've only had my TM 6 days & I have to say I'm not loving it. I'm devastated as I've been listing after one for over 2years! I'm hoping this forum will inspire me to get maximum use out of it.

I'm a Mum to an almost 11 month old. I'm due to return to work soon, so would love for TM to make meal times tastier, quicker & healthier.

I just feel I've had nothing but 'dramas' since I've had the machine.

Second day of ownership, I made butter chicken (which doesn't taste anything like what I had previously tasted at a demo). The MC has gone completely frosty and my butterfly has changed colour already. Despite washing the bowl several times by hand and then doing the vinegar wash listed in the book, my bowl/lid still smells like butter chicken. My husband is convinced he tasted fennel etc on his hot chocolate drink the other day.

I've also tried making the soft bread rolls, which just didn't work out. The chocolate chip cookies were also a bit off (but edible). Also tried the stroganoff and that was just funky. This is despite being quite literate and capable of following a recipe/pushing appropriate buttons. I just rang head office who giggled at me & suggested I don't know how to read a recipe. She suggested I call my consultant for another demo of how to push the buttons.

I'm feeling really disheartened and a bit of a tool that these recipes don't seem to working for me. I'm usually pretty alright cooking/baking. Why is this amazing machine being my enemy?

Like I said, I'm really hoping this forum will turn things around for me because right now I'm tempted to eBay it. I'm devastated.

Sorry for the whinge, not a great introduction is it?! :/

[gertbysea]

Loulou welcome. Don't be disheartened. I would contact your consultant who should be happy to pop over and give you some help. That is what they are there for we are told.

The bowl is stainless steel therefore there is no way flavours are transferred but the lid may smell for a bit which is usual. Can't  understand why the butterfly would change colour .

Scroll around this forum, find something you like which has lots of reviews and keep it simple for starters. We all have had these problems.  Don't despair .

Gert

[Katiej]

Hello and welcome to the forum!
I'd be devastated too, but I'm sure things can only get better.

Try some recipes from the forum, read the reviews and the tweaks to the recipes from the EDC. Chelsea's stroganoff recipe and Chookies no-fuss bread rolls are great recipes. Perhaps try those.

Great customer service by HO. Truly disgusting for someone to laugh at you. I'd call them back, ask to speak to someone higher up and make a complaint. Some people shouldn't work in customer service.

I'd also call your consultant and let her know how your feeling. Show her your MC and butterfly. Ask for them to be replaced. My MC is frosted and one of my butterflies has turned green, but this is after a couple of years, not a week.

Don't give up, everyone on the forum is here to help you.

[Cornish Cream]

Welcome to the forum Loulou.
A few recipes off the forum that are very reliable. Please do try them you won't be disappointed.
Butter Chicken
Choc Chip Cookies
No Fuss Bread.

[trudy]

Welcome to the Forum Loulou.  Please, please get in touch with your consultant.  Did she do some cooking with you when she dropped off your machine?  She should have!!!!
I don't know what book you received with your machine but if it's the old book then ask your consultant to change it for the new one.  The times in the book are just a guide and I have sometimes cooked things longer as felt that it needed it.  Try something from here.   CP has a list of her loved recipes and there are lots of great reviews of recipes in books and the tweeks people feel they need.  Hang in there and best of luck!!

[Wonder]

Welcome to the forum LouLou. It's a shame that things aren't going as well as you expected, but I'm sure if you give some of the tried and true forum recipes a go you will start to get some confidence. CC has listed some good ones to get you started but as trudy says CP's list is a great starting point. Such a shame that head office has that attitude, I would definitely ring your consultant and see if she can come and give you some help.

[Kimmyh]

Welcome to the forum Loulou. What a shame things haven't been going well. We all have teething problems at first. Definitely ring your consultant and she should be more than willing to come around and show you a few things. CC suggested some great recipes to try. Once you get a few successes under your belt, you'll be off and racing. Fingers crossed it improves for you. What part of vic are you in?.

[Bedlam]

Loulou, don't be disheartened. I found the seal did tend to retain smells when new. Maybe it is worth buying a second seal for sweet things,however after a few washes ( I pop it in the dishwasher) it stopped doing it.
Try recipes from here,tried and true. Keep going it will become your favourite appliance I am sure.

[judydawn]

Hi LouLou, welcome to the forum. Some good advice from seasoned TMX users.  Just ask if you need to know anything.

[sue_purrb]

Hi LouLou,

I find my butterfly turns an interesting cowpat green when I cook anything with a lot of turmeric, but gradually returns to the normal colour afterwards.

As others have said, don't be disheartened, the TM really is a whole different way of cooking, and the more you use it, the more intuitive it will be. I hope your consultant does the right thing by you, it's an expensive purchase and you deserve good customer service.

Keep going, and don't forget, there are no silly questions here, we all learn so much from each other! 

Sue 

[Cuilidh]

Hi LouLou  Welcome to the forum, great that you have joined us.  As others have said, we all have had issues when we first got the TMX, don't despair, everything will sort itself out.  Contact your consultant again and see if you can get more support.

Which part of Victoria do you live in, it may be that one of us on here is near enough to be able to visit for help / support / advice / hand holding / ideas, etc.

[goldfish]

Hi LouLou . . can only second all the encouragement given by the others!!  Whatever you do, don't give up!!  It really all boils down to "different strokes for different folks" . .  some just start using the machine as though they've been using it all their lives . . . some, (like me!!) need time to feel more comfortable with it.  But when you do, you'll wonder how you lived without it!!

Do check out these threads . . .    http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=6470.0  - a list of tried and tested recipes from a long time forum member, CreamPuff63

and   http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=13567.0  (just scroll down a post or two to a list of this talented cook's recipes!)

These two threads are almost cookbooks in themselves!  Just click on the recipe name and it will take you directly to that recipe and all the comments.  Read the recipe right through a couple of times, take the time to line up your ingredients at the beginning, and then follow the recipe step by step, setting your machine in this order: TIME,  then TEMPERATURE, then SPEED.

Good luck and do let us know how you're getting on and if you need clarification or help in any way at all!!

[obbie]

Hi Lou Lou, ring your consultant, that is what they are there for.
HO staff should not laugh at newbies.


hang in there.

[goldfish]

Good heavens!! I just re-read that bit about "helpful HO" ...   How dare she speak to you like that!!! HO, I sure hope you read this!! Please take the time to train your staff properly and show them how to treat customers (paying big $) properly with courtesy and respect!!

[mab19]

Hi Loulou, welcome to the forum.  Sorry to hear you have not had a good start with your tmx.  I would certainly ring your consultant, they are there to help you.