HI, should I really buy a Thermomix?

[VHanna]

Hello. I am still debating on whether to buy a thermomix. I have been to a demo and have seen them in action and think they are wonderful but I am not a keen cook and my husband and I are quite the meat and 3 vege type of people but that is also because I don't have the confidence and imagination when cooking. We have 2 young boys who are starting to eat more and I would also like to increase their taste palate as one is quite fussy. Will Thermomix help me in these areas or do you all have a love of cooking? Cheers, Virginia

[judydawn]

Hi VHanna, welcome to the forum.  Enjoying cooking does help but there have been people on here who haven't enjoyed it and now find themselves in the kitchen more than ever, not because it takes more time but because they are loving doing what they are doing now and actually look for recipes to cook.  You will find yourself making things you never dreamt of making before so I say, go ahead and buy one if you can afford it.  Read as much as you can from this forum before making your decision though, you won't find too many negative comments on here - we are all so much in love with our TMX 

[mkthomp]

hi
the thermomix has made me into a good cook because its nearly impossible to stuff up and now i enjoy being more imaginative and adventurous in the kitchen.
My husband enjoys all the new foods and even some old ones now made in the thermomix.
Soups, stews, breads ,cakes all the ordinary things are so much easier.
Can you guess i love cooking now!

[Katya]

I can see why you are not sure about buying a Thermomix and it's a good thing to ask the question as to whether it is worth it.

The only thing is that I'm not sure you'll get a totally unbiassed answer from asking it on this Forum as almost everyone on here absolutely adores their machine.

That said, I think that having a Thermomix makes everything so much easier that you will start to enjoy cooking and, even if you don't become too adventurous, you will find yourself spending less time and effort on making food.   So I would encourage you to go for it and to make sure you get enough information about using it so that you gain confidence in it quickly.

Good luck 

[Zan]

I don't think you have to like cooking or be adventurous to really get worth out of it.
You can do some meat and 3 veg type meals, as well as some casserole type things - like the stroganoff - honestly this is so easy and full proof and takes 5 mins prep and 20 mins cooking. No need to like cooking, lol, just eating.
Also things like juices, custards, salads, sorbet.
Not sure if your boys eat much pasta but my girls do and although they are generally great with veg (though the 3 year old can be a bit hit and miss) I love the ease of adding some 'invisible' veg so easily to the sauces. (we did the creamy tomato and salami one last night and you wouldn't know there was also zucchini etc in there.) Types of veg they don't normally like can be easily incorporated.
I also love being able to make things like my own stock (I am in love with the vegie stock concentrate) so I know things don't have additives. I've only had my thermomix a week and I've used it loads (see http://thermomixmeals.blogspot.com/ if you want to see what I've been using it for). And we've still had our weekend steaks etc.

[BellaBear]

I really don't think you have to love cooking at all.  If you're the one that has to feed the family then you have to cook and the Thermomix does make that easier and quicker.  There are so many recipes that are pretty much just throw everything in and then wait.  It does all the stirring so the whole time it's working you can be getting on with other things.  Although I am cooking a lot more, my kitchen has never been tidier because while it's cooking I'm doing other kitchen chores.

I am an adequate but not imaginative cook so my family have for years lived on pretty standard meals.  I'd try a new recipe every now and then but mainly I'd cycle through 10 or so "standards".  Since I've had the Thermomix (about 5ish weeks I think) I have tried a new recipe on all but 3 nights.  I've had some hits and some (minor) misses (nothing inedible) but I've probably got a good dozen or so recipes that could easily become family standards.  I've felt so free to experiment because the recipes are so step-by-step and, for the most part, extremely simple and fool-proof.

It's so easy that I've taught my 5yo how to make soup and she can do all but the rough cutting of the vegetables by herself now.

[CreamPuff63]

This question has undoubtedly been asked millions of times all over the world. I say "yes!" but then again i think its the second best invention since the wheel. Maybe click here and read what prompted other forum members to purchase...and good luck deciding 

[meganjane]

Hi there, not much more that I can add. I've added my bit to the link in CP63's post.

[faffa_70]

Hi Vhanna and welcome

I was a person who didn't like cooking, was not imaginative in the kitchen, cooked pretty much meat and 3 veg meals as that was what I grew up on as my Dad wouldn't eat anything else!!

I have 5 kids and found cooking to be a real chore as we have (getting much better I can say) one very fussy child who is now 5. We bought our TMX for the 3 reasons that they are promoted.

1 - to save money, especially having a large family. I can confidently say that we don't save money now lol - we use better ingredients and eat better foods for the same amount of money - a win win really!

2 - to save time - obvious with 5 kids and a couple of businesses at the time

3 - the main reason - to cut out additives and preservatives for two of our kids that react really badly to them, one of them being the fussy one 

I had my machine for a year and then became a consultant so I guess I could be a little more biased than others 

here is what I posted that I have made today -

productive morning so far, have made bread, yoghurt, bbq sauce, then apricot and apple pancakes for breakfast - all before 8am 

Off to do the chores and then hopefully have some more play time in the kitchen 

Will post them Cathy, just want to make them again with a tweak to be really happy with them.

Have added to my baking today, rough puff pastry, vegetarian sausage rolls, short crust pastry, mini egg and bacon pies, bug spray (my garden is getting eaten alive  ) about to make heaps of biscuits and chicken stroganoff for dinner

My parents are moving house tomorrow so I have had to be very productive today. Some to take with me to feed the troops tomorrow and also it is a day out of the kitchen for me, so will be another busy day on Sunday 

Hope this helps to show that you don't need to be a passionate cook to start out, you become one as your fall more and more in love with your Thermomix 

[cookie1]

Hi Vhanna. I can only agree with everything that has been said. I have always liked cooking but never liked standing over the stove stirring things. We were pretty much meat and 3 veg people with the occasional curry and pasta dishes with a stir fry for luck.
I rarely make the same thing twice now ,except for family favourites. I still cook using other methods but that is through choice. I now make everything from scratch because I can. No more preservatives, and I can say our health certainly seems better for not having them. We are both retired.
To buy or not to buy is a choice only you can make. I hope you decide to as it can add a lot to your life.

[Very Happy Jan]

I have always enjoyed cooking but resented the time taken to produce those mundane weekly meals. There are no mundane meals anymore as we very rarely have the same thing twice. There are also a couple of spinoffs from the TMX that I didn't expect.
1. I cook from scratch now so like others have said- we don't have preservatives and I can regulate sugar intake.
2. My pantry contents have completely changed. No more tinned or high calorie food. More herbs, spices and base foods.
3 My DS2 (11) has taken to the TMX and uses it regularly to make sorbets, cakes, biscuits, porridge, fruit smoothies and anything else he can think up. He has become very adventurous in trying different flavour combinations. Making things from scratch has highlighted for him what is in the store bought things and he now reads all ingredient labels.  The biggest plus is that he and I now discuss cooking and spend time together in the kitchen. As with many boys he only really talks when his hands are busy so I get a lot more information and feedback on whats going on in his life. Hopefully we can hold onto that into his teen years!!
It took me a few months to convince myself I would get value out of my TMX investment but within a few weeks I couldn't believe I ever had any doubts.

[judydawn]

Love hearing stories like that VHJ - you are helping develop your son into a good husband for some lucky girl down the track. Bonding time in the kitchen too, very special moments.

[cookie1]

Jan the story of you and your 11 year old is wonderful. I firmly believe that once that rapport is started it won't go, especially if he keeps cooking with the TMX. All you'll have to do now is be nonchalant when he tells you some of the things happening around him as he gets older. I found it hard to say 'oh' when I heard some things that went on around DD. ( i hope it was around her).  I really wanted to say much much more!
Congrats to you and your son.

[faffa_70]

The wisest words I was ever given about teens was "choose your war and make sure you are fighting the right one!" I am very careful that I only make a fuss about the BIG things. Everything else is said lightly and in passing - so far it is fair to say I have been fairly blessed

I was also told when they were younger "terrible two's means terrific teens" well I must have been in the running for the best teens on earth!!!!!!

[cookie1]

We really had the 'terrible two's".  I mustn't complain at all DD has been a blessing. Especially as she has just asked me to go to Sydney with her for a conference. I haven't been to Sydeny for about 12 or more years.