Thermochef...

[achookwoman]

Welcome to the Forum,  TB.  What do you do for reverse?   I use this a lot.

[marie2mil]

I have a TC and have enjoyed discovering how it all works using a lot of TM recipes.
I find the way the TM recipes read for making Bread...putting everything in at once is not the best as it seems too heavy for my TC so i usually put in all the dry ingredients and give it a quick wizz then have the machine moving briskly and gradually pour the liquid in as its running.
After its all mixed together i use the knead function.
Sometimes i need to re-adjust the mixture as it stops running when the dough is all sitting on one side and its out of balance.
I too have wondered about the reverse and only tried a couple of things and used it on the lowest speed. However i'm sure the TC would not be able to do many recipes that require reverse.
Other than that i'm really pleased with it.

[Bedlam]

Well it sounds like it is still increasing your enjoyment in the kitchen. I must say I have wondered about getting a TC as a second machine and loving the honest and fair reviews.  I love my TMX and would hate to be without it but don't think I could justify 2 although I would keep them employed. Only a thought at this time. 

[jkmt]

Thanks for the reviews Thermobudgie & Marie. I have been keen to hear from people who are cooking with the TC, so much appreciated.

[Therminator]

Bedlam,

Do you need a second bowl and blade as opposed to a whole new TC? 

Which one is going to be on the bench?  Book a demo in October and save $200 for the bowl & blade set.

I suppose it depends on the way you cook,  $200 v $795,  welcome to a whole new TC world.   As I hardly use the stove top anymore, I would love to know what the results are, please keep me posted x

[Bedlam]

Bedlam,

Do you need a second bowl and blade as opposed to a whole new TC? 

Which one is going to be on the bench?  Book a demo in October and save $200 for the bowl & blade set.

I suppose it depends on the way you cook,  $200 v $795,  welcome to a whole new TC world.   As I hardly use the stove top anymore, I would love to know what the results are, please keep me posted x


That's the problem I already have 2 bowls and love it and mainly use Thermie, well it's not really a problem. When I have time to cook you get organized and get something going and want to do something else but have to wait.  It's only a dream! And in truth you have jam in 12 minutes and lemon spread etc most things are so quick ...perhaps I am just showing everyone how impatient I am.  I have always been one to cook in mass, have to learn little and often. I always double recipes!
Thanks for you suggestion anyway

[Tenina]

I had quiet word with him and excused myself for ear-wigging.

Couldn't help myself

Hahaha, of course you did! I still have to put it through its paces kids, but will keep you informed. TOO BUSY..doing my book at the moment…getting it out for Christmas…hope to get to TC let next week.
xx

[CreamPuff63]

As you know I am a big fan of TM. We gave one to DD1 when she turned 21. DD2 was also given the choice of a TM however she has decided to move interstate and as she will be starting from scratch in setting up her own space, and especially seeing as she is a uni student that is committed to study more rather than work on the side more (law degree) she has chosen to accept money instead of a TM which was originally our 21st present.

Why? one of her reasons was she wouldn't be able to buy all the ingredients (poverty). her trade off was they would buy the meat eg. steak/chicken and then have a salad. She is very familiar with TM and the ease of cooking this way. I would rather she continue on the nutrition path rather than deviate on the "old normal way of cooking" through a price and snobbiness that may not be justified ie. she can have a TC and $1000 towards setting up her apartment. For my way of thinking she needs to be able to cook easy healthy meals, and this way she will have $1000 also up her sleeve to set up flat.

You know me...I'm deflated so to speak. I want her to eat properly and she will try  and eat properly, but the thermie way of life has given us an easy way of eating healthily. She needs a TM but she needs the money also to set up the flat. The TC seems like a good compromise, and once she is on a good income as a lawyer she can go the full monty and buy herself a TM.

a) not sure that bread will be a big thing for her, but getting around this is (let me know)
b) getting around Reverse is using Speed 1

Very interesting topic on this website. Ossie sounds like he is related in some way to the Masur family or is representing them in some way! Can't stand it - he is just heatedly replying to anyone who knocks the TM. Yeah I love the TM too, but whoa I reckon he has some financial interest

What do you think?

[Bedlam]

CP, can understand your disapoinment and her point of view.  Having a thermochef does seem like second best but it mean healthy eating, gotta be a good thing and let's face it $1000 goes a long way to setting up the rest of the kitchen.

[judydawn]

CP, he does go on and on and on and on..... Seems to know a lot about everything and just doesn't give up
I got bored after a while reading all those postings - nice to get back here to our lovely, friendly forum.

[Bedlam]

CP, he does go on and on and on and on..... Seems to know a lot about everything and just doesn't give up
I got bored after a while reading all those postings - nice to get back here to our lovely, friendly forum.

Me too Judy, sound like everyone refers to this forum for recipes anyway.we had a big write up in our paper yesterday about TMX they reckon aus and NZ have sold 23000 TMX in the past 12 months.  That's a lot of bucks.

[jkmt]

CP, he does go on and on and on and on..... Seems to know a lot about everything and just doesn't give up
I got bored after a while reading all those postings - nice to get back here to our lovely, friendly forum.

Yes, it's a bit full on over there! Couldn't resist putting in my two cents worth though!

Personally I've decided that the two machines are probably a bit like the difference between a 2WD and a 4WD car. Both will get you most places you want to go - when the going gets rough, one will probably do a better job than the other...

But then, not everyone needs a 4WD. Some people do.

[nola276]

Hi everyone,  I am new here and I am also the owner of a Thermo Chef.  My daughter has a Thermomix and as I am retired and living on a pension, the "Chef" was the only version I could afford.  It seems that a lot of people would like a comparison of the two machines, so here's my 2 cents worth.

I attended a Thermo Chef demo last Friday and the lass that demonstrated did an excellent job.  The demo was a 3 hour one, and the menu was as follows:  Fruit Sorbet, Houmus Dip, Peanut Butter, Bread, Asparagus with White Sauce, Rice, Soup (can't remember what sort), and Lemon & Coconut Steamed Puddings with Lemon Syrup.  She finished before the 3 hours were up.  We were able to taste test and everything was yummy.  I purchased my machine at the end of the demo, because I felt the $795.00 price tag was justified.  I received a $50.00 voucher and am awaiting another $40.00 voucher for their VIP customer plan.  Thermomix was mentioned several times, but always in a nice way.  

The main differences I can see are:  

Lack of reverse speed.  The "Chef's" answer to this is the butterfly and speed 1 (which I believe is the way the previous Thermomix handled these jobs"  The butterfly is fitted over the blade.  I have made a few recipes which call for reverse, with no problems at all (thanks of course to your lovely recipes here and yes the recipes are interchangeable).

Apparently the Thermo Chef is not as powerful as Thermomix.  This may be so, but it hasn't caused me any hassles yet.  It still makes lovely bread, I have yet to try mincing meat, but our demonstrator said that meat doesn't present any problems as long as you don't try doing too much at once.

I like the scales being on the side (heavy handed).  If you want to measure directly into the jug you simply put the jug on top of the side scale and zero it out.   And I like the Varoma locking on the top (I am a klutz!).  The temperatures are the same as the Thermomix with a Varoma temperature as well.  Speeds from 1 - 10 plus a turbo button. The bell noise when you push a button drives me mad, so I usually hold it in and advance through the menu quickly and silently.  

Probably the thing that has annoyed me the most is when I made pumpkin soup recently - really nice soup by the way thanks to your recipe site.  It said to blitz the cooked soup going from speed 1 - speed 9 slowly.  Unfortunately I could only go to speed 5.  The Thermo Chef has a built in safety mechanism which stops you going on higher than speed 5 when the food is over 60 degrees in temperature.  I got around this because I cooked my soup first, so was able to put it aside in a pot while I made the rest of my menu, and then finish blitzing it when it had cooled down.  Then when my guests had arrived, my Chef heated the soup up again.  Just a little thing, but annoying.

The blade is removable and everything is washable in the dishwasher except obviously the main body of the machine and the jug (there are electrical sensors underneath the jug).  If things catch on the bottom, which they do occasionally, I haven't had a problem washing it.  Just put a little hot water & detergent in it and push turbo a couple of times, then empty the water and remove the blades (easy) and use a non abrasive cleaning pad such as a Chux to clean the rest off.  I was told an extra jug & blades was going to be available very shortly at a cost of approx $99.00, so that will be really handy.  

The recipe book sucks seriously, very basic and with only a few recipes, but I believe the people at Newwave Appliances are working on a new recipe book to be released sometime in February (hopefully).  Plus the internet is full of lovely recipes for the Thermomix, and as they are interchangeable - no problemo.

As for the warranty, I am sure the 12 months mentioned in the small print is just a typo.  In the main body of the warranty, it guarantees 2 years and later in the small print it states that in the event of a product or accessory being replaced during the warranty, the warranty on the replacement will expire at the original date i.e. "2 years from the original purchase date."  Reading the manual, it seems to me that a lot of it was translated from Spanish to English - and not very well.

We were told that the Thermo Chef was designed in Spain, manufactured in China but has a Japanese motor.  

All in all I am very happy with my machine.  Obviously I would have loved a Thermomix - who wouldn't, but this was not an option for me, so I am very happy to have second best.  I call it second best because I don't believe it is quite as good as the Thermomix - but it's pretty damn good anyway.

Thank you everyone for a really great site, full of wonderful recipes and very nice people.

Cheers, Nola.

[judydawn]

Hi Nola, thank you so much for that honest and frank comparison and I am pleased that the Thermochef owners are able to use our recipes.  It will be nice to see Thermo Chef bring out their own book(s) though - every appliance should come with a decent recipe book. 

[nola276]

Hi Nola, thank you so much for that honest and frank comparison and I am pleased that the Thermochef owners are able to use our recipes.  It will be nice to see Thermo Chef bring out their own book(s) though - every appliance should come with a decent recipe book. 

AMEN to that,  Cheers, Nola.