My addiction to small kitchen appliances is well documented. But even for a Crockpot hoarder like me, there is one appliance I don’t own: a Thermomix. I didn’t know they existed until last year when I read about them in a Facebook group for home cooks. Designed in Germany and selling for $1,499, the Thermomix promises to be “the all-in-one kitchen appliance that makes accomplishing more possible.” OK, but what does that mean exactly? I was dying to know.
Popular in Europe and Australia, a Thermomix is like a blender, food processor, hot plate and kitchen scale all rolled into one and hooked up to Wi-Fi. I watched multiple YouTube videos about it and was intrigued.
“Wait until you see this,” I told my husband. “It’s the one kitchen appliance we don’t own.”
“That’s impossible,” he said. “You buy all of them.”
I showed him my computer screen. “It displays the recipe as you cook and you don’t even have to get out measuring spoons because there’s a built-in scale.”
“How much is it?” he asked.
“Um … It’s an investment in cooking technology.” I pulled my computer away before he could see the price tag, but it was too late.
“Fifteen hundred dollars?” he exclaimed.
That was the extent of my Thermomix research until last month when my friend Ivy invited me to her house for lunch. I knew that she was a dedicated cook and that she also owned a Thermomix. This was my chance to finally see one in action. I asked if she’d give me a demo.
Ivy owns a TM5, which is slightly different from the newer TM6 model currently for sale, but it was still impressive. Even more impressive was the recipe we made, which was sweet and sour short ribs, prepared from scratch.
If I were to make ribs at home, I would probably purchase bottled sauce to go with them, dump everything in my Crockpot, and hope for the best. But the Thermomix had us measure out multiple types of vinegars, liquors, sugar and other ingredients. Then we closed the lid and it cooked and stirred at the same time. Twenty-five minutes later, the short ribs were ready, and although sugar was involved, the sauce hadn’t burned to the pot. Ivy told me that the Thermomix can even make homemade caramel from milk without scorching. The ribs were delicious, but the best part was finally meeting the holy grail of appliances.
“The Thermomix is so amazing,” I told my husband as soon as I got home from Ivy’s house. “I can see why they are popular in Europe where kitchens tend to be smaller. Or if you were a young couple just starting out in life, maybe instead of buying a blender, bread machine, rice cooker, mixer and Instant Pot, you’d use the same amount of money to purchase a Thermomix instead.”
“Are they still fifteen hundred dollars?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said with a sigh.
That’s probably why Thermomixes haven’t become ubiquitous in American kitchens yet. It’s too hard to overcome the price tag.
Jennifer Bardsley publishes books under her own name and the pseudonym Louise Cypress. Find her online on Instagram @jenniferbardsleyauthor, on Twitter @jennbardsley or on Facebook as Jennifer Bardsley Author. Email her at teachingmybabytoread@gmail.com.
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