I dream of Thermomix

Once upon a time, in the midst of casual conversation, a business acquaintance told me of this miracle kitchen appliance that will replace every domestic device you own. It can grind, whip, mince, knead, heat, blend and more. I was listening…but not for long. She may next have said that it also vacuums the house, does the laundry and cleans the toilette but when I heard $2,000 I tuned out and this miracle machine became nothing but a fleeting memory.

Fast forward seven months and my sister-in-law Kym mentions that a friend is now a sales rep for Thermomix; this kitchen appliance that does the work of over ten machines. Once again, the thought of it vanished as quickly as it had emerged because paying $2000 for a kitchen appliance wasn’t going to happen. Kind-of like meeting (insert celebrity crush). Possible, but highly unlikely so no point dwelling.

Fast forward another two months (last Friday) and the opportunity arose for me to attend a Thermomix party with Kym. Thermomix cannot be found in stores or purchased online. Instead it’s sold through Thermomix reps like the brands Tupperware or Avon. I had no intention of buying one (and neither did she) but I was keen to see it in action and find out what the fuss was all about. The verdict? Definitely worth the $2,000. I left the demonstration actually considering purchasing one.

In a matter of seconds I witnessed it turn buckwheat grains into flour, ice chunks into sorbet, and raw sugar into powdered sugar. In less than two hours we sampled homemade bread, cream cheese dip, beet salad, risotto, lemon sorbet and lemon custard. This is only a fraction of the duties it can perform. It can mince meat, make juices, dressings, sauces, yogurt, peanut butter, the list goes on. No measuring cups required. It has a built-in scale which can be set to zero after each ingredient is added without having to remove existing ingredients. Oh yeah, and it’s impossible to burn or overcook allowing more time for multi-tasking. But best of all, it has a self-cleaning function. Bliss.

I enjoy cooking. I don’t always enjoy the time it takes or the mess it produces but having a machine that does everything and does it beautifully can open up a world of cooking possibilities that I have yet to explore. I’ve taken a vested interest in knowing each ingredient that goes into my mouth. No need to buy processed foods with mystery ingredients; this will process food for you without any fuss giving you total control over what you eat. Many of their sauce and dressing recipes even tell you how long they will last in the fridge or freezer. Shane has Celiac disease and this machine is an answered prayer for those with food allergies.

So, why hadn’t I heard of it before? It’s been available for years in various countries. I wanted to know if it was available in the U.S. I located the U.S. office of its manufacturer, Vorwerk, a German company. Over a lengthy email I was told that it’s not available in the U.S. “due to tight U.S. regulations” and that if I purchased one overseas I could not use it in the U.S., even with an outlet converter because of something to do with hertz. Not to mention, it measures in grams and celsius which are not conducive to U.S. cooking. The people of America are being denied most likely due to some ridiculous import regulations or Vorwerk risking a challenge of its patent.

Am I going to purchase one? I need to think on this one a bit more. Having to part with it someday when Shane and I decide to uproot and head to the States could cause some angst. Not to mention the whole $2,000 thing. I also have this sense that it may take the old-fashioned fun out of cooking. Although if I had screaming children running around the kitchen I may not care about old-fashioned fun so I can see where this product is a busy parent’s dream where healthy yet simple cooking is a priority.

If you’d like to see if for yourself visit the Thermomix Australia site. To view a demonstration do a YouTube search on “Thermomix” although most videos are in German, Spanish or French so a “Thermomix Australia” search is probably a better way to go.