Thermomix?!

Food/Drink/Culinaria
1

The other day I was asking a French friend if she knew anybody who might be interested in buying my hardly-used Magimix 4200XL food processor.


She looked at me as if I was an idiot and said that none of her friends would be interested in something so basic (!!!) as they all now had - or wanted - a Thermomix. So I googled... and then goggled at the price! It might be a beast of a machine but... 1000 euros apiece? Really?!


http://www.ukthermomix.com/


Anybody on here got one? Are they really worth that amount of money, outside a professional kitchen?


Oh... and if anybody is interested in my 'lowly' little Magimix I'm just about to put it (or try to!) on SF's small ads.

2

ok Nola - I am now tempted by the 2 hour demo :)

3

I rest my valise: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/dream-machine-the-thermomix-weighs-chops-cooks--and-even-washes-itself-up-8456501.html

And no, I didn't write the article!

4

Rosie, apparently it can wash itself! Just 'cook' a squirt of washing up liquid and water for a few minutes. But Jamie O has always recommended cleaning food processor bowls in a similar way so nothing new there!

I've read about those soup makers... and laughed. I just reserve my largest saucepan for soup making all through the winter... :)

5

The Magimix I'm selling then - at only 300 euros - is a bargain then! :)

6

Like yours Brian....this is our second Kenwood, first lasted 17 years and this one 16...so fingers crossed! spent all my Xmas vouchers yesterday...(watching yet another shopping chain bite the dust and not accept gift vouchers yesterday....I set about using my vouchers.)....so from Lakeland...a lovely slow cooker for £25, a gorgeous long teardrop shape baguette board with olive oil dish integral to board, a book on how to make cheese...from BHS, 4 top quality pillows....2 large sofa cushions and a supersoft satin feel king size fitted sheet.....a thoroughly enjoyable shopping trip that cost me not one penny!

7

Goodness - does this Thermomix do the washing up as well ? I have had a Moulinex food processor for years, which does all I need, and when I had a hotel for a few years in the Uk, it served me very well. I always cook from scratch and this wonderful machine was superb. Having seen adverts on Uk TV for an electric soup maker which does everything except serve the finished product I realise that some folk are getting a bit lazy with their culinary arts. Take heart Chrissie, most of us would not buy a Thermomix

8

I looked it up last night, out of interest and it is horrendously expensive, lowest price was £560 without any attachments and those all cost and arm and a leg, so a kit with a couple of necessary gadgets will make €1000 very easily. They have a niche market and they are keeping it. Mind you, I did not look at e-bay, so perhaps.

Even a Magimix is now £320 reduced price on Amazon! I hope our Chef last many more years. It is my second one over nearly 40 years, so fingers crossed.

9

I think I will pass on the thermomix thanks, I could find a lot more enjoyable things to spend a grand on I will struggle on with my trusty Prestige hand mixer.

As I was reading through the posts I was reminded of the vacumn clener that was sold by similar methods in the eighties. I couldn't remember what it was called but then another post recalled it as 'the Kirby' a lovely machine by all accounts but I had recently bought second hand cars for less. A friend I worked with persuaded some of us to allow his partner's son to come and demonstrate one with a promise it would be a short visit as he only needed to chalk up some visits to complete his probation. Colin arrived (he was Wayne Fontana's son, remember him) and stopped for three hours giving us the full sales patter. We all arrived back at work on Monday with the same story and gave our friend an earfull.

10

I love, love the kitchenaid, Suzanne.

I was just too late at the Guildford Lakeland sales to nab one and the wonderful saleswoman said she'd put one aside for me if there were any more. I left my number and a couple of weeks later she rang and asked if I'd like the display model at half price as there was no box! I said yes and literally ran there - only to find that she had thrown in a box with all the add-ons as it had been opened and the box was tatty. What a bargain! That was nearly twenty years ago and bar an episode where I chucked the frozen butter into the mixer and put the melted butter into the fridge, is still going strong. Toasters however are a different matter. We seem to go through them at a rate of knots, whatever the make. Current model cost me 10€ in Carrefour and although dodgy has not yet gone bang.

11

I have been resisting the temptation to join in, but I can't help myself.

I love kitchen gadgets, and the Thermomix does seem wonderful, albeit pricey!

On the "kit front" I have a cherry red KitchenAid and blender too.

My pride and joy is the 5 litre Magimix - I used to have a Magimix for years and eventually after long and faithful service, it went to that mixer graveyard in the sky.

I then bought a Kenwood processor, and was very disappointed with it, as it just wasn't in the same league (my daughter has it now and it is still going strong)

I wanted a Magimix, but thought it was expensive, so I kept looking on Amazon, Ebay etc.

I was just at the point of buying one for around £275, and a wonderful person decided to sell hers,after a little bit of use, on ebay. It was £175, with quite a few accessoiries, cover, cutting blades etc.

She sent it to me, and it was like new - the plastic was still on lots of the pieces, and I was delighted.

Bottom line?? I tried to get value for money from a "liquidiser and processor combo" by buying the Kenwood, and it was very false economy, and Magimix rocks.Simple as that!

We try and re-use things and pass them around in the family, so my daughter has it and loves it, as for her it was an upgrade from a French Sebb, also a combo.

The Sebb saw her through uni and early work years, and now, minus the liquidiser which went west long ago, sits atop my stepmother's work surface. It was a bit tired when she had it, but as she has arthritic hands, she was thrilled with it. She scoured the internet, and managed to pick up the missing bits (not the liquidizer), and it looks like new.

12

now i'm jealous nola, I want a kitchenaid on my worktop! hubby says I have to wait till we move.

13

for 1000€ i will get out the polish and sit anywhere you want

14

This all sounds like a "Kirby Cleaner" ( £700 for a hoover, 20 years ago????) selling technique to me.

As with all party plan only schemes you end up paying vastly inflated prices to pay all the reps in a pyramid selling millarky. Absolute rip off.....

Kirby tried to recruit me and revealed their rather dubious techniques

15

Yes John, but are you shiny and would you fit on my worktop next to my Kitchenaid?

16

1000€ what else does it do, i would cook for you for a month and wash the dishes for that

17

I have a big, strong Kenwood Chef that does everything but chop down trees. Also have a Kenwood food processor that was chucked in with something we bought, like Carol, that does loads of things, then a couple of hand mixers. Thermomix takes the edge off preparation of food and also everything, I am told, comes out the same very time. Well, that latter point does not suit me, I like the slight variances that come with identical ingredients, quantities and so on but the cooking time, heat and even mood mean it is always just slightly enough different to keep things interesting - except the total failures sometimes.

18

Well, I'd love one. Have no need for nine though!

No worries John - wasn't at all offended. Just because I like playing with a 1000€ gadget doesn't mean I can't throw together a foie gras mi-cuit à la mangue if I have to - without fancy utensils ;)

19

I've seen these in a few chef's kitchens - apparently it's the No 1 Wedding Gift in France according to the DM and Heston has 9 in his Fat Duck kitchens...Thermomix

You can only buy them from their representatives who come to do a demonstration - hence the party thing going on in France. But hey the good news for this expensive gadget is that for home users, a divided payments option is available to pay by instalments. UK residents can also apply for their BUY NOW PAY LATER finance option with a minimum deposit of just £50.

Hmmm a gadget you can't buy at competitive prices in store...I think I'll manage with my existing gadgets.

20

That's why I love my Braun stick blender - which comes with a chopper and whisk attachment as well - to bits. It takes up very little space and is ready to go in the time it takes to plug it in. :)