What is a Thermomix? What's so good about it and is it worth the money? We answer all your Thermomix questions here!
We make no secret of the fact that we LOVE our Thermomix here at Mama Loves to Cook. And we love sharing all our favourite Thermomix recipes with you.
But we are often asked loads of questions about the Thermomix. And so we thought it would be handy to put together a list of all these Thermomix FAQs for you.
I have been a Thermomix owner for over 6 years now. I started with the TM31, and I recently upgraded to the latest Thermomix model, the TM6. Here I share everything I know about this fabulous machine.
Do you have any other questions about Thermomix? Get in touch and let us know!
*Note that I am not affiliated with Thermomix in any way. I am just a big fan 🙂
Table of Contents
Watch in on YouTube!
What is a Thermomix?
The Thermomix is an all-in-one food processor and cooker with multiple functions. It can chop, mill, crush, grate and knead. It can saute, simmer, steam and blend.
The latest TM6 model, also has multiple additional functions, including ferment, sous-vide, slow cook, rice cooker and egg boiler.
What's so good about a Thermomix?
The Thermomix has the functionality of 20 other kitchen appliances in one sleek, compact unit, saving precious work surface space.
Its built in scales, mixing, stirring and heating functions all make it very easy to whip up cakes, cookies, soups, bread, risottos and other one-pot meals.
Is a Thermomix worth the money?
The biggest downfall of the Thermomix is its $1500 USD price tag. That being said, the Thermomix is designed to replace 20 other kitchen appliances.
It also allows you to easily make homemade essentials, such as stock, sauces, yoghurt etc, so that initial investment can pay off over time. Various payment options are also available.
Can a Thermomix replace a Food Processor?
Yes and more! The Thermomix is both a food processor and a cooker... with built-in scales!
As a food processor it can chop vegetables and nuts, mill flour, icing sugar and spices, crush ice, grate cheese, knead bread dough, whip cream and egg whites, cream butter and sugar, and mix cake batter and cookie dough.
What can you do with a Thermomix?
The Thermomix has 20 functions and 14 pre-set modes. It can do everything a food processor can do, and with its inbuilt heating element it can also saute, simmer and steam.
Additionally, built-in WiFi connectivity and the online Cookidoo recipe platform allow for guided cooking of over 60,000 recipes on the TM6 model.
Does Thermomix chop vegetables?
Yes, the Thermomix can chop vegetables, fruit, nuts and more. It can even chop very small quantities, such as a clove of garlic. You can manually set the time and speed of the blade for different items.
For example, chop onions for 4-5 seconds at speed 5, and garlic for 3 seconds at speed 8.
Does Thermomix Slow Cook?
The TM5 and TM6 models can both be used to slow cook up to 800g meat using the blade cover accessory.
This sits on top of the blades and prevents them coming into contact with the food as it cooks.
A recent TM6 upgrade also includes a special slow cook mode.
Can you deep fry in a Thermomix?
As the Thermomix only heats to 120C, it is therefore not suitable for deep frying (usually done at around 180C - 190C).
The TM6 does have a sear function for searing at high temperatures, but this is only available during guided cooking for safety reasons.
Can Thermomix Pressure Cook?
The Thermomix does not have pressure cooking ability.
Can you boil water in Thermomix?
Yes you can boil water in the Thermomix and the new Kettle mode on the TM6 ensures your water gets to the perfect temperature for hot beverages.
You can also cook pasta in the Thermomix bowl and steam items in the Varoma basket above the bowl.
Can Thermomix Bake?
The Thermomix is not an oven and does not have a baking function. However its mixing and kneading functions make preparing cake batters, cookie doughs and breads for the oven very quick and easy.
Can Thermomix Clean Itself?
The Thermomix is not actually self cleaning, but the TM6 does have a pre-clean mode that helps to remove the worst of stuck-on food to make washing the bowl easier.
To clean the bowl without the pre-clean mode, half-fill the bowl with water and a drop of detergent and set it to speed 10 for a few seconds to remove any food residue.
What is the Varoma function?
Varoma is the steam cooking function on the Themomix. The supplied Varoma dish sits atop the Thermomix bowl to allow food to be steamed as water boils in the Thermomix bowl.
The temperature setting for Varoma cooking is 120C.
What is the difference between Thermomix TM5 and TM6?
There are several differences between the TM5 and TM6 Thermomix models. The TM6 has a larger touch-screen, built-in WiFi connectivity and several additional functions.
These include Slow Cooking, Sous-vide, Ferment, Rice Cooker, Egg Boiler, Kettle and more.
You can read our full comparison of the TM5 vs TM6 here.
Does a Thermomix use a lot of Electricity?
The amount of electricity used by your Thermomix depends on what mode it is in and what speed it is operating at.
Although it has a powerful motor, it is efficient and so you often only use it for a few seconds or minutes at a time. For example, kneading pizza dough can be done in just 2 minutes.
How many litres is a Thermomix?
That depends on which model you use. The newer TM6 and TM5 models have a bowl capacity of 2.2 litres, while the original TM31model has a bowl capacity of 2 litres.
Can you put a Thermomix in the dishwasher?
All parts of the Thermomix bowl and Thermomix accessories are dishwasher safe. You do need to ensure both the bowl and base are dried thoroughly before replacing onto the Thermomix.
The Thermomix base unit cannot be immersed in water and should be cleaned using a damp cloth.
What is Cookidoo?
Cookidoo is the official Thermomix online recipe platform. It gives its subscribers access to over 60,000 recipes and meal planning functions.
Cookidoo can be accessed via the screen on the TM5 and TM6 and allows for guided cooking. To access Cookidoo on the TM5, you need to purchase a Cook-Key, while the software is already loaded on the TM6.
Can I use Thermomix without Cookidoo?
You can use Thermomix without using the Cookidoo platform. There are plenty of Thermomix recipes to be found online, with instructions on how to make them manually in the Thermomix.
Guided cooking and viewing recipes on the Thermomix screen is only available via Cookidoo.
Do Chefs Use Thermomix?
If you get to peek into a professional kitchen, you will often see a Thermomix included in their appliances.
It obviously does not replace a team of qualified chefs but it is definitely a handy tool to have in a professional kitchen.
Can I buy a Thermomix without a demo?
Most people buy a Thermomix after having a demonstration (or "Cooking Experience").
It is possible to purchase a Thermomix without doing this first, but you still need to buy the machine through a Thermomix Consultant.
What is better than a Thermomix?
In our opinion, nothing beats the Thermomix in terms of functionality, ease of use and aesthetics. There are other alternative thermo cookers on the market though.
These include the Kogan Thermoblend Elite, the Aldi Ambiano Thermo Cooker, the Bellini.Supercook Kitchen Master and the Kenwood kCook Multi Smart.
I hope this helped answer some of your Thermomix questions. If you have any other questions, let us know!
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Hi there you said it can't bake. I just want to double check, can it Cook? Or is it really just a fancy mixing and chopping bowl?
Hi Matthew - no it does cook as it has a heating element, so you can make soups, pasta sauces, risotto, curries, and most main courses in it. You can also steam vegetables, fish etc with it. But it doesn't bake. So you can't bake a cake, muffins or bread in it, you will need to put those in the oven.
On Cookidoo can you adjust the recipes easily to the amount of people.
Yes, you can easily scale recipes!
i want to set my Thermomix before i leave for work so that the dinner will be ready when i return. Will this function be a future upgrade for themomix?
Sorry, I don't know the answer to this - I haven't heard of this being added an option, but I agree it would be handy!