So, I’ll try to get it second hand for $1.6kish…. But I just can’t see the value in it.
Anyone on OzBargain like em? Thoughts? The pressure to buy is building and I’m not convinced.
My Wife Wants to Buy a $2.7k Thermomix. Thoughts?
The Wololo Wombat on 23/11/2023 - 20:16
Last edited 23/11/2023 - 20:59 by 1 other user
Last edited 23/11/2023 - 20:59 by 1 other user
Comments
@The Wololo Wombat: What about a polygamous marriage?
No, marriage breakdown (via finances) occur when partners don’t make large decisions together… and instead are two people acting independently of each other, leading to (or risking) disdain or resentment
…then why are you asking us?
Don't just take the word of people here.
See the Thermomix in action on The Katering Show.
Great honest review of the 'Little german death machine', came here to add but you beat me to it.
I have a TM5. I use it almost every day. Make homemade yoghurt every 2 days. Use it for blending, cooking sauce, and making dough.
Think of it as a tool to assist cooking, rather than replacing cooking.
That ecosystem is expensive. It might be cheaper in the long run to get a divorce and upgrade the wife. ;-)
I am of course joking. If she's been after one for a while, I don't think you're getitng out of buying one regardless of what anyone here says. If she earns her own money, you don't have a right to tell her what she does with it. If she's a stay at home wife the argument will be she provides support so you can earn the money. So yeah unless it is beyond your means as a couple, buy her one, make her happy.
I love my Thermomix. It's about 15 years old and still going a strong as the day I bought it which was about $1800.
However, I am really sceptical about whether these newer models are going to last as long because of the reliance on touchscreens rather than physical buttons - just seems like more that can go wrong.
I got a cheaper knockoff one by mistral second hand on FB marketplace, spent about $80. Does everything my brother's thermomix does except you have to set the timers manually instead of it telling you each step of its inbuilt recipes. Costs me an extra 10 seconds, saved me a couple grand.
Those inbuilt recipe guides are now behind a subscription service for the latest devices!!
So not only does the machine costly an arm and a leg, its now $70 a year to unlock the recipe guide on the machine!
Is she working? If she can pay for it herself then go for it.
So if she is working, why can't the OP cook as well!?
Not sure of the point of your question.
Your equal partner in life can see a use for it and wants one. Sounds like she does most of the regular food preparation in the household.
Assuming your family can afford it She has the perfect right to buy one.
Nice of her to discuss it with you, but I don’t see that you can provide any useful input - I guess hence your question here……Personally, I wouldn’t buy a secondhand expensive cooking item like that.
Same situation , missus demanded the TM, I obliged.
Problem is missus barely uses it now (she didn't like to cook before, she still doesnt), so I ended up being the one using it most (gotta justify 2.7k to meself!)
It is an unbelievable good tool, allows you to cook with minimal effort and very tidy. Worth it if your wife will ACTUALLY use itIt’s a cult
Depends on your situation, if you have young kids then I’d say definitely as it saved so much time for us. Now that they’re approaching high school we don’t use it as much but 100% got our moneys worth.
Buy her a set of safety specs, unless they have fixed the issue.
Then Mahlzeit!If you are space constraint (eg: live in an apartment or small kitchen space) then yes. If not, its cheaper to get all the other gadgets individually.
Typical of this site with all the comments from people who have no knowledge or experience with it - yet they'll tell you it's over priced, or better yet that you can get something from ikea or whatever that is the equivalent 🙄
It's a premium appliance, with a premium price and it has some big limitations. Using it for its strengths and to compliment whatever else you're doing however, and it's brilliant. Being able to use it on a program where it does its thing and dings and lets you know when it's at the next stage is really helpful. You can do other things while it chops/mixes/cooks is great. I don't care what anyone says, if my wife or I can have a chat with the kids while the thermomix does its thing, that's a win in our eyes. It makes nice yoghurt. One of the kids has lactose issues, so being able to whip up all sorts of flavours is nice. The temperature control is handy, you can dial it in really well for whatever you're making, hot or cold. It does a fine job of sauces, soups etc.
We haven't figured out a good recipe/technique for curries or anything like that yet. Turns out better in a pot or pan as the thermomix turns diced meat a bit rubbery, in our experience. Taste is fine, but the texture is just… off. The slow cooker still gets a good run as the thermomix bowl just doesn't fit enough in there sometimes. Sous vide steaks for instance - i can fit 6 in the slow cooker, but the thermomix will only take 2 comfortably.
Only you can judge whether it's worth it. Personally I would say absolutely, as the time we have saved alone is worth it. With my wife and I both working fulltime, it is one of the things we both look to save where possible lol! If you really can't get past the price, you'll just end up disappointed. There is nothing that it does that you cant do otherwise - it is just very efficient and versatile at doing it.
Typical of this site with all the comments from people who have no knowledge or experience with it
I don't own one, but researched it pretty heavily a while ago when I was thinking about one.
So your view is, other than making good yoghurt, everything else is a bit meh? No good curries, meat comes out rubbery and the unit is too small?
My main issue I came up with, is any of the one pan meals, was too small for a family and 3/4 of them could be done in a pot without too much extra effort.
It seems great for making sauces and bases, but that was about it.
Only you can judge whether it's worth it. Personally I would say absolutely, as the time we have saved alone is worth it.
What has it saved you time on out of interest?
Umm.. cooking lol. As I said, it can automate some processes, freeing us to do other things. I never meant everything is a bit meh - just pointed out a couple of specific areas where we have found it to be lacking. With the temperature, chopping and mixing all being automated and fine tuneable, it does a lot of tedious work for you. Butter chicken for instance - make the gravy up in the thermomix, once it has done all the cutting/mixing and it has started to simmer, sear the chicken pieces in a pot and tip it all in to simmer in the pot for half an hour and it turns out well. Sure, it's only saving a little bit each time it is used, but it adds up.
The main issue people seem to have is that for the price, they expect it to spit out michelin quality food, and scoff when they find out it (obviously) doesn't. In our case though, glad we spent $2,000 odd to save time over the last 9 years and counting
This is my experience too. It's not magical but it automates some cooking steps and frees up time to do other things in the kitchen while it does it's thing.
As an example when making lasagna it does a dead simple bechamel sauce. I still cook the bolognaise in a saucepan (the thermomix can do this but requires cleaning the bowl out halfway through) but I let it do the bechamel. While I'm doing vegetables or stacking the dishwasher or clearing the table it just does its thing and I come back and have everything ready for the oven.
It just saves time and if your busy working full time or looking after children and have the income to afford it it's a no brainer.
My Wife Wants to Buy a $2.7k Thermomix.
take over the cooking duties! then your wife will not have a reason to ask for a Thermomix
I've seen a few comments like this… it seems to suggest that I should just accept any idea/expense (regardless of value/merit/purpose) just because my spouse desires it.
I dunno about other people… but we don't operate as independent entities in our marriage - especially when it comes to large expenses.
If you have to ask ozb!…
I mean if I wanted to splurge on power tools for small jobs arround the house, and my partner posted the question to ozb, I would be furious
Why? Being furious over that seems unreasonable.
lol the same guys buying $2000+ TVs and gaming computers shitting on the existence of an expensive kitchen appliance. If you guys can comfortably afford it and your wife is convinced it'll help her out, go for it
Sure, if OP's wife has never raised an objection to buying expensive electronic, by all means he should go ahead and buy one.
Every large expense in our household has been made with mutual support and both sides have seen the value provided. Our marriage is a partnership, not two independent people living in the same house lol (also, I'm not a cuck lollll).
BTW the TV was $1750 thanks to Ozbargain lolllll. I won't comment on the price of the gaming PC.
Every large expense in our household has been made with mutual support and both sides have seen the value provided. Our marriage is a partnership, not two independent people living in the same house lol (also, I'm not a cuck lollll).
Let me rephrase that for you, "I buy whatever I want to buy, sometimes it means I'll just have to put up with some whinging from her at worst, but everything she wants to buy needs to go through me".
Sounds like you’re projecting here mate!
@The Wololo Wombat: Hey at least you and your wife can have a married life, a right you wish to deny to gay people. Or have you changed your tune on that one?
I'm curious - what was the value your wife could see in a gaming PC? Does she use it too?
Your question seems to miss the mark. Gaming is a big hobby of mine, one that I use it to connect with my friends - she does not use it herself, but we both see value in it.
I don't see 2.7k value in a Thermomix and I'm attempting to use this thread to help me see that value/get ideas of it's, especially considering much cheaper alternatives. The point is NOT who benefits, but, 'is there value' in it. In this case, clearly there's a disconnect between our opinions on value - so, I'm asking for advice.
If you are implying selfishness in my actions here, may I suggest the opposite is true - imagine forcing your wife/husband to consent to big purchase they didn't see value in? What a recipe for disaster! That would only breed resentment.
@The Wololo Wombat: But by your own admission she cooks the majority of the meals. It's not a hobby, its work. If she is doing work for you and wants a tool to make it easier what gives you the right to say no.
And if she enjoyed cooking and treated it as a hobby what makes it any different to your gaming PC? You don't need a RTX 4090 to game, you could just play 1080p for $1000's less. Just like you're asking her to cook with inferior kitchen equipment…
@stirlo: I mean, if you're going to trawl through 1000s of comments for a 'got ya', you will eventually find one that aligns with a preconceived ideas.
Of course, real people/situations are way far complex - one usually comes to regret their (narrow) judgements of others.
While that purchase was indeed a luxury (though second hand btw lol), since you've been so persistent, here's some context you have not considered:
*it was made before interest rate rises added 36k to our expenses
*before we had a baby due (in under 6 weeks!)
*while we were on dual incomes (not single income, due to our desire for her to be a full time mother)In these circumstances we both made expensive purchases for (luxurious) items we saw added value to our lives. Now, we are in a different financial situation, so the context has changed.
May I sugest you spend less time judging contributing to r/whiteknighting.
Oh, how I feel for you.
I do the cooking at home, and regularly use a Thermo Cooker ($199 Bellini from target), I know plenty of people with the Thermomix pro's and cons.
Good alternatives are Bellini, Mistral & Smith & Nobel, then see how it goes.Now I am not claiming it's BETTER than a Thermomix, although it is in some regards. It's actually my second unit, the first lasted about 2+ years, this one is in it's 4th year.
It's not my favorite kitchen appliance, but possible the one I use the most at one stage Bunnings, Ebay also had them.
The Target model, has a lot less problems\issues, better design.But the Thermomix is more like a club (almost Pyramid scheme) community, then come the over prices books, pricey attachments (most of which came included in the target model). So if her friends have the Thermomix, going to be pointless to try and talk her out of it.
I am in all the Thermomix communities, there are no real adjustments I need to make to any of the recipes, really excels for anything that requires heating and stirring at the same time. Ofcourse if you pay the asking price you may use it for everything and wear it out quicker, lots of people complain about the poor warranty against the price.
I know people with multiple Thermomixes, many are complete crazies…:)
Consider a second hand TM5, a lot of people are selling due to upgrading and they're still very good machines. Can be had for $600-800.
Friend of mine used to be a Thermomix seller as a side and couldn't recommend them enough. Now she isn't and doesn't recommend them.
I just use it to kneed pizza dough for the pizza oven
How about a NFW
We use ours daily and even have a second mixing bowl so we have a spare clean one handy. Definitely use it for way more than chopping veggies
You don't need the TM6 though, just find a second hand TM5 will be much cheaper
I agree with the comments saying the fandom behind it is weird. Even just buying one brand new is a strange experience
If it gets her excited about cooking then you should get it, and encourage her to use it to make all kinds of treats.
Ask for her trade-in value before getting the Thermomix
biggest waste of money! its made for those who cant cook & opt to eat mediocre meals
The worst thing about Thermomix is I can't just go to a shop and buy one. I need to contact an independent rep. Feels a bit too much like Amway.
Had one for 3 years…. and still have it…
Its very very expensive.. for what it is … which is a thermal blender…
If you can't cook anything.. its a good start on learning.. given there is a large comunity out there was recipes..It makes excellent.. perfect rissotto.. (it least my wife can now)…
And I use it as a very very expensive blender..It is worth it?… probably not.. if you are a reasonable cook already..
We use it may once a fortnight.. tops..This is the other hand changed. our cooking habits completely..
https://www.amazon.com.au/Ninja-Foodi-Smartlid-Multi-Cooker-…
Used daily.. and often twice a day..
better than microwave for pizza leftover chips and nuggets… and faster than an oven..
I use it for all my curries.. rather than the thermomix.. which tends to turns curries. into dog food… consistency..I have a Bellini multi cooker (not the same but similar type of thing) and if anything I found using it was annoying. You can only cook certain types of food in it and the novelty wears off really quick.
My multi function pressure cooker cost less and while it can’t “blend” or stir, I use it way more than the Bellini.
Idk, people spend similar amounts on vacuum cleaners. If she cooks and she uses it - then I don’t see why not.
Say no.
Is your wife working, or are you just the workhorse that gets abused in that household? If she's earning an income, and she can pay for it, then tell her go ahead! If she sits at home doing jack while you pump 12 hour days for the sake of the family, then it should be a different discussion.
We have one. We bought it much cheaper than the price they now sell for.
Are they good - Yes
Are they worth the expense - We don't use it enough these days to justify it (my opinon not the boss's)
Are they nice to have - Yes
If I was single would I buy one - No
If I was married would I buy one - Better to waive the white flag, than sleep on floor for several weeks and still end up buying one.
Don't touch that with a barge pole!
kogan sells a knock off thermomix if you're into things that could electrocute you….
I think it is worth it. Easy for soup and sauces, smoothies.
But have to be very careful when blending hot liquid eg. soup. Plenty of mishaps of explosion, people burnt because of it.I find it very good. Biggest surprise is how different the food comes out depending on the blade speed setting and run times. Most chopping is done in less than 3 seconds. Once you get a knack for it you can pretty much do anything.
Great for making up batches of different spices - it mills the seeds into flour like consistency and then cooks it.
They regularly roll out new software updates that enable new features.
Most safety related incidents I have had is to do with filling it too much and boiling food overflowing. I then rush to intervene and make mistakes. Now i'm alot more careful and chill about it - let the steam release for a little while until I open the lid.
We bought one about 4 months ago. Was fun at first and it makes some very tasty dishes. If you are organised with your week or you would like to meal prep it's very handy.
I have observed it now sitting on our bench top gathering dust the past few months.
If you can commit to using it a few times a week it's well worth it I'm the long run.
Ice cream, pizza dough and the scrambled eggs sold it for me….I was in the same boat as you after my sister in law became a rep for thermomix. My wife is all "let's have a thermomix party" and I'm like sure, go ahead, but we're not buying a 2500 dollar blender".
Two weeks later we had the party and three weeks after that we had a thermomix. They really are pretty nuts. People in this thread who are like "hurr durr it's a 2700 dollar wooden spoon" have not seen what they can do in action. They are very nifty and can cook up a storm.
They are very nifty and can cook up a storm.
So do share what your family cooks with it then?
Hmmmm $2500 storm maker…. I could be in to that!
It's one of those things that I can't even keep track of, it's so regular. Tonight at family dinner my mum made chorizo risotto and a tuscan chicken rice dish, and a cheesecake for dessert all done in the TM.
And yeah I mean that's one night. Christmas will have 3 TM's in the kitchen going off all day with lunch, snacks, baby food, all sorts of things. Egg nog a bit later on, all of it.
Only if you can spend $2.7k on a new GPU lol
My siblings and I pitched in to get one for our mum for Christmas about 4 years ago. She loves cooking and does 100% of it. She had mentioned it a few times in the past about it being something that would be nice to have but wouldn't get one herself because of the price.
Apparently she cried when she opened the present (I wasn't there, I was interstate with my partner).
It would be used almost daily I'd say. Rarely for an entire meal (only ever a quick, easy risotto, or soup maybe) but used heaps for prep and side dishes, sauces etc. My dad even uses it for making the dough for baking bread, something they never used to do (and also a product they now never buy from the store). A year or two down the track he even said that it's been "the best present ever".
It's probably not going to make someone who isn't into cooking into an enthusiast, but for someone who is, it's a really useful and valuable tool.
My wife is a really good cook and was like I don't need one of them, the beeping would annoy me, etc.
She went to a thermo party and next minute we had one. I was pretty annoyed due to the price, but then I queued my wishlist into the app and we had some amazing different meals from our usual.
It gets used near daily and our kids can even use it which has been great to teach them how to follow a recipe.
If you are the type of people that would usually cook dinner at home anyway, then I would hands down recommend one. Note, you may end up buying extra attachments, second pot and blades, etc.Who cooks most of the time? If it is her and you guys aren't scrapin by then I'd say let her get it. I have heard that the Bellini thermomix knockoff is just as good as the original though from my ex-wife and she's had both models. https://www.bunnings.com.au/mistral-smart-intelli-kitchen-ma…
I wish I made a cult product like this where thousands of people justify how good an overpriced product is, and try to convince everyone around them to get one.
Waste of money.
If you're that keen to save time, just order your food every now and again and make simple and quick meals.
I had a 'cheap' Target Bellini Intelli machine, bought new, which drove me nuts and had to be replaced about 5 times in the early days of them selling those machines..
I used it a bit, but not frequently.A couple of years ago I upgraded to a second had Thermomix (TM31) purchased via FB, and have really enjoyed using it.. not all the time, but most weeks, more than most items in my kitchen (other than my fantastic Solidtechniks frying pan). It's a different style of cooking (I think) to standard stove top, so having recipe books I think is important to get use out of it.
I've since bought a second TM31 thermomix, also (second hand) after scoring it for $200. I like having a spare jug (called a bowl), but on occasion having a second machine is good. If you like to prep, can be very useful having a second bowl.
Earlier thermomix models don't have the same smarts or inbuilt recipes but can be picked up a lot cheaper. IMHO worth testing to see if it will be used and then upgrading if needs be.
We do also have an airfryer too (kmart one) - that has been surprisingly awesome - super quick to heat up compared to the main oven, great for crisping things up.. also used a few times a week.
All depends on priorities - nice to have, but not sure I could commit $2700 personally (any cash is eaten by the travel fund)
I have the Bellini Intelli too. I find it a nightmare to clean tbh. Is the TM any better?
a bit annoying to clean, but with two bowls, I just take each apart and run them through the dishwasher..
Base is annoying if it gets mucky though..
In this economy?
Can't comment on thermomix but 2.7k is a lot cheaper than a divorce
A divorce over a $2.7k appliance probably indicates far more underlying deep issues.
Have you tried wololo’ing her yet?
I had a similar situation few years ago, thermomix is just a blender that can cook, so found investing in a vitamix (just a really good blender, and they have food processor attachments) was all i really needed.
Have used a thermomix in the past and always get better results cooking things myself, so if you take that feature away its just an overpriced food processor.
I bought a second hand Aldi one and very happy with it. She could perhaps start with a knock off version to see if she’ll use and like.
Wife asks for a new Thermomix and you'll get her a used Thermomix? Lemme get my 🍿
I'm assuming she's getting it cuz some wealthy friend has one.
Divorce.
This isn’t r/relationshipadvice 😂 Where the answer to every marital issue is divorce hehe
Thots, about right
wet rice cooker hardly used
My household has one. Missus bought it, I think around last year and she use it everyday for all sorts of purposes.
What she has used it for so far that I can remember:
- cooking rice. It's steamed rice literally in every sense of the word steam, because you put the rice in a basket and uses steam to heat it up. It's said to be low GI.
- steamed fish
- stir fry vegies
- home-made soy milk
- home-made lemonade
- porridgeWe are both working and often has limited time to cook variety of dishes thus thermomix helps us with time consuming dishes.
The self-cleaning function is also an added bonus.
2.7K plus Yearly subscription to use the automated features. i.e. Can't load a recipe onto the device and step through it. You have to manually follow the book and change the settings as required at each step.
Complete waste of money.
How important is your life to you?
I want a GT3 RS, does that mean I can get one?
I would say absolute rip off. But you have to make your wife happy, so unfortunately you will have to suck it up. Best case scenario you can sell 2nd hand and maybe recoup half your money
Best case is it gets her into cooking and baking and OP gets daily treats. I got a gal on my Facebook that is always showing stuff she makes. She probably sells them too, but the stuff she makes look good.
Just get it for the well-being of your mental health. I bought one , even though it rarely get used but it kept my wife happy.
Stop being a povvo and just buy one for your wife
Yeah be whipped instead.
After thinking about it for about 14 years, I got one just over a year ago.
I told hubby that if I don’t use it, I would sell it.
I use it for so much more than I ever thought I would. Some fancy dishes where it’s all done in the thermomix, but also simple things like boiling eggs, my own stocks, tomato paste and yoghurt.
As a family we now eat a lot less foods/sauces from jars and packets.If you do buy one get a second mixing bowl. Saves the hassle of cleaning between cooking steps. You could also use that money for cooking classes.
if she's cooking for you - then this post should'nt exist. be grateful you tw*t!
Yea, nah. We don't do our marriage that way. A fortnight's salary on a single item must be spent with mutual agreement. To expect/be entitled to that without the other's consent is selfish, regardless of the circumstances.
My opinion is that if you can afford it and will get regular use out of it then go for it.
It is expensive and definitely not necessary but if you can justify other expensive luxury purchases then I think there's an argument for owning a thermomix.Edit: Also I think both "just buy it to keep wife happy" and "if you buy it you're whipped" are both bad takes. Discuss with your wife and make an informed decision.
A) Happy wife. Happy life.
B) It’s only the start. If she is worth it then shut up buy with smile . Or if she is not well divo…..
Buy a Kenwood Cooking Chef. They go for just over $1000. But they also have a bunch of components you can use such as the mincer, blender and food processor.
Much more bang for your buck. Good Luck!
I won one of the new ones in a competition. To be honest, it does some great things:
Dumpling mix - finely dice vegetables (but I still assemble in a mixing bowl)
Pizza and bagel dough 🤌
Soups
Sauces
Matcha lattesAs someone who likes to cook, I still do a lot by hand (the Thermomix doesn't live on the counter), and the internet connection/Thermomix account is hardly used.
I only use it if it's a lot of food I have to prepare or using one of the base recipes.
I'll be honest, it's not something I would spend my money on - I have other appliances that do the same thing that I use the Thermomix for - food processor, mixer, etc. However, if you want something that processes food + heats (because that's the main differentiator), then the Thermomix is a good tool to have in the kitchen. Expect to still manually do things, it's not a magic fix, at least not in my household.
I went through the exact same thing as you. Super sceptical and thought it was just another fad my wife was on. I really tried to avoid it but I went to a demo and we ended up getting one. We've had it for 9 years and it has been flawless. We used it just last night. Do we use it to its full potential? No. But do we use it at least weekly? Yes. We tend to use it as a high-powered blender and steamer mostly and the occasional thermomix recipes from one of the community sites. In winter, something like their pumpkin soup, where you pretty much chuck everything in there is pretty great and fuss free. It does pizza dough kneading really well.
@Typical16-bitEnjoyer: If you are married to someone, you share their debt anyway, doesn’t matter if you think you ‘share’ or not. You share…
No, marriage breakdown (via finances) occur when partners don’t make large decisions together… and instead are two people acting independently of each other, leading to (or risking) disdain or resentment.
In a ‘shared’ financial situation, it’s literally impossible for one partner to rack up 60k debt (unless both desire to), as it’s not just bank balances that are shared, but spending decisions that are shared.
Marriage is (traditionally) about two people becoming one, that’s the entire point.