You know the expression ‘time flies when you’re having fun’? Well I’m guessing the person who first uttered those now infamous words was the new owner of a Thermomix and was referring to the lightening speed at which time passes now that he was in possession of this incredible little appliance. I spent five love and food-filled nights with Thermie and, in hindsight, should have taken some time off work so that I could spend some real quality time with this baby. David and I tinkered for 5 nights, trying all of the different settings, add ons and features. We made nut butters; lamb curry; quinoa and vegetables; soups; stock and more. This machine really does sell itself, BUT I would strongly advise you attend a demo regardless of whether you think  you are interested or not, it will amaze you and you are often treated with a three-five course meal – incredible. I would also recommend, for those of you in or around the South West, to contact me via blessthismess@hotmail.com.au to get the contact deets for the two amazing consultants that I attended the demo through. 

Features of the Thermie

+ steaming
+ chopping (no more teary onion eyes!)
+ stirring (reverse feature)
+ mashing (butterfly attachment)
+ stir frying
+ slow cooking
+ rice cooking/small steamer basket
+ sautéing 
+ blending (and essentially juicing due to the high speed nature of the machine)

What I love about Thermie 

+ Easy peasy to clean: ‘Nuff said.
+ It requires bugger all dishes: Are you noticing an ‘I hate cleaning’ theme running here?
+ Built in scales: Oh holy devil THIS was handy. You can literally measure as you’re adding things in – no measuring spoons or cups in sight.
+ SO time saving: I honestly cannot emphasise this enough. Dave and I would come home, prep dinner and start it cooking while we took pup for a walk, come home and enjoy a delish meal and then have time to watch a movie or just spend time together. Um, this NEVER happens. With prep, cooking, washing up etc, we usually finish dinner and old mate goes straight to bed. It was SO lovely getting to spend a bit more time together and I was so appreciative of the gift of that during Thermie week.
+ Healthy as fug: It ain’t no secret that I’m a little health obsessive. The reassurance of knowing exactly what was going into my food was an absolute blessing. I loved knowing that there were no additives, numbers, preservatives or artificial anythings in my meals.
+ The wealth of recipes and support: Both in the books that the company produces to the official online forums, and unofficial recipes via food blogs etc, there is no excuse to not get creative with this thing. I tried the Essentials and Vegetarian official Thermomix cookbooks, as well as sourcing a few recipes online. From drinks to entrees to salads to curries to deserts, there is nothing that isn’t available to you. And if you have a favourite family recipe that you’re wanting to try out in the Thermie, then send it through to Head Office and their recipe department will convert your existing recipe into a Thermomix friendly version. How cool is that?
+ Beautiful food: It makes ridiculously yummy food. Especially because you’re not relying on any canned or packaged food sources, everything is made from scratch, the tastes are exceptional.
+ User friendly: I swear this thing is idiot proof. And thank goodness, because some night’s I was so overwhelmed after work that I forgot to add things or press certain buttons, and Thermie’s gentle beepy reminders ensured that I didn’t mess anything up too badly.

What I didn’t like about Thermie

+ Noise: It is a fairly noisy little appliance and during high processing dishes (like soups etc) it tended to be quite loud. Obviously for things like milled buckwheat or ice or anything that was solid and needed to be processed – it got super super loud.
+ Cost: I was lucky enough to be loaned this incredible machine in order to do a mini review for the blog, so I haven’t yet purchased one of my own. But it’s definitely in the near future. Dave and I were absolutely sold on the incredible capabilities of this machine and it was so fun to have a play and experience it first hand. Admittedly, as it costs approx $2000, this can be perceived to be a lot of moolah to spend on a kitchen appliance. But when you look at the cost of all of its capabilities (blending; steaming; food processing; frying etc) and the individual costs of appliances that serve that one sole function, you can already see that this is a good investment. I especially think that for new homeowners or young couples, like Dave and I, who are just starting out and building up their kitchen stash – it’s a clever investment early on. 

Overall I absolutely LOVED my short lived time with Thermie and I can’t wait til it’s a permenant fixture in our home. Eee. To be continued…

Blessings from my grateful and full tummy x