Thursday 24 May 2012

:: good gravy! i own a thermomix ::

I'm still a bit stunned... this kitchen magician wasn't really on my wish list. Oh well, it was on it as much as a black lambourgini is on everyone's wish list. When a kitchen-sink-sized item is pushing $2K on the money scale, it doesn't stand a chance.. or so I thought.

Last night I went to a demonstration, and Jason was with me (which proved to be very dangerous). I already knew they were "The It" and had heard all the raves, but nup, I was surviving. Plus it's just not afforable.

Turns out we were the only 2 at the demonstration, but the lady and her husband were the nicest folk. We tried to keep it casual and non-awkward. She said she'd narrow the demo down to 1hr instead of 2, so I settled back to be 'impressed' but not anything close to 'throwing-myself-at-it-in-complete-dedication'.

Here's the breakdown:

1} 7pm, first up is Mixed Berry Sorbet.
She starts with raw sugar (it weighs it as you pour), gives it a few pulses and it's icing sugar. Cool.
Leave that in there, reset the scales (so great how you don't need measuring cups) and add the frozen fruit.
Add ice and wizz. 2 minutes later.
The fluffiest,finest sorbet ever. And so much of it. Cool.

2} 7:10pm, we're up to Bread Dough.
First step, pour in your grains of wheat. Ok, now I'm listening. 2 noisy minutes later, we have flour. The rest of the ingredients are added. Kneading option is on. 3 mintues later. It's out and ready for rising then popping in the oven. Very cool. Jason is already saying how great this will be because he can make his own bread (he's been wanting a bread machine but I can't be bothered. They take forever).

3} 7.30pm, Herb & Garlic Dip.
She rinses the bowl for the 3rd time. Notice that there are no dishes so far?
A whole clove of garlic is dropped in and wizzed. I peek in the bowl and it's all completely smattered over the sides of the bowl. Wow, that's... great. I hate chopping up garlic and ruining my wooden chopping boards. Fresh herbs are added, and a block of cream cheese. Wizz again for no time at all, and Jason is hoeing into this slop like it's his last meal. He said afterwards it was the thing that sold him. I admit, it was pretty good for not even containing salt.


4} 7.40pm, Lemon Custard.
Started with raw sugar again, wizzed into icing sugar. Some lemon rind is added, couple of eggs and milk. A little blend and then it's set to 'cook' for 7 minutes. We chat, me mostly gaping over the cook book, seeing all the instant things you can make. Seriously, everything is quicker than take-away. 7 minutes is over, and this silky, piping hot lemon custard is served. No stiring over a stove involved. It's divine. It's ridiculous.

5} 7.50pm, Coleslaw.
Half a red onion, couple of chunks of cabbage, couple of carrots, bit of apple & some homemade mayo (obviously in the thermomix). Less than a minute, and I was eating one of the best I had ever tasted. Makes you want to cry, doesn't it? Thinking about all the time you usually spend grating those carrots....

So, less than an hour, we have made & eaten FIVE things (usually the demo involves trying the baked bread and also making a mushroom/chicken rissoto). It's a miracle. Jason wouldn't stop saying how it was just 'essential'. I sat there like a stunned fish.

Some of the other things that blew my mind were:
.
- It cooks jam in 35mins.
- It has a steamer on top that can cook a whole chicken in 30mins (no oil needed, wow!)
- You can do things like pumpkin soup, all in the one pot... saute your onion in the bottom first, add your veg & water, cook for 15mins then just turn it to blend! No ladleing into the blender!
- It makes a litre of yogurt for $1.
- The time saving element of it. Jason said he doesn't like it how we get home from work and then I slave away in the kitchen for an hour, to make something yummy, only to then spend another hour washing all these pots and pans. He's got a point.... he's actually buying more time with me out of this.
- It makes peanut butter and nutella.
- And sooooooooo much more.

The point is, it will pay for itself within a year. Takeaway on those 'rushed' nights doesn't have to be the only option. It encourages you to use those veggies in the fridge. Eating healthy becomes a cinch. Piles of dishes will be reduced to nearly nothing = saves water.

++ I promise I'm not being paid to advertise this thing. I can't believe I was so totally convinced! ++

As to the price, they have a variety of payment plans, so it doesn't have to come out of your pocket in a lump, and you'll still get it straight away. Every week that you have it, your food bill will be $40 less anyway, so that the $39 a week you have to pay for it with completely goes un-noticed.
We chose the 3-payment plan. Bigger amounts, but it gets it out of the way. The timing worked out well for us too, because we've just recieved our bond money back from our rental place, which was quite a bit. Yay!

So if you're still reading, well done. I'm sorry for the waffling.
How unbelieveable is it?



x

10 comments:

  1. I've never heard of these before, but after reading your post and then having a quick look at their website, I'm amazed! They look great and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun trialing yours out! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aaah! Wow! I have heard these being raved about by everyone that sees them... maybe one day :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. We got ours in feb and I'm still in love with it. It is amazing and does what it promises! Perfect risotto, jam,soup,hollandaise, etc. glad you made the plunge. You will love it to bits!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's fantastic Sara! I'm sure it has made your life so much easier esp with all the little people!

      Delete
  4. Looks amazing! Sure you will be using it often. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yeah, I've been to a demonstration. They are fairly impressive.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ok, I'm just a tincy bit jealous right now.... I keep hearing rave reviews about them....and you're not helping :-P Isn't it fun when husbands are more convinced about these expensive kitchen gadgets than us ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I’ve been wanting to get one of these! Unfortunately I don’t have enough funds yet for the Thermomix.Oh well, will definitely save3x!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! They will change your life! I'm not a salesman or anything, but they do offer 'pay-it-off' methods, for as little as $4 a week ;).

      Delete

Please leave a bit of love behind in my comment box!