At the very beginning of my Thermomix journey I read an article by online blogger and social commentator, Lana Hirschowitz. I found the article interesting and honest. It was one woman trying to figure out what all the fuss was about, perhaps venting a bit of buyer’s remorse.
However, the article was met with a barrage of attacks from Thermomix users. A lot were personal and very unjust. On behalf of the Thermomix community, I messaged Lana, apologised and offered to send her some ideas.
Unfortunately, even with the best of intentions, I spent more time than I had imagined getting my business going and it has taken me until now to give a proper response. But here goes.
I am a stay-at-home Mum. I was a primary school teacher by profession, but I never wanted to leave my children and so haven’t been back in the classroom in four and a half years. I hadn’t heard of Thermomix at all before this year. One of my girlfriends from mothers group bought one and then another good friend of mine did too. I wasn’t remotely interested, wondering who, in their right mind, would spend $2000 on a kitchen appliance. Non-cooks? Bad cooks? Potentially. Me? No. However, as a bum in a seat, I agreed to go to a demonstration my friend was hosting. Anything for a kid-free day. I smirked when the consultant brought out her clipboard, I sat with my arms crossed. Even the food didn’t impress me that much. Unfortunately, I’m that kind of person. When I decide something (or someone!) isn’t for me, it’s very hard to talk me round. However, I am (usually) polite, so I listened and I asked questions, but I still wasn’t convinced. Then she turned to the recruitment page and I sat back in my seat. I went quiet. My brow furrowed. Now there’s a good little business opportunity, said I, sign me up.
Four months later, I love what I do. I enjoy cooking and demonstrating. I enjoy meeting people and helping my customers along their Thermomix journey to become confident users who get value out of their Thermomix. But now I have a confession to make…
I’m a total Thermomix convert. I absolutely love it. I use it every day, sometimes three or four times a day! For me, it’s not about the risotto or the one-pot-wonders or even the hands free nature of it. For me, it’s about making more and buying less. Getting back to basics. I never did buy pre-prepared sauces and sachets, but I did buy bread, dip, take-away pizza, butter, nut butter and nut milks. Now I don’t. At all.
Everyone uses their TM differently and has a different reason for buying it. Firstly, there is the non-cook. The TM5 in particular offers step by step, fool-proof instructions to over 1000 recipes on one recipe chip. There are those who have allergies, sometimes to a whole host of ingredients and by making everything, and I mean everything, from scratch they can cater for these allergies. Some are sold on the time-saving factor alone. Busy mums, for example, who often cook with a toddler attached to their leg, while helping with homework and breastfeeding a baby. There are those whose arthritis does not permit them to do vast amounts of chopping or kneading who love that the Thermomix makes this possible for them. Some customers prioritise cutting out additives and preservatives from their and their children‘s diet and see incredible results in stress levels and their children’s behaviour by eating whole and natural foods. For these people Thermomix is life-changing.
That’s not to say that all of these things aren’t possible if you don’t own a Thermomix. Of course they are. But the Thermomix makes all this seem far less daunting. Moreover, your consultant can come and hold your hand through it all should it be required. A real, live person. Not a manual or a voice recording or an unknown in a call centre.
When I bought my Thermomix I wasn’t looking for a life-changer, but I still thought there was a place for it in my kitchen. I wasn’t sure exactly how it would all come together, but it has. As I see it, the Thermomix should be integrated into the cook’s kitchen. Use the oven. Use the barbecue. Use the stovetop too when you need to. I mean really, how can you expect a Bolognese sauce which has been cooking for half an hour to have the same depth of flavour as its stove top counterpart, gently simmering for hours upon end? But use your Thermomix too. It is there, on your benchtop, staring you in the face. Steam fish, chicken, whole eggs, fruit and vegetables. Roast spices and turn them into fresh, preservative free curry pastes. Make dukkah, jams and chutneys and sell them on for four times the price at markets if you so desire. Make smoothies, make bread, make pastry and successfully make profiteroles. Let it help you prep your favourite meals. And on those days where it’s just too hard and you don’t have the energy or time, indulge and let the Thermomix do the cooking. It’s not all stews, stodge and mashed potato. There are great recipes to be discovered.
Most of all, embrace it. Thermomix can be your best friend if you endeavour to make it work for you. Thermomix can be life-changing, but at the very least it’s like employing a sous-chef to do the hard yards while you create and takes the lead when you don’t have the heart.
Here are my tips for enjoying more textured food from the Thermomix:
- Do use your varoma. Consider steaming vegetables for soup and pouring Thermomix made soup/stock over for more bite.
- If you want less mush and more bite you may need to chop vegetables into larger chunks or add them later in the recipe.
- Enjoy chopped salads and add TM toasted nuts, seeds and spices as a topper.
- Make bread dough and pizza dough and use your oven or Weber.
- Steam whole chickens (for succulent meat and more even cooking) and crisp up the skin in the oven.
- Make muesli, granola and trail mixes.
- Embrace the soft when appropriate. Master the mash and perfect the porridge.
Please take a look at my Thermomix crunchy meal ideas. This has not been designed to follow rigidly, but to show that there is more to the Thermomix than risotto and curry and to offer some ideas. Pick and choose, but I hope you take some inspiration from it at least.
Happy Thermomixing!
mrsmixalot 