Does something like this exist? Ideally one that doesn't take up half the kitchen and isn't 11ty billion dollars?

I know, it's a lot to ask!

I've got a Braun Stick Blender and it's accessories: a tall jug with blade, a short jug with blade, plus a whisk which is virtually useless as it's so light and the blades are bendy, and an ice crusher which doesn't crush the ice, it just sends it all over the place. The stick blender is used mainly for blending soups etc in the winter and daily for blending my cat's food: she likes the gravy in those pouches of cat food but leaves the 'rubber bullets', so I tried blending them and success! She laps up the whole lot. (She gets her chewing excercise from her good quality cat biscuits).

The jugs are excellent. The shorter one is used to for things like hummus and nut & seed grinding etc, and the bigger one is good for making stale bread into crumbs (before drying them in the microwave), and mixing light cake mixes and for cold liquid blending. It's not so good at creaming butter & sugar as it spreads up the sides and needs to be constantly pushed down. For those jobs I use a Kenwood hand-held double headed cake mixer, as well as for beating cream, eggs, etc.

Having said all that, I don't do a lot of cake-making so don't need anything heavy duty. All in all, I'm happy. These items have replaced my Kenwood mixer which I didn't have room for on the bench and was a pain to have to pull out of the cupboard each time I needed it. The stick blender sits on the bench because of it's daily use and takes up no room. The two jugs are very light and live in a cupboard along with the hand -held cake mixer - no hassle to get them out and they don't take up much room.

Yeah there is such a thing, the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer. I had some mormon friends while I lived in the US, and for some reason these appliances were very popular in the mormon community. Not sure if they're available here. My concern with any appliance that does multiple things is always about if it does any of the jobs well, or just mediocre at everything.

[pleasanthillgrain.com]

Personally I have the individual appliances and swear loudly every time I've got to get the step ladder out to get something down from their high cupboard.

I have a kenwood tri blade set and love it.
[www.kenwoodworld.com]

I’ve recently (6months about) bought a thermomix and love it. It mixes, processes, blends AND cooks. I’ve worked hard not to make too much in the way of sweet stuff and baked goods because I’m fat enough, however, I’ve used it for dips, fantastic restaurant quality fruit paste (with no stirring by me), fresh pasta, bread dough, pastry,boiled eggs (timed to perfection), curries, Dahl, etc, jam, chutney. it comes with a steamer as well, so anything steamed. It is expensive, but they do a payment plan, and is absolutely worth it. There’s a cookey for automated cooking. I’m a recipebook type person so I don’t have one but do use the automated version for some recipes.

We ended up with a Kenwood all in one and I am pretty happy with it. I have made a few things with it so far.

My wife would like a Thermomix, but we both struggle to justify the cost. I personally don't feel it would get a huge amount of use. If I felt it would increase the amount my wife cooks I'd consider it, but for me, the joy in cooking is the parts that the Thermomix would take away.

My friend bought a Thermomix just before Christmas on a zero interest payment plan offer they had going and for her it's been a revelation.

She has always been interested in nutrition and cooking but never really listened to me or her other friends whenever I talked about making things from scratch. She always thought it was too hard. Mind you, she doesn't have much in the way of kitchen gadgets (not even a food processor). Now she is obsessed with her Thermomix and is not just cooking more, but making millions of things from scratch. It's so funny because she is now telling me things I've been talking about for years like making her own tahini and hummus and bliss balls and cauliflower rice, and having a pantry of staple dry goods, and getting stuff from the bulk section of the Indian grocer. She says she's saying lots of money by making more things from scratch plus she knows what ingredients are going in. I did say (rather loudly) that I've been telling her that for years, and she sheepishly admits that she didn't really take it in. Her friend has been a Thermomix rep for years, so she's been hearing about it over many years, but again, she never really took it on board!

The latest Thermomix has a 'recipe key' that connects to WiFi and displays the recipes step by step on the screen of the Thermomix. She can go online and download recipes to the recipe key. This functionality is just what she needed, whereas others of us might find it easy to just look at recipe books and websites.

Thermomix has reps who will do free demos in your home or wherever. You can get a few friends together if you want. I went to one where there were 3 of us and we all got to actually use it to make recipes (and eat the results!). It's completely no obligation and no pressure at all. I definitely wasn't going to buy one and I was all ready to be defensive if the rep put the hard sell on me. But she just gave out brochures and order forms for us to take away with us. I honestly have to say I've felt more pressure to buy at Tupperware parties.

I've been thinking about getting one but can't justify it quite yet, given that I've already got a large range of kitchen gadgets and equipment. My friend has a minimally equipped kitchen (even very few pots and pans) so the Thermomix gave her the functionality of lots of equipment that she didn't have.

DK I'd heard about them for years too, but have a house full of gadgets - my husband calls me gadget woman. Also I have recently updated my mixer and whiz with the latest and greatest, "to see me out", so did I need one, absolutely not. Do I love it? Yes, it's worth every cent. I've always been a "foodie" and make most things from scratch, but the Thermo gives you back time. You just put it all in and walk away. That's been the biggie for me, although a few days ago I was making tomato paste and I overflowed it, twice. It did a fantastic job of that too! Haha. Fortunately for me I had to go to work, so Ron cleaned it up for me. It didn't damage the Thermo at all, just annoyed me. The third one I watched as it boiled until it had evaporated a bit (not long). Just do it - you won't regret it.

@Janet and Emma: well, the Thermomix has inspired me in a roundabout way. I'd lost my cooking mojo a few months ago and was ordering Uber Eats far too often, but my friend texting me and sending me photos of the things she's made in her Thermomix has revived me. I'm starting to cook more again, and am using my kitchen toys again.

I would still consider getting one at some stage...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2019 09:15PM by DK.