Thermomix

[Gruffy]

http://ukthermomix.com
Does anybody have one of these or any experience with them? As good as the hype?

For those who haven't come across this before, they're basically a high end processor with an integrated heating element.

[motco]

Gruffy said:

http://ukthermomix.com
Does anybody have one of these or any experience with them? As good as the hype?

For those who haven't come across this before, they're basically a high end processor with an integrated heating element.

I know someone in Australia (they seem to be popular there) who has one of these and she says it is wonderful - worth the very high price. What she says it will do is frankly hard to believe, but I do know she is an enthusiastic cook and her word is good enough for me.

[Melman Giraffe]

motco said:

Gruffy said:

http://ukthermomix.com
Does anybody have one of these or any experience with them? As good as the hype?

For those who haven't come across this before, they're basically a high end processor with an integrated heating element.

I know someone in Australia (they seem to be popular there) who has one of these and she says it is wonderful - worth the very high price. What she says it will do is frankly hard to believe, but I do know she is an enthusiastic cook and her word is good enough for me.

They have one in the Great British Menue kitchen so they must be prity good

[PugwasHDJ80]

Quite a few of the top kitches I've been round have them and I think I've seen one in the background of he's tons devil net kitchen.

They can do amazing stuff, from homogenising ice cream mixture (which really helps with the smoothness) to making hot emulsions.

Kenwood do one as well but I have no ifdea what they are like!

[Shaw Tarse]

Melman Giraffe said:

They have one in the Great British Menue kitchen so they must be prity good

I think they used one on Saturday Kitchen last week?

one of the tv shopping channels has been selling something similar for ages.
(I have NO idea if they are any good)

[Gruffy]

PugwasHDJ80 said:

…he's tons devil net kitchen…

Heston's development kitchen? That took me a second. I do know they have (at least) 9 of them at The Fat Duck. I'd be surprised if there were many Michelin-style kitchens that didn't have them as they seem to be a huge timesaver for purées, sauces and soups etc. For a domestic cook the timesaving isn't quite so important (nice though) but quality advantages appeal, particularly the blended smoothness being so good that food doesn't even need passing.

I've booked a demo next weekend. I'll report back with my own findings.

[21TonyK]

Dazco's got one and he loves it. Sure he'll be able to tell you more. I've seen them used quite a bit now and like the idea, it does have time saving advantages, but I'm not convinced it would be of significant use other than for very specific things. Particularly sauces etc And I can't see it does anything I can;t do without it.

Are you thinking using it for specific things or just as a general toy?

[PugwasHDJ80]

Gruffy said:

PugwasHDJ80 said:

…he's tons devil net kitchen…

Heston's development kitchen? That took me a second. I do know they have (at least) 9 of them at The Fat Duck. I'd be surprised if there were many Michelin-style kitchens that didn't have them as they seem to be a huge timesaver for purées, sauces and soups etc. For a domestic cook the timesaving isn't quite so important (nice though) but quality advantages appeal, particularly the blended smoothness being so good that food doesn't even need passing.

I've booked a demo next weekend. I'll report back with my own findings.

Lol bloody ipad

[Gruffy]

21TonyK said:

Are you thinking using it for specific things or just as a general toy?

I like to try Michelin-style cooking with lots of components, so the extra pair of hands for sauces and purées would be very welcome. I don't have a stand mixer and a KitchenAid would be half the cost of a Thermomix anyway, which is how I started entertaining the idea.

There are a couple of other little things that draw me to it: not needing to pass things mostly, which I seem to spend lots of time doing, but also the ability to grind spices that finely. Can't deny being drawn to gadgetry too.

[dazco]

I love mine, wasn't so sure at first.

It is amazing. t will turn lobster shells and stock into a smooth bisque
It will cook food and never burn it, because it stirs for you and is temperature controlled, it will mix dough and knead it, it will mill flour rice and turn sugar into castor or even icing sugar.

I tried to chop a few cashews the other day and I went a bit ott, ended up with smooth cashewnut butter

It will instantly mend any sauce that has split, it (allegedly) makes ace ice cream.

It makes a very smooth chicken liver parfait.

Soup can just be thrown in and left alone

Any questions feel free to ask.

These are very popular in Spain and Australia, if I was buying another one I would buy off Spanish ebay. I have asked sellers on there if they will post to the UK, via Google translate, and they all said yes.

[Gruffy]

Great tip on the Spanish eBay! Looks like about 15% cheaper.

[Melman Giraffe]

Shaw Tarse said:

Melman Giraffe said:

They have one in the Great British Menue kitchen so they must be prity good

I think they used one on Saturday Kitchen last week?

one of the tv shopping channels has been selling something similar for ages.
(I have NO idea if they are any good)

Apparently used a lot for creating sauses such as hollandaise and keeping them warm once made.

[21TonyK]

Gruffy said:

I like to try Michelin-style cooking with lots of components, so the extra pair of hands for sauces and purées would be very welcome. I don't have a stand mixer and a KitchenAid would be half the cost of a Thermomix anyway, which is how I started entertaining the idea.

There are a couple of other little things that draw me to it: not needing to pass things mostly, which I seem to spend lots of time doing, but also the ability to grind spices that finely. Can't deny being drawn to gadgetry too.

Remember M* food doesn't necessarily mean foams, mousses etc and if you want to get into molecular gastronomy a thermomix isn't necessarily the right tool, certainly not the "only" thing you need.

As for not having to pass stuff that it going to depend on what it is, fruits with seeds still need passing, sauces with proteins still need skimming etc. And when they say saves passing they mean youo don;t need to put it through a sieve. For proper passing and clarification passing you need 1 micron superbag and a 2 day wait!

I'd invest in a few books and have a good read up on the sort of food you are working towards and see what you need.

A good read is

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Molecular-Gastronomy-Explo...

And a couple of books I use for ideas...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bentley-Brent-Savage/dp/17...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Laundry-Cookbook-Th...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essence-Recipes-Champignon...

And order one of these

http://www.msk-ingredients.com/specialist-products...

Read all the books, play with the kits and the next thing you'll want is a waterbath

[Gruffy]

Bentley and Essence are already old favourites, along with books like Quay, Eleven Madison Avenue etc. Somehow my collection doesn't include French Laundry Cookbook yet.

A Sous Vide Demi has been high on the wish list since I tasted a sous vide pigeon. I've been tinkering with MSK products for a year or so and getting comfortable with the foundations of molecular gastronomy. It's interesting but I think it's a lot like Photoshop in that beginners just seem to go nuts and do too much just for the sake of it or because they can. I mentioned the M* cooking more because of the number of components in a dish and the workload that brings with it, which I'm hoping a Thermomix could help with.

[dazco]

I have a sous vide, and I am after another.

I am quite lucky because I found a proper vacuum bagger/chamber on ebay, so I can practice with flavour injections etc, whilst having a vac packer for extended life, and for packing food for sous vide.

I am just about to get into this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modernist-Cuisine-Home-Nat...

It is stunning

[Gruffy]

Got my eye on that too. Would love to hear how you get on with the book.

[21TonyK]

dazco said:

I have a sous vide, and I am after another.

I am quite lucky because I found a proper vacuum bagger/chamber on ebay, so I can practice with flavour injections etc, whilst having a vac packer for extended life, and for packing food for sous vide.

I am just about to get into this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modernist-Cuisine-Home-Nat...

It is stunning

Hang on before you buy it. Might be able to save you £70!

[dazco]

21TonyK said:

dazco said:

I have a sous vide, and I am after another.

I am quite lucky because I found a proper vacuum bagger/chamber on ebay, so I can practice with flavour injections etc, whilst having a vac packer for extended life, and for packing food for sous vide.

I am just about to get into this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modernist-Cuisine-Home-Nat...

It is stunning

Hang on before you buy it. Might be able to save you £70!

I already have it Tony.
I bought it myself for xmas. Belatedly.

I would love to know your plan though.

[PugwasHDJ80]

21TonyK said:

dazco said:

I have a sous vide, and I am after another.

I am quite lucky because I found a proper vacuum bagger/chamber on ebay, so I can practice with flavour injections etc, whilst having a vac packer for extended life, and for packing food for sous vide.

I am just about to get into this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modernist-Cuisine-Home-Nat...

It is stunning

Hang on before you buy it. Might be able to save you £70!

Could that work fir me too? I'm looking at adding to the book collection shortly and it was either this of the French laundry......

[21TonyK]

dazco said:

I already have it Tony.
I bought it myself for xmas. Belatedly.

I would love to know your plan though.

YHM