I wanted a Kitchen Aid. Because kneading super, wet bread dough by hand was a real pain. I wanted to save time and energy as there were always other things that call for my attention.
Then I heard about Thermomix and what it could do…yes, kneading was one of its capabilities. It can blend and cook as well. My interest in it was piqued after watching my neighbour use it to make lemonade. So I told Chek Yang about this wonder machine…
I married a gadget analyst. One who has a habit of researching on various brands and models and doing up a comprehensive spreadsheet before making an informed decision on investing on a piece of equipment. It is easier to convince him to buy me a piece of technology than flowers. :P
Now, if you often shallow or deep fry foods, then give Thermomix a miss. This machine was not designed to fry anything at all, apart from stir-fries. Its highest temperature is around 120 degrees Celsius – not high enough to brown meats and veggies. I always go back to my pan / wok / air-fryer to get the browning done. A minor issue really as I can ‘instruct’ Thermomix to cook other stuff like rice or stir-fries or steamed foods while I do the frying.
This machine commands a hefty price tag because it merged many kitchen appliances into one; rice cooker, steamer, blender/ stirrer, soup pot, dough kneader, whisker, digital weighing scale, digital thermometer/ sous vide capability, yoghurt maker, etc. It also has the ability to cook different dishes simultaneously. Sounds rather impressive, right? Well, that is until you have adapted to mix and match dishes that the Thermomix can handle. For instance, I can cook rice and steam 2 dishes at the same time. The only interesting feature I like here is that the leftover water used to cook the rice can be used to make a quick soup after the rice is taken out. I like the mild milky consistency of the soup. Having said that, Thermomix, like any other steel pots, cannot beat Tanyu claypot in terms of retaining the rich flavours of ingredients used for Chinese soups.
So, a few months have passed since the Thermomix was added to our humble range of kitchen appliances. I tried to use it as much as I can, work commitment permitting. Interestingly, it has been tasked to cooked rice and stir-fry veggies more than other dishes I endeavoured. May be that’s because I can mostly spare time to cook dinners and those meals often include rice and veggies! Lol. Other dishes which I have tried just to maximise the machine’s potential are: porridge, fried beehoon, char siew, braised duck stew, vegetable soup, chicken rice, steamed chicken pieces, cream of mushroom soup, pumpkin soup, mashed potato, steamed veggies, steamed egg custard, honey chicken, knead bread dough, mushroom seasoning powder, lemonade, sorbet, man tou and bao.
I do have one gripe over an inconvenience when using Thermomix. It only happens when I want to remove cooked food or dough that has stuck to the blades. It can be quite a chore as one needs to maneuver around the sharp blades carefully and slowly.
Thermomix can be washed in a dishwasher. Hand washing it requires great care when cleaning the sharp blades. This is a big con to me as it often came up when I’m deciding whether to use the Thermomix to cook. Haha.
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