topic Re: Thermo cookers - advice please in Community Spirit

Thermo cookers - advice please

julie-in-oz2 — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 06:57:48 GMT

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone have one of these Thermo cookers? Mutil function cooker 10 functions in 1 compact unit? It is an electrical appliance. Apparently it cooks, grinds, melts, steams, kneads, mixes, whips etc Talking about the regular versions here not the top end.

Would love to know if you have one or know about them and if they are as good as they say.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

nevillesdaughter — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 09:04:09 GMT

My cousin has the $2,000 version and Aldi are releasing one for around $340 (I think) this week. As far as I can tell, they can be great for producing one-pot type meals, but if you are making say, curry and rice, it can be better co-ordinated by doing the curry in the thermo-doohicky, while the rice is done in a rice cooker, or on the stove.

A quick reconciliation of appliances you already have (slow cookers, blenders, rice cookers, pressure cooker, ice cream makers etc) is worthwhile to see how much better off you'd be.

Also, with the $2,000 Thermo-Mix, if you buy from eBay, or any way other than via the actual dealership/party plan type presentation, no warranty exists.

I have a Tefal Cook-For-Me, which is essentially a pressure cooker on steroids, and I love it - for a certain type of meal. As with the curry example above, my machine can cook the rice too, but I'd then have to keep it warm while the curry cooked, so I choose to do the rice in a cooker. On the other hand, it does a fantastic risotto (where also the ingredients go in together) in 8 minutes!

Capacity of the cooking bowl is also something you need to look at.

There are a gazillion different machines in this genre, and in my humble opinion, sound research is needed to avoid winding up with just another appliance you can't be bothered getting out of the cupboard. I think you also need to consider what sort of cooking you enjoy - a lot of these appliances are great fast family meal type solutions, but not necessarily a great choice if you enjoy more conventional cooking.

Hope this isn't too long winded,

Marina.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

julie-in-oz2 — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 12:26:37 GMT

Many thanks Marina - it is the Aldi one we were considering.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

nevillesdaughter — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 22:59:13 GMT

I have always found Aldi's products great - it's the one I'd be going for!

Happy cooking,

Marina.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

nevillesdaughter — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 06:54:38 GMT

Quick follow-up - you can check out the Aldi product at kuchef.com.au

Marina.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

julie-in-oz2 — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 12:10:18 GMT

Thank you we looked at the video and will be seeing if the item is in store ASAP.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

j*oono — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 13:52:13 GMT

These appliances take all the fun out of cooking and they are ridiculously expensive.

Cooking is good fun and relaxing if you have the time. Getting in to it this weekend. I can't wait to try out my Christmas pastry cutters.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

purple_haize — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:02:19 GMT

I cant see the point in buying all these new appliances that do everything.......much better to cook yourself, from scratch, our grandmothers didnt have all these things and did very well without them.

So what happens next year when they bring out an even better, bigger and does more things, what happens with this yrs. model?

Probably shoved to the back of the cupboard with all the other gadgets collected over the yrs.

Waste of money in my opinion, money that could be used for more useful things..........unless you have plenty of $$$$ and can afford new models yr after yr...........

Just my opinion.......

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

donnashuggy — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:32:53 GMT

I cook from scratch, all the appliances do is speed things up, I have the tefal minute cook which is an electric pressure cooker that cooks curry - meat on bones and large pieces of potato in 15 minutes and lamb shanks in 30. The breville rice box is brilliant as it actually steams the rice correctly, wouldn't be without my pizza maker - makes excellent home made pizzas with fresh ingredients within a few minutes.

My appliances get used daily as I am very busy with work, work from home etc. It is great to be able to decide what to have for dinner at 6pm and have it all ready in 30 minutes sometimes quicker.

Whenever we have take away I am up drinking water all night, unfortunately for me, my kids are used to home cooking so I can't get away with semi prepared meals as they can really taste the difference.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

donnashuggy — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:35:33 GMT

Oh and the other appliance that gets used a lot is the sunbeam pie maker, kids love tandoori chicken pies topped in a yogurt dressing, takes a couple of minutes to cook, you can keep all your leftovers and make better pies that you would ever buy. They don't flop - they are rigid, perfect.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

purple_haize — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:45:01 GMT

My daughter cooks from scratch, she loves to cook, the only gagets that she has and uses are a pressure cooker and icecream maker, she makes all her own icecream as she has kids with allergies.

In the last yr. she has only had take a way twice.

Hubby and me, only have pots and pans, no fancy gagets at all and all meals made from scratch.

Both hubby and me were brought up in 50's, when there wasnt fancy cooking ware around.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

donnashuggy — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:49:02 GMT

Nothing wrong with that, the main thing is to cook with fresh healthy ingredients. I just cannot stand ready made foods.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

purple_haize — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:53:16 GMT

Ready made foods lack taste in my opinion and are a waste of money. At least if you make it from scratch yourself, you know what is in it and that it is healthy....

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

donnashuggy — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:57:49 GMT

We are so lucky in this country that we can buy so many varied foods.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

cherry*135 — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:59:10 GMT

Takeaway has the same effect on me, Donna, makes me incredibly thirsty as does most processed foods.

Using a thermomix is still cooking from scratch and is good for people with allergies ( easy and quick to make from scratch stock, cashew butter, sorbet made from fruit only etc).
My neice has one and uses it a lot ( family with 3 young children).

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

donnashuggy — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 00:02:01 GMT

Must be full of salt and sugar.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

cherry*135 — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 00:03:15 GMT

Another advantage of a theromix type appliance is its multi functions. You only need one appliance..not a whole cupboard full..no blender, food processor, ice cream maker, rice cooker etc.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

purple_haize — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 00:05:19 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
Takeaway has the same effect on me, Donna, makes me incredibly thirsty as does most processed foods.

Using a thermomix is still cooking from scratch and is good for people with allergies ( easy and quick to make from scratch stock, cashew butter, sorbet made from fruit only etc).
My neice has one and uses it a lot ( family with 3 young children).

Strange you and Donna made the same comment about always being really thirsty with takeaway, few times we have had t/away I had the same problem, thought it was just me.......glad it isnt.

Am*3, my daughter doesnt really like gadgets for cooking, even though she has both kids with allergies, both different, she just prefers to do it all herself..

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

nevillesdaughter — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 01:14:37 GMT

@purple_haize wrote:
@am*3 wrote:
Takeaway has the same effect on me, Donna, makes me incredibly thirsty as does most processed foods.

Using a thermomix is still cooking from scratch and is good for people with allergies ( easy and quick to make from scratch stock, cashew butter, sorbet made from fruit only etc).
My neice has one and uses it a lot ( family with 3 young children).

Strange you and Donna made the same comment about always being really thirsty with takeaway, few times we have had t/away I had the same problem, thought it was just me.......glad it isnt.

Am*3, my daughter doesnt really like gadgets for cooking, even though she has both kids with allergies, both different, she just prefers to do it all herself..

MSG is a likely culprit - used in a lot of takeway and processed foods (as is salt and sugar) as a flavour enhancer. It occurs naturally in small quantities in some foods, but as an additive will set off some allergies as well as cause a raging thirst.

Marina.

Re: Thermo cookers - advice please

nevillesdaughter — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 01:28:21 GMT

If there's one thing all these posts have shown, it's that we are all different.

I can enjoy baking and cooking from scratch, doing a dinner party for 8, backyard b-b-qing - all the options, but I have 3 teenagers in my house plus my (first) husband, and they all indulge in Olympic level eating.

Any device that cooks a pesto chicken risotto that feeds us all, tastes great (and all from fresh ingredients) in 8 minutes, using 1 pot that then goes in the dishwasher, makes this mother very happy indeed!

Marina.