Move over Kitchen Aid mixer, here comes the Dream Machine!

[wildeyed]

The Way We Eat: Dream Machine
By AMANDA HESSER
A few months ago, I called the United States supplier for Thermomix, the king of appliances, to ask some questions. The man on the other end of the phone told me rather testily that he did not! not! not! want me to write about the Thermomix, a product that does not rely on advertising. Nor was he pleased that I had already borrowed one from another source. And besides, he added, I wouldn't be able to figure out how to use it anyway.

So much for service with a smile.

snip...

In fact, the Thermomix is much more than a KitchenAid mixer. It grinds, crushes, blends, kneads, weighs ingredients, sautés, steams and simmers (and stirs while doing so) — a Rube Goldberg contraption with German engineering. The Thermomix is about as handsome as a lawn mower, and I'm sorry to say that it does not come in pistachio or fire-engine red. It's just a blenderlike steel canister attached to a tall white panel with knobs for controlling the time, the speed and the heat.

snip...

When I called Shea Gallante, the chef at Cru in Manhattan, to find out how he had been using his machine, he said mostly for warm emulsions, mousses and ice cream bases. But, he admitted, he hadn't used it as often as he thought he would. Which makes perfect sense. The Thermomix is not built for high-volume restaurant kitchens. It's designed for the home and, I would argue, for the home or apartment with a small kitchen, where there isn't room for four appliances and an extra burner would come in handy.

The expense may seem breathtaking, but not when you compare it with the combined sum of a blender, a mixer, a food processor, a scale and a saucepan. The only extra expense is dealing with the company itself. Three months seemed to mellow the supplier, who then agreed to let me use his company's name, Authorized Thermomix Distributors, and its phone number, [phone]. But, he added, if the buyer is in an area where a demonstration is impossible, "We discourage them from buying one if they don't already know how to use it." Thank you and come again!

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/20/magazine/20food_.html?pagewanted=print

[mtnester]

1. Uh oh..gadet junkie here...some links

First, if you do a Google search on this, do not click on the thermomix.au link...it is one of those mean sites that prevent you from using the back button no matter how fast you click it.

So, here are a couple of links:

http://www.thermomix.com/
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/211202_chou09.html
http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_food/2005/08/thermomix_potat.html
http://juliah.morres.de/thermomix.htm
http://www.ukthermomix.com/

[wildeyed]

2. Do you have one?

I would love to see one in the real world. Although it is an intriguing machine, I doubt I would buy one. I have gadgets that do most of the stuff the dream machine is capable of and space to sore them.

I think the reviewer made a good observations, this is a great gadget for sa serious cook with a small kitchen. It does so many things, if you are space challenged, it would be a fabulous!

Maybe when I retire to a small city apartment, I can justify buying one.

[mtnester]

3. No, I just found it fascinating...it does not appear it is easy to get

if anyone has some experience, I would appreciate input as well.

[Dora]

4. OMG, this thing costs more than we spent on our fridge.

It must be worth it.

Actually, after reading the article, I must confess to thinking "what could I do with this..," especially since I don't have a stand mixer (yet).

[wildeyed]

5. If you have a small kitchen, it might be worth looking into.

It is hideously expensive. I would want an extensive demo before shelling out that kind of cash.