Thermochef

Since our arrival on this continent, the dinner table/picnic/barbecue conversation almost always touches on the Thermomix.  Or as it is fondly known, the TM.  Instead of discussing who is staying and who is leaving or what Malema said last, we now discuss who has a TM, who wants one and who can't be bothered.  This little baby is like another set of hands in your kitchen.  Not only does it chop, grind and grate but it has a built in heating element to cook as well.  The result is that you can literally throw your veggies at it from 5 metres, push a button and leave it to make a beautiful smooth pureed soup within minutes.  The TM kneads pizza or bread dough in one minute.  It weighs the ingredients, makes white sauce, biscuits, muesli, smoothies and much more.  With the TM by your side, you can have coleslaw within seconds, fresh hummus, gorgeous dips and warm fresh custard readily available.  It has revolutionised the kitchen and literally chopped out the prep time.  And just when you thought it couldn't get better, you find that it has a steamer attachment which fits on top of the jug as well as a rice basket which fits snugly inside.  So while your rice is cooking, you can also be steaming fish and vegetables in two layers above. 

But all this good news comes at a price, and a big one too.  For $2000 you too can grind your sugar to icing sugar, make strawberry daiquiris and smouldering curries.  I wasn't convinced.

The truth is I didn't really get it at all until I attended a home demo which is the only way to see and purchase this little cooking dream.  Well, forget about FB friends, I became obsessed with having my own little TM friend.  I started working out how many bras would buy me this chopping frenzy.  I looked at every recipe with TM tinted glasses.  I stewed and curried over it.  But I still couldn't bring myself to jump the $2000 hurdle. 

Just before I fell over the line, it finally happened.  A competitive product hit the shelves of our local Kitchen supply shop, aptly named the Thermochef.  I attended the in store demonstration and fell deeply in love.  It's a rip off of the real German deal.  Its mom is Spanish and its dad is Chinese.  How it bypassed the patents, I will never understand.  But hey, it does EVERYTHING that the TM does at just more than a third of the price.  I rushed out with my $760 to fill the void I had created in my kitchen and my life.  We make a great couple.  I love my TC.  And I love all it gives me in return.