Thermomix Demo
RTFM
You’ve heard that expression, right?
Read the f*^”ing manual.
Something many of us never do, do we? If we are honest. Who ever gets beyond the first page of a manual that falls out of the box our lastest shiny toy arrives in? I read “Congratulations on the purchase of your ….” and then bin it. Turn to the shiny shiny thing declaring I don’t need the manual, I know it all.
Except I don’t. Who does? Jonnie had owned his car for three years before he knew you could adjust the height of the steering wheel. Mr B had been using a screwdriver for months without realising it had a handy compartment to hold all the other various interchangeable screwdriver heads. I had my iPhone for about four years before I knew you could swipe up to close down applications. And that if you used two fingers you could do two at a time.
Our Sky box updated last week and when the on screen box said “Let us show you the changes” I clicked the x in the corner and skipped it all. I will never know if my Sky box can deliver me a gin on my birthday at the click of a button because I can’t be bothered to go through the tutorial.
Which is why I was a bit reluctant recently to agree to a demonstration of my new Thermomix before it was delivered.
What is a Thermomix?
If you don’t know about Thermomix let me quickly bring you up to speed.
This ‘compact kitchen’ performs the task of twelve appliances in one by mixing, steaming, blending, weighing, stirring, grinding, whipping, emulsifying, heating, kneading, cooking and chopping.
Thermomix ® TM5 effortlessly combines the functions of a mincer, a grater, a dough maker, a juicer, a whisk, a blender, a mill, a pestle and mortar, an ice cream/sorbet maker, a mixer, an ice crusher, a food processor and a coffee and spice grinder.
With Thermomix ®, food preparation is effortless.
Serve up deliciously delicate sauces, soups and stews. Create temptingly tasty jams, chutneys and preserves. Produce perfect purées, pastes and pâtés. Prepare fish, meat and vegetables to perfection.
Simply add a little imagination and creativity and the possibilities are endless!
And whilst you might think that this is for “professional chefs” only because you might have seen it on Masterchef or heard that the Fat Duck has fourteen of them, they are firmly aimed at the domestic market too. In fact 70% of them are bought by people like me. Or you.
Can I buy a Thermomix in John Lewis?
You can’t just wander into John Lewis and buy one sadly, you can’t even order them from their own website. You have to book a demo from a consultant who comes round and show you how it all works. If I am brutally honest, like really really honest, that put me off.
I have wanted one for a long time. A seriously long time but when I realised you had to have have the demo, well I couldn’t really be arsed. And the thought of a “professional foodie” coming into our kitchen filled me with dread. There are crumbs under our toaster that have been there for weeks, and the bananas in our fruit bowl always look a bit suspect. Why would I want anybody outside of the family to see that? Why would I need somebody to show me how to emulsify when I wasn’t really sure I knew what emulsifying was
Finally, I agreed, because my urge to play with one was no longer one I could resist.
What happens at a Thermomix Demo?
Janie, who did my my demo (and who actually used to own the business in the UK) instantly put me at ease, as every demonstrator will. Not only did Janie arrive with the Thermomix for me to try, but also with all the ingredients necessary for us to really put the machine through its paces. And my lack of culinary skills didn’t phase her at all, because it no longer mattered, the Thermomix was going to do it all for us. You don’t need to provide any of the food.
Janie quickly got to work showing me what the machine could do and more importantly, she showed me what I could do with it. That Hollandaise sauce is not a scary “don’t bother making it yourself” kinda thing anymore. That it could be made in minutes, and taste like nothing you have ever tried before. That raw vegetables can be blitzed in seconds to make the most incredible salad. In fact that salad is not just a bag of green dumped in a bowl. Puddings, main courses, almond milk or cashew butter. All possible from this one machine.
I was sold on it instantly.
Without the demo I would still know that the Thermomix could do it but I wouldn’t know how. Yes I could read the recipe that comes with the Thermomix but I would be of the belief that I would still bugger it up and it couldn’t possibly work. Over the years I have read so many recipes that just don’t work that it makes me reluctant to try many of them. And since my powers of cocking up a good recipe are legendary it makes me nervous about trying something new for fear of presenting my family with yet another disaster.
A morning being shown what this bad boy (now named Thelma by the way) can do, and signing up to the online recipe forum for other ideas and recipes and we are now trying out all sorts of things.
Like these for breakfast yesterday, a full English breakfast in a Yorkshire pudding:
How do I book a Thermomix Demo?
Really easily, just click on this link and put in your information. Your nearest demonstrator’s details will ping up and you can get in touch with direct, no pressure, no hassle, no obligation to buy.
If you have ever considered buying a Thermomix but were too afraid of the demo, please don’t be. It is a great way to spend a morning (or an evening) with friends.
And within a week you’ll be making things like Thermomix Crunchie squares