Is a Thermomix worth it? My Thermomix features in many of my kitchen photos and back of my main profile picture so I get asked quite often if it’s worth the money. Before I share my thoughts, here are some questions to ask yourself if you are considering buying one.

What is a Thermomix?

A Thermomix is a German-designed appliance that is a food processor and cooker in one. The latest model retails for approximately $2,269 (although there are plenty of second-hand Thermomixes available). It can boil, cook, simmer, chop, mince (meat, vegetables, nuts etc), blend, mill, grind coffee, knead, whisk, grate, puree and even make yoghurt.

What food do you like to eat?

Consider what your family likes to eat. A Thermomix is great for cutting up food, steaming, kneading, mixing and cooking ‘wet’ food. It won’t grill, stir fry or bake food. You will need to do these steps of your recipes outside of the Thermomix.

Who cooks in your home?

I do most of the cooking in our home, but I don’t enjoy it. I thought buying a Thermomix would change this. It didn’t make me enjoy cooking more but it did simplify some steps.

I’m not a creative cook so I like to follow recipes. Having all the recipe steps come up on the Thermomix screen does help me to cook. If you are a freestyle cook, the Thermomix may be a bit of a challenge for you to determine how long it needs to be on to cook it correctly.

A huge benefit of having the Thermomix is that my husband, Mr Farmer, is cooking more because the Thermomix is really easy to use. I’m not a baker and he really enjoys making banana cake and self-saucing pudding using it. The Thermomix will mix all the ingredients together then he bakes the items in the oven.

My children, aged nine and seven years old, are also finding the Thermomix very easy to use and starting to ask to make meals for us - another huge win.

What kitchen appliances do you already have?

A Thermomix can function as a food processor, blender, slow cooker (to a degree), juicer, digital scales, standing mixer, hand mixer, digital weighing scales, rice cooker and steamer.

By having a Thermomix, you may be able to declutter many of the above appliances. But it will not replace a wok (for stir fry's), pans (for grilling), oven (for baking and browning), slow cooker (for long 12 hour recipes) or anything you need to do a very large batch of (the Thermomix bowls vary in size across the models but they are approximately 2 litres).

Is a Thermomix worth it? My thoughts on our Thermomix

The short answer is I don’t use our Thermomix to its full extent. For me, it’s a glorified food processor, rice cooker, white sauce maker and dumpling steamer. I don’t cook a whole meal in it. But my husband loves our Thermomix and it has helps him to cook more which means I don’t even need to cook...so that’s a HUGE plus for me.

If it broke and I needed to pay for a brand new one I don’t think I’d buy it again.

I love stir-fries, grilled food, baked food and long slow cooker recipes which a Thermomix cannot do.

If you are wanting quick meals, before you invest in a Thermomix, consider other ways to simplify meals. I’d suggest batching your cooking, so you cook two or more dinners on one day, eat leftovers the second day or put extra serves in the freezer for next week.

I’ll be sharing a whole week of hints and tips for how to declutter and simplify your kitchen in my new Clear Clutter Find Time online 8 week group course starting in late June. If this might interest you, enter your email address at the bottom of this page to be the first to hear all the details.

Other articles that might interest you:

• Use your excess clutter to be prepared for the unexpected - Learn how to put together your own "Just in case" kit
• My five simple everyday habits - The five things I do everyday to keep on top of everyday clutter and give me the energy to enjoy life.
• How many plates do I need? - Helping people work out the right amount of "stuff" for their home and lifestyle using the 'stop, focus, notice' strategy.
• Declutter with Bridget in your ear - Start decluttering your home while you listen to this podcast with me in your ear!

If any of these articles have sparked an interest in decluttering, visit here to learn more about my 1:1 declutter coaching services, current workshops and online declutter courses. As author Karen Lamb says, "A year from now you may wish you had started [your decluttering journey] today".