Kitchen robots: Thermomix vs the €80 multi-cooker
The Thermomix costs 700 euros and, according to users, neither kneads nor can be programmed; an 80-euro multi-cooker makes stews and bread. The payback calculation nobody does.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The Thermomix doesn't knead, can't be programmed and costs 700 euros
Is it worth spending a week's wages on a kitchen robot? The question many people ask themselves when they see a subscription promotion with a free gift has an uncomfortable answer: it depends on what you miccionan by robot. A high-end appliance costs around 700 euros and, based on the accumulated experience of those who have tried it, it doesn't knead, can't be programmed and its heating function doesn't go beyond one hour. Against that, the combination of a FussionCook-style multi-cooker, a bread maker and a decent blender covers more functions for under 200 euros.
The starting point of the discussion is a newspaper subscription that comes with a free kitchen robot. The fine print matters: it's not a Thermomix, but a low-end model that heats and stirs. And that's where the number-crunching begins.
What a kitchen robot really costs
The prices users quote range from the 45 euros of a supermarket bread maker to the 700 of the Thermomix or the Chef 2000. In between, a multi-cooker like the FussionCook can be found for 80 euros, and the Taurus SuperChef goes for around 110 in hypermarkets, although it has been seen for 160 in physical stores. The high-end Mycook appears at a Cash Converters for 160 euros with a one-year warranty.
The functional comparison is where the single-robot story falls apart. The Thermomix weighs, grinds and heats, but doesn't knead or allow scheduled start times. The multi-cooker, on the other hand, lets you leave the stew in the morning and find it ready when you get back. The bread maker makes bread with a raw-material cost that one user breaks down at around 60 or 70 cents per kilo, including flour, yeast and the electricity consumption of an hour of baking at 800 watts.
The energy saving nobody measures
The most repeated claim is that these gadgets use less power than an induction hob. One user provides the most concrete figure in the exchange: he went from paying 60 euros for electricity to a maximum of 35 after swapping his conventional cooker for the multi-cooker. There's no independent study to back it up, but the physics makes sense: an insulated container that retains heat loses less energy than a hob that heats the air of the kitchen.
The problem is that this saving is calculated on usage, not on the purchase price. Recouping 700 euros with 25 euros a month in electricity takes more than two years of intensive cooking. With an 80-euro cooker, the payback comes in three months.
Can it make bread?
Yes, but with caveats. The Thermomix kneads, although the baking has to be done separately. The bread maker handles the whole process, but the bread comes out loaf-style and crumbles when sliced. The multi-cooker has an oven function and allows you to make cakes and breads with results several users describe as good. The practical conclusion: none of them replaces a wood-fired oven or a bakery loaf.
The original question was whether the subscription gift is worth it. The answer that emerges from these experiences is that a low-end robot replaces nothing: not the knife, not the pot, not the oven. What it does do is save time for people who don't cook. And in a kitchen with a split schedule, that's worth more than the gadget itself.
Is it worth spending a week's wages on a kitchen robot? The question many people ask themselves when they see a subscription promotion with a free gift has an uncomfortable answer: it depends on what you miccionan by robot. A high-end appliance costs around 700 euros and, based on the accumulated experience of those who have tried it, it doesn't knead, can't be programmed and its heating function doesn't go beyond one hour. Against that, the combination of a FussionCook-style multi-cooker, a bread maker and a decent blender covers more functions for under 200 euros.
The starting point of the discussion is a newspaper subscription that comes with a free kitchen robot. The fine print matters: it's not a Thermomix, but a low-end model that heats and stirs. And that's where the number-crunching begins.
What a kitchen robot really costs
The prices users quote range from the 45 euros of a supermarket bread maker to the 700 of the Thermomix or the Chef 2000. In between, a multi-cooker like the FussionCook can be found for 80 euros, and the Taurus SuperChef goes for around 110 in hypermarkets, although it has been seen for 160 in physical stores. The high-end Mycook appears at a Cash Converters for 160 euros with a one-year warranty.
The functional comparison is where the single-robot story falls apart. The Thermomix weighs, grinds and heats, but doesn't knead or allow scheduled start times. The multi-cooker, on the other hand, lets you leave the stew in the morning and find it ready when you get back. The bread maker makes bread with a raw-material cost that one user breaks down at around 60 or 70 cents per kilo, including flour, yeast and the electricity consumption of an hour of baking at 800 watts.
The energy saving nobody measures
The most repeated claim is that these gadgets use less power than an induction hob. One user provides the most concrete figure in the exchange: he went from paying 60 euros for electricity to a maximum of 35 after swapping his conventional cooker for the multi-cooker. There's no independent study to back it up, but the physics makes sense: an insulated container that retains heat loses less energy than a hob that heats the air of the kitchen.
The problem is that this saving is calculated on usage, not on the purchase price. Recouping 700 euros with 25 euros a month in electricity takes more than two years of intensive cooking. With an 80-euro cooker, the payback comes in three months.
Can it make bread?
Yes, but with caveats. The Thermomix kneads, although the baking has to be done separately. The bread maker handles the whole process, but the bread comes out loaf-style and crumbles when sliced. The multi-cooker has an oven function and allows you to make cakes and breads with results several users describe as good. The practical conclusion: none of them replaces a wood-fired oven or a bakery loaf.
The original question was whether the subscription gift is worth it. The answer that emerges from these experiences is that a low-end robot replaces nothing: not the knife, not the pot, not the oven. What it does do is save time for people who don't cook. And in a kitchen with a split schedule, that's worth more than the gadget itself.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (48 replies).
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