Thermomix TM5: €1,000 for a robot that doesn't cook alone

Thermomix TM5: €1,000 for a robot that doesn't cook alone

There is a scene that repeats in thousands of Spanish kitchens. The saleswoman arrives, demonstrates, leaves a steaming lasagna, and departs with a signed order. Months later, the appliance sleeps in a cupboard, and its owner fries eggs in the usual pan. The Thermomix TM5 costs around €1,000 and carries a debate that is not about cooking: it is about whether this price holds or is pure direct sales marketing.

The device's defenders do not discuss the price. They justify it. They claim it replaces the blender, the scale, and the pot, allows you to program meals and come home to cooked lentils, and that its technical service and resale value are unrivaled. Those who use it daily — and some claim to use it 'daily' without exaggeration — describe it as having a kitchen sous-chef at home. For large families or those preparing baby food and purees, the calculation works out.

Why is the Thermomix so criticized if it works well?

Because it works, but it does not perform magic. Ingredients must be peeled, chopped, and in many dishes, finished in a pan or oven. The machine stirs, heats, and mixes at a stable temperature — preventing lentils from sticking, which is no small antiestéticat — but it does not cook alone. Here lies the core of the frustration: it is attributed almost magical qualities, yet for a potato omelet, you still need your usual frying pan.

The economic argument is the most significant. An electric pot for €99 fries, steams, and bakes cakes, and its owner insists they can make a whole omelet without dirtying a single extra pot. A mid-range cooking robot costs around €150. The comparison with a professional drill — both drill, but not for the same duration — is the most repeated defense by those who believe the price is justified by build quality and durability.

The direct sales business: commissions and resale

Here appears the most uncomfortable flank. Distribution does not go through stores: it is sold at home, with a demonstration and a saleswoman involved. This model generates commissions for acquisition and has led some, with more or less humor, to describe it as a culinary pyramid scheme. The company, founded in 1883, has been selling this way for over a century and boasts a technical service network that collects old models, refurbishes them, and places them back on the second-hand market. The previous model lasted 10 years in the catalog, supporting the argument that it depreciates little.

The problem is that this same circuit turns buyers into salespeople for their friends. Those who paid €1,000 have a clear incentive to convince neighbors: they recover part of their expenditure. Hence the sense of a bubble described by the most critical, and why word-of-mouth is as intense as it is suspicious.

Is the Thermomix worth it if you live alone or as a couple?

It depends on how many people sit at the table. Accumulated experience suggests the device performs best with children, large families, or those cooking for many. For one or two people, the consensus is lukewarm: with a good freezer and some containers, you can cook for two days and eat for a week, but the time savings do not justify the expenditure. The alternative of a programmable pot with interchangeable bowls — Teflon, steel, or ceramic — covers much of the catalog for a fraction of the price.

The resale value, however, is real. There are cases of appliances resold for €900 after a month of use, turning the demonstration lasagna into the most expensive anyone has ever eaten. And there is the disconcerting detail: the digital recipe app accompanying the new model works only on iOS, excluding half the potential customer base.

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In the end, the Thermomix is neither a scam nor a magical machine. It is a high-quality appliance with a luxury price and a sales model that causes discomfort. Those who use it daily defend it with data; those who store it in a cupboard after three months confirm the worst suspicion. The question is not whether it works, but how many people pay €1,000 for a function they have not yet decided to use.