What is a Thermomix?
A Thermomix is a single countertop machine that weighs, chops, blends, kneads, steams and cooks in one heated bowl, following a recipe step by step on its own screen. It is made by Vorwerk, sold only through advisors or direct, and the current model is the TM7.
What does a Thermomix actually do?
Twelve jobs that would otherwise need separate machines, in one bowl.
| Function | What it does | What it stands in for |
|---|---|---|
| Weigh | Scales built into the feet, accurate to the gram, weighing straight into the bowl | Kitchen scales |
| Chop | Blades at variable speed, from a rough onion to a fine paste | Food processor |
| Blend | Soups, smoothies, nut butters, purées | Blender |
| Mill | Grains to flour, coffee beans, sugar to icing sugar | Grain mill, spice grinder |
| Knead | Bread and pasta dough, worked by the blade on a slow reverse | Stand mixer |
| Whisk | Cream, egg whites, meringue, using the butterfly attachment | Hand whisk, mixer |
| Heat and stir | Cooks and stirs at a set temperature without you standing over it | Hob and a wooden spoon |
| Steam | The Varoma sits on top and steams on two levels while the bowl cooks below | Steamer |
| Slow cook | Long, low cooking held at temperature | Slow cooker |
| Sous-vide | Gentle cooking of vacuum-sealed food at a held temperature | Sous-vide circulator |
| Ferment | Yoghurt and doughs held warm for hours | Yoghurt maker, proving drawer |
| Emulsify | Mayonnaise, hollandaise, dressings that hold | Patience |
Vorwerk publish "more than 20 kitchen functions" for the TM7; the twelve above are the ones people actually use week to week. Checked against Vorwerk UK, 1 September 2026.
How does guided cooking work?
- The recipe runs the machine, not you
- You choose a recipe on the screen and it sets its own times, temperatures and speeds as you go, telling you what to add and when. You are not converting a recipe or guessing a setting. This is the part that makes the machine useful to people who do not think of themselves as cooks.
- Where the recipes come from
- Cookidoo®, Vorwerk's own platform, which the machine reads from directly. Vorwerk publish over 100,000 recipes on it, written for the machine rather than adapted from print. A new TM7 comes with a free three-month subscription, after which it is optional. See our own meal plans for what a week of it actually looks like.
- Does it still work without a subscription?
- Yes. The machine cooks in manual mode and keeps any recipes you have already saved. Guided cooking is the reason most people buy one, but it is not a licence you can lose your machine to.
How is it different from a food processor or a multicooker?
Mainly that it heats, and that it follows the recipe itself.
| Thermomix | Food processor | Blender | Multicooker | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chops and blends | Yes | Yes | Blends only | No |
| Heats while it stirs | Yes | No | No | Heats, does not stir |
| Weighs ingredients | Yes, built in | No | No | No |
| Kneads dough | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Steams above the bowl | Yes | No | No | Some |
| Follows the recipe for you | Yes, on screen | No | No | Preset programmes |
Is a Thermomix worth it?
- The honest version
- It is expensive, and whether it is worth it depends almost entirely on whether you will use it daily. People who cook from scratch a few times a week tend to get their money's worth. People who want a gadget for the weekend usually do not. Nobody should buy one without using one first, which is what a demo is for.
- What it costs
- Vorwerk set the price and permit no discounting, so a TM7 costs exactly the same from every advisor in the country. The current figures, and the two authorised ways to buy, are on the TM7 page.
- Who it tends not to suit
- Anyone who mostly reheats, anyone with no worktop to give it, and anyone who wants to buy it because it looks impressive. It earns its place by being used, not by being owned.
Where can you buy a Thermomix in the UK?
- Two authorised routes, and no others
- Through a Thermomix® advisor, or online direct from Vorwerk. Vorwerk state these are the only official channels in the UK and Ireland, and warn about third-party resellers, who cannot pass on support or warranty. The whole process, delivery and warranty are on how to buy one.
- What an advisor is
- An independent person, self-employed, trained and contracted by Vorwerk to demonstrate and sell the machine and to support the people who buy one. Isabella Spreafico has been one since 2016, working across Twickenham and South West London. More about her.
- How to try one before deciding
- A demo, which is free, takes around two hours, and happens in your own kitchen around food you already eat. The three formats are here, or ask for one.
The only way to know is to cook on one
Free, around two hours, in your kitchen, and nobody is asked to decide on the day.