By TECHBOOK | Apr 22, 2022 at 10:19 p.m
Although the food processor from the manufacturer Vorwerk costs a whopping 1359 euros, the Thermomix is a real bestseller. This saves time and money when cooking – at least that's what many buyers argue. TECHBOOK once calculated when and for whom the investment is really worthwhile.
The Thermomix TM6 has many fans. After all, the latest cooking machine from the Wuppertal-based company Vorwerk is said to make numerous individual kitchen appliances unnecessary. A scale is included, as is a blender and steamer, plus step-by-step instructions for individual recipes. But there is one big catch: the steep price of at least 1359 euros. This begs the question of whether you actually save money as well as time. We will help you with the cost-benefit analysis and unravel for whom it is worth investing in a Thermomix.
Sample calculation: Thermomix for a family of four
TECHBOOK did the math.
Example family 1 eats together five times a week and is willing to fully rely on the Thermomix. Example family 2 even eats together seven times a week, but would not only like to use the Thermomix.
Also interesting: What you should know about the manufacturer Vorwerk
Example family 1:
Weekly costs without Thermomix: 96 euros
Food is ordered two nights a week; At around 7.50 euros per person, that makes a sum of 60 euros per week. Cooking takes place on three evenings. Groceries cost 3 euros per person. This results in a total cost of 36 euros per weekIn addition, there is the additional time cooking, about an hour, which a family member also has to investWeekly costs with Thermomix: 60 euros
For the Thermomix from Vorwerk, the family has to make a one-time investment of 1,359 euros. In addition, there are the costs for the ingredients. At 3 euros per meal and person, that is 60 euros per week for five daysExample family 2:
Weekly cost without Thermomix: 114 euros
Cooking takes place on four evenings. Groceries cost 3 euros per person. This results in total costs of 48 euros per week. Snacks are available on two evenings for 2 euros per person and meal. That's 16 euros. That should remain the case with Thermomix. Once a week you go out to eat or place an order. On average for 50 euros. This should also remain the caseIn addition, there is the additional time when cooking, about an hour, which a family member also has to investWeekly costs with Thermomix: 114 euros
For the Thermomix from Vorwerk, the family has to make a one-time investment of 1,359 euros. In addition, there are the costs for the ingredients. At 3 euros per meal and person, that's 60 euros per week, overall estimate
Orders and groceries result in weekly costs of 96 euros for example family 1. If you were to prepare all meals together with the Thermomix, i.e. do without orders or restaurants, you could save 36 euros every week. With this weekly difference, our test family would have to cook for almost 38 working weeks for the device to be worthwhile. Anyone who saves a lot of visits to the restaurant with the Thermomix and is otherwise employed can make the purchase worthwhile within eight months. In addition, you gain valuable time that is not lost when cooking – a value that everyone has to quantify for themselves.
In example family 2, the Thermomix does not pay for itself – at least not in terms of price. Here, the time savings and potentially healthier diet should be important to the buyers. That too can be worthwhile.
Thermomix for couples or singles
A two-person household only has a weekly benefit of 18 euros. In order for the Thermomix to be worth the price, you would have to cook with the device on at least 335 evenings. If you live alone, you would have to cook with the device for 2 years to amortize the costs.
May be worth it from a health perspective
Financially, a Thermomix for couples or singles is obviously not worth it. But: The kitchen appliance can help to buy fewer ready meals in the supermarket. Home-baked bread, fresh sauces – you can do it all yourself. This means you do without unnecessary additives and flavor enhancers that are found in many everyday foods.
But be careful: the example calculation above only applies if you operate the Thermomix yourself. If you want access to the large recipe database with "Guided Cooking", you pay another 36 euros per year for the recipe subscription.
Our example family from earlier would have to cook with the appliance for another week to make the expense financially worthwhile. Owners of the predecessor, the Thermomix TM5, pay a one-time fee of 99 euros for the WLAN antenna.
Inexpensive alternatives from 200 euros
If the original Thermomix TM6 from Vorwerk is too expensive, you can fall back on numerous competitors.
The increasingly cheaper alternatives, which are often on offer at Aldi or Lidl, sometimes only cost 200 euros. TECHBOOK took a close look at the Thermomix competition. The conclusion: If you can do without smart frills like the recipe chip, you are also well served with a Thermomix alternative from the discounter.
