What Appliances Does a Thermomix® TM7 Replace?

One of the first questions people ask me when they see a Thermomix® is:

What does it actually replace in my kitchen?

Thermomix USA describes the TM7 as combining the functions of more than 20 different appliances.

But after cooking with Thermomix for more than 10 years, I think there is a more useful answer:

It depends on how you cook.

You probably won't throw 20 appliances out of your kitchen the day your TM7 arrives. But you may find yourself reaching for quite a few of them much less often.

The culinary world is evolving, and with it, the tools and techniques we use in the kitchen. Among the most revolutionary advancements is the rise of the Thermomix, a multifunctional kitchen appliance that promises to streamline cooking processes. However, traditional cooking methods still hold a cherished place in many kitchens. This blog post will explore the differences, advantages, and potential drawbacks of each approach.

Functionality and Versatility

You probably won't throw 20 appliances out of your kitchen the day your TM7 arrives. But you may find yourself reaching for quite a few of them much less often.

1. Food processor
This is probably the easiest replacement to understand.

The TM7 can chop, mince, mix, purée and process ingredients using its stainless-steel blade.

I use it for everything from chopping onions and vegetables to making dips, spreads, nut mixtures and ingredients for recipes.

The difference for me is that I don't have to move the food from a food processor into another pot to continue cooking. I can often do the next step in the same bowl.

2. Blender
Smoothies, soups, sauces, dressings, and purées can all be blended directly in the TM7.

This is particularly useful with soup because I can cook and blend in the same bowl rather than transferring hot soup into a separate blender.

3. Kitchen scale
The scale is built into the Thermomix.

That means I can put the mixing bowl on the TM7 and weigh ingredients directly into it as I cook rather than measuring everything separately. Thermomix USA includes weighing among the TM7's core functions. No more extra measuring cups, no more guesswork, and the best: Less dishes!

For someone who grew up cooking in grams, this is one of those little things I appreciate every day. And it automatically converts from the metric system in grams to the imperial system in ounces. 

Efficiency and Time Management

4. Steamer
The Varoma is the Thermomix steaming system.

You can steam ingredients above the mixing bowl while something else cooks underneath. Thermomix USA also notes that the TM7 Varoma is larger than the previous version.

This is where Thermomix becomes more interesting than simply having a collection of individual appliances: you can use different levels of the device together.

5. Stand mixer for many doughs

The TM7 can mix and knead dough using its blade and dedicated Dough Mode.

I use my Thermomix for bread, cookies, pizza dough, and other doughs regularly. Would I tell a serious baker that a Thermomix makes every stand mixer unnecessary? No.

If you regularly make very large batches or need specialized stand-mixer attachments, you may still want one. But for the way many households bake, the Thermomix can take over a lot of that work.

And one of my favorite parts comes afterward: the Pre-Clean function.

Think about making sticky bread or pizza dough without extra measuring cups, a stand-mixer bowl,l and a dough hook waiting in the sink afterward. Once I remove my dough, I add water and a little dish soap and let the TM7 run its Pre-Clean program. With most of the doughs I make, afterward I simply rinse the bowl, and I'm done.

It sounds like a small feature until you've made a sticky dough and realize you don't have to scrub the bowl yourself.

6. Rice cooker + multi-level cooking

The TM7 can cook rice and grains, so depending on how you use yours, you may no longer need a separate rice cooker.

But this is also where simply making a list of “appliances it replaces” misses one of my favorite things about Thermomix:

It can cook several parts of your meal at the same time.

For example, I can have liquid or a sauce cooking in the mixing bowl, rice cooking in the simmering basket, salmon steaming in the Varoma dish, and vegetables steaming on the Varoma tray above it.

One cooking process. Multiple levels. A complete meal.

The redesigned TM7 Varoma has even more steaming capacity than the previous generation, with Thermomix reporting up to 45% more capacity depending on how it is configured. Thermomix

This is what I mean when I say Thermomix isn't simply several appliances placed into one device. The functions can work together.

Culinary Creativity and Control

7. Stove for many everyday cooking jobs
The TM7 doesn't replace your entire stove, but there are plenty of meals where I barely use mine.

The mixing bowl can heat while stirring, sauté ingredients, simmer sauces and soups, boil water,r and cook complete dishes. The TM7 also introduced Open Cooking and Browning as TM7-specific capabilities. Cookidoo

That means I can weigh an onion into the bowl, chop it, sauté it, add the remaining ingredients, and continue cooking without moving from cutting board to pan to pot. No more immersion blender for soups, not transferring from pot to food processor to pot — it's all in one bowl.

For me, this is one of the biggest everyday differences: fewer separate cooking steps and fewer things to clean afterward.

8. Recipe books or "saved for later recipe links you never cook"
This one isn't technically an appliance, but it deserves a place on the list because it changed the way I cook.

Cookidoo® is the Thermomix recipe platform, with more than 100,000 Guided Cooking recipes. The recipes appear directly on the TM7 screen and guide you step by step, including the time, temperature, and speed for each stage. Thermomix USA. 

You can search for inspiration, plan meals and create shopping lists. You can also create, modify and import your own recipes. Thermomix USA

So instead of buying another cookbook and hoping I'll actually use enough recipes from it, I can search for what I want to cook right now.

And I still create and adapt my own recipes. For me, that's the best combination: Guided Cooking when I want it and the freedom to experiment when I don't. There are also independent apps that use any recipe link and put it onto your device with the steps already built in. So no recipe links that will never be cooked, but suddenly your dishes are made, and you get endless inspiration. What's for dinner might become your favorite question.

Your Thermomix comes with  3 months free trial, and you can choose to continue for 65$ a year and add up to 4 devices to it. Without the subscription, you have 200 built-in recipes and the ones you used last, and you can use the entire device and the functions manually.

9. Sous-vide cooker
This is one thing people often don't realize is already built into the Thermomix cooking system.

The TM7 has Sous-Vide Mode for cooking vacuum-sealed food in a precisely controlled water bath. Thermomix describes it for foods including fish, meat, vegetables and fruit. 

With the Blade Cover & Peeler, the food or sous-vide bag is protected from contact with the moving blade. The same accessory can also be used for slow cooking and peeling or scrubbing vegetables. Thermomix USA

So if sous vide is something you occasionally want to do rather than something you want another dedicated appliance for, you already have that capability in your Thermomix. And if you never heard of it and would love to expand your culinary journey, Thermomix will make that very easy,

What doesn't a Thermomix replace?

This is just as important.

I would not buy a Thermomix expecting it to replace every appliance in your kitchen.

It isn't your oven.

It isn't an air fryer.

And Thermomix USA explicitly says the TM7 is not designed for deep frying.

You may also decide to keep appliances that are particularly good at something you do frequently. The question isn't really: “Can I get rid of everything else?”

For me, the better question is: “How many separate cooking steps and appliances can I stop juggling?”

That's where Thermomix became valuable in my own kitchen.

So is Thermomix worth it if I already own these appliances?

Possibly, but this is exactly where I think seeing a Thermomix cook is more useful than reading another list of features.

If you already own a blender, food processor, mixer, scale, steamer and slow cooker, I wouldn't tell you to buy a TM7 simply because it can perform those functions.

What makes it different is how those functions work together. 

You can weigh an onion directly into the bowl, chop it, sauté it, add the remaining ingredients, cook them, and blend the finished sauce without moving through a row of appliances and pans. You also have your hands free and more time, as you don't have to stand at the stove and stir.

And with Guided Cooking, the TM7 can walk you through that process step by step.

That workflow is what I would want you to experience before deciding whether it has enough value for your kitchen.

See what it could replace in your kitchen, what less effort would look like, and how it would save you time in your current workflow.
I offer personalized Thermomix cooking experiences online throughout the USA and in person in Milwaukee.

Rather than showing you 20+ functions simply because they exist, I like to find out what you cook now and show you where Thermomix could actually make a difference.

Book a personalized Thermomix cooking experience

If you're already considering purchasing a TM7, current promotions and purchase options change throughout the year, so I keep those details updated separately:

See Current Thermomix USA Offers & Promotions