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Kitchen & Cooking

Is this the next Instant Pot?

The Thermomix is hugely popular in Europe—and now it's available in the US.

Credit: Thermomix / Reviewed

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If you live in the United States, you probably haven't heard of a Thermomix, but this countertop appliance has a cult-like following—particularly in Europe and Australia. For a long time, you couldn't even buy the German-made appliance it in the states, but now you can.

So why, after so many years, has Thermomix finally entered the US market? It might have something to do with the rising popularity of multi-cookers like the Instant Pot. Consumers seem to love all-in-one kitchen appliances right now, and that's exactly what the Thermomix is.

But the Thermomix is also very different than the Instant Pot. For starters, it costs a lot more. At $1,450, the Thermomix is over 10x the cost of the Instant Pot, so it's clearly a product aimed at the premium market. And where the Instant Pot's core feature is its ability to pressure cook, the Thermomix is more of a food processor that can also cook at specific temperatures. The Thermomix swaps out the ability to pressure cook and replaces it with a powerful blade that can chop, grind, emulsify, stir, and blend. Without a motor or any kind of blade, the Instant Pot—and really any multi-cooker on the market—can't do any of that.

Really, this is just scratching the surface of what the Thermomix T5 can do. For a complete breakdown of the features, check out the video below by food blogger Lindsay "Mama" O'Neill:

Lindsay "Mama" O'Neill breaks down everything you need to know about the Thermomix T5.

Making risotto with the Thermomix and Instant Pot

Thanks to its ability to slowly mix foods while simultaneously controlling the temperature, the Thermomix is often described as the perfect appliance for making soups, stews, and, most importantly, risotto. It just so happens lots of people make risotto with their instant pots too, and the results often blow people away. So, we decided to have Mama O'Neill test out the two appliances to see which made her family's classic risotto recipe better:

Both the Instant Pot and the Thermomix can make risotto quite easily.

If all this makes you want to rush out and add the Thermomix to your kitchen, be aware that you can only buy the product directly from the Thermomix website. You can also schedule a demo with a "Thermomix Consultant" to help you learn more about the product. These consultants aren't available everywhere, but Thermomix also offers a "Virtual Demo" via video chat as well.

And if you're not ready to spend big bucks on the Thermomix, but you still want a device that can do the work of a rice cooker, slow cooker, and a pressure cooker, we recommend you buy a multi-cooker. The Instant Pot is a great option, and has a huge following online, but the Crock Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker is a better value—it actually did better in our tests.

Thermomix Recipe – BLT Risotto with Parmesan

Recipe by Lindsay "Mama" O'Neill

Ingredients

8 oz cubed pancetta 8 oz chopped heirloom tomatoes handful rough chopped arugula 1 ½ oz parmesan cheese ½ shallot 2 cloves of garlic 1 oz cultured butter ½ oz extra virgin olive oil 10 oz Arborio rice 2 oz dry white wine 15 oz water 10 oz beef stock ½ tsp salt

Directions

  1. Place Parmesan cheese into mixing bowl and grate 10 sec on speed 10. Scrape cheese out of bowl with spatula and set aside.
  2. Place cubed pancetta into bowl and cook 3 mins at 212°F on stir speed. Remove and let cool.
  3. Place shallot & garlic cloves into mixing bowl and chop 5 seconds at speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl.
  4. Add 1oz of butter and saute 2 min at 250°F on speed 1.
  5. Add rice and beef stock then saute (without top) for 3 min at 250°F on reverse speed 1.
  6. Add wine (without top) cook 1 min at 212°F on reverse speed 1.
  7. Add water and salt and scrape bottom of mixing bowl thoroughly with spatula to loosen rice. Place simmering basket inside instead of measuring cup on lid. Cook 12 min at 212°F on reverse speed 1.
  8. While cooking, chop tomatoes and arugula.
  9. When 12 minutes is up, stir in pancetta and cook 1 min at 250°F on stir speed. Then allow risotto to rest in mixing bowl for 1 minute before transferring to serving bowl.
  10. Using spatula stir in olive oil and parmesan, then toss with pancetta, tomatoes and arugula. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot Recipe — BLT Risotto with Parmesan

Ingredients

8 oz cubed pancetta 8 oz chopped heirloom tomatoes handful rough chopped arugula 3 tablespoons cultured butter, divided in half 1/2 shallot finely chopped *it is ok to use white onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/3 cups medium-grain rice or Arborio rice 1 cup dry white wine 1 ¼ cups beef broth 1 ¾ cups water 1 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt ½ oz extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Place the Instant Pot on saute, add 2 tablespoons butter, when the butter has melted add pancetta and cook until crispy.
  2. Stir in the shallots and garlic until they have become translucent. Saute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  3. Add rice, stir until the rice is coated with the melted butter.
  4. Cook rice for about 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup white wine, it will be absorbed into the rice then add remaining wine and stir until boiling.
  5. Stir in water, broth ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (saving ¼ cup) and salt, stirring the cheese and salt into the liquid until incorporated.
  6. Place the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook for 8 minutes on high.
  7. While cooking, chop tomatoes & arugula.
  8. After the rice has finished cooking you can either allow it to release naturally, or you can manually release the pressure.
  9. Transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with remaining cheese, butter and drizzle with olive oil, then add in tomatoes and arugula. Serve warm.

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