Thermomix

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Thermomix TM 6, available since 2019
View into the mixer of the TM31

The Thermomix is a multifunctional kitchen machine from the Wuppertal Vorwerk group of companies that can both chop and mix food as well as heat and cook it. The part of the name Thermo indicates the cooking function. The current model since 2019 is the TM6, which is manufactured in France and China for the global market.

Technology and functionality

The device essentially consists of the motor and control unit as well as a removable mixing bowl made of stainless steel with integrated heating and a rotating fly knife with four blades. In clockwise rotation, food is chopped, while in counterclockwise rotation the contents are only mixed. The knife is driven by a reluctance motor, the maximum speed of the knife is 10,700 revolutions per minute. In addition, the device has an integrated scale, a touchscreen for operation and is programmable.

The Thermomix has the usual functions for a food processor such as stirring, mixing, kneading and chopping, but also other functions such as weighing, heating, cooking and steaming; the “TM6” model (see model overview ) can also handle frying and caramelizing . When grinding, the device does not shred the grain according to the principle of a mill , but with a fly knife. The “Varoma” attachment enables steam cooking .

history

In 1961 the first universal kitchen appliance from Vorwerk came onto the market under the name VKM5 with seven functions. The VM 10 and VM 20 models followed in the 1960s. In 1971, Vorwerk launched the VM 2000 heating mixer, which is known as the “original Thermomix”. At first it was only sold in France, because thickened soups are very popular there and the machine makes it easier to make them. The VM 2002 and VM 2200 models followed.

After registering the Vorwerk Thermomix brand , the TM3000 model came onto the market in 1980 - for the first time under the name Thermomix - which could also cook. The TM3300 model followed in 1982; initially for the Italian and French markets, from 1984 also for Germany. It had an electronic speed control with twelve levels, a cooking insert and a temperature selection. The original abbreviation VKM for Vorwerk kitchen machine was first replaced by VM for Vorwerk mixer and then by TM for Thermomix.

In 1996 the TM21 model came onto the market with a larger mixing bowl, the “Varoma” steamer attachment and integrated scales. In addition, the device got a display to show the cooking time and the scales. The TM31 model was offered from 2004 to 2014. Counter-clockwise rotation and the gentle stirring stage of the knife were introduced, and the original fan motor was replaced by a reluctance motor . The built-in heater was expanded to include a temperature sensor.

In September 2014 the TM5 model was presented, which is equipped with a touchscreen , an automatic locking system and an expansion interface for the use of recipe chips. With Guided Cooking , recipes can be displayed in individual steps and the device can be preconfigured. The Cook-Key was introduced in 2016 , with which numerous cookery collections can be subscribed to for a fee via WiFi . 75 percent of the devices sold were made in Cloyes-sur-le-Loir in France, and 25 percent in Wuppertal-Laaken. Both plants were significantly enlarged by 2015 due to the high demand.

The TM6 model was presented in March 2019. The appearance and the dimensions are similar to the predecessor, so the mixing bowl still holds 2.2 liters. The display has been enlarged to 6.8 ″, and the model now has integrated WLAN and Bluetooth . The maximum cooking temperature has been increased to 160 ° C, making frying and caramelizing possible . The scales now measure in 1 gram increments and the heating enables heating in 1 ° C increments.

In July 2019, Vorwerk announced that the final assembly of the devices would no longer be carried out at the company's headquarters in Wuppertal, but would be relocated to China in addition to the production plant in France from 2020. Some components for the Thermomix - such as the motor or the mixing knife - will continue to be produced at the headquarters in Wuppertal.

Model overview

  1. Thermomix VKM5 T0 00(1961)
  2. Thermomix VM 10 TK00(in the 1960s)
  3. Thermomix VM 2000 TK(1971)
  4. Thermomix VM 2200 TK(1977)
  5. Thermomix TM 3000 VK(1980)
  6. Thermomix TM 3300 VK(1982)
  7. Thermomix TM 21 VK00(1996)
  8. Thermomix TM 31 VK00(2004)
  9. Thermomix TM 5 VK000(2014)
  10. Thermomix TM 6 VK000(2019)
Comparison of the different Thermomix models
TM3300 TM21 TM31 TM5 TM6
image Thermomix TM3300 Thermomix TM21 Thermomix TM31 Thermomix TM5 (with Varoma attachment) Thermomix TM6
introduction 1982 1996 2004 2014 2019
engine Max. Power (in W) 450 600 500
Speed
(in min −1 ) 		Gently stir a - - 40
stir - 0100-1000 0100-50000 ?100–?00
Mixing /
pureeing 		2700-7900 2000-9100 1100-10.200 ?
turbo 12,000 10,200 10,700
Max. Heating power (in W) 1000 1350 1000
Mixing bowl capacity (in l) 1.5 2.0 2.2
Cooking temperature
(in ° C) 		Min. 50 40 37
Max. 100 120 160
Libra available No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Measuring range (in g) - 10-7500 5-6000 -1100-6000
Accuracy (in g) - ? 5 1
Display available No Yes Yes Yes Yes
execution - four-digit
LED - 7-segment display
 multi-digit
LCD -
segment display 		4.3 "-
Touchscreen -
LCD 		6.8 ″
touchscreen
LCD
colour - monochrome multicolored
Dimensions
(in cm) 		height 37.8 30th 33.5 34.1
width 31.8 27 28.5 33.3 32.6
depth 18.1 42 28.5 32.6 32.6
Weight (in kg) 5.5 7.5 6.3 7.7 7.95
Varoma available: No Yellow check.svgb Yes Yes Yes
Capacity (in l) - 2.5 3 3.3 3.3
Dimensions
(in cm) 		height - 10.3 11.8 13.1 13.1
width - 40 38.5 38.3 38.3
depth - 27.5 27.5 ?
Weight (in kg) - 0.99 0.8 ?
ad. i.e., stirring without mixing (counterclockwise)
b only available since 1999

marketing

The devices are offered exclusively in direct sales and cannot be purchased in free trade. Vorwerk's sales representatives visit potential customers at home and demonstrate the device on request. The Thermomix can also be tested in Vorwerk branches; if you are interested in buying, the manufacturer refers you to its representatives. Around 42,000 representatives in 70 countries around the world were active for the device in 2016, more than 90% of them women. In 2015 there were around 16,000 representatives and more than 75 regional studios in Germany, including cooking courses.

A special feature that is also associated with the direct sales principle are the recipes and cooking courses that the manufacturer offers, specially developed for the device. The recipes are marketed as cookbooks, recipe booklets or as mobile apps. A customer magazine can also be subscribed to. Vorwerk Germany also operates the rezeptwelt.de website , which in 2016 contained over 60,000 recipes for the Thermomix and a web forum .

With a complex patenting process, Vorwerk tries to prevent competitors from marketing a comparable product. While the TM31 model was protected by thirteen patents pending, Alexander Wurzer implemented a new patent strategy for Vorwerk for the successor TM5 , which resulted in 151 patents.

According to Vorwerk's own statements, four million devices had been sold by June 2013. Sales in 2013 amounted to 204 million euros. In 2015, the year after the introduction of the TM5, Vorwerk increased its Thermomix sales to 1.375 billion euros, and since then the Thermomix has been Vorwerk's top-selling product. Via its in-house Akf Bank , Vorwerk also offers financing contracts for buyers who cannot or do not want to pay for the product directly. 1.3 million devices were sold in 2016. The sales figures have been falling since 2017. In 2017, sales worldwide fell by 12.9 percent (approx. 1.1 billion euros); in Germany by 22.1 percent.

reception

In 2005 Vorwerk won a Red Dot Design Award with the TM31 . The successor TM5 was awarded in 2015 at the Red Dot Award: Communication Design in the Interface Design category. Die Zeit referred to the Thermomix as the iPhone from Wuppertal .

In 2010, Stiftung Warentest rated the TM31 model with a grade of 3.2 (satisfactory). Above all, the price of over 1000 euros in connection with the noise development and the fact that food can only be chopped to different degrees - i.e. no cutting of slices or strips is possible - attracted attention. In 2015, the TM5 model received a grade of 2.9 (satisfactory). The volume of the device (reluctance motor), which reached 91 decibels when the water was stirred , was again criticized . With a grade of 4.6 for the environmental properties, this led to the devaluation. The Vorwerk warranty conditions for used purchases are another point of criticism.

When the TM5 was introduced in 2014, many customers and representatives reacted angrily because the new model, which replaced the TM31 after ten years, had gone on sale without notice. The TM5 was also criticized for having to buy recipe chips from Vorwerk and only being able to enter your own recipes manually. When the TM6 was introduced in March 2019, many customers and representatives were also angry because this model had also been launched on the market without prior notice. A corresponding lawsuit by a consumer to reverse her purchase contract was dismissed before the Wuppertal district court : The manufacturer does not have to inform its customers in advance of an upcoming model change.

Trivia

In Italy and Portugal, the Thermomix is ​​sold under the name Bimby , as the name Thermomix was already trademarked there. In Portugal, despite its high price and the euro crisis, 35,000 kitchen appliances were sold in 2013. The monthly Bimby magazine also found around 35,000 buyers in the same year, more than the Portuguese edition of Vogue .

In Germany, a toy version of the TM31 was sold under the name Bimby . This was about two-thirds the size of the original machine, was battery-powered and could mix liquids such as milk with cocoa powder, whip small amounts of cream until stiff or mix pancake batter.

Various magazines have been created around the Thermomix, including Mixx (with Heel-Verlag since October 2015 ), Mein Zaubertopf (with Falkemedia since September 2016 ) and Thermomix-Magazin . The latter is published by Gruner + Jahr under license from Vorwerk , as of September 2016 with a print run of 415,000 copies. The same publisher has also been bringing the bimonthly Food & Drink with Thermomix onto the market since October 2016 .

Web links

Commons : Thermomix  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ L'histoire du Thermomix at www.cookomix.com , accessed December 9, 2016.
  2. ^ Information from Vorwerk in connection with the company's business fields , accessed on December 9, 2016. See also ML Cohen, updated by Helga Schier: Vorwerk & Co. KG. In: International Directory of Company Histories , Vol. 112, St. James Press, Detroit, New York [et al. 2010, pp. 475–479, here p. 477. See also: Peter Wagner: Professional devices in the test: Colossi of the kitchen (Part 3) . In: Manager Magazin . February 17, 2011, access on December 9, 2016. Claudia Panster: Hype of the year Thermomix. Suddenly Princess. In: Handelsblatt print, No. 240 of 11 Dec. 2015, page 62. Paz Álvarez: El clan del robot de cocina alemán . In: Cinco Dias (online), December 31, 2015, accessed December 9, 2016. Alexandra Genova: Is the $ 2,000 Thermomix a must-have kitchen appliance or just an expensive disaster waiting to happen? Owners suffer horrific burns after gadgets explode . In: Mail online March 16, 2016, accessed December 9, 2016). Raechal Johns: Increasing Value of a Tangible Product through Intangihle Attributes: Value Co-Creation and Brand Building within Online Conmmunities - Virtual Communilics and Value. In: Rebecca English; Raechel Johns (Ed.): Gender Considerations in Online Consumption Behavior and Internet Use. IGI Global, Hershey 2016, p. 112–124, here p. 117, ISBN 978-1-5225-0010-0 .
  3. ↑ thermomix.vorwerk.de: The history of the Thermomix
  4. ↑ Register number: 1006427 , German Patent and Trademark Office , registration dated November 2, 1979.
  5. ↑ Klaus Koch: Vorwerk has now sold the Thermomix 4,000,000 times. In: wz-newsline.de. Westdeutsche Zeitung GmbH & Co. KG, June 18, 2013, accessed on August 28, 2015 .
  6. ↑ Stefan Deck, Rüdiger Kroh: Fast engine assembly with subsequent functional testing. In: MM MaschinenMarkt. Vogel Business Media, February 25, 2013, accessed December 19, 2013 .
  7. ↑ Mikel López Iturriaga: Así será la nueva Thermomix. In: El Pais. September 3, 2014, accessed September 4, 2014 (French).
  8. ↑ Christine Berkovicius: L'usine Thermomix dopée par le succès de son robot ménager. In: LesEchos.fr. August 12, 2015, accessed August 20, 2015 (French).
  9. ^ Abendblatt.de: "A life without Thermomix is ​​possible, but pointless" Hamburger Abendblatt, accessed on August 20, 2015.
  10. ↑ Zacharias Zacharakis: 71 million euros will be invested in Wuppertal. In: ZEIT ONLINE. December 10, 2014, accessed August 20, 2015 .
  11. ↑ Laurence Franceschina: Cinquante emplois créés à Cloyes-sur-le-Loir grâce au Thermomix. In: lechorepublicain.fr. December 13, 2014, accessed August 20, 2015 (French).
  12. ↑ TM6: Vorwerk presents the new Thermomix. Hannoversche Allgemeine , March 9, 2019, accessed on March 9, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Thermomix Switzerland
  14. ↑ Thermomix: Vorwerk stops manufacturing the kitchen machine at the Wuppertal location. July 2, 2019, accessed July 2, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Thermomix: Vorwerk stops production in Germany. In: manager-magazin.de. manager magazin, December 6, 2019, accessed April 30, 2020 .
  16. ↑ thermomix.vorwerk.de: Instructions for use of the TM3300 (pdf; 1.18 MB)
  17. ↑ thermomix.vorwerk.de: Instructions for use of the TM 21 (pdf; 1.49 MB)
  18. ↑ thermomix.vorwerk.de: Instructions for use of the TM31 ( Memento from February 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (pdf; 1.88 MB)
  19. ↑ thermomix.vorwerk.de: Instructions for use of the TM5 (pdf; 1.40 MB)
  20. ↑ Vorwerk TM6
  21. ↑ a b c d Sylviane Chassot: The secret of success behind the Thermomix in: NZZ , March 26, 2016, p. 14.
  22. ^ Vorwerk Shops , corporate.vorwerk.com
  23. ↑ a b plusminus from January 25, 2017.
  24. ^ Katrin Terpitz: Party as a business model. In: Handelsblatt. July 20, 2015, p. 18.
  25. ↑ thermomix.vorwerk.de: Overview of the regional studios
  26. ↑ customer magazine finesse ( Memento of 27 September 2013 Internet Archive ), foxawards.de
  27. ↑ rezeptwelt.de
  28. ↑ Klaus Koch: Vorwerk has now sold the Thermomix 4,000,000 times. In: wz-newsline.de. W. Girardet GmbH & Co. KG, June 18, 2013, accessed on December 19, 2013 .
  29. ↑ Thermomix - General information and current figures May 2014. (No longer available online.) Dargewitz Verlag UG, archived from the original on June 6, 2014 ; Retrieved June 3, 2014 .
  30. ↑ Peter Kurz: Vorwerk is happy about record numbers. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung . May 20, 2016. See also Vorwerk wants to conquer the USA with luxury food processor , Spiegel Online May 19, 2016 ( accessed on December 9, 2016), sales figures there: 1.4 billion euros. Furthermore: Vorwerk is growing rapidly thanks to the Thermomix boom. In: Börsen-Zeitung from May 20, 2016; Sales figures there: 1.4 billion euros.
  31. ↑ Vorwerk has a new one: What comes after the Thermomix? In: stern.de. stern , May 16, 2018, accessed December 27, 2018 .
  32. ↑ Erik J. Schulze: Thermomix at the end? Every twentieth job is at risk. In: ekitchen. Axel Springer SE , December 19, 2018, accessed on December 27, 2018 .
  33. ↑ Red Dot Design Award ( Memento from September 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), red-dot.de, accessed on June 28, 2019.
  34. ^ Press release from Vorwerk on August 10, 2015, accessed on August 20, 2015.
  35. ↑ zeit.de: The iPhone from Wuppertal
  36. ↑ Kitchen machines: The kitchen professionals - test. Stiftung Warentest, October 8, 2010, accessed on December 19, 2013 .
  37. ↑ Thermomix only managed fourth place in the test. In: The world. December 3, 2015, accessed December 4, 2015 .
  38. ↑ Thermomix competitors can do that better. In: stern TV. November 25, 2015, accessed December 4, 2015 .
  39. ↑ Vorwerk annoys its fans. In: Handelsblatt. http://www.handelsblatt.com/ , September 3, 2016, accessed on September 6, 2016 .
  40. ↑ Carsten Dierig: New Thermomix from Vorwerk annoys customers. In: THE WORLD. WeltN24 GmbH, September 12, 2014, accessed on August 28, 2015 .
  41. ↑ Lars Sobiraj: The kings of blenders want to modd recipe chips. In: golem.de. Klaß & Ihlenfeld Verlag GmbH, January 15, 2015, accessed on August 20, 2015 .
  42. ↑ "Very, very brazen" The new Thermomix is ​​now making loyal customers burn out
  43. ↑ [1]
  44. ↑ What is “Bimby”? In: Thermomix Super Kitchen Machine. Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
  45. ↑ Patricia Kowsmann: Even in Straitened Times, Portugal Loves Its Bimby Cooking Robots. In: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. December 25, 2013, accessed September 2, 2015 .
  46. ↑ a b Susanne Herrmann: Gruner + Jahr brings Thermomix titles. In: wuv.de. W&V, September 22, 2016, accessed December 20, 2016 .