Thermomix & Large Families – Can you really do it?

When I was a Thermomix Consultant, I was often asked how can the Thermomix cope with large quantities for big families?

My thoughts on this are:

• a lot of my customers cook one batch and while eating they have a second going,
• or they do a 2 litre curry, or pasta sauce, or meat dish and cook rice or pasta separately,
• steam a big chicken with vegetables,
• cook silverside and vegetables,
• or they do all the prep work such as chopping and even sautéing, then do all sauces for bakes, roasts etc,
• or they add lots of veggies and /or protein in the Varoma to create lots of volume,
• or make some rolls, pizza, bread etc to go with their meal before they start cooking,
• or whip up a few salads to go with dinner,
• or of course all of the above!  🙂

Remember too, that there are so many things that we can make from scratch.  Click Here to see them all.

For larger families the ThermoServer is essential to have to keep one meal already hot whilst cooking another meal.  A second bowl and blade set lets them work much faster for additional batches or processes.  As cooking in the Thermomix is so quick, easy and efficient it really is no trouble to cook in double lots.

Have a look at this link too:
http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/does-thermomix-cook-enough-for-large.html

The other night I made the butter chicken (I used 1.8kg of chicken) from the Indian Cookbook – fed 7 of us with a few going back for seconds and then there were still a couple more servings left over for the following day.  The TM bowl was full to the 2 litre capacity and then when we poured it into the Thermoserver that was totally full too.  Heaps of food!

Other ThermoFun Club Members have also contributed the following comments:

Lisa:
I have a family of 6.  I was worried about this when I first purchased my Thermomix.  Was very surprised to find that not only did it feed the lot of us, but we had enough for my husband to take some to work as well.

Simone:
I have 6 children and no problems cooking for us with leftover

Trace:
We are a family of 5 and we always have leftovers

Amanda:
I just had 5 adults, 2 kids and 2 babies in our house the last 4 weeks to cook for – 3 of the adults are men with big appetites and the two kids are boys with big appetite too!  I just double every serve or made two different dishes and kept one warm in Thermoserver while making the next!  We had the Fettuccine from the EDC and I make two batches, two different curries one night, it’s great for béchamel sauce for lasagne and macaroni cheese! I also served lots of sides (salads, rolls etc) and do use my Tupperware rice cooker and pasta cooker in the microwave while using the Thermomix if I can’t use at the same time!

Jessica:
I’m doing ribs tonight with fried rice it’s doing 6 fully grown adults and 2 kids took about 1.5 hours but I was only in the kitchen for 15 mins of that!

Belinda:
I cook for 5 adults and 1 toddler with mine with no probs

Rachael:
We are a family of 6 – 3 boys and a girl, and all our meals from Thermomix have plenty to go round!

Courtney:
We have a family of 4 (only 3 eating as bub isn’t having huge meals yet) and it makes so much food I often have to half recipes as we don’t have enough freezer space.

Celeste:
Geeez! I always have to cut batches in half for our family of three and there are always leftovers to freeze! Ha ha! They make enough food.  The portions are also big serves in the Every Day Cookbook!  More than a serving that you need if you don’t want to get a spare tyre!

Julie:
We have a family of 5 kids & 3 adults, I’ve not ran out of food once using my TMX.  Nearly always have leftovers too. Utilize the Varoma to make really big quantities, I find what makes the difference are people’s portion size!!

Catherine:
We are a family of 5 and we always have leftovers which I freeze. I will cook for example a curry and then put that in the Thermoserver while the rice cooks

Rachael:
I just did a demo today and including the hubbies – there were 11 adults – and I fed them all no worries

Yvonne:
We have 6 and sometimes extra and it makes heaps for us

Louise:
There are 6 of us and I did not think it would work for us, but I’m surprised at the quantities I can dish up.

Specthermotacular:
We have a family of 7 and it is perfect… everything except meatballs has worked out perfectly for our family size… had to triple the Swedish meatballs though

Jeanne:
We are a family of 3… I sometimes halve the recipes if I have no room left in my freezer but I have also cooked for larger groups no problems… I really want another bowl n blade set so keeping an eye out for the next promo..

Karli:
Regularly cook for 4 adults and 4 kids- depending on meal I still sometimes may need to cook rice in rice cooker but more times than not with veg in Varoma it’s never been an issue.

Wanda:
Try the Pasta with feta a vegetables on page 77 of the vegetarian cook book .. It’s so delicious and feeds a small army.  Fill the Varoma up with lots of veggies while cooking a pasta sauce in the bowl at the same time.

Colleen:
We are a family of 5 adults and find it fine

Linda:
As long as you are utilising the Varoma and/or the Thermoserver then no problems at all.

Kate:
I have 6 children plus myself – more than enough room

Bethwyn:
Today I made 2 apple crumbles at the same time

Tracey:
I did green curry last night, put it aside and did the rice, fed 5 with enough left over for tonight and had choc custard going while we ate.

Emma:
I have 6 children and was worried too, but last night fed everyone using just the thermo! Steamed marinated chicken in the Varoma, cooked the rice in main part (didn’t wash the yummy marinade out!)  Then when that was cooked, stir fried the veggies with garlic and ginger, while the meat sat in the rice.  Then sliced meat and mixed it all together!  Three of the teens and hubby had seconds and the cat even got some too!

Jo:
I think there is more than enough capacity.  I use my Thermoserver and Varoma to utilise it to the max.  We always have leftovers.  Last night we had macaroni with chicken in green curry.  2 adults and 5 children.  We’ve just had it again tonight and there is still some left.

Dee:
The meatloaf in the EDC would feed a large family without any problems

Tameka:
We are a family of five and rarely eat even half of what thermie makes!

Elizabeth:
Family of six, it’s great.  Important to remember that the TM bowl is 2L capacity, plus the Varoma is 2.5L – 4.5 litres of food is an awful lot.

Nicole:
I use mine for a café – so BIG volumes.  I tend to use a combo of thermi and stove, but thermi cuts the labour time SO much eg to make 20 litres of soup I prep the veg in a few batches in thermi (takes about 5 minutes) then cook on stovetop.  Things like big batches of cake and bikkies are no problem and doughs like pizza, bread etc are made so quickly that if you need to do two lots it’s still quicker than the old way (and superior quality IMHO)

Simone:
I have 6 kids and a husband and have never had to double any recipes, unless I want to freeze the second batch.

Allana:
We are a family of 8 and so far not had a problem not having enough

Rebecca:
I cook for five and have leftovers and a husband that eats like two.

Jacqui:
Not much more to add, but yes easily cooks enough for our family of 6!
If you are an owner with a large family and would like to add a another comment please do so below.