Hints & Tips

HINTS & TIPS

This is my collection of hints and tips for maximising the use of your Thermomix.  Keep this page bookmarked as I will keep adding more.  For a more up to date edition why not subscribe to my FREE monthly newsletter where you're guaranteed not to miss anything happening at ThermoFun!

• Grab yourself a printable resource of cups to grams measurements making recipes in the Thermomix that bit easier!
• Or maybe you'd like some Thermomix reference tips you can print and put in your kitchen
• And if you're unsure, check the Thermomix abbreviations index

Now, accidents happen. If you've used the Thermomix without the base attached, don't panic, read my guide on what to do. 

Thermomix Parts:

Please note: The TM31 must now be using the GREEN seal which can be purchased from TM Australia.  Grey seals should NO longer be used, as they would definitely be more than two years old now.  Seals should be replaced every two years as instructed in your manual.

Spatula – Keep it looking brand new! It is a good idea to get into the habit of removing your ingredients from the bowl with the spatula by moving your spatula in a clockwise direction.  This direction means the spatula is coming in contact with the blunt side of the blade and this will avoid any nicks.

TM 31:

• Pressing both the plus and minus timer buttons at the same time clears the timer.
• Pushing the power button next to the 37 button, clears the temperature you have set or been cooking on.

Butterfly: To get the last bit of food off your butterfly, gently tap it back and forth inside your bowl.  Then place it back along with the lid.  Turn on speed 4 to flick excess food from the butterfly to the side of bowl, then scrape it all out with your spatula.  Remember that the butterfly should never be used above speed 4.

Black plug in TM5 and TM6 handle:

The black plug screw cover ‘thingy’ that fits into the handle of the TM5 and the TM6 can unfortunately come out over time. If and when this does happen, it will keep falling out until it’s replaced.

The plug prevents the screw from rusting and the handle falling off.

Measuring Cup: As I was cleaning up after cooking dinner I was rushing around and noticed I had placed my MC on the veg scrap pile and got to thinking how easy it would be to lose it!  So please make sure before you throw anything out that you have all your Thermomix parts accounted for!

Rubber seal on the blade: When I posted the tip about not throwing out the MC on our ThermoFun Facebook page, a lot of people responded with losing their potato peeler!  I've also lost teaspoons!  However, the ones that really stood out were the ones about the rubber seal under the blades.  So another point to check when putting your bowl back on the base is to make sure your rubber seal hasn't gone missing! To avoid this happening, I strongly recommend, never to take the rubber seal off the bottom of the blade as it can still be washed easily enough with it on.

Simmering basket: The simmering basket has so many extra uses, check our full list of simmering basket hints and tips.

ThermoServer: The ThermoServer also has so many extra uses, including making pasta!

Cleaning Your Thermomix Bowl:

There are a number of ways to clean your Thermomix bowl including a self clean, a vinegar wash or by using up an old lemon.

Melted some chocolate or made one of my amazing chocolate desserts? Make yourself a hot chocolate while cleaning the bowl!

Pour a glass of milk (any type) into TM bowl and mix 5 sec / speed 8.
Heat milk 5 mins / 80°C / speed 4.
Enjoy a delicious hot chocolate with no wasted chocolate!

To avoid washing the bowl, use an order to your cooking: 

Think about what you are planning on making in your Thermomix. For example, try and do the dry things first, then the wet - it often then means you can skip a step of cleaning the bowl! Other orders include:

• The perfect time to make a soup is after making your vegetable stock concentrate - don't bother cleaning the bowl and go straight into making soup. Or, if it's too hot for soup, make liquid stock by adding some water to your Thermomix bowl and blitzing for a few seconds.
• After making butter go straight into making a cake or some scones. Or, add a little oil and sauté your onions to start preparing dinner.
• If you've just made a chocolate cake add milk and make custard.
• Made mayonnaise? Now make coleslaw.
• After making hummus make a salad.
• Made CADA for breakfast? Make an apple smoothie for something extra.
• After making a spice such as a curry blend go straight on to making coconut milk (freeze for later to use next time you make a curry).

Creaming butter & sugar:

Pulverise sugar 10-20 seconds / speed 9
Add butter and chop 5 seconds / speed 8
Insert butterfly and whip for up to 2 mins / speed 4.

Dips: Majority of dips can be frozen, so no more stressing with them right before people come over! Make them in advance and freeze them, or even better, freeze any leftovers for a lazy afternoon with crackers.

• Double the hummus dip - once processed, remove half from the bowl and add a small tin of baby beets, cumin and paprika and you have two beautiful dips without cleaning the bowl!
• The herb and garlic dip is incredibly popular and you can use it for so much more than just a dip! Have it on sandwiches, on steak or even use it as a salad dressing!

Making jam: Cooking is a science, particularly with sugar.  You don't need jam setters or thickeners.  You need heat and the natural pectin from lemon and/or apple and evaporation.  So cook it for longer on Varoma temperature with MC off and simmering basket on top to stop any spatters.

• Chia seeds add a huge boost of nutrients and helps set the jam.
• Agar-agar is a natural seaweed setting agent.  A couple of teaspoons usually does the trick.

To test if jam is set: Place a small dish in the freezer, take out a teaspoon of jam and place it on the chilled dish.  Put back in the freezer for 2-3 min until it's cold, you want to push your finger in the jam & it should pucker.  If this doesn't happen cook the jam for a little longer.

Sterilising jars: There are many ways to sterilise jars. I think the easiest way is to put some water in each jar and heat in the microwave for a couple of minutes until boiling.  Then take out and pour the boiling water over the inside of the jar lids.

Once jam is set: Pour into sterilised jars while still hot and then turn jars upside down until cool. Turning the jars upside down creates a seal.

To clean bowl after making jam: Pour in a glass of milk and mix  15 sec / speed 9.  Enjoy a fruit jam milkshake! 

Pureeing:

• Ensure that when pureeing your hot stock or soup to always start on the low speeds and slowly work your way up to higher speeds (do not use the turbo speed). This ensures that you get a consistent puree as well as preventing any hot food spatter.
• When pureeing hot foods it is advisable not to hold down the measuring cup as this creates a vacuum and could cause damage to your Thermomix in the form of breaking the seal and also cause hot food to spray out of the top of the machine and could cause burns.
• When taking the lid off your Varoma or the lid off the bowl when cooking hot food, always open slowly away from yourself to ensure that you don’t receive any steam burns.

Reducing Liquid Tips:

• Replace the MC at the start of the dish with the steaming basket.  Place the steaming basket on top of the lid, this allows for evaporation and helps stop spattering. 

• If you think the recipe calls for a lot of liquid then use 20% less, keep an eye on your dish and top up if you need to.

• Grab a big bowl and use your steaming basket as a sieve to drain excess liquid away.  Don't discard the liquid, you can reapply to each serving as needed, keep in the fridge for next time or even turn into a gravy or sauce for another meal.

• Add some flour, corn flour, arrowroot, or tapioca starch to a small amount of water to form a paste and put in your bowl - 5 mins on 90° should help thicken up the liquid.

Cooking Rice: A great way to add some flavour to your rice is to add lime, lemongrass, stock or chilli to the water - or sprinkle some cumin seeds on top of the rice just prior to cooking.

Shredding Chicken:

• When cooking chicken in your simmering basket - Add a tablespoon of stock concentrate to your steaming water for extra flavour.
• After cooking and shredding chicken in the TM, place the chicken in thin layers on plates, or you can put it in large rectangle containers and snap freeze for 30 minutes.  Then transfer the chicken into a large freezer container.  This stops the chicken from sticking together and allows you to take out the exact quantity you need as required.  It's very handy when you want to make one chicken sandwich at a time!

Sat an ingredient aside & forgot to put it back in? If a recipe says to “set aside”, I always highlight or underline it and make it more noticeable. So when I make it again next time I'll remember to set it aside!  Once you have set aside the particular ingredients I leave it very close to my Thermomix speed dial, so as I don’t forget to put it back in!

Sautéing Onion: When sautéing onion no matter what the recipe says, I find it best to be on Varoma temperature for 5 minutes and always leave the measuring cup off.

Vegetable Stock: Add some extra nutrients and flavour to your vegetable stock concentrate with some dulse flakes (around 5g is plenty). What are Dulse Flakes? Dulse flake is made from dulse seaweed which contains Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, and E, and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chromium, iodine and zinc and trace elements. Great addition to our daily diets. Grab them from your local health food shop or online.

More cooking tips?

• Bread proving
• Caster sugar and icing sugar tips
• Cooking fettuccine
• Herb and spice substitutes
• Converting recipes for your Thermomix
• Using a Thermomix in a large family
• Mayonnaise tips
• Tempering chocolate
• Whipping egg whites
• Freezing herbs
• Growing herbs

For more great Thermomix tips and recipes join our free monthly newsletter and check out our e-cookbooks.