In recent years, the popularity of multi-cookers has taken off. They are almost as popular as air fryers, and for good reason.
Most contemporary multi-cookers incorporate air frying as one of their many functions.
It makes sense to me: why have two machines taking up bench space when one will do it all?
Two of the biggest brands in this space are Ninja and Thermomix, with a global fan following.
Both brands are known for continuous innovation and quality products in an environment of stiff competition.
When it comes down to it, though, which is the better brand, especially for UK residents?
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My Choice: Ninja Foodi vs Thermomix for UK Residents?
Ninja all-day-long!
Why?
- Value for money: You can buy a Ninja Foodi for around £220 (better when it’s on sale), and the Thermomix is around £1200 (about 6 times the price!)
- Cooking Options: The Ninja has fewer options at 14 than the Thermomix at 24, but a lot of the 24 do the same thing as the Ninja. The 14 options cover pretty much everything you need anyway.
- Dishwasher Safe: Both can be washed in the dishwasher.
- Durability and Reliability: I checked various review sites, and Ninja has several thousand recent rave reviews. However, despite the original Thermomix being solid and loved in the past, the most recent versions seem to be having problems, and customers are not as happy.
- Safety: I don’t have any issues with the Ninja; however, Thermomix issued a safety warning in September 2022 that the TM6 cup may cause dangerous uncontrolled spillages. Although they have tried to address this with a change in the instructions on using the cup, I have read that customers are unhappy with the solution.
- Ease of Buying in the UK: You can pick up the Ninja online at Ninja Kitchen, Amazon Prime or selected stores and most likely have it delivered the next day. However, Thermomix is a pain to buy; you can only buy through an Authorised Advisor. See my comments below on “How to buy a Thermomix in the UK”.
- Also, I found a site (but it was in Australia) where you could fill out a form with a bunch of details and send it to the Authorised Advisor, and they would order your Thermomix without the demonstration. You may find something similar here in the UK if you look at the time you want to purchase.
So, given all that, I don’t believe the Thermomix is worth the £1,200 price tag and resoundingly choose the Ninja Foodi. Save your money!
Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1Multi Cooker
The Ninja Foodi is an easy winner. It does it all in one machine. It's the next generation of Multi Cookers that the others are all trying to catch up to.
It is a simple easy to use kitchen multitasker that has 3 modes:
- Pressure Cook
- Air Fry
- Combi-Steam
And within those 3 modes, 15 versatile functions:
- Pressure Cook
- Air Fry
- Grill
- Bake
- Dehydrate
- Prove Bread
- Sear and Saute
- Steam
- Slow Cook
- Makes Yoghurt
- Steams to reheat meals
- Steam Air Fryer
- Steam Bake
- Steam Bread
- Steam Roast
It boasts a large 7.5L pot, big enough for any family, leaving you with leftovers.
- It has one smart lid.
- Other multi-cookers that have similar functions all come with 2 lids. Cuts down on the storage needed.
- It features an hour-long timer and a high-temperature setting, and the Ninja Foodi easily stands out from the competition. The Foodi’s control panel has easy-to-use buttons with pre-sets and custom settings. The positions of the pressure release valves are also clearly labelled.
- It has an inbuilt cooking thermometer to tell you when you're done. The machine is virtually perfect.
- Saves 60% on your energy bill
- Smart Cook one lid
- 15 program options
- Easy to clean
- Dishwasher safe
- Noisy
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Ninja Foodi vs Thermomix: Which Is Right For You – The Detail?
The Ninja Foodi was Ninja’s response to the Instant Pot because, before the Instant Pot, Ninja had specialised in blenders alone. At the time of the introduction of the Foodi, it was already a cut above the Instant Pot.
The Ninja can handle all your slow cooking, sauteing, air frying, steaming, grilling, searing and pressure cooking needs.
This reduced the need for multiple utensils in the cooking process while clearing out space on countertops nationwide!
The Ninja Foodi was one of the first few multi-cookers that also incorporated an air fryer into its build; the Instant Pot required a separately sold accessory for air frying.
One of the signature features of the Ninja Foodi is its TenderCrisp technology, which lets you combine pressure cooking and air frying, resulting in a quick cooking time and extremely crispy results.
Even with the eventual influx of similar products from competitors, such as the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, the Ninja Foodi is still the go-to for many folks when it comes to air frying.
The Thermomix, on the other hand, is a product from the Vorwerk stables and is especially popular in the European subcontinent and Australia.
The Thermomix also performs almost all the same functions as the Ninja Foodi, such as stirring, sauteing, grinding, fermenting yoghurt, and even kneading dough. Still, it is a blender instead of a multi-cooker.
The Thermomix was popularly used by more experienced chefs working as personal Chefs rather than a commercial kitchen. It was a time and labour saver that provided great results.
I had one of the original Thermomix models when working as a private Chef for a family abroad.
I absolutely loved it!
It’s the best bit of kit I’ve ever bought for a domestic kitchen!
However, given the changes to the Thermomix and some of the issues with reliability and, these days, far cheaper options that do the same tasks and the difficulty in just getting to buy the thing in the UK, the Thermomix has lost much of its appeal. Back then, the Thermomix was unique and the only option.
Features
As I’ve already mentioned, the Ninja Foodi is a one-stop pot for most cooking needs. The first few models allowed only pressure cooking, slow cooking, and air frying, and later models also included advanced features such as grilling, baking, dehydrating, sous vide, and making yoghurt.
The Ninja brand has a range of multi-cookers catering to various budgets, from 6-in-1 to 14-in-1 models. On average, the device weighs around 10 kilograms and has a 1,460-watt heating element and 6.1-litre capacity.
The Thermomix is a 2.2-litre stainless-steel blender/pitcher with a heating element that can reach temperatures between 37.7℃ and 160℃. The device also has an integrated weighing scale that accurately measures ingredients in the mixing bowl—one of its standout features.
The blade inside the blender spins in both directions, with one side sharp enough for pureeing and chopping and the other side of the blade dulled for stirring.
The blender also features a “butterfly” attachment when whipping cream and egg whites.
Accessories
The Ninja Foodi comes with an array of standard accessories, such as a non-stick cooking plate, crisper lid, recipe book, and dishwasher-safe cooking pot.
The Foodi is a large machine that takes up more space on the counter than its competitors’ products.
The Thermomix also comes with standard accessories like the Ninja Foodi, with steaming trays and baskets for various functions, such as the “Varoma” for steaming. It also features a touch screen and in-built Wi-Fi connectivity, through which users can access a vast library of over 60,000 recipes (though access requires an annual subscription).
Once you have had your lesson from the authorized Distributor, it is pretty simple to use, with a one-touch button.
Price
The Ninja Foodi products start at £145 and go up to £240, which is meagre compared to the Thermomix’s £1,200.
This is one of the biggest differentiators for both products, with Thermomix’s price tag throwing off many novice and home cooks; it also explains why it’s a more common feature in professional kitchens.
However, those who have invested in the Thermomix find the price completely worth it for its amazing, technologically advanced features.
How To Buy A Thermomix In The UK.
Okay, asking this question was where the trouble started. I searched the internet to try and find out how to purchase the machine. This is what I found out, and it wasn’t easy. I spent over an hour trying to work it all out.
- You can only buy a Thermomix from an authorised Advisor.
- To make the purchase, you need to book what used to be called a “Demonstration” and is now called a “Cooking Experience”. This is the party plan model in a nutshell. However, these days, you can book a one-on-one demonstration.
- Vorwerk makes the Thermomix, but when I tried to find a website for either Thermomix UK or Vorwerk, all I could find was a link to Vorwerk. However, the website was broken. I went back several times over a week, but still no luck. I have just checked again, and the site is back up. Here is a link: https://www.vorwerk.co.uk/en/c/home.
- When I couldn’t find a company site, I searched for authorised Advisors in the UK. I found several sites but was loathe to provide links as I am unsure how long they will be around. Again, to purchase the Thermomix, you had to book the “Cooking Experience”.
- There seems to be a push to sign people up as Authorised Advisors. If you sell a certain number in a set period, you can get your Thermomix free. (I won’t add the actual numbers because they could change.) Check out the Career section on the website.
- Also, I found a site (but it was in Australia) where you could fill out a form with a bunch of details and send it to the Authorised Advisor, and they would order your Thermomix without the demonstration. You may find something similar here in the UK if you look at the time you want to purchase.
So, if you are determined to buy the Thermomix, good luck with the process.
What Makes The Ninja Foodi Stand Out
Though the Ninja Foodi is much cheaper than the Thermomix, it’s still a little more expensive when compared to the current range of multi-cookers. However, many users are willing to pay the price for the Foodi’s insane crisping ability!
The Foodi has one of the best air-frying capabilities among multi-cookers, with consistent, crisp results every time.
Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1Multi Cooker
The Ninja Foodi is an easy winner. It does it all in one machine. It's the next generation of Multi Cookers that the others are all trying to catch up to.
It is a simple easy to use kitchen multitasker that has 3 modes:
- Pressure Cook
- Air Fry
- Combi-Steam
And within those 3 modes, 15 versatile functions:
- Pressure Cook
- Air Fry
- Grill
- Bake
- Dehydrate
- Prove Bread
- Sear and Saute
- Steam
- Slow Cook
- Makes Yoghurt
- Steams to reheat meals
- Steam Air Fryer
- Steam Bake
- Steam Bread
- Steam Roast
It boasts a large 7.5L pot, big enough for any family, leaving you with leftovers.
- It has one smart lid.
- Other multi-cookers that have similar functions all come with 2 lids. Cuts down on the storage needed.
- It features an hour-long timer and a high-temperature setting, and the Ninja Foodi easily stands out from the competition. The Foodi’s control panel has easy-to-use buttons with pre-sets and custom settings. The positions of the pressure release valves are also clearly labelled.
- It has an inbuilt cooking thermometer to tell you when you're done. The machine is virtually perfect.
- Saves 60% on your energy bill
- Smart Cook one lid
- 15 program options
- Easy to clean
- Dishwasher safe
- Noisy
To keep our website going, we earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
What Makes The Thermomix Stand Out
As mentioned earlier, Thermomix has advanced technological features, Wi-Fi capabilities, and a touch screen, giving this machine an edge over the competition.
