Cooking, for some, is the preferred way to unwind. For the rest of us, preparing a home-cooked meal is the last thing we want to do at the end of a long day. One European company thinks it has the solution.
Thermomix, from Vorwerk, is a state-of-the-art blender that not only whips and stirs, but also cooks. Yes, as in, a meal.
Stocked with a digital memory bank of recipes, the appliance will outline step-by-step instructions on its screen and handle all of the steaming, grinding, weighing, and kneading required. All you have to do is add the right ingredients, and the blender will determine the appropriate cooking time and temperature based on their weight.
In go the ingredients and out come dishes like whole-wheat rolls, steamed vegetables and chicken. You can even make strawberry ice cream. If these aren't your speed, there's also an extensive database of compatible recipes for the machine available through Vorwerk.
But here's the catch: A Thermomix blender will cost you $1,200. And with growing buzz and interest, there's already a two-month-long waiting list to get one, according to the Wall Street Journal. And that's only if you live in Europe, since the Thermomix isn't available in the U.S. as of yet. There are plans to bring it stateside, however, following the smash success in Europe.
With positive responses to other smart kitchen designs, like IKEA's concept table that was revealed earlier this year, it's only a matter of time before we see more high-tech cooking gear in the works. Robotic bartender, anyone?
