French manufacturer Magimix hopes to send Thermomix into a spin

THE Thermomix has held the crown for being the “best” all-in-one kitchen appliance, but a French invasion is coming.

KNOWN as the king of the kitchen, the Thermomix has held the crown in Australia for being the best all-in-one kitchen appliance since 2001.

But there’s a new contender in the ring and it’s hoping to blitz the machine owned by 300,000 Australians.

French brand Magimix created one of the first ever food processors and this week they’re launching their own “thermo-machine”, the Cook Expert.

Retailing at $2099 ($10 more than Thermomix) the machine promises to give “home cooks the pleasure of cooking like a chef with ease.”

Magimix wants to achieve the same market dominance in Australia that it saw in France when the Cook Expert launched a year ago.

“Cook Expert has taken a considerable share of the thermo sector in France in a very short time, we expect the same in Australia,” a spokesperson for Magimix said.

“The ‘thermo market’ has become a new category in small appliance sector over the past five years, however most products in this category have lacked true multi-functionality.

“The Cook Expert has many more additional features to the current competition, offering food processor, juicer and dicer capabilities as well as professional quality and a 30-year motor warranty which is one of the highest of any small appliance in the market.”

The Magimix.

Magimix Cook Expert is the newest thermo-machine set to take on the Thermomix. Picture: Supplied.

The Thermomix is a “10-appliance-in-one” device - it can grind, mash, steam and knead your food at the push of a button. But they can only be purchased from official Thermomix consultants.

The Magimix has 12 automatic programs, a food processor attachment and will focus on in-store demonstrations as oppose to consultants.

“The Cook Expert will be available through selected retail outlets and in-store demonstrations will be available at designated times,” a spokesperson said.

“An iPhone/Android app will also be available with more than 1500 recipes updated on a daily basis. There will also be phone support staff happy to answer any questions consumers may have.”

Cult kitchen appliance, Thermomix, has a new contender in town. Picture: Supplied

While not all consumers have praised the Thermomix appliance, the Magimix Cook Expert isn’t the first device to take on the German-designed device Thermomix.

In 2015, consumer advocacy group Choice conducted a comparison of the biggest all-in-one appliances.

Choice analysed the Bellini Supercook, Tefal Cuisine Companion, Mycook Premium and the Kitchenaid Cook Processor for price, ease of use and cooking performance.

“With a two thousand dollar price tag the Thermomix is out of reach for a lot of consumers. So we wanted to make sure those seeking to stretch the family finances knew what they were getting themselves in for,’ Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said at the time.

Choice will collate evidence of people who have been injured by Thermomix, and present the findings to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Picture: Supplied.

Thermomix came under fire in March when Perth mother was left with third degree burns to her chest, stomach and arms after her device allegedly burst open.

Her incident, along with other complaints from customers across the country, will help make up a mass incident report on the device, which is reportedly the first of its kind in Australia.

The call-out by consumer advocacy group Choice hopes to see owners who have been wounded or hospitalised because of an exploding Thermomix come forward.

Choice will collate the evidence into a report and present the findings to the ACCC, a spokesperson told news.com.au.

In response to the new kid on the block, a spokeswoman for Thermomix said they “support competition in all the markets in which we operate, as consumers are the ultimate beneficiaries.”

Originally published as French manufacturer Magimix hopes to send Thermomix into a spin