The latest version of Thermomix, the TM6, is a complete, efficient and well-known kitchen robot that has significantly improved the capabilities of previous versions. However, in the last few years it has had a rival in the same price range, the Magimix Cook Expert. Many buyers continue to bet everything in their kitchen on Thermomix, others have surrendered to the Cook Expert. What are the differences between these two kitchen robots? We detail the distinctive features of each one so that you know how to choose the one that best suits you.
Differences between Thermomix TM 6 and Magimix Cook Expert
We explain one by one all the differences between the Thermomix TM6 and the Magimix Cook Expert. They are very similar, but they do not work in the same way; they do not have the same motor power or the same functions. There are also differences in the available recipes and in the sales system, not so much in the price… Keep reading and discover in detail what differentiates one from the other.
Operation: Thermomix with resistance, Magimix with induction
The main difference between the two appliances is the way the food is heated. Magimix Cook Expert works on an induction base, that is, an electromagnetic field is created that heats the container (which must be magnetic) when it comes into contact with it. On the other hand, the Thermomix TM6 cooking system is resistance-based. This method heats directly through a vitrified ceramic plate that provides electrical resistance under its surface. This resistance generates heat that is transmitted to the container where the food is.
Motor power, dimensions, and capacity: Magimix is your choice
The Thermomix TM6 motor has a power of 500 W, and at its peak, it reaches 1500 W. The total power of Magimix is 1700 W. Regarding weight, the Vorwerk appliance weighs 7.95 kg compared to its counterpart’s 11 kg. In terms of dimensions, Thermomix has dimensions of 34.1 cm long, 32.6 cm wide, and 32.6 cm deep, while Magimix measures 37 x 33.5 x 39 cm.
The capacity of the Thermomix bowl is 2.2 liters, while the Magimix has a 3.5-liter bowl, as well as providing three extra bowls. This difference allows the latter robot to cook for a greater number of people, up to 12, twice as many as the Thermomix.
Features: slight advantage for the TM6
Thermomix TM6 has 12 classic functions, to which, in this latest version, a high-temperature mode, vacuum cooking, fermentation and slow cooking have been added. These basic functions are mixing, steaming, blending, weighing, stirring, grinding, beating, emulsifying (for making sauces and mayonnaise), heating, kneading, frying, and chopping.
Magimix Cook Expert also includes 12 automatic functions plus an “expert” mode, for those who are already able to create their own recipes without the need for a guide. Among the standard Magimix functions are mixing, slow cooking, steaming, kneading, whisking, juicing, emulsifying, whipping (egg whites or cream), blending, cutting, chopping, and grating.
Available recipes, screen, and guided cooking: If you pay for it, Cookidoo
Cookidoo is the Thermomix app that contains tens of thousands of recipes and is accessed from its touch screen. It consists of around 80,000 recipes in several languages, at least 5,000 in Spanish. However, it is not free, it requires an annual subscription, which currently costs around 48 euros. The app includes the so-called guided cooking, a function that guides you step by step during the preparation of the recipe. It even has the temperature and speed of each step pre-set, so thanks to it you will only need to gather the ingredients and load the recipe in question.
The Magimix Cook Expert app is free and currently contains around 900 recipes in total. Like Cookidoo, it can be used on any device with the internet and also allows you to create recipes in a step-by-step guided manner. Both apps are also accessible from your mobile, tablet or computer.
Accessories: point for Magimix
Thermomix comes as standard with the main bowl, a steamer called Varoma, a measuring cup, a spatula, a butterfly whisk (for whipping egg whites or cream), a basket, and a splash-proof lid, with an opening for adding ingredients little by little and its Cookidoo app. On the other hand, it is possible to buy many more different accessories, such as additional bowls, blade covers, peelers, etc., and obtain official spare parts.
Magimix comes equipped with a universal blade, whisk, tray, and basket for steam cooking, spatula, 3 bowls of different capacities, a case with 4 discs for grating or slicing, a scale, a cookbook, and the integrated app. From these basics, you can acquire many more optional accessories such as the XXL bread mixer, large steamer or the cube or spiral cutters.
Price and sales system: Thermomix, is a little more expensive
The Thermomix TM6 currently costs 1,399 euros and can be purchased through the official website of Vorwerk, the brand of the product, or through its sales agents. These agents can also be located thanks to the website and the brand’s branches spread throughout the country. These professionals usually go to the potential buyer’s home to show the robot, offer the necessary information (how the robot works, payment terms and methods, etc.), and close the sale.
The Magimix Cook Expert robot is priced at 1,300 euros and offers up to 24 payment terms. It can be purchased from specialist online stores and authorized distributors of the brand (in Spain, for example, from the Lecuine website). You can find the complete list on the official Magimix website.
Which is better, Thermomix TM6 and Magimix Cook Expert?
When it comes down to it, choosing one or the other will depend on the buyer’s needs.
The Thermomix TM6 and the Magimix Cook Expert are two high-quality, similarly priced multi-purpose food processors . Thermomix has a century-old track record as a well-known brand, and the French brand Magimix has proven to be capable of offering highly competitive and efficient appliances. In terms of functions and accessories, both offer similar qualities, except for the way they heat food, using resistance in the case of the Thermomix and induction in the Cook Expert. However, the French brand is more powerful.
The most notable differences are in the capacity of the bowl, which is larger in the Cook Expert robot —as well as being able to add three more bowls—. This allows the Magimix to cook for more people . There are also differences in access to its recipe applications: Thermomix works by subscription, although it wins in variety and number of culinary preparations. The Magimix app is free.
Finally, the Thermomix sales method is still less accessible, being through the official channel and home agents, although it is an advantage for buyers who like close and personal treatment. For its part, Magimix can be purchased from authorized distributors of the brand and also from popular online sales channels. As a final note, it should be added that Cook Expert allows you to choose between 3 colors: black, red and gray. Thermomix, at the moment, has a design in black and white, to which it adds a recent design in commemoration of the 140th anniversary of the brand.