Now that we have a Thermomix, I don’t need to buy as many different types of food and ingredients. This reduces our grocery shop saving us money. It also keeps our pantry a little more minimal. I feel more self-sufficient. I love not having to race to the store to buy ingredients. Those that we have are versatile and you can mix and match them or use them for different purposes. Kind of having a capsule wardrobe but for your pantry.

I have written my about my initial thoughts, review, how it can help with food allergies, consultant directory and how to afford one. This time I wanted to write about how it eliminates the need to own as many ingredients and types of food. I love that my cooking is far more versatile than it used to be.

The links for the recipes provided are via Cookidoo. This is included with the purchase of a Thermomix (6-month subscription) but most can be found online for free. You can sign up for a 30-day free trial if you would like to view the recipes. I love how Thermomix breaks down the barriers and makes cooking easier for all.

Not only does a Thermomix save money and space, it is also a wise choice for the environment. It means fewer plastic containers being mass-produced, shipped, stored and disposed of. I recommend keeping old glass jars to repurpose.

Here are 35 things I no longer buy, now that we own a Thermomix:

1. Icing Sugar

No need to buy icing sugar anymore. Simply mill it in the Thermomix for 20 seconds at speed 10. You can make it as you need to or store some in containers for easy access. It’s far cheaper to mill your own than buying premade and is always gluten-free this way.

2. Rice Flour

Milling rice is super fun to do. Simply mill 250g rice at speed 10 for 2 mins. This is a huge money saver when needing to buy gluten-free flour. You can buy bulk white or brown long-grain rice at a low price at Asian or Indian stores. See how easy it is to mill here.

3. Breadcrumbs

Gluten free breadcrumbs are expensive to buy. I use our Thermomix to make our own. I generally use the thick crusts or wholegrain bread we have bought on clearance. They are often fairly inedible for sandwiches or toast so this way we aren’t wasting food.

I blitz them in the Thermomix, spread them out onto an oven tray and bake at a low temp for thirty minutes. I store them in our Sistema containers in the pantry. I also use cornflakes as breadcrumbs. I simply crush them up in the Thermomix and put them in a container.

4. Mayonnaise

Why buy mayonnaise when you can make your own. Home made mayonnaise is far cheaper and often tastes yummier too. Handy when making coleslaw or other salads in summer. Here’s a recipe on Cookidoo for mayonnaise to try. (Side note – if you’re looking for dinner inspiration, Simple Home Edit is an amazing resource. You can find her on Insta too.)

5. Baking Powder

I never thought of making my own baking powder. I didn’t even realise that it was a thing. Sure enough, its simple to make when you have a Thermomix. It’s one less item to buy from the shops. The recipe is here.

6. Gluten Free Biscuits

Gluten free biscuits are so expensive to buy. It frustrates me how small the packets are too – just another item to run out of regularly. Since buying a Thermomix, I rarely buy sweet gluten free biscuits now. I love making cornflake cookies and these basic choc chip biscuits. Simple to make, the boys devour them and they save us money at the checkout too.

7. Peanut Butter

My boys go through so much peanut butter. We always seem to be running out of jars. I have made peanut butter in the Thermomix and it’s super quick and easy. Admittedly, this recipe doesn’t have enough oil, salt and sugar that my boys are used to in shop bought ones so we use this one for hubby and me. I’m sure our boys will adjust in time.

8. Yoghurt

Yoghurt can be expensive to buy in stores, especially the flavoured varieties. Thermomix have a number of delicious recipes on Cookidoo for yoghurt or you can simply search online. Making yoghurt at home can be a real money saver and can also help to cut down on unnecessary sugars and preservatives.

9. Shortcrust Pastry

Another expensive gluten free product is shortcrust pastry. It can cost just shy of $10 to buy a packet of 3 frozen pastries that seem to crack and break when rolling out. Not ideal. Introducing home made shortcrust pastry – it’s simple to make and delicious. Works far better than shop bought too in my opinion. Here’s one recipe here.

10. Puff Pastry

Like shortcrust, puff pastry is equally expensive to buy. You can make it in minutes with a Thermomix with just a few simple ingredients. I think it tastes better than shop bought too. Here’s the recipe for puff pastry

11. Tandoori Paste

Rather than buying pre-made sauces like Tandoori paste, you can make it easily in the Thermomix. One of my favourite recipes is Butter Chicken. The Cookidoo recipe is delicious and asks for this paste. I find it useful to make up a bulk lot to keep it in the fridge for use anytime.

12. Stock Paste

You can easily make stock paste in the Thermomix. It really is such a versatile machine. Stock can be made up in bulk and stored in the fridge until you need it.

13. Caramel Popcorn

I’m a sucker for flavoured popcorn, especially the smell of it when hot. Walking down Rundle Mall I’m always tempted to buy some! I’ve made this recipe for caramel popcorn a number of times and it is yummy. It’s the choice most requested when I’m on morning tea duty at MomCo.

14. Tomato Ketchup

If your children are anything like mine, they love putting tomato sauce on everything. Look, it’s not ideal but if it means they eat their dinner, I’m not complaining. You have to pick your battles as a parent, right? Here’s one recipe for tomato ketchup on Cookidoo. Rachel Toyer from Solo Mum Survival has a hack for adding extra veggies into her child’s diet here.

15. Marshmallows

I love marshmallows for roasting over a fire, fondue and in chocolate snowballs. I didn’t realise you could make them. Super quick and delicious to make yourself. Here’s the recipe.

16. Granola

I’m not a huge fan of granola but my hubby is. Buying granola from the shops can be quite expensive, especially if opting for the more gourmet brands. We love making it ourselves now (and I love that we save some money!). Here’s one recipe for granola.

17. Golden Syrup

Golden syrup is one of those staples that we often have in the back of the pantry. We don’t use it that often but it’s a key ingredient in ANZAC biscuits. This is another one of those ingredients that you don’t need to buy – you can make it yourself. Here’s the link.

18. Brown Sugar

I often use brown sugar in cooking, for both biscuits and savoury dishes. It’s a versatile ingredient and not overly expensive, but it’s another thing that you can make quickly in the Thermomix. It saves having to put brown sugar on your shopping list.

19. Gravy

I always used to buy Gravox to make into gravy. It seemed pretty cheap. Now, I can make it myself. Here’s the recipe for easy gravy – delicious with sausages and mash or a roast.

20. Almond Milk

If you or someone you know has allergies, buying alternative milk is costly. If you are able to source bulk almonds at a reasonable price, you can make almond milk in the Thermomix for a fraction of the purchase price. You can also make oat, cashew, macadamia, hazelnut and hemp milk.

21. Jam

Jam is great on toast or with scones and cream. I’ve just bought a number of berry plants from Bunnings and planted them in our garden. I can’t wait until we can harvest them. It’s easy to make your own jam in the Thermomix. Here is the recipe for raspberry, strawberry, apricot, plum and blackberry jam.

22. Sweetened Condensed Milk

I’ve always been a sucker for sweetened condensed milk. That stuff is delicious and it’s too easy to finish off the tin. I made salted caramel slice recently (as amazing as a cafe bought one) and needed two tins of sweetened condensed milk. I didn’t have enough so was about to go knock on my neighbours door to borrow some when I thought I’d search on Cookidoo. Sure enough, you can make it. So easy and a lot cheaper than buying it by the tin. If you make anything from this list, I highly recommend that you try the caramel slice recipe with homemade sweetened condensed milk. You won’t regret it (but don’t blame me if you eat the whole thing in a day and it goes straight to your hips).

23. Evaporated Milk

I don’t tend to use evaporated milk much but it is annoying having to purchase it. Here’s another thing that is super simple to make, No need to buy again! Here’s the recipe for evaporated milk.

24. Salad Dressing

From now on, you can make salad dressing easily in your Thermomix. There are so many varieties to try. There is Caesar salad, Italian, French and ranch, just to name a few.

25. Muesli Bars

Buying snacks like muesli bars are often pricey. Have you noticed that they are getting smaller in size and there are often only 5 in a box now? Cheeky. Stick it to the big brands and DIY. We have tried making our own and won’t go back now. Here is one recipe for muesli bars.

26. Magic Topping

I love eating icecream and was a big fan of Magic Topping as a kid. Remember the one that you’d pour on as liquid, wait a few minutes and it would set? You can make it yourself using this recipe

27. Coconut Milk

We use coconut milk frequently in cooking. It is not overly expensive to buy but it’s handy to be able to make your own. It reduces the wastage of tin cans too. Here’s the recipe for coconut milk.

28. Thai Red Curry Paste

We love eating Thai food. We used to keep a red and green curry paste in the fridge. It was handy but we can just make our own now. It’s still delicious and cheaper too. Here is the recipe for Thai red curry paste and Thai green curry paste.

29. Taco Seasoning

Does your family like Tacos? Mine do. It’s a favourite of ours. We used to buy taco seasoning but now we can make it for a fraction of the price. We know exactly what is in it and it’s definitely gluten free. You can make taco seasoning and pop it in the pantry for when you next need it.

30. Sweet Chilli Sauce

We love sweet chilli sauce for it’s versatility. Here is the recipe for homemade sweet chilli sauce. While we are talking recipes, here is a delicious one for a cream cheese, red onion, avocado and sweet chilli dip. It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

31. Pesto

When I au paired for a family in England, Tuesday was pasta pesto night. They needed a simple meal for a busy weeknight, one that was quick, cheap and that everyone ate. I’ve adopted this for my family too and our boys adore it. Here’s one recipe for homemade pesto.

32. Hommus

Both nutritious and delicious, hommus is a great staple to have on hand in the fridge. My toddler loves dipping all sorts of foods into hommus. One of the recipes can be found here.

33. Icecream

We all love icecream. Shop bought can get expensive, especially these days. There are many different flavours and varieties you can make in the Thermomix. Here’s a recipe for honey icecream.

34. Butter

I’m sure you’ve noticed that the price of butter has gone up exuberant amounts in recent times. It stings at the checkout. If you’re able to source cream at a cheap price, you can make your own delicious butter in the Thermomix.

35. Laundry Powder

Although not edible, making laundry powder from scratch is far more economical than buying it. Serina Bird writes about frugal living on her blog, The Joyful Frugalista. There she gives a recipe for making laundry powder. The soap can be cut using the Thermomix and the other ingredients mixed together. Just make sure to wash the bowl out well when you’re finished – no one wants soapy flavoured muffins!

Start with small swaps

There are hundreds of swaps that you can make from shop bought to home made. I’m starting small with a few switches here and there, gradually building as I grow in confidence and become more comfortable using our Thermomix. It’s been a really good purchase for us and I honestly tell everyone about it.

Having a Thermomix in the kitchen is one way of saving money. Thermomix have put together a comprehensive savings guide and a savings calculator to help you decide if buying one is right for you. If you are interested in buying one but not sure if you can afford it, here are some tips.

It can be helpful to follow some Thermomix consultants to see what they are cooking, learn some tips and tricks and find out about special offers and discounts. Most have social media pages and would love the chance to grow their audience. I encourage you to find some of the smaller pages as they post quality content and are often more grateful for followers. Here is a list of consultants organised by region for you to choose from.

If you do decide to buy, it costs no extra to purchase through a consultant. It simply means that you have access to personalised help and advice whenever you need it and the commission will mean the world to one of them. Again, I’d recommend choosing someone with a small following to really make their day.

Keen to make a purchase? I now have a referral link. I am still not affiliated with or sponsored by Thermomix. Anyone can apply for a link (even you!). It simply means that I receive a $50 voucher for the Mix Shop in return for spreading the word. This would be a lovely bonus for our family (but not expected by any means).

You can still add the name of a consultant listed above to support them too, without it costing you any extra.

I’d love to connect with you over on Instagram or Facebook. Come and say hi!

Melanie Wegener

(I am not affiliated with or sponsored by Thermomix. I have been asked to partner with Thermomix in exchange for some goodies from the Mix Shop and while I admit this was tempting, it just didn’t feel right. It’s hard to trust what someone says if they have been gifted a product. I want to remain impartial in my opinion and want to be a trustworthy review. If I am not gaining anything from writing this, then I hope that readers will be able to form their own opinions and not be swayed or pressured into making a decision.)