Can this great value multicooker really make cooking easier, without compromising on flavour?
As the senior food editor at Better Homes and Gardens, I do a lot of cooking! So I was excited to put the Optimum Thermocook Pro M 3.0 (10-inch display) through its paces. The appliance was recently named a finalist in our Appliance Awards in the good value category, but what exactly can it do?
Can this all-in-one kitchen machine handle three very different recipes? I tried a silky lemon curd, fragrant Thai green curry and a refreshing berry and mango sorbet. Here’s how it performed.
Thermocook Pro M 3.0 review verdict
- Our rating: 8 out of 10
- Why we rated it a (8/10): If you’re looking to invest in a multifunction kitchen appliance to combine cooking and food preparation tasks in one machine, the Thermocook Pro M 3.0 is a great value, smart option that looks sleek and is powerful too.
Pros
- Intuitive touchscreen design with clear instructions
- 2400W power
- Free access to recipe library
- Overload/overheat protection
- High temperature warning
- Large, family-sized 3L bowl
Cons
- The suction caps are very good at their job, meaning the machine was a little tricky to move around on the bench.
What does the Thermocook Pro M 3.0 look like?
My first impression of the unit is that it looks very sleek. Four suction caps on the base of the unit mean your machine will stay put on your bench and not slip around. Turning the machine on for the first time, it prompts you to add your wi-fi details, and for me, I was then prompted to complete a system update, which took about 15 minutes.
I was using the machine with the 10-inch screen (it also comes in a 7-inch), which felt generous in size and easy and responsive to swipe through. I found it quite intuitive to navigate back and forth as a first-time user. Once you’re all set up, it prompts you to sign up as a member, but you can skip this part if you want to.
You can choose to manually use the machine (adding in your own speed/timing/style of cooking details) or search the built-in recipe collection. The best part is, access to the recipe library is free. After searching the library of recipes and picking the recipes I was going to make, I clicked the heart icon on each recipe, which added them to my favourites so I could easily find them later.
What is included in the Thermocook Pro M 3.0?
Short answer: lots! The 10-inch base with integrated scale, stainless-steel bowl for blending and cooking, small steaming basket, shallow steaming basket, large steaming basket, stainless steel blade, butterfly whisk and stirring attachment, spatula, built-in library with 1200+ recipes (with regular updates), food processor lid and pusher and slicer/shredder plate.
Get the Optimum Thermocook for a discounted price
Want to try out the Thermocook yourself? BHG has an exclusive discount code for this amazing multicooker – you can get $200 off!
Head to our promo codes page to access your discount.
How I tested the Thermocook Pro M 3.0
I wanted to test a wide range of functions of this machine. It has so many different capabilities, so I looked at recipes that used different aspects of the machine.
Test 1: Homemade lemon curd
Anyone who likes cooking knows that making a curd can be frustrating as there is a lot of variables. Keeping the temperature juuuuuust right, while stirring enough and knowing when is just thick enough, and not turning the whole thing into lemon-flavoured scrambled eggs!
Using the supplied recipe in the library made the process super easy, and I had a lovely little jar of zingy lemon curd ready in under 15 minutes, no stirring or stressing about the temperature needed.
Test 2: Thai green chicken curry
I wanted to create a main meal with a few elements that would otherwise require multiple appliances. I chose the Thai green chicken curry from the Thermocook recipe collection. It involved blending the paste from scratch, sautéing and simmering.
Following one of the pre-loaded recipes, I blended up my cashews first (to then add into the curry later) and then blitzed up my spice paste, with green chilli, lemongrass and all of the lovely aromatics. The step-by-step guide made the process a breeze, from sautéing the paste to then simmering and stirring all on its own. Then voila! The curry was ready. I took off the lid and could immediately smell how fragrant the mixture was.
Dishing it up into bowls, I was impressed at how well everything had cooked. The capsicum still had a nice little bite to it, and the chicken was perfectly cooked and not dry. The curry sauce itself had so much flavour, I was so impressed and immediately ate an entire bowl standing at my bench in the BHG test kitchen. I sent a pic to our digital editor Tahni, offering her a taste-test for lunch, and her immediate reply was “OMG that looks so yum!”
Test 3: Berry and mango sorbet
Finally, since we are coming into summer, I couldn’t resist trying a quick mix sorbet. I found a recipe called “Fruit Blitz Frozen delight” that used frozen fruit (I used berries and mango), a little sugar and an egg white. I did a quick blitz of the sugar, then in went the frozen fruit to pulse up.
Then I switched the attachment to the whisk, adding in an egg white and in under five minutes, I had a super creamy, fruity sorbet ready to go.
The verdict: Is the Thermocook Pro M 3.0 worth it?
I was really impressed by the machine, and I think it would be an amazing addition to a home kitchen. If you’re new to this style of cooking, it does feel different to start with, but the machine is so clear with instructions that I never felt confused about where to go next.
I also found that the more I used it and learnt about the different options, the more I started thinking about new things I wanted to try in it (next stop – bread dough!). The machine felt good quality and well-made, plus I loved that lots of the parts were dishwasher-friendly to make cleanup as easy as cooking.
Where can I buy the Optimum Thermocook Pro M 3.0?
You can buy the Thermocook Pro M 3.0 from the Froothie website. It’s $1600 full price ($1400 for the 7-inch display) – incredible value for an all-rounder multicooker that could potentially take the place of several appliances in your kitchen
If you love the Optimum Thermocook Pro M 3.0, vote for it in the Better Homes and Gardens People’s Choice Appliance Awards for your chance to win an incredible appliance prize pack.
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