Large volume, affordable, and no subscription costs.

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Integrated scales and remote connectivity.

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Multiple blade attachments and a range of bowl sizes.

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Tefal, Thermomix and Magimix are three of the most popular thermal cooker brands in Australia, thanks to their innovation, quality, and versatility. Each of these brands started in Europe and their thermal cookers continue to be manufactured in both France and Germany.

Trying to decide between these three multifunction cookers? Read on as we break down the key things you should keep in mind when choosing and answer some commonly asked questions.

Bowl Capacity

Winner: Tefal

• Tefal: The i-Companion XL offers the largest capacity of the three thermal cookers. It has a 4.5L (3L useful capacity) stainless steel bowl, which is large enough to make food for up to 10 people.
• Thermomix: The TM6 comes with a 2.2L bowl, the smaller size and narrower shape are well suited for preparing food for fewer people and for tasks such as milling.
• Magimix: Rather than just one bowl, the Cook Expert comes with four. This includes a 3.6L insulated metal bowl and 3 multifunctional food processor bowls (1.2L, 2.6L, 3.5L).

Blades

Winner: Magimix

Despite being similar machines, the blades for each are quite different:

• Tefal: The i-Companion comes with 2 blades. One is a sharp cutting knife and the second is a serrated knife for crushing and kneading.
• Thermomix: This has one stainless steel blade. The blades are sharp on one edge and blunt on the other, this is so the food can be mixed gently by using the reverse stir function. The blade has a sharper, finer shape compared to the Magimix blade, this makes it great for fine chopping and milling.
• Magimix: The Cook Expert comes with two stainless steel Sabatier blades and two Sabatier discs for slicing and grating. The blade attachment locks into place with a metal locking ring, a more durable option than the plastic seen on the TM6. The blade is able to rotate backward for gentle stirring and you can also use the Magimix without any blades at all.

Scales

Winner: Thermomix

Tefal: The iCompanion comes with an external scale with a weight limit of 5kg.

Thermomix: This is the only one of the three kitchen appliances that comes with integrated kitchen scales. These scales have a 6kg limit and have been improved to be more accurate (accurate within 1g up to 3kg). The scale can also show negative values for when you need to carefully extract ingredients from the bowl.

Magimix: The largest scale weight limit of the three cookers is Magimix’s external scale. This has a 10kg limit and offers a 2g accuracy.

Some older reviews state the TM6’s internal scale can be inaccurate but with the recent upgrades, the internal scale is now more accurate as well as being extremely practical. As long as you are careful not to pull or knock the machine/ cord while measuring the internal scale works well.

Lids

Winner: Magimix

Interestingly, each of these cookers comes with different lid materials and designs.

Tefal: The iCompanion comes with a steel security lid that has an auto-lock feature. The cooking appliance can also be used to cook without lid when browning food. Although the lid is steel, it does have a glass window so you can see the food inside without removing the lid.

Thermomix: The TM6 lid is plastic and opaque meaning you can’t peek in and check on your dish without removing the lid. The locking mechanism is a bit more complex too as the lid is secured by the side arms. This means you can only unlock it by turning the dial to zero and waiting for the mechanism to unlock.

Magimix: The Magimix Cook Expert has a shatterproof glass lid. Not only can you see through this but for ease of use, it also has a small plastic cap so you can add extra ingredients while cooking. The machine won’t start until the lid is secured but you can easily take it off to check or stir your food without needing to stop the program. When you resecure the lid, the program will automatically continue.

Accessories

Winner: Tie

The accessories are a huge part of the thermal cookers’ ability to replace multiple cooking appliances in your kitchen. There is little difference in the accessories that come with these machines:

Tefal: The iCompanion comes with a whisk, mixer, steam basket, flat base attachment, kitchen scale, and Ultrablade knife.

Thermomix: This comes with a Varoma steaming attachment, measuring cup, simmering basket with lid, splash guard, butterfly whisk, spatula, blade, blade cover.

Magimix: The Cook Expert comes with a steamer basket, egg whisk, silicone spatula, spatula, digital scales, 2 blades, 2 discs, storage box for discs.

Cooking Functions

Winner: Thermomix

Each of these machines offers a wide range of functions making them excellent for making everything from bread dough/ pizza dough to slow cooking or making desserts.

Tefal: Pulse, high speed/ turbo, sear, knead, crush, beat, mix, steam, manual. The i-Companion offers a temperature range of 30 – 150°C.

Thermomix: Mix, blend, grate, chop, crush, steam cook, emulsify, stir, simmer, whisk, mince, knead, rinse, sous vide, manual. The TM6 offers a temperature range of 37 – 160°C.

Magimix: slice, grate, chop, mix, blend, steam cook, simmer, whisk, knead, rinse, manual, keep warm. The Magimix offers the broadest temperature range of 30 – 160°C.

Guided Cooking

Winner: Thermomix

The guided cooking feature is one of the unique aspects of thermal cookers.

Tefal: You can choose a recipe on the app and connect your phone to the appliance via Bluetooth. The i-Companion automatically sets the cooking parameters and then you can follow the step-by-step recipe instructions on the app.

Thermomix: This is the only model with an internal recipe system that can be accessed on the control panel. Select the recipe and then follow the step-by-step instructions as they appear on the screen. A November 2021 update means you can now save personalized recipes on Cookidoo for interactive manual cooking too.

Magimix: The Cook Expert does not have any internal recipes but the machine comes with a recipe book with 300 recipes so users have a good starting point when using the machine for the first time. There is also a free app with recipe demos but no guided cooking as such.

RELATED: Best Multi Cooker

Cleaning

Winner: Thermomix

Being easy to clean is essential, and fortunately, each of these appliances has dishwasher-safe parts. However, one downside to the Magimix Cook Expert is that the bowl handle collects water in the dishwasher so it will need to be tipped out and dried before use.

The TM6 and the Cook Expert both also have a cleaning function to help make them as easy to use as possible.

Recipes and Auto Programs

Winner: Thermomix (Recipes), Magimix (Auto Programs)

No matter which of the three you choose, there is no shortage of meals and new one-pot recipes available thanks to the large online communities that offer endless recipes and ideas for each of these multifunction cookers.

Tefal: Comes with a 300+ recipe book and there are additional recipes available on the Companion app. The auto programs include; 2 soup programs, 3 pastry programs, 3 slow cook programs, and 2 steam programs.

Thermomix: The TM6 comes with a 200+ recipe book and uses an internal recipe system called Cookidoo (a 6-month subscription to Cookidoo comes with the TM6 and then it requires a paid subscription to access these additional features). Automated programs include; dough kneading, kettle, fermentation, sugar work/ caramel, egg boiler, rice cooker.

Magimix: Comes with a hardback book of 300+ recipes and there is a free Cook Expert app. No internal recipes are available. Automated programs include; pureed soup, creamed soup, steam, simmer, crush, whisk, pastry/cake, bread/brioche, frozen dessert, and smoothie.

Remote Connectivity

Winner: Thermomix

Smart features can make the cooker even more intuitive to use and can let you keep track of your cooking while away from the kitchen.

Tefal: The i-Companion XL has Bluetooth connectivity with the ability to connect with up to 10 devices. This remote connectivity means the cooking parameters of recipes are automatically transmitted from the app to the cooker.

Thermomix: This model has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, this is one of the biggest advancements seen between the TM6 and previous models. Once the TM6 is connected you can access the meals on the Cookidoo platform as well as software updates.

Magimix: No remote connectivity options.

Tefal I-Companion Vs Thermomix Vs Magimix Comparison Table

Making your Selection

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As you can see, each of these popular thermal cookers has a huge amount to offer. It’s difficult to crown one as the winner as they each have their own strengths that appeal to different needs in the kitchen.

The Thermomix TM6 came out on top in most of our comparison points. It’s an excellent choice for everyone from beginners to those who love spending time in the kitchen. The TM6 offers the unique benefit of integrated scales, remote connectivity, an internal recipe system, and a large range of cooking functions. One potential downside is that Cookidoo is a paid subscription service, although the TM6 can be used without it some recipes and features won’t be available.

The Magimix offers the benefit of multiple blade attachments, a range of bowl sizes, and a more user-friendly lid. It’s a particularly good choice if you are looking for a machine with multiple functions including slicing, grating, and chopping.

The Tefal i-Companion XL is an excellent choice for those looking for a large multifunctional cooking food processor that is slightly more affordable and doesn’t have any ongoing subscription costs. The i-Companion XL has the unique benefit of the flat base attachment and a searing function for browning without the lid. Click here to read user reviews for the Tefal i-Companion at The Good Guys.

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