Duel comparison: Vorwerk Thermomix TM6 vs Bosch Cookit

These two rival robots display some aesthetic similarities. The bowls are installed on an engine block covered with white plastic which gives way to a large touch screen.

However, the capacity of the two tanks differs: that of the Thermomix TM6 is 2.2 liters (enough to prepare a meal for 4 small eaters) when that of the Bosch reaches 3 liters. The Cookit therefore targets large families, up to 6 people. On the Thermomix, we find this large handle at the front of the bowl, much more practical than the two handles of the Cookit for emptying the contents into a serving dish.

The lid of the bowl is a criterion on which it is good to dwell, and for good reason. When you make a recipe, you have to handle it very regularly. Vorwerk relieves us of this maneuver by causing the lid to close automatically when cooking starts. It sounds like a gadget, but it’s actually very nice. At Bosch, the cover is more sophisticated and designed in three parts: there is the plastic cover that is installed on the bowl by performing a simple quarter turn, the upper plastic part which is detached from the cover and through which we will add ingredients when a preparation is in progress (also by performing a quarter turn), and finally the measuring cap which overhangs the whole.

The touch screens of these two robot cookers play a considerable role in the ease of use of these devices. Here, the touch screens are wide and offer good readability. Both interfaces serve guided cooking. Cookidoo, Vorwerk’s recipe catalog currently lists no less than 40,000 recipes (for an annual subscription of € 36) against 150 for Cookit (remember that Bosch has just joined the sector).

In both cases, the recipes are well detailed: one step, one action. The search can be done by type of dish or in alphabetical order on the Cookit, but it is more refined on the Thermomix TM6 since they can be classified by diet or be displayed via the search bar. And that is precisely what the Cookit lacks. To date, there is no search bar to search by ingredients or what is in the fridge. It is impossible to find the recipe for a pancake batter or floating islands without unrolling all the suggestions. It’s a shame and almost penalizing.

The interface of the two robot-cookers also provides access to common automatic programs: steam cooking, sous vide, boil, etc. At Vorwerk it is possible to make slow cooking or yoghurts via the fermentation program.

Like all robot cookers on the market, it is possible to use them in manual mode. In this, the user will be able to define the temperature, the rotation speed of the knives and the cooking time.

Tariff positioning requires, the two devices incorporate a scale accurate to the gram. That of the Thermomix TM6 is slightly more reliable than that of the Cookit on which you can choose the unit of measurement (in grams or in milliliters for water, milk and oil). In addition to the small differences in weighing that we noted during our tests – which do not jeopardize the recipes -, it is above all the the G the display (from 1 to 2 seconds) that caught our attention. This slight delay risks compromising a recipe if the sugar is poured too quickly into the vat. We must be vigilant on this point.

On the accessories side, Bosch is much more generous and delivers a whole range of utensils to make it more versatile than its competitor. In particular, it has a cutting disc that the Thermomix does not have for slicing, grating more or less finely or cutting into slices. The Cookit does come with a blender, but the TM6 uses its knives in reverse to mix without slicing. For the rest, the accessories are identical: an interior steam basket, an upper steam tray on several levels, a whisk (more sophisticated at Bosch) and a flexible spatula.