Berlin, February 2025. The German company Vorwerk, creator of the world's most famous kitchen robot, Thermomix, chose the Estrel Congress and Exhibition Center, the largest in Europe, to unveil the big secret it had been keeping for the past six years. It was done with great fanfare in front of hundreds of the company's sales agents from around the world and journalists who came to cover the news. The anticipation was high.
It has been six years since Vorwerk revolutionized kitchens worldwide with the launch of its Thermomix TM6, which allowed anyone to cook - from making bread dough to the most elaborate stew - without needing any culinary skills. During this time, the company that was founded in the German city of Wuppertal in 1883 has been developing, in absolute secrecy, its new kitchen robot, even more advanced and intelligent: the Thermomix TM7.
"Over the past six years, Thermomix TM6 has brought excitement and ease to cooking in countless homes," celebrated amidst cheers and applause Thomas Stoffmehl, spokesperson for the executive board and sales director of Vorwerk. As announced, "TM7 is much more than a kitchen robot, it is an intelligent ecosystem that is constantly evolving."
With an investment of 170 million euros, the new model stands out for its completely black design and a 10-inch screen with artificial intelligence that can detect ingredients. Additionally, it offers 20 different functions that can replace up to 20 kitchen appliances. In short, they boast, it offers greater power, intelligence, sustainability, and a more attractive design to enhance the culinary experience. "In today's society, the lack of time for cooking has led many to opt for fast food, pre-cooked meals, or delivery," says Stoffmehl. Faced with this new trend, Thermomix aims to position itself as the solution, as it "not only saves cooking time but also allows for easy preparation of high-quality recipes, and even reduces food waste."
Vorwerk, which was a carpet business until 1961, launched its first kitchen robot that same year, which functioned solely as a vertical mixer but was a milestone. A decade later, in 1971, in its VM2000 model, it also incorporated the option of hot blending, which has become one of the machine's standout features. Gradually, the company would add new functionalities: electronic control of blending speed, integrated scale, a screen - which over the years would become touch-sensitive - internet connection with the Cookidoo recipe system... "The brand reaffirms its leadership in the market and continues to revolutionize domestic cooking with cutting-edge technological advances," says Stoffmehl, which is also reflected in its global revenue figures, which in the last year recorded sales exceeding 1.7 billion euros, a figure similar to previous years. This good performance was achieved despite the sales declines the company experienced in some markets like Spain, its second most important market after Germany. In our country, sales dropped by 3.4% in the last year.
There are several factors that explain this decline in sales. On the one hand, the longevity of their early models, which were designed to last... and have such a long lifespan that decades later, they still work perfectly and do not need replacement. On the other hand, the well-known patent conflict. In 2019, Vorwerk sued the supermarket chain Lidl for patent infringement. What happened was that the German food group began selling its Silvercrest MonsierCuisine Connect kitchen robot, a model that shared some features with the TM6 and which the Thermomix owner considered a plagiarism. Additionally, Lidl's machine was much cheaper than Vorwerk's, leading many consumers to opt for that option.
1,549 euros that the new Thermomix costs.
Finally, it is worth noting that in recent years another device has emerged in kitchens that has been gaining popularity and could have displaced the traditional kitchen robot: air fryers.
"We are a direct sales company, we can be closer to our community than any other high-quality appliance manufacturer," states Vorwerk. "The wealth provided by the experience and suggestions of our community puts us in a position to continuously develop our products according to the needs and desires of society." "Each new feature has been designed to meet their needs," and ensures that "by listening to them, we have created a device that not only meets expectations but exceeds them."
Vorwerk is a leader in direct sales of high-end appliances, not only kitchen robots: they also manufacture the Kobold vacuum cleaner range. Their products are not sold in conventional stores or large retailers, but through their sales agents, who provide personalized demonstrations to show how they work and manage the purchase directly with the customer. The company has over 116,000 sales agents worldwide. They, along with their customers and employees, "shape our community," says Stoffmehl. A community that also interacts through the online platform developed by the company, Cookidoo, where they can share recipes - it currently has over 100,000 recipes -, write reviews, and even suggest new dishes.