Thermomix Varoma: The Two-Level Steamer in Every TM7 Box

The Short Answer

The Varoma is the steaming attachment that ships in the box with every Thermomix TM7 sold in Canada. It sits on top of the mixing bowl, captures the steam the TM7 generates by heating water in the bowl below, and cooks food on two stacked levels at the same time. The deep dish holds larger items (potatoes, sausages, chicken thighs, dumplings). The flat tray on top of it holds delicate items (fish, fillets, eggs, leafy greens). And while the Varoma is steaming, the bowl underneath can simultaneously cook a sauce, a rice, a couscous, or a soup. One bowl, three things, one timer.

This is the accessory that defines what "multi-level cooking" means for Thermomix owners. It is also the reason most Canadian TM7 buyers describe their first month with the machine as "I keep finding things I can cook in one pot."

What the Varoma Actually Is

The Varoma is a three-piece molded plastic assembly designed to fit precisely onto the rim of the TM7 bowl:

1. The base dish. A deep tray with a perforated bottom. Holds larger items and lets the steam pass through. The full Varoma set has a total capacity of 6.8 L, about 45% more usable steaming volume than the TM6 Varoma.
2. The flat tray (insert). A shallower second level that sits inside the dish. Used for items that need less time or want to stay out of any drips.
3. The lid. Snaps on top of the dish. Has a small vent that controls steam release.

The whole assembly is BPA-free, heat-rated for cooking temperatures, and dishwasher-safe. There are no separate heating elements, no thermostats, no electronics. The TM7 generates the steam by heating water in the mixing bowl below, and the Varoma simply captures and contains it.

How Two-Level Steaming Works

This is the workflow most new TM7 owners learn in their first week:

1. Put roughly 500 mL of water into the mixing bowl (Cookidoo recipes spell out the exact amount per step), plus whatever you want to cook in the bowl itself (a sauce base, a rice and broth, a couscous and water, a soup).
2. Stack the Varoma on the bowl rim. Put the larger or denser items in the dish.
3. Put the delicate or quick-cooking items on the tray that sits inside the dish.
4. Lid on. Tap the steam mode on the touchscreen and set the time.
5. The TM7 brings the bowl water to a boil, generates steam, and pushes it up through the Varoma. The dish gets the hottest, wettest steam first. The tray on top gets slightly cooler, slightly drier steam. The bowl below cooks the third component in liquid heat.

Three components, one device, one timer. The Cookidoo recipe library has hundreds of "complete meal" recipes built around this stack.

What You Can Cook in the Varoma

A short, far-from-complete list of what Canadian TM7 owners use the Varoma for:

• Salmon, cod, halibut, trout. On the tray, 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Lemon, dill, a little salt.
• Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus. In the dish, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Potatoes (whole baby or chunks). In the dish, 20 to 30 minutes depending on size.
• Dumplings (pierogi, gyoza, Chinese baozi, manti). In the dish lined with parchment, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Eggs (whole in the shell, soft to hard). On the tray, 8 to 12 minutes for a target consistency.
• Chicken thighs, drumsticks, breast pieces. In the dish, 25 to 35 minutes, internal temperature confirmed with the Thermomix Sensor if you have it.
• Sausages. In the dish, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Couscous, quinoa, bulgur (in the bowl below) while a protein steams above. One-pot complete meal.
• Bread rolls and brioche, for proofing. Low-temperature steam mode, lid slightly off, controlled humidity. Used by Canadian owners to proof dough in winter when the kitchen is cold.

The full Cookidoo Canadian library has recipes for each of these and a few hundred more.

How the Varoma Differs From a Standalone Steamer

A standalone electric steamer (Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Oster) has its own water reservoir, its own heating element, and its own timer. It is a single-purpose device that sits in a cabinet most of the year.

The Varoma is different in three ways:

1. It uses the TM7's water and heat. No extra reservoir, no extra cord, no extra device on the counter. The steam comes from the same water the TM7 is already heating to cook the recipe in the bowl below.
2. It is multi-component. A standalone steamer only steams. The Varoma stack lets you cook three things at once: dish, tray, and bowl below.
3. It runs on the Cookidoo recipe flow. Cookidoo recipes that use the Varoma adjust time, water amount, and bowl temperature automatically. You don't read a steamer manual and guess.

The trade-off: the Varoma's capacity is sized to the TM7 bowl, so it is not the right tool if you need to steam, for example, six lobsters at once. For everyday family-sized cooking (4 to 6 people), it is the better tool.

Cleaning and Dishwasher Care

All three pieces of the Varoma (dish, tray, lid) are dishwasher-safe on the top rack. Some practical notes from Canadian owners:

• Pre-rinse for fish and dumplings. A quick warm-water rinse before the dishwasher cycle keeps oily residues from baking on.
• Use parchment for sticky items. A parchment liner in the dish makes dumplings and proofed dough lift out cleanly and saves a wash step.
• The lid vent collects mineral deposits in hard-water areas. A monthly soak in a 1:1 white-vinegar-and-water solution clears it. Canadian cities with harder water (parts of Calgary, Edmonton, southern Ontario) notice this earlier than coastal regions.
• Avoid abrasive scrubbers. The interior of the dish is smooth molded plastic. A non-abrasive sponge keeps the surface clean without scratching.

How to Get One

You already do, if you own a TM7. The Varoma ships in every TM7 box at no extra cost. If you've lost or damaged a Varoma piece (it happens), replacement parts are ordered through your Vorwerk consultant. Current Canadian prices: Varoma Bowl $29 CAD, Varoma Tray $25 CAD, Varoma Lid $25 CAD.

If you don't own a TM7 yet, shop through my consultant link and Vorwerk waives the $75 TM7 shipping fee automatically. The Varoma is in the box. The simmering basket, the butterfly whisk, and the spatula are in the box. The only accessories you might add to your first order are the Thermomix Sensor for sous-vide and roasts, or a second mixing bowl for back-to-back recipes. The full breakdown is on the Thermomix accessories page.