A few years ago I was lucky enough to trial a machine and I was converted.

Imagine a kitchen appliance that weighed, chopped and cooked your food all in one.

This is the beauty of cooking the thermo way. Once you understand your thermo appliance, cooking your favourite meals will be easier than ever.

A thermo means less appliances taking up space on your benchtop and minimal washing up to do. Plus, you'll be creating delicious family meals in half the time, meaning more time to spend with your family. Love your thermo? Easy!

Recipes from Thermo Love: 70+ recipes for all brands of thermo appliances, Australian Women's Weekly. $39.99.

Ingredients

100g parmesan, cut into 1.5cm cubes

1 medium white onion, halved

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

25g butter

1 2/3 cups arborio rice

1/3 cup white wine

2 tsp vegetable stock powder

6 large leaves cavolo nero, stalks removed, leaves shredded (see tip)

500g frozen broad beans, thawed, peeled

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

Method

1. Place parmesan in mixing bowl; grate for 8 sec/speed 9. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

2. Place onion and garlic in mixing bowl; chop for 3 sec/speed 7. Scrape down the side of bowl. Add oil and butter; cook for 2 min/100C/speed 1 without measuring cup inserted into lid.

3. Insert butterfly whisk. Add rice and wine to mixing bowl; cook for 2 min/100C/reverse/stir mode without measuring cup inserted. Add 4 cups water and stock powder; cook for 15min/100C/reverse/stir mode or until rice is al dente.

4. Place the cavolo nero in the bottom of a large serving bowl and pour in the risotto; cover and leave for 3 minutes. Add broad beans and half the parmesan, then season; stir gently and set aside for 2 minutes.

5. Scatter with remaining parmesan and mint to serve.

Tip: Cavolo nero is also sold as tuscan cabbage.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2kg American-style pork ribs, cut into individual ribs

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

250g choy sum, trimmed, cut into 7cm lengths

Sauce:

2 cloves garlic

50g fresh ginger, chopped

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 green onions, sliced thinly

4 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

Method

1. Make the sauce. Place garlic and ginger in mixing bowl; chop for 5 sec/speed 5 or until finely chopped. Add honey, soy sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, green onion, star anise and cinnamon sticks; combine using spatula. Cook for 3 min/steam mode/reverse/speed 1 or until almost boiling. Cook a further 5 min/90C/reverse/speed 1, without measuring cup inserted into lid, or until fragrant. Pour into a small bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until sauce cools and thickens slightly.

2. Meanwhile, divide ribs among lightly oiled steaming tray and steaming dish. Stack tray on top of dish, cover and set aside.

3. Fill mixing bowl with 4 cups cold water; insert simmering basket and weigh rice. Remove simmering basket and rinse rice under cold running water. Return simmering basket to mixing bowl. Position steaming dish and tray over mixing bowl; steam for 30 min/steam mode/speed 2 or until rice is cooked. Transfer cooked rice to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm. Stir ribs to rotate; cook a further 30 min/steam mode/speed 2 or until tender. Transfer ribs to a large bowl.

4. Preheat grill to high. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce for serving. Pour remaining sauce over ribs and stir to coat. Arrange ribs on two foil-lined oven trays; grill for 12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, or until sticky and dark.

5. Meanwhile, top up mixing bowl with hot water to make 2 cups, if necessary. Place choy sum in steaming dish. Position covered steaming dish over mixing bowl; cook for 5 min/steam mode/speed 1 or until choy sum is just tender.

6. Arrange ribs on a platter; spoon over reserved sauce. Serve with steamed rice, choy sum and fresh sliced red chilli in soy sauce, if you like.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, quartered

3/4 cup fresh dill sprigs

200g minced beef

200g minced pork

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg

2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 whole nutmeg, grated finely

1 quantity mashed potato

1/4 cup bottled horseradish

2 tbsp olive oil

lemon wedges, to serve

Gravy:

1 1/2 cups beef stock

30g unsalted butter

2 1/2 tbsp plain flour

1/3 cup pouring cream

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Method

1. To make the meatballs, place onion and 1/2 cup of the dill sprigs in mixing bowl; chop for 5 sec/speed 8 or until finely chopped. Scrape down the side of bowl. Add beef, pork, breadcrumbs, egg, allspice and nutmeg, then season well; mix for 20 sec/reverse/speed 4 or until well combined. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on a tray; cover and refrigerate until needed.

2. Make the mashed potato; add horseradish and stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

3. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat; cook meatballs, turning, for 5 minutes until browned all over. Transfer to steaming tray and dish. Stack tray on top of dish, cover and set aside.

4. Clean mixing bowl, then fill with 4 cups water; heat for 10 min/steam mode/speed 2. Once boiling, position steaming dish and tray over mixing bowl; cook for 20 min/steam mode/speed 2 or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove steaming dish and tray; keep warm while you make the gravy.

5. Make the gravy. Clean mixing bowl. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl; cook for 8 min/90C/speed 4 or until hot and thickened. Season to taste.

6. Serve meatballs on mash, drizzled with gravy and scattered with remaining dill, with lemon wedges to the side.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

3/4 cup roasted unsalted shelled pistachios, plus extra coarsely chopped to serve

200g plain sweet biscuits, such as granita

80g butter, melted

3/4 cup raw sugar

200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

500g cream cheese, chopped

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

125g fresh raspberries

Method

1. Line the base and side of a 6.5cm deep, 19cm springform cake pan with baking paper. Place pistachios in mixing bowl; chop for 4 sec/speed 8. Add biscuits; chop for 5 sec/speed 6 or until fine crumbs. Add butter; mix for 8 sec/reverse/speed 6 or until ingredients clump together. Tip mixture into prepared pan and press firmly over base and all the way up the side. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

2. Clean and dry mixing bowl. Place sugar in mixing bowl; grind for 8 sec/speed 9 or until a fine powder. Remove 1 tablespoon of ground sugar and reserve. Add chocolate and coffee to mixing bowl; chop for 8 sec/speed 9 or until finely ground. Cook for 2 min/70C/speed 3 or until melted and fudge like.

3. Add half the cream cheese to mixing bowl; cook for 1 min/50C/speed 4. Add remaining cream cheese; cook for 30 sec/50C/speed 5 or until well combined. Add eggs and 1/2 cup of the sour cream; mix for 30 sec/speed 5 or until smooth. Pour into chilled crust. Grease a large sheet of foil and cover pan, folding tightly underneath pan to secure.

4. Clean mixing bowl, then fill with 7 cups hot water. Place two small jar lids or small dipping bowl in steaming dish. Place cake pan on top. Position covered steaming dish over mixing bowl. Cook for 70 min/steam mode/speed 2 or until cheesecake is set with a slight wobble in the centre. Chill for 4 hours or overnight.

5. Release cheesecake from pan. Combine reserved sugar and remaining sour cream in a small bowl. Serve cheesecake topped with sour cream mixture, fresh raspberries and extra pistachios.

Serves 10.