"Using this machine is like playing Russian Roulette:" Yvonne Skarbek with her Vorwerk Thermomix TM31 at home on Sydney's upper north shore. Credit:Kate Geraghty Thermomix distributed information about faulty sealing rings on the TM31 in late 2014, advising that in a small number of appliances they could cause "hot contents [to] splash out of the mixing bowl". The sealing ring was then recalled and the company issued new green sealing rings to replace the original grey sealing ring, with an additional warning to replace it every two years. But after months of using a replacement ring, Dr Skarbek has declared the part is "defective". "My green ring was not sealing from the start and [continued to] fall out. That makes me believe it could fly off at high speed."

Burns suffered by Danika Jones in Perth after a her Thermomix allegedly burst open when in use in March this year. "After I heard about the incidents in Perth and Adelaide, I thought, 'It's going to happen again'. So I called Thermomix and asked for a refund or an upgrade to the electronic closing lid. She suggested as a remedy I could sell it on eBay." Consumers who have suffered burns or injuries while using a Thermomix kitchen device are being asked to report their experience to consumer group CHOICE so it can contribute to "Australia's first mass incident report" to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Consumers have complained about replacement parts for the Thermomix TM31, which they say are still faulty. Credit:Getty "From severe burns and claims of hospitalisation through to near-misses such as hot liquid exploding from the Thermomix but not harming anyone, we want to hear from anyone," said CHOICE spokesman Tom Godfrey.

"We've already heard from a number of Thermomix owners who say they have been injured...and we think the issue deserves further attention." Complaints like Dr Skarbek's will be reviewed by CHOICE and included in the report to the ACCC, which will call for a further investigation. "We are doing this because standing together can be more powerful than standing alone against a company that allegedly has tried to silence consumers through the use of non-disclosure agreements," Mr Godfrey said. He pointed to one customer who said the company had tried to pressure her into signing a confidentiality agreement in exchange for a refund for a failing device. A spokesman for Thermomix said confidentiality agreements aimed to legally protect all parties involved.

"It is standard practice for all parties to a commercial legal dispute to sign a confidentiality agreement about the terms of settlement at the time when parties agree to settle the dispute." He said the company was concerned by allegations about injuries sustained, adding that they were "working...to determine the details of the incidents". "It is important to note that these are a very few, isolated incidents and that the majority of our 300,000 Australian customers are very satisfied with their appliances." Dr Skarbek said she was still waiting for a resolution on her refund claim, and felt "absolutely ripped off and deceived". As a doctor, she said it was concerning that the company had not done more remind and inform customers of the safety risks and requirements of the device."The sales representatives know everyone they've sold it to. [After purchase] they continue to communicate with you, continue to send emails. There are plenty of opportunities to remind customers," Dr Skarbek said.

"I wouldn't be wasting my money on it again. [It] feels like using this machine is like playing Russian Roulette."