Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker review: “foolproof for complete beginner cooks"

Price on writing: £129 | Buy now from Amazon or Morphy Richards directly

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How I’ve tested the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker

I tested the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker at home, first on my own solidly for two hours during a product test - without the distraction of kids - and also with their help throughout the week for different recipes and drinks. 

I’ve never been a confident cook. I have a long history of burning things, undercooking others and generally losing faith halfway through a meal. I survived university on Super Noodles and, pre-kids, my default cooking method was “stick it in the oven and hope”.

The soup maker promises fresh soup in just 19 minutes

That attitude doesn’t work when you’re feeding two children and married to someone who actually enjoys food. So anything that promises healthier, home-cooked meals without needing skill, intuition or constant supervision immediately has my attention.

It’s probably a good time to mention here that this was also the very first time I’d ever made soup. So, if anything were to go wrong with my soup making, it would have been during this first test. For my first test, I deliberately chose a very basic carrot and coriander soup recipe with just five ingredients. I wanted to know whether this soup maker could cope with someone who follows instructions literally and doesn’t instinctively “know” when something looks or smells right.

The white appliance suits our kitchen aesthetic and doesn't look out of place

I prepped the vegetables, tipped everything into the jug (apart from the fresh coriander), selected the smooth soup programme and pressed start. Then I walked away and left it. No stirring, no checking, no panic hovering over the hob. I was able to get on with some work while it cooked.

The result? Perfectly smooth carrot and coriander soup that - shock - we’ve all enjoyed consuming since I made it. 

First impressions and design

Out of the box, the Total Control Soup Maker feels reassuringly solid without being bulky. It’s larger than Morphy Richards’ compact version, but still only slightly larger than a standard kettle, so it doesn’t dominate the worktop and sits nicely next to our kettle and air fryer. Plus, we’ve found it easy to store in our appliance cupboard when it’s not in use. 

The LED screen and programmes are very easy to navigate and use

The internal jug is stainless steel with a BPA-free polypropylene outer and the whole thing feels well made rather than plasticky. The LED display is clear and user-friendly, counting down how long your soup has left to cook, which I found oddly comforting given my usual kitchen anxiety.

Overall, it looks modern and practical rather than flashy - very much a “use me every week” appliance.

What’s in the box? 

• Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker base

• 1.6L removable stainless steel jug

• Lid with integrated blender

• Power cord and plug

• Instruction manual with recipes (including drinks and milkshakes)

The instruction manual includes helpful recipes to try to get you started

How many servings does the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker make?

With a 1.6L capacity, this soup maker is ideal for families in my opinion. Morphy Richards says it serves up to four people and from my testing, that feels accurate – I got enough for dinner plus leftovers without pushing the max fill line.

The devices' Smart Response Technology adjusts the cooking time based on the ingredients added

There are clear minimum and maximum markers inside the jug, which is helpful for avoiding mistakes. The handle is comfortable to hold and pouring was straightforward, with no scary sloshing or dripping down the sides.

For couples or solo users it might feel on the large side, but the portion control settings help reduce waste. That said, you might want to look at a smaller option, like the Morphy Richards Compact Soup Maker or the Tefal Easy Soup and Smoothie Maker.

Adding ingredients is very, very easy - just chuck them in

Programmes and cooking options explained

There are nine functions in total, which sounds intimidating but really isn’t in practice:

• Smooth soup – fully cooks and blends soups automatically (this has been our most used setting)

• Chunky soup – cooks without heavy blending

• Blend – manual blending only

• Drinks and smoothies – for cold recipes

• Sauces – gentler cooking and blending

• Reheat – warms soup without overcooking

• Keep warm – holds temperature until you’re ready

• Pre-clean – loosens residue before washing

The screen clearly shows how long is left until your soup is made

At this point, you're probably wondering why it's different to any other soup maker? The answer is: Smart Response Technology. This particular soup maker from Morphy Richards has been designed with an automatic timer that adjusts itself based on how much food you put in.

When you select how many portions you want to make (2, 3, or 4 servings), the soup maker automatically adjusts the cooking time based on the quantity of ingredients you've added. So you don't have to guess or manually set timers - the machine figures out how long it needs to cook to get your soup just right.

This particular feature is appreciated as it removes the guesswork for inexperienced cooks like me whose confidence is lacking in kitchen.

The Smart Response Technology is very appreciated by novices like me

How well does the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker make soup? 

This is the part I was most nervous about – and where the Total Control really impressed me. In fact, let it be said here: I owe my mum an apology (she’s been nagging me for years to get a soup maker). 

I followed a very basic carrot and coriander soup recipe using just carrots, onion, vegetable stock, ground coriander and fresh coriander added at the end. I threw everything in except the fresh herbs, selected the smooth programme and pressed start.

I chose a simple carrot and coriander soup to get me started

The soup maker took around 19 minutes, during which it steamed, cooked and blended automatically. It gives clear beeps before each blend, which I appreciated, as the blending itself is quite noisy - think baby food processor levels of volume. On the smooth setting, it blended several times: once after cooking, then again at intervals to refine the texture.

When it finished, it beeped enthusiastically (at least ten times) to let me know the cycle was complete.

Let's just say, I was shocked to find it had gone smoothly (pun intended)

The result? A genuinely smooth, evenly cooked soup with no raw bits, no burning and no supervision required. For someone with very little cooking confidence, that felt like a miracle.

The keep-warm function also worked brilliantly. I made soup in the morning and it was still warm at lunchtime and the reheat function made it easy to warm leftovers for my kids the next day – one of whom requested carrot soup for breakfast (I picked my battles).

The kids even enjoyed the soup! Win, win

Is the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker easy to clean?

I went into cleaning with low expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. The pre-clean function does a good job of loosening residue and the inner jug is removable, which makes rinsing and washing much easier. After carrot soup, everything cleaned up quickly with minimal scrubbing.

The main drawback is that the blender is attached to the lid, so you can’t just throw it in the dishwasher. You need to carefully rinse or wipe it down, which isn’t difficult but does require a bit of attention. To remove the inner jug, you just need to press the red button on the handle and it pops out.

Overall, cleaning took far less time than I expected and didn’t put me off using it again and again.

Simply press the red button to pop out the inner jug for cleaning

A shame you can't chuck them in the dishwasher for cleaning, but a very small price to pay IMO

Who is this soup maker for?

In my opinion, the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker is ideal for:

• Beginner or nervous cooks

• Families wanting healthier, home-made meals

• Busy parents who want “set it and forget it” cooking

• Anyone trying to batch cook soups, sauces or drinks

If you love hands-on cooking and tweaking recipes manually, you might find it a bit automated. But if convenience and reliability matter more, it’s spot on.

Is the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker worth the price tag? 

At around £130, this isn’t the cheapest soup maker on the market, but the size, versatility and genuinely foolproof results make it good value in my view. The fact it can also handle smoothies, sauces and drinks adds to its usefulness and the extra warranty with registration is reassuring for a frequently used appliance.

Is it the right one for you? Total Control vs Compact vs Ninja 

Feed two? Need a smaller version? Try out the Compact Soup Maker instead

Verdict: should you buy the Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker?

If someone with my cooking track record can make a smooth, tasty soup on the first go, I think that says it all.

The Morphy Richards Total Control Soup Maker has earned a permanent place in our kitchen. It’s easy, reliable, family-friendly and genuinely confidence-boosting. It won’t turn you into a chef, but it will help you put healthy, home-made meals on the table with minimal stress.

Five stars from me - and that’s from someone who never thought she’d say that about a soup maker.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. A former editor of LJMU’s Looprevil Press, she cut her teeth in journalism in 2010, earned a post‑grad diploma in Journalism and later led editorial at ExpatWoman in Dubai before joining Mumsnet. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

All prices are correct at time of publication.

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