Salter Digital Soup Maker review: “a no-frills, affordable soup maker”

RRP at time of testing: £50 | Check price at Amazon, Argos or Salter directly

My verdict

This is a classic budget soup maker. It doesn’t try to be clever and, for the most part, it works. You won’t get the same level of control or polish as more expensive models featured in our best soup makers guide - like the Morphy Richards Total Control - but if your main aim is to throw in some veg and have lunch ready half an hour later, it does exactly that. 

There are a few niggles. Cleaning isn’t as easy as I’d like, and the beeping is… persistent. But for the price, it’s a fair trade-off. 

How I’ve tested the Salter Digital Soup Maker

Over two weeks, my family and I swapped out our Morphy Richards Total Control soup maker for the Salter. I’ve tested a fair few soup makers to feed our family of four, so I’ve got a good sense of what works and what quickly becomes annoying in day-to-day use. 

This Salter one has been used for regular lunches for DH and I and quick dinners for DC between school and afterschool clubs. Testing both smooth and chunky settings, we’ve thoroughly put it to the test. 

This out-of-the-box soup maker is so simple to open, setup and get cooking

Salter Digital Soup Maker: what’s in the box?

You get the soup maker unit with a stainless steel jug and lid connected, plus the usual instruction manual. Nothing fancy, but nothing missing either. 

Is the Salter Digital Soup Maker easy to set up? 

Yes. It’s essentially plug in and go and very similar in design and setup to the Morphy Richards Compact Soup Maker. There’s no complicated assembly, no apps, no pairing your phone with your soup. 

You’ll still need to chop your ingredients, so if that’s a sticking point, one of the best food processors can speed things up.

The downside to it being one unit is that you can't stick it in the dishwasher

Is the Salter Digital Soup Maker easy to use? 

Very. Add your ingredients, select your setting and leave it to run. 

There are five modes, but realistically most people will stick to smooth and chunky. The controls are straightforward and the digital panel is easy to navigate without second guessing yourself. The drinks setting works for basic smoothies, but if that’s your main goal, you’re better off with one of the best juicers.

One thing to note is the cooking time. Both smooth and chunky settings take around 25 minutes, which is longer than other models I’ve tested. Not a dealbreaker, but noticeable if you’re in a hurry. 

Another thing that might be a dealbreaker if certain textures give you the ick - even after cooking it with the smooth setting, there were some lumps of potato at the bottom of the maker. Whether this was because I hadn’t cut the potatoes to a small enough size remains to be seen, but it was a tad disappointing getting a chunk of spud in a spoonful on more than one occasion.

If texture is a dealbreaker for you, it’s worth looking at our guide to the best blenders, which give you much more control.

This soup maker comes with five settings to choose from

How many servings does the Salter Digital Soup Maker make?

With a 1.6L capacity, you’re looking at around three comfortable servings, possibly four if you’re serving it with a bread side or salad. We’ve found it more than enough for lunches for both DH and I and just right for family dinners. It’s not ideal, though, if you’re batch cooking for the week.

Is Salter’s Digital Soup Maker easy to clean?

This is where things get a bit less appealing for me. After one batch, I found burnt-on bits stuck to the bottom of the jug, which meant a proper scrub rather than a quick rinse. Because you can’t submerge the unit, you have to clean it carefully, which feels slightly fiddly when you’re just trying to tidy up after lunch. 

There is a blend/clean function that helps loosen residue, but it doesn’t replace a proper clean. And as always, anything that can’t go in the dishwasher loses points in my book. If you’d rather keep things simple, a pan and one of the best hand blenders is often easier to clean.

Before and after the chunky setting

Who is it most suited for? Who should avoid it? 

This will suit: 

• Small households

• Anyone wanting quick, low-effort meals

• Those on a tighter budget

• People short on time (or patience)

Less suited to:

• Batch cookers

• Larger families

• Anyone picky about texture consistency

• Those who prioritise easy clean-up above all else.

If you prefer batch cooking with less hands-on prep, you might be better off with one of the best slow cookers.

Is it worth the price?

For a budget appliance, yes. You’re not paying for advanced features or perfect performance. What you’re getting is a simple, functional soup maker that covers the basics without overcomplicating things. If you keep your expectations realistic, it feels like decent value. 

The smooth setting worked - albeit there were a few lumps at the bottom

Comparison: Salter vs Morphy Richards soup makers

Having swapped directly from the Morphy Richards Total Control, the differences are fairly clear. The latter offers more settings, flexibility and generally feels more refined. The Salter, on the other hand, is simpler and cheaper. But that’s hardly a fair comparison given the Salter is voted the best budget in our roundup. 

One might argue it does what it’s supposed to: it’s simpler, cheaper, does fewer things but still produces a good bowl of soup with minimal effort. So, if you’re after something more straightforward that won’t cost as much as the Total Control, the Salter holds it down. 

If you want one appliance that does more than just soup, it’s worth considering one of the best multi cookers instead.

Final verdict: Is it the soup maker for you? 

If you’re after a no-frills, affordable soup maker that takes the effort out of cooking, this is a solid option. 

You’ll need to accept a few compromises. It’s slower than most models, cleaning can take a bit more effort and the beeping is hard to ignore. Like when the car pesters you to put your seatbelt on. 

But if your priority is convenience over perfection, it does exactly what you need it to do. 

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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