Does anyone have a soup maker? Are they any good?

[lettymoo]

I've been reading about soup makers after my friend told me I should buy one. I find preparing food for myself difficult as I have mobility problems and live alone. I absolutely love fresh soup but find standing or sitting on a stool in the kitchen for long to be too difficult. Apparently you just chop the items, press a button and it's done after 25 minutes. This sounds brilliant but I wanted to ask before buying one if they work well and if fellow MNetters would recommend them from their own experience? I trust MN far more than Amazon reviews! It also says there's a button with a cleaning function - I would like to know if it works well or you end up sticking your hands in it to clean round the blades like with my blender, which I hate doing!

My friend recommended this one: Tefal BL841140 Easy Soup and Smoothie Maker, Stainless Steel, White https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QVKMPVA/ref=cmswwrcppapiii_iQayCbY5ZZQCV

I don't know if anyone has it or there's a different one you'd suggest?

I'm very grateful for opinions as it's a lot to spend if it's something that won't work very well!

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MNHQ Update
Searching for a soup maker that'll take the stress out of making your favourite soup at home? Our guide to the best soup makers is up to date with a wide range of options tried and tested options. We hope it’s helpful!

I don't have one but can't see they are easier to clean than a pan and a blender.

I'm interested in responses. I make a lot of soup but just chop veg, put in the pan with water and leave it, then zap it at the end. It's minimal effort and I can't see I would gain much from a soup maker but I'm open to having my perspective changed.

I'm with Horsemad. I make soups a lot & all you need is a pan & a blender. There's no need to waste your money on a gadget.

I have a sauté and soup one by Morphy Richards. It's basically like a kettle with a blender in it. You can sauté your ingredients in it too. You can set it for smooth and chunky, it also makes smoothies. It is easy to clean.

I've just handed one back to my friend after borrowing it for 6 weeks before buying, I've decided to stick with my trusty pot and stick blender.

Yes, I liked that you just chop and throw everything in. Ingredients to minimum fill then stock to the max fill line, pick setting and wait for the beep to tell me it's done.

I didn't like the clean up, you couldn't submerge the one I borrowed as the electronics are built into it and the blade wasn't removable so it was a bit of a faff to clean compared to a pot and removable blade. I also didn't like that I couldn't taste and adjust if needed whilst cooking.

I must admit though chopping is the bit I hate, I've never found making soup in a pot any hassle so the machine wasn't worth it here.

I have one! It's fabulous
I make blended soups mostly but you can chop and cook veg and stock in it and it doesn't blend - I use it to make sauces sometimes too. Mine has a blender button too so if it's not chopped enough it'll blend too, plus a smoothie option too which I've not used yet

It's like a kettle with the lid coming off so you can rinse off the blendy bit of it

Soup in 21 mins ... fab 👍

I have one but soon got fed up with how difficult it was to clean - hard to clean under the blade and couldn't be submerged in water. Much easier to use a pan and a hand blender.

I've got the Morphy Richards sauté and soup too, love it! In fact, I've just filled mine with roasted tomatoes and red pepper for a weeks' worth of soup for lunches. It's easy to clean, and wouldn't be without it.

I have a pan and hand blender. Works for me. Can't really understand why anyone would need a soup maker.

We have one. I like the fact you can just chuck everything in and walk away, then 21 mins later you come back and it's ready.

Pan and hand blender here too and I also have problems wrt standing around for too long.

IMO the soup makers take up space, are a bitch to clean and are mostly not dishwasher safe, and aren’t cheap.

I do have the brawn multi-quick hand blender though which is just as powerful as a jug blender/ and comes with additional attachments (small chopping bowl/blade, whisk and ricing attachment) and it’s fabulous. Also re having a hand-blender means you don’t have to lift heavy pans around to tip soups into a jug blender and/or pour them from the soup maker jug into another jug before serving etc.

And if you’re blending the veg doesn’t have to be chopped with too much precision.

I was tempted but tend to use pan then liquidiser for mine. More space on worktop I concluded

I have one. It is great for the reasons you have stated in that you just chuck it all in and leave it to it for 20 mins or whatever, however I do find that the traditional way is nicer somehow. I think because it's slower cooked and you can blend to perfect consistency.

I haven't been brave enough to do say a cream of chicken soup as I'm not entirely sure how it would work in there (but that's me with technology).

Overall I would say go for it, even if you use it 8 times out of 10 and make the other 2 on the hob it's still worth it.

They are great and got us started on soup. However, for a family, they are not big enough as we like to make enough for weekdays lunches or freezing. So today we have made two soups but on the hob and with a blender after, as we can use a large stockpot.

I was bought one for a present and thought "great! I can put ingredients in go for dog walk then have soup ready when I get home" however if you use barley or lentils or even potatoes they tend to stick to bottom and burn. I've tried putting them in last but they still stick! Grrrr. Then the blender bit stopped working so I gave up.

I make soup for one in the microwave in a big glass jug and blend it.
Fresh soup in just a few mins.

I opened this wondering what a soup maker is - but if you have to chop the ingredients before putting them in its a pan surely what does it do ?