Soup Maker - worth getting or will it end up at the back of the cupboard?

[SomewhatBored]

I'm tempted by the idea of a soup maker - they sound temptingly easy, shove in your chopped veg, leave for 30 minutes et voila! delicious home made soup.

Are they really as easy as that? If you have one, do you use it regularly? Any recommendations for brands/models? I couldn't go to more than about £100, but would rather spend more on one that will last and do the job than buy a very cheap one that isn't user-friendly so won't get used.

All opinions gratefully received.

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I'm tempted by the idea of a soup maker - they sound temptingly easy, shove in your chopped veg, leave for 30 minutes et voila! delicious home made soup.

Or, just shove your chopped veg in a pan with some stock, simmer for 30 mins, blend with a hand blender. Equally easy.

I’ve always wondered what the point of a soup maker is. 🤷‍♀️

The biggest part of making soup is peeling and chopping. It doesn't do that for you. You still have to chop the veg, add the stock herbs and spices. Honestly a big pan and a stick blender are far more useful.

I love mine. My dad bought it for me and I initially thought it was a bit of a weird present but I actually love it now and use it all the time. Yes I could quite easily chop some veg and, make a soup then blend it but it is so much easier to just put the ingredients in, leave it then 20 mins later have a soup made with little effort. It is also useful for using up any random vegetables that need eating.

Ah, when you put it like that they don't sound so great. My stick blender is ancient and has a crack in it so I rarely use it but an upgrade on the stick blender would undoubtedly be cheaper than a soup machine.

I have the Morphy Richards sauté and soup maker. It was bought as a gift and sat in the box for months out of sheer bloody mindedness as I was convinced my saucepan and stick blender were all I needed and I definitely didn't need another bit of kit to wash. Then my blender broke and I used it and now I'm a complete convert. It gets used at least twice a week for about 8 months of the year.

The blended soup is much smoother than I could manage with the stick blender. I can chop the veg into fairly chunky pieces - far bigger than I had to for the saucepan so the prep doesn't take as long.

Only downside is that it needs reasonably careful hand washing as the electrical bits can't be submerged.

It is also useful for using up any random vegetables that need eating

Yes, that thought appealed to me - I often end up with leftover bits and pieces that I don't get round to using.

Never understood the appeal. A huge pot does the same thing

My mum lent me hers 3 months ago. It's still sat in the box untouched. I've made soup twice in that time on the hob. So I'll vote for not worth it and could think of better things to spend £100 on!

I've just used mine! I use it probably 3 times a week. The difference being, you can leave it unattended and 19 mins later come back to soup!
Rough chop, stock cube, water, plug in! And I don't make a pan full because its smaller so I waste less. I love mine

I love mine - I use the smooth setting and soup tastes divine - lovely and creamy without any cream - beautiful - but yes you do have to chop the veg or buy the ready chopped bags. It has 2 settings smooth or chunky.

What appealed to me was the idea of putting everything in and then being able to completely forget it for 20/30 minutes and do something else, rather than having to wait for saucepan to heat, turn back down to simmer, then come back and blend.

could think of better things to spend £100 on!

I got given £100 as a Christmas present by my lovely MIL and I wanted to spend it on one thing rather than fritter it away, if that makes any sense!

@SomewhatBored

What appealed to me was the idea of putting everything in and then being able to completely forget it for 20/30 minutes and do something else, rather than having to wait for saucepan to heat, turn back down to simmer, then come back and blend.

Yes! It makes all the difference to me. Worth the £45 to me. It's fab

I love mine - I use the smooth setting and soup tastes divine - lovely and creamy without any cream

That sounds perfect - I love smooth soup but want to avoid too much added fat.

I thought about it. Got an Instant Pot instead. Far more useful. Makes soup in 6 mins (after prep, quick sauté).

Can also use it to do lots of other stuff

Mines a godsend. I got the 1ltr one in sale for £30.

Chop and shove in veg and meat, press button and 19 minutes later you have 2 lots of soup.

I have soup for lunch everyday and put it in a thermos. I heat the other load up and put in thermos the next day.

Works really well for me as ds is a swimmer and so swims 3 weekday mornings and we are out of house from 5.40 until 7.50. Prepare before we go and make when we get back or just heat.

So if you will use it frequently and need the ease of speed it's certainly worthwhile.

If you need one of the bigger ones for family and only have soup once a month then maybe not so?

I use one of them nutribullets to whizz my soup up. There's only one option, smooth. Ha.

Aldi have them in for about 40 quid for a soup maker. I'm tempted

www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/small-kitchen-appliances/small-cooking-appliances/soup-makers/tefal-easy-soup-bl841140-soup-maker-stainless-steel-white-10177174-pdt.html

Tefal £85

Absolutely love it ! Bought both my adult children one and then got myself one too !

If you need one of the bigger ones for family and only have soup once a month then maybe not so?

It'll normally just be for me, or for me and DH. I have soup quite a lot - at least 3 times a week - but tend to buy it. I do prefer home-made when I make the effort - I use a Kenwood blender, but probably only made it two or three times last year. I need to eat more veg and I was hoping a soup maker might be an easy way of doing that!

These threads are always split between the posters who use their soupmaker regularly and those who tell you to get on with a pan and a blender

Also try the food/ recipe section for ideas, eg

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food_and_recipes/4124515-I-ve-bought-a-Morphy-Richards-soup-maker

Imho there's a lot less cleaning up to do with a soupmaker, and the texture is better.

Like anything it takes some experimentation to find recipes you like

@Prisonbreak

Never understood the appeal. A huge pot does the same thing

It doesnt, We bought a saute one at start of first lockdown. It cooks and liquidizes at the same time, Saute the onions or soffrito add all the ingredients put the lid on press button and 20 minutes later perfectly smooth soup,

I would get an instantpot or crockpot, you can make soup so quickly, slow cook, pressure cook and they have so many other functions. You can also get one for about that price, seems more cost effective that just buying a soup maker.

I love mine, it wasn’t expensive got it in the sales, a morphy Richards one. I use it at least twice a week and really enjoy the soup from it. I also use frozen vegetables and save a fortune.

I use a saucepan and blender, batch cook and freeze in portions. I do that about once a month, I also batch cook chicken stock from bones (which I can buy very cheaply from the butchers).

My best buy was a couple of teflon muffin pans to freeze the liquid. Two muffins is about the right size to make a portion.

@Prisonbreak

Never understood the appeal. A huge pot does the same thing

I don't want a huge pot full! I want enough for lunch I don't want to freeze it or portion it up either!