Soup maker

[SooopDragon]

In the interests of reducing food waste and eating better I’m looking at getting a soup maker - can anyone give me a recommendation? I have a small kitchen so the smaller the better and would be great if it could also do smoothies as the children live these.

Please don’t tell me I can just make soup on the stove with a stick blender - I am chronically ill and rarely have the energy.

Thanks in advance

" I used to put a clean tea towel over the pan to prevent splashes which is effective."

I try to use the pan lid as a shield, but still get some splashes which is a big problem because I have wallpaper rather than tiles in the kitchen.
If I were going to spend more on a new stick mixer, it might be worth buying a soup maker though :)

I use an electric pressure cooker to make soup. I do blend with a stick blender though. It’s so quick and easy, and means that I only have one machine taking up space in the cupboard.

Avoid splashes with a stick blender by using it in a tall jug. Some blenders come with the right sort of jug included (plastic, so not heavy).

I got the Morphy Richards for Christmas. Like a bigger kettle. Have only tried two recipes so far, but loving it - four good portions, dead easy to use and clean. Would definitely recommend.

@GameofPhones

Avoid splashes with a stick blender by using it in a tall jug. Some blenders come with the right sort of jug included (plastic, so not heavy).

But then I suppose you might as well use a blender or a food processor and it's an extra thing to clean.

I've just got the Morphy Richards one with the sauté function and have only tried it once so far - carrot and parsnip soup which has been a hit!

For all those who have soup makers, do you have any suggestions for recipes?

I’ve got the compact morphy Richards one and love it. I use it all the time.

I don’t sauté either, everything goes in together.

I don't have one but I do cook a lot with frozen pre sliced veg and really recommend it.

You could use a multi cooker instead that you can use for soup but also dozens of other dishes too like curries, pasta sauces, chilli, rice etc… possibilities endless, I use mine all of the time as it sautés, steams, pressure cooks, slow cooks the lot and it is huge so makes loads!

I've got the Cuisinart soup maker and it's really good, I have made soup in the slow cooker before, it takes a bit longer but if you plan your meals it's fine..

@LG93

We have a Morphy Richards one with a sauté function and really rate it. Saves extra washing on pans to fry off onions/veg for example as it's all done in the soup maker and will blend or leave chunky based on your preference 😊

I’m not into kitchen gadgets, and I also have a small kitchen but I love my Morphy Richards “sautée and soup” machine. It is much tidier for making soup than a pan and blender, and I can go out and leave it running. I use it a couple of times a week. It certainly worth the space.

Mine is useless as it constantly trips the electricity. I now read that this is a common problem.

I use mine all the time- no sauté function and I can’t say I miss it really. Pan/blender doesn’t give that same veloute texture at all and the soup maker is effortless once the veg are chopped.
This site has tons of good recipes but the soup maker seems very forgiving of the ‘bing a bit of that in’ school of cooking.
lianaskitchen.co.uk/soup-maker-recipes/
Also 3 tsps of marigold powder is optimum for flavour!

Ninja one here too, love it. It is heavy though so maybe pop to a shop to try them out before buying? Remember the soup will add to the weight too!

I received a soup maker as gift last year, and while it's not something I would have bought myself, I really like it. Mumsnet in general extol the virtues of a pan and an immersion blender over a soup maker, but I've never found immersion blenders get the soup smooth enough for my liking and the soup maker means I don't have to transfer the hot unblended soup to the blender.

I have a Tefal one (looks like this one) which I would recommend. The plug comes out so can store in inside which makes it take up less room. It doesn't saute, but I've heard that sauce functions can impact reliability. I've just made a batch of soup for the week and it really was so easy.

They have ended up in the back of a cupboard with all the other gadgets no longer used after novelty has worn off for everyone I know as not versatile.

For the ones with a sautée function, surely that is just as much work as you have to put the veg in to sauté and then add the liquid afterwards? After all, you can’t sauté veg which is already covered in liquid, so it’s not actually any less work than a saucepan?

Personally I use a saucepan and a brawn stick blender. Everyone I know who has had soup from someone else’s soup maker says it all tastes the same. Essentially boiled veg in stock and then blended. Grim. And they’re not dishwasher safe so if the OP struggles with physical tasks she may find washing difficult, as well as lifting.

@AlternativePerspective

For the ones with a sautée function, surely that is just as much work as you have to put the veg in to sauté and then add the liquid afterwards? After all, you can’t sauté veg which is already covered in liquid, so it’s not actually any less work than a saucepan?

Personally I use a saucepan and a brawn stick blender. Everyone I know who has had soup from someone else’s soup maker says it all tastes the same. Essentially boiled veg in stock and then blended. Grim. And they’re not dishwasher safe so if the OP struggles with physical tasks she may find washing difficult, as well as lifting.

I have one with a sautée function.

I chop the veg I want to sauté and put them in the soup machine. When they are done, I add the other stuff and liquid.

@AlternativePerspective

For the ones with a sautée function, surely that is just as much work as you have to put the veg in to sauté and then add the liquid afterwards? After all, you can’t sauté veg which is already covered in liquid, so it’s not actually any less work than a saucepan?

Personally I use a saucepan and a brawn stick blender. Everyone I know who has had soup from someone else’s soup maker says it all tastes the same. Essentially boiled veg in stock and then blended. Grim. And they’re not dishwasher safe so if the OP struggles with physical tasks she may find washing difficult, as well as lifting.

No the soup doesn’t taste the same because a butternut squash tastes very different from a broccoli. Everyone who I’ve discussed this with (which is a small number I grant you) says that that an immersion blender cannot get the soup to an acceptable consistency, and their stick blenders have languished at the back of a cupboard for that reason.

I just bought my Dil an Ace blender that will cook the food then puree it, the demo video they make butternut squash soup. I thought it looked good.

@onwardsandupwards22

I've just got the Morphy Richards one with the sauté function and have only tried it once so far - carrot and parsnip soup which has been a hit!

For all those who have soup makers, do you have any suggestions for recipes?

I mostly make soup up as I go along, but did make this after Christmas:

lianaskitchen.co.uk/cauliflower-cheese-soup/

Didn't use as much garlic as that, and first time I made it I used mild blue cheeses. Have made it again with cheddar too as it was so popular.

Don't quite know why I made it, have never fancied cauliflower cheese type soups when people rave about them, but had Christmas cheese to use up. I was wrong - it is delicious!

It's not even as unhealthy as it sounds either, only works out at 37.5g cheese per portion.

@onwardsandupwards22, spicy butternut and sweet potato is my favourite 😋

375g butternut squash, 375g sweet potato, 50g red onion, fill to line with veg stock and bung on to smooth. Stir in 1/2 TSP dried chilli flakes at the end then serve.

I do a mean butternut squash soup - saute red onion, then chopped butternut squash to the first line, stock to the second line, salt and Chipotle chili flakes. Also leek and potato, but go easy on the potato as it can get quite gloopy. The one I made yesterday was 3 medium leeks, sautéed, then 2 medium potatoes took it to the first line. Stock and salt again to the second line.

Getting a super smooth texture seems to be the main advantage of soup makers, then. Not something that would concern me, but then I've never tried a super-smooth soup.

I use a pressure cooker for soup, bung in anything roaming around the fridge, few herbs and spices maybe lentils or barley and s9me water and stock cubes, bring to pressure for 10 mins or so then stick blend to whatever consistency required and voila ‘romany’ soup.