Soup maker recommendations, please.

[Snozzlemaid]

I've been looking at maybe buying a soup maker so wondered if anyone has one they love and would recommend?
Most of them look to be either 1 or 1.6 litres. I'd like to make a few portions at a time to keep or freeze even, so should I aim for the bigger one?
Do I need one with a saute function? Do you get better flavour if onion has been sautéed first?
Also, is there a recipe book you would recommend, please.
Thank you.

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I have a morphy richards, with sauté, and use it all the time for blitzing left over veg etc as well as recipes. There is a great little soup maker recipe book on Amazon, based on the morphy richards models. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soup-Maker-Recipe-Book-Nutritious/dp/1539710882/ref=pdbxgythbsdsccl2/259-3990056-7552328?pdrdw=uEFTH&content-id=amzn1.sym.02820c73-8608-4218-9735-1554b4beb596&pfrdp=02820c73-8608-4218-9735-1554b4beb596&pfrdr=NYQM04SDAPS8MQCVWPW2&pdrdwg=IH2MK&pdrdr=14b6be71-8a71-4c85-bddd-62d0a6e2dff2&pdrdi=1539710882&psc=1

We had a soup maker that I thought was wonderful- put in veg and stock, set programme - 20 mins later done. However the needed all the separate bits cleaning- the jug/base,the top bit with the blender. Also, if you wanted to taste it it add something at any point during cooking you had to re-set the programme. After 5 years it burnt itself out. I have gone back to our largest stainless steel pan and the stick blender- it is just as fast, holds more soup, is easier to clean and easier to control the taste as it cooks and to control the chunkiness/smoothness of. The blending takes a minute max . I won't buy another soup maker.

Something about soup makers seems to bring out all the Mumsnetters who think it's some kind of moral failing to own one! 😃

How about a slow cooker? I make soup in mine, dump everything in and I don't have to do anything until it's ready to eat plus I can make extra for days if necessary.

I have a Ninja and I really like it. I use it pretty much every day as I also use it to make oat milk. Had it a couple of years now and it's still going strong.

The arsey comments about soup makers are so annoying! I can chuck whole raw veg in the Ninja and press Chop, then throw the rest of the ingredients in and press Soup. Wander down from my office 30 minutes later and there's piping hot soup ready to pour.

Much less faff than chopping veg, simmering it in a pan and then stick blending it (and less washing up!).

I swear by my Ninja one - it will have to be removed from my cold, dead hand. Cleaning it can be a bit of a pig as you can't submerge the jug but once you get it it's ok. The jug, seal and cap are all submergible.

It makes the best soup ever. And I've got far more creative with my soup output! It's very easy to use and you can just leave it to do it's thing and come back a while later and have lovely soup.

Pay attention to the max fill lines - I thought it wouldn't matter if I overfilled, it does 🤣

It does make other things however I haven't bothered as I solely wanted it for it's soup making prowess.

Any other owners reading this, Milton is your friend for cleaning. Remove the rubber seal once you've run the clean cycle, fill jug with water and a Milton tablet then leave everything that will fit in there overnight.

Because they're not as useful as a blender stick and a pan.

I have had two that I wouldn't recommend -

A glass jug one from lakeland. That lost it's non-stick under the blades at the bottom very easy and was a nightmare to clean.

Then I had the morphy richards one that is supposed to saute, heat, cook, blend etc. That was okay, but made such a small quantity of soup that half the time i was avoiding it to make a bigger pan of soup on the stove. The whole point of soup to me is to save time, and I was spending more time making small portions with the soup maker than I was just using a big pot on the hob and blending with either a stick blender or when cooked in my nutribullet.

I know you've already told people that you absolutely DO want a soup maker, so hopefully in listing my experience I'm helping you decide, but in all honesty I've never regretted going back to a sauce pan on the stove!

maybe when they first came out that was true. These days i think its mumsnetters who have had one and gone back to a pan and are trying to save others from the same fate!

I would never want one but I can see how if you are out all day you could use one to have soup to come home to
Having said that there are probably loads stuck in cupboards gathering dust and you do see plenty on FB marketplace etc

Why do you need a soup maker? You literally need a knife, a chopping board, a frying pan and a big pan.

Personal choice isn't it?

You crack on with your pan and stick blender.

My preference is to bung it in my soup maker and press a button.

I have a 1.2 L TEFAL soup maker and I love it.

Easiest soup is my carrot, ginger and parsnip.

4 carrots
4-6 parsnips (depending on size)
half fresh red chilli
good amount of ginger (I use a puree)
3 chicken stock cubes and smooth function. Delicious