Hand vs Jug blender for soup

[Kido25]

I love making soup and would like to make smooth vegetable soup now the weather's getting colder. I do have an old stick blender but it was only a cheap one I bought about 20 years ago and it takes forever to blend even a small mug of soup. I'm thnking of getting a more powerful blender but can't decide whether to go for the jog which would take a lot of space up, or a hand held blender which would just replace the old one. The budget is £80.00 max. Anyone any experience using wither or both. Which would be better for blending a pan of soup?

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I use a stick blender and it works fine (as long as it never breaks the surface!)
mine is quite new though - it’s Bosch I think

I don’t know if jug blender design has improved but I know when I had one years ago the lid had gaps and soup would squirt out - plus you had to do all the pouring in & out - plus much more cleaning up!

I prefer a stick blender as I can use it in the pan. Cooling the soup before pouring it into the jug (spilling some on the way), pouring it back in the pan to reheat then washing the jug blender is too much faff.

I've used a jug blender previously but now use a cheap stick blender. It works perfectly and is easy to wash. Blending in the pan is a major bonus.

If you want a jug blender I would just get a soup maker.
No mess and you wont have a pan and blender to wash up.

Jug blender or soup maker for me. Immersion blenders don’t make a soup with the really silky smooth texture I want my soup to have. If you aren’t fussy with texture then an immersion blender could well be the better option, but I’m particular with textures and my immersion blender has been at the back of the cupboard for about fifteen years. My jug blender is from the middle of Lidl about ten years ago and while it’s no Vitamix, it does a perfect job blending soup.

Get a proper soup maker, its a game changer, far less messy than a blender and soup blends while its cooking, so much smother

Stick

I’d also go for a stick blender if you’re not getting a proper counter top food processor.

the jugs tend to leak and also if you put soup in too hot they can crack so you have to wait for it to cool before blending.

either way happy soup making 😊

Way back getting a stick was a game changer! I'd never go back to jugs for soup.

I use my Kenwood stick blender almost every day in Autumn / Winter. It’s so quick and convenient, can’t imagine going back to the trouble of a jug. And I wouldn’t want a soup maker - I like doing it myself and not interested in smoothness.

I find my soup maker much easier, the stick splattered and also so messy ladling it into bowls/ soup cups.
Cook, blend and use the jug to pour.

Its my most used kitchen appliance which surprised me!

i used to make soup using a saucepan and then a blender. Earlier this year, got a soup maker. As @bruffin says, game changer. It so much easier. You just throw everything into the jug, turn it on and 20 minutes, delicious hot soup. Easy to clean also.

You can choose smooth or chunky settings.

I now want a soup maker

I have a stick blender, which I much prefer as it doesn't take up much space and is very versatile.

Mine is a Bamix. I absolutely love it and it's probably my favourite kitchen appliance. They start at just over £80.

Get one!
Also far cheaper to run than the hob for 20/30minutes.
Mine is Russell Hobbs -few years old now.
Does smooth/ chunky / blend so you can also use as a blender for fruit etc

I use a stick blender and a slow cooker. I do own a magimix, but it’s much more faff to clean and it can’t do 6l of soup in one go, so I always use the stick blender for soup. I don’t mind the odd chunk of carrot that gets missed occasionally.

Stick blender for me. Being able to just shove it in the pan is fantastic. I'm on my second, and would always choose one with a metal fitting that is removable for proper washing. I only bought a new one cos I dropped the power part of the old one and destroyed the outer casing (stone floor).

Much easier to use a stick blender in the pan than decanting it into the jug in several goes, then having to put in something else while you do the rest.

When my last stick blender died I bought a jug one. What is described above was my experience too. You had to let the soup cool down before you could use it safely (v annoying) and it's one more thing to wash up. I actually got quite scalded by soup spraying out the top the first time I used it.

So a stick blender all the way for me - I've got a Braun one.

You just throw everything into the jug, turn it on

Where’s the ritual in that, though? Honestly, part of the point of Winter for me is standing at the stove, stirring and pottering and reflecting. I don’t a machine to do it all - just the blending bit.

But it’s not about me. How do you like to approach cooking, OP?

A stick blender is more convenient and the soup stays hot ; the soup isn't quite as smooth but that doesn't worry me.I have a blender ( inherited) but have never used it.

@Fifthtimelucky can second a Bamix, after years of cheapo stick blenders that failed after a couple of years I bought the Bamix after seeing it on QVC. Game changer