Over recent years, soup makers have been the must-have kitchen gadget. Homemade soups are far more appetising than the tin cans bought on a supermarket shelf and give you full control of the ingredients so you know exactly what you are putting into your own and your families’ bodies.
Creating healthy meals with minimal effort, minimal time and minimal washing up. Not difficult to understand why the soup maker is so popular now is it? So, how do we know how to choose the best soup maker? This buyer’s guide has been created to help you do just that.
Best Pick Soup Maker
- This Salter Electric Soup Maker enables you to prepare a variety of deliciously healthy homemade soups, for everyone to enjoy.
- With four automatic settings, you can choose between smooth, chunky, compote and blend, to achieve your favourite thickness of soup.
- The stainless steel jug with a 1.1l capacity includes a pouring lip, so you can easily pour your soup while avoiding mess.
- Using an intelligent control system, the soup maker can prevent overspill and dry burning, so you can leave the soup while it cooks.
- With a cleaning brush and cloth included, you can enjoy simple soup-making with wonderfully easy cleaning afterwards.
Last update on 2024-12-06 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Only got 5 minutes?
A warm bowl of hot, homemade soup is a family favourite for many, especially on cold winter days. Investing in a soup maker is the perfect way to make all those family favourites with very little time and effort. Simply pop in the ingredients, press a button and leave for 20-30 minutes. What could be simpler?
Benefits to a soup maker are:
- Simplicity of use
- Speed
- Minimal effort
- Reducing waste- Throw all those leftover or softening bits of veg in the soup maker rather than the bin
- Diversity– It makes smoothies and milkshakes too!
- Healthy- Low in calories and only contains what you put in. No extra sugar, additives or preservatives, unlike many on the supermarket shelves.
So, if you have now considered the benefits and have made the decision to buy, you now need to know your features ready to compare before purchase.
Speed
You will find the majority will advertise 20-30 minutes. However, you need to bear in mind things such as some models not being able to sauté onions, meaning you will spend more time preparing.
Power
The power of the motor, and the strength and durability of the blade can vary. This will affect its ability to blend certain ingredients and larger chunks of ingredients.
Size
A larger soup maker means more capacity, however, it will mean taking up more of the work surface in your kitchen, and so if you have limited space, it is worth checking the size before purchase.
Design
This may not be important to everyone, but some will want their soup maker to fit In with the aesthetics of their kitchen.
Texture settings
Even the basic models should offer settings of smooth or chunky. However, a good soup maker should offer a range of options.
Keeping it simple
The basic models do tend to be simple. The more functions and settings, the more complicated the gadget becomes. A good model should be simple to set up and should come with clear, concise instructions.
Clean
One of the main issues users face is cleaning the gadget. Some do not come apart easily and are not dishwasher safe. It may be worth looking for a model with a self-clean setting.
Price
You can expect to pay anywhere between £30 and £130 for a soup maker.
Best Budget Soup Maker
- BRAND NEW Perfect for families & batch cooking: The large 1.6L soup chef cooks delicious bowls of soup in less than 20 minutes. To use auto clean simply add a drop of detergent to some water in your soup chef and the auto clean function will do the rest.
- Memory function & auto clean: if you want to season, taste, or even add more ingredients during a cooking cycle, simply lift the lid off and when you replace it soup maker remembers where you've left off and continues cooking.
- SMOOTH+ FUNCTION: If you love a soup- smooth soup then the Smooth+ function is perfect. With each button press the serrated Wave Blade Technology of the Drew & Cole Soup Maker pulses giving you complete control over your soup's consistency. You can even use it to blend smoothies, chilled drinks or cold soups like gazpacho.
- Chunky: hot and hearty chunky soups are ready in just 25 minutes. Simply add your Ingredients and in 25 minutes you can enjoy a traditional chunky vegetable soup or try something new like a Vietnamese pho.
- DELICIOUS RECIPES ONLINE: Get started with plenty of simple tasty recipes at drew and Cole.
Last update on 2024-12-06 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Do I need a soup maker?
For many of us there is nothing better than a nice bowl of hot soup on a cold, dark winter’s night. However, my initial thought, and yours may be too, was why do I need a soup maker when making soup isn’t so difficult anyway? Well, there are a number or benefits to a soup. Yes making your own soup is simple but let’s be honest, how many of us actually do it? Being able to simply throw some vegetables into one pot and press a button means we are more inclined to do so.
A soup maker is so simple to use and so very quick. Throw in your chopped ingredients, press a button, wait 20 minutes and hey presto! Soup complete. Rather than being left with the frying pan, pot, blender, utensils and everything else that comes with making soup, the soup maker leaves you with just the one, saving you yet more time and effort.
The soup maker also helps to save waste. Almost anything can be made into soup, whether it’s those carrots that are starting to go soft, that last bit of broccoli when there is not quite enough for 2, or that left over Christmas turkey when the children have had enough of turkey sandwiches, simply throw it in the soup maker instead of the bin.
The soup maker is really diverse, many can be set to various textures such as chunky or smooth and can be used for making things like milkshakes, smoothies and protein shakes.
Homemade soup is so incredibly good for you and its low calories mean it is perfect for those looking to shed a few pounds or simply be healthier. Unlike many shop bought soups, you can ensure that all that is going in to your soup is fresh ingredients and nutrients, not the preservatives additives, sugar and salt that often found in soups.
Soup maker or soup-making blender?
There are two main types of soup maker on the market. There is the traditional maker that is a specific gadget dedicated to creating soup, and there is another gadget that is more like a blender with an added cooking feature. So what is the difference?
Soup Maker
The soup maker looks much like a kettle and has a cooking element at the base and a large blade attached to the lid. The heating element first cooks the food then the blade reaches down into the container to chop and blend the ingredients.
The soup maker will take approximately 20-30 minutes and will allow a choice of chunky or smooth. Many on the market now also offer a cold blending function to make smoothies and milkshakes.
Soup Making Blender
The soup-making blender looks very much like your typical blender and has very similar functions. However, they also contain a heating element to cook ingredients. Nevertheless, they tend to be bigger, bulkier, and more expensive.
How do I use a soup maker?
For those of you who are used to making soup, the answer is simple. Just chop your usual soup recipe ingredients and add to the machine. Just ensure you check your model to see if you need to sauté first.
If you are not as confident, you can easily adapt any recipe. There are also soup maker recipes online and social media groups that share soup maker recipes. You just need to ensure you check or adapt the amount the recipe makes to the capacity of your machine.
Features
It is easy to think that with the simplicity of the gadget, they must all do the same thing and do not vary in their capabilities. However, this is not true and there are some features we feel you should compare before making a decision.
Speed
The foremost reason people purchase a soup maker is to save time. So of course, it makes sense to compare times. You will find the majority will advertise 20-30 minutes. However, you need to bear in mind things such as some models not being able to sauté onions, meaning you will spend more time preparing.
If you are willing to spend the extra cash, some models will do all the work for you from scratch, in as little as 20 minutes.
Power
The power of the motor, and the strength and durability of the blade can vary. This will affect its ability to blend certain ingredients and larger chunks of ingredients. This may not be a problem to those of you looking to just make thick, chunkier smooth soups, but if you are looking to make a smoother soup, it is worth checking.
Size
A larger soup maker means more capacity, which is great for a larger family or for cooking and freezing batches. It will also mean however, taking up more of the work surface in your kitchen, so if you have limited space, it is worth checking the size before purchase. The larger they are the more difficult to manoeuvre and difficult to take apart to clean, they usually are.
Design
This may not be important to everyone, but some will want their soup maker to fit In with the aesthetics of their kitchen. Soup makers do vary in appearance with some looking like a standard blender and others that are more glossy and slim line. Don’t be misled into thinking that the more you pay the better it looks, each product completely varies.
Texture Settings
As discussed before, the basic models should all offer settings of smooth or chunky. However, a good soup maker should offer a range of options. Pulse and extra stirring settings, allow the user to adjust the soup during the process.
Keeping it simple
Ideally, every user wants a gadget that is simple to set up and use. This is what you will more than likely get when you purchase a simple model. However, like most gadgets, the more functions and settings, the more complicated the gadget becomes. A good model should be simple to set up and should come with clear, concise instructions.
Clean
One of the main issues users face is cleaning the gadget. Some do not come apart easily and are not dishwasher safe. It is worth looking for a model with a self-clean setting. Simply add warm water and washing up liquid and select the cleaning function. If you do not opt for this, we suggest you wash or at least rinse the machine straight after use to avoid ingredients sticking.
Price
The price of the soup maker is more than likely to be a major factor in making your decision. There are so many good-quality soup makers on the market, so we are sure you will find the right one for you within budget. The more expensive soup makers usually offer a stronger build, more features and a longer warranty; this does not necessarily mean a better performance. You can expect to pay anywhere between £30 and £130.
Best of the Rest
- Stainless Steel: Built to last with heavy-duty, stainless-steel components for long-lasting performance
- 1.6l capacity: With a generous 1.6 Litre capacity, the Soup Maker allows you to make delicious soup for up to 4 people in just 21 minutes or less!
- 1000W power: Boil and blend your ingredients faster and more effectively with 1000 watts of pure power!
- 4 settings: Easily switch between four different modes: smooth, chunky, juice and blend options; Create soups for any occasion and level of desired texture with the press of a button!
- Make soup in less than 25 minutes: Make creative soups fast with our classic Soup Maker; Get ready to experiment and explore a world of easy-to-make culinary opportunities every time you turn it on!
Last update on 2024-12-06 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- FASTEST SOUP MAKER OF ITS SIZE: Fresh soup in just 19 minutes, with no standing over the hob. It's as easy as Chop, Set, Enjoy. Simply chop your ingredients into bite-sized chunks, drop them into your Soup Chef, select cooking function & walk away.
- 4 COOKING FUNCTION: SAUTÉ: non-stick hot plate to help you create soups that are packed with flavour. SMOOTH: Hot soup is ready to enjoy in just 19 minutes SMOOTH+: great for chilled soups, cold drinks or even nut milks! CHUNKY: Hot and hearty chunky soups are ready in just 25 minutes
- UNIQUE FUNCTIONALITY: MEMORY FUNCTION season, taste, or even add more ingredients during a cooking cycle Soup Chef remembers where you’ve left off and continues cooking. KEEP WARM for 2 HOURS Soup Chef will pulse heat throughout your soup so its deliciously hot and ready when you are.
- Perfect for families: cook up to five delicious bowls of soup in minutes with the large 1.6L capacity. ERGONOMIC DESIGN: Easy pour side handle & foldable top handle for easy storage. Auto clean: simply add a drop of detergent to some water in your soup chef and the auto clean function will do the rest.
- Get started with over 20 recipes in the BONUS recipe book and find even more online at the “Drewandcole” website!
Last update on 2024-12-06 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Last update on 2024-12-06 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put meat in a soup maker?
You can add meat to a soup maker but most models will require you to cook the meat first. There are a limited number of models that will allow you to add small, thin slices of raw meat.
Can you reheat soup in a soup maker?
A soup maker is not the same as just rewarming soup on a hob; it is designed to cook the ingredients inside. Therefore, rewarming soup in the maker is not an option as this will more likely result in burnt soup.
Do I add hot or cold water to a soup maker?
As instructions for a soup maker can sometimes be a little vague, this is quite a common question. Ultimately, the decision is yours dependent on how soft you like your vegetables. Using cold water leaves less cooking time so we recommend you use hot but not boiling water.
Can you use a soup maker for other things?
Yes, Soup makers can also be used to blend smoothies and milkshakes.
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