Advice on soup makers please

I was very much one of those 'use a large saucepan and stick blender' people............but a couple of years ago decided to give a compact soup maker a go!!!!

What a difference that has made. Living by myself, I do not need to make vast quantities of soup, and do not have freezer space for storing. NOW....I have soup most days in the winter months. So easy, ......as others have said do not go for the having to pre-cook anything. Frozen chopped inions go into this ;gadget' straight from freezer, along with appropriate vegetables, add in red lentils (as thickener and extra health food source), some lazy ginger and garlic, water from tap and stock and it is all ready to switch on twenty minutes before I want to eat it. No need to watch it, or stir it, or blend it. Just pour it into bowls 20 minutes later. I like my soups well blended and thick. Once all in bowls, just rinse pot out under hot tap and leave to drain dry.

Except for making old fashioned 'jewish' chicken soup, no way would I ever return to the old fashioned method of soup making - juggling, watching for ages a saucepan on the hob bubbling away/over (!) , then trying to get that all blended, etc. etc.

I’m also a big fan of the Morphy Richards soup maker - it is quick and very easy to clean, and makes delicious soups.
There is space for it in a cupboard next to my air fryer. Go for it, Madwoman11, s-d the saucepan! 😂

You have to wash the big saucepan, and the liquidiser or the hand-held whisk. Cleaning the soup-maker isn't much different.

If the beaters are attached to the top, they can be held under the tap and rinsed clean. The soupmaker jug is just a big jug, except that it can't usually be completely submerged in water or put into a dishwasher. I fill it with hot water as soon as the soup has been served (or put into containners to freeze and use later) When I have finished the meal, I pour out the hot water, put in clean water and a drop of detergent, and use a brush to clean the inside, then rinse it out. The outside is wiped with a damp cloth. I wouldn't put such a large thing into the dishwasher anyway - it would take up an inconvenient amount of space, as does a saucepan

😂😂😂 of course!

I just use a large pan and liquidiser if needed.

Soup makers save time for doing other more interesting things. Re 'bland' soup : the soup flavours and textures are entirely up to you. I use all sorts of veg, lentils, barley etc etc and add in garlic, ginger or whatever herbs and spices I fancy. One thing I'd say is no two soups taste the same!

I’m a terrible gadget person and kept looking at them, but decided my instant one pot (large pan before that) is just as good and using a stick blender…

I use to have one but was not impressed with it. Found the soups quite bland as I felt a 20 min cook time was not enough for flavours to mature and mix. I use my multi cooker and then a stick blender if I want it blended.

Morphy Richards - it is my most used 'gadget' - really helpful and enables me to make organic soup as often as I like and no preservatives or other additives.

pregpaws3

After two soup makers died on me I tried the Lakeland one that didn’t survive long either so now I’m back to a large pan . Turkey and chestnut soup is my post Christmas treat and the turkey stock was made in the slow cooker.

Lakeland are usually very good at refunding faulty items.

I made 22 portions of veg soup yesterday. I used 7 veggies and it is delicious. We have eaten 6 portions and the rest are in freezer. I made it in a big pan and used my stick blender 🤣🤣so it is nice and thick.

I have been at my friend’s when she has used her soup maker but it did not persuade me to buy one myself. Makes very small amount. If I want a small amount I just use a smaller pan.

You can’t boil up a chicken or turkey carcass in a soup maker, like you can in a pan. So to me that’s another minus. Another minus is it’s more clutter which I try to avoid.

Making huge portions of soup in a slow cooker or pan is great if you have the freezer space. We don't. Our Morphy Richards makes 4 good size portions, 2 to eat and 2 to freeze. We have a different soup each time and usually have a couple of varieties in the freezer for when we're short on time.

pregpaws3

After two soup makers died on me I tried the Lakeland one that didn’t survive long either so now I’m back to a large pan . Turkey and chestnut soup is my post Christmas treat and the turkey stock was made in the slow cooker.

Gosh, that’s bad luck. I’ve had mine 6 or 7 years, and I use it at least twice every week.

After two soup makers died on me I tried the Lakeland one that didn’t survive long either so now I’m back to a large pan . Turkey and chestnut soup is my post Christmas treat and the turkey stock was made in the slow cooker.

Blob not Bob! Poor old Bob! 😂😂😂😂

I too have a Morphy Richard and have used it many many times. Soup always delicious and I sometimes add a Bob of double cream before serving and have it with those rolls which are half baked. Gorgeous and nutritious lunch or supper

My husband gave me a Lakeland soup-maker this Christmas and today I made my second batch. I love it! It’s so easy to use and has a cleaning function which works well. I have made two delicious soups, tomato a few days ago, pea and ham today, it seems to make enough for 3-4 portions. Having made soup previously in saucepans I can highly recommend getting a soup-maker. If you enjoy making soup, it won’t be wasted. It makes the whole process of soup-making much easier. You can leave the soup to cook while you do other things and when it’s ready, the machine keeps it warm for 30 minutes. The Lakeland soup-maker was purchased through a Black Friday deal so cheaper than it would have been normally.

Horses for courses surely? A friend, who lives alone, received a cast off Morphy Richards one from her daughter and is delighted with it, as it serves two large portions - one to eat, one to freeze for another day.

I have a tiny kitchen and a hungry husband so use my slow cooker to make 6+ portions with the benefit of 2 further meals in the freezer and a warm kitchen to boot!

Mine’s a Morphy Richards too, I love it, and I put it on a timer so if I’m out it cooks the soup ready for my return. It doesn’t take up much space in the cupboard, and it’s a lot less effort than standing over a pan, then blending, and it is really easy to clean, I usually pour the soup, fill the jug with soapy water while I eat my lunch then just rinse it out after. I’ve had leek and potato soup for lunch today, it was delicious.

I was a put in saucepan and then blitz with blender soupmaker. But persuaded by comments on here, I did get a Morphy Richards soupmaker. I am very happy with sturdiness of design and find it easy to clean. It looks like a kettle so not too big on counter. It makes 4 decent portions but could be stretched to more if extra liquid added at end. One thing it does not do is to brown onions at start which seems first step for most recipes. But I put in all ingredients at start and cant see the difference. Job done in 21 minutes ..."beep beep" so you can be busy about the house and not watching over the stove.

I don’t have a lot of worktop space so can’t think of another gadget. I make a lot of soups in winter, not usually puréed, but when I do (like yesterday’s curried parsnip) I just use a stick blender in the pan.

Aveline

I see this thread has descended into the usual 'I make it myself in a pan' vs fans of the soup maker. If the pan brigade actually tried one they might change their minds. (Sits back and waits for the inevitable backlash)

Yes 😁 but it did take 11 posts before the first mention of something that wasn’t what the OP had asked about. That’s quite an improvement.
I love the mention of air fryers, slow cookers and microwaves alongside the mention of needing space in the kitchen.
(My soup maker lives in my gadget cupboard whilst not in use, unlike the air fryer and the microwave.)

Sorry trigger happy...I use all the veg at the bottom of the fridge. Easy to use just heat up the stock set to chunky or smooth add the veg and in 20 mins you have enough soup for at least 4 people.

I have a Tefal, and love it! Important to get one where the blades are attached to the top (on a rod) not the bottom. Imagine cleaning under bottom-fixed blades.

I have a morphy Richards soup maker it's brilliant. I make a lot of stock for the freezer and I use up all the bits of raw vegetables that linger