I am another convert. I could never understand soup makers. Soup is so easy to make anyway, but a friend has one and she was singing its praises, so as they are not that expensive, I bought one and now I too am a convert.
I just bung everything in, top up with water, set it and leave it to get on with it, return to the garden, nip out to the shops, just completely forget about it. Come back in 30-40 minutes later and there is the soup, all ready to be served, smooth or chunky, as required. No hassle with stirring, transferring between containers to blend.
I cannot work out why I resisted them for so long.