Soup Makers

Are you sure you really need one? A hand held blender is a much cheaper option!

Hello Welshy, I agree that a soup maker might be an expense you might choose to avoid. I think a hand whizzy stick blender thingy might suit you better? Also, do you have room on your worktop to store it, or cupboard space?
As for stock cubes, I favour Knorr as I find them more subtle in flavour but if I buy OXO I go for the reduced salt type & then season to taste.
I have just simmered a chicken carcase with onion and a Knorr cube. Makes a lovely basis for soup & means a roast chicken goes a long way. Bon appetit!

Hi midgey. I've never made soup before and I see a lot have raved about them on here.

Forget messy pans and hand blenders! Morphy Richards soup maker is great. Just bung in whatever you want to make soup with and set to either smooth or chunky and get back to whatever you need to be doing.
I use a variety of stock depending on what sort if soup I'm making.

Hi Nonogran, that is something to think about I guess. Would the stock cubes be vegetable ones?

I make a lot of soup in winter, and manage perfectly well with a saucepan and a hand held blender, which cost around £11.

However, I do know some like the soup maker as it does the sauteeing/sweating of the veg etc, then cooks and blends.

Personally, unless you have a lot of cupboard space, I'd stick with the pan and blender method!

For stock, I buy Knorr stock pots rather than cubes. There are a good range, including vegetable and herb ones, which seem to be labelled "Herb Infusion" and come with different herbs, so need to check the pack to see if they are the herbs for you.

Welshy, if you've never made soup before, may I suggest you start with the pan and blender, before splashing out on a gadget that you may not use.

The hand whizzer does me perfectly.
As for flavouring, it's a veg. Bouillon powder for me personally.

It is so simple to make soup in a big pot or slow cooker it really isn’t necessary to buy s soup maker unless you have loads of space in your kitchen, and as others have said a simple stick blender (about £10) makes a smooth soup if you prefer that.

As for stock I make mine in my slow cooker using a roast chicken carcass, lamb or beef bones or a ham joint. You can use stock cubes but I always prefer real stock.

I pronounce it booyon It's simpler.

Love my soup maker. Chuck everything in add some water and a stock pot push the button and leave it to work it’s magic. Around 20 mins later perfectly smooth tasty soup. Use it at least once a week during the winter. Probably the best gadget I’ve bought.

Nonogran I have just simmered a chicken carcase with onion and a Knorr cube. Makes a lovely basis for soup & means a roast chicken goes a long way.

How long do you simmer for please?

What Phoenix said
I’m a rubbish cook but a dab hand at soup, and it’s a great way to get your vegetable intake up

Thanks Lucca!

I make leek & potato, lentil, tomato & bacon, or Mr P's particular favourite "Random Vegetable", which as it's name suggests is made out of various bits that might otherwise go to waste.

The only problem with Random Vegetable is you can never quite replicate it

I am a huge soup maker fan. Mine is Morphy Richards. You can get a compact one. One of my favourite kitchen gadgets. Lovely soup in 21 minutes from switching on. Use it 2 or 3 times a week in winter.

We have this same discussion so many times, and I’ve yet to see anyone who’s actually had a soup maker say they prefer a saucepan and blender.

They’re great. Mine’s used at least once a week and never fails to deliver. Just chuck your ingredients in and switch on and 21 minutes later you have your soup. No bubbling saucepan to watch, and just one thing to wash up. They’re the size of a large kettle so not really big to store. I’ve noticed a huge price increase on Amazon lately, probably lockdown related, but my Morphy Richards was £24 five years ago, and makes 1.6 litres. I wouldn’t advise going for a small one as it’s so easy to freeze the soup in individual portions.

I usually use Marigold bouillon.

Another Morphy Richards Sauté &Soup fan here, and I live alone too. I have soup for lunch every day during winter, so I make up a batch and store in the fridge.

It’s very easy to use and clean, and doesn’t take up much room on the kitchen worktop, wouldn’t be without it.

However, reviews show that some purchasers have had problems with them, so worth bearing in mind. Not had any problems with mine in the 3 years I’ve had it.

There is another make called Soup Chef, which is very similar, but has extra features.

My soups are always vegetable, and I normally use Marigold Bouillon which has a nice flavour.

Thank you all for your replies.
It looks like the Morphy Richards is a firm favourite then plus the Knorr Stock Pots or Bouillon (which I've never heard of) Can you get this at any supermarket?
I also don't have a slow cooker but I think that would take up more room.

NanTheWiser ... I've just noticed some come without the saute option. Is it something you frequently use? Is it worth paying extra for?

Welshy, yes, I think the sauté option is best to have. When you need to fry off onions/leeks/ celery, it does it for you, before you add other ingredients, and select whether you want smooth or chunky soup.

The bouillon should be available at any large supermarket, along with other stock and gravy products, it comes in a tub, smaller shops might not have it.

I have a slow cooker, but I don’t use it, you don’t need one for soup.

Thank you NanTheWiser

I use a slow cooker for lots of things from soup, to stews and rice pudding. I recently cooked a whole joint of pork for delicious pulled pork.
It makes things like lamb curry melt in the mouth tender and the best scotch broth ever. My chilli con carne is very popular and the long slow cooking means you can used dried beans.

I actually have a soup maker in my garage. Thank you for reminding me as I need to put it up for sale on Gumtree.

I haven't got the saute function and cant say I miss it. Perhaps my palate is not very discerning!

I am a soup maker fan. I have a Daewoo one which is basic and glass, which does make it rather heavy, but it is nice to see what is going on in the jug. I never sautee in a pan first and there is plenty of taste for me. I like the Knorr stock pots, usually chicken, even for veg soup, but sometimes other flavours. If you try them, be warned that you will not need to add salt as well.
Today I will make cauliflower and cheddar soup, stirring in the cheese at the end of cooking.
I used to wonder why one would bother with a soup maker when the pan method is so simple, but as DD gave me one a few years ago, I have been converted.

After the last thread about soup makers I bought one as a gift for my son but it doesn’t have the sauté function. I’m wondering if I should upgrade it ?

How does the soup maker deal with onions, garlic, ginger etc without the sauté function? Does it soften and release enough flavour?