Are Soup Makers Worth It? 8 Benefits of a Soup Maker
A soup maker is one of those kitchen gadgets that you can look at and think, do I actually need that? After all, I’ve got saucepans and a blender, and making soup on the hob isn’t exactly difficult.
I wasn’t sure how much I’d use one either, but once I had a soup maker I was surprised by how convenient it was. I particularly like being able to put everything in, choose the programme and get on with something else rather than having a saucepan on the hob that I need to remember to check.
That doesn’t mean I think everyone needs one. If you rarely eat soup or you’re perfectly happy making it in a saucepan, I’d save your money and cupboard space. If you make soup regularly, though, there are some genuine advantages.
1. There’s less to keep an eye on
This is probably the biggest benefit for me.
When I make soup on the hob, there’s a saucepan bubbling away that I need to remember exists. With my soup maker, I can add the ingredients, choose the appropriate programme and leave the machine to cook the soup.
Obviously you still need to prepare the ingredients first, and you need to follow the instructions for your particular machine, but the actual cooking needs very little attention.
That’s handy if, like me, you have a habit of starting three other jobs while you’re supposed to be cooking!
2. There’s less washing up
Making smooth soup on the hob usually means at least a saucepan and a blender or stick blender.
A soup maker cooks and blends in the same container, so there can be considerably less washing up afterwards.
How easy the machine itself is to clean varies between models, though. Some have cleaning programmes while others need to be washed manually, so this is something I’d check if you’re choosing one to buy.
3. It can encourage you to make soup more often
I definitely eat soup more frequently when making it feels easy.
This is particularly useful during autumn and winter when I often have carrots, parsnips, peppers or other vegetables that need using. Instead of trying to think of another meal for them, they can become soup.
That doesn’t mean you can throw absolutely anything into the machine and hope for the best, but once you’ve made soup a few times you soon get a feel for combinations you like.
Have a look at my soup maker recipes if you need some ideas to get started.
4. It can help you use vegetables before they’re wasted
One of my favourite uses for soup is dealing with vegetables that aren’t going to last much longer.
A slightly bendy carrot or pepper that has seen better days might not look particularly exciting on a dinner plate, but it can still be useful in soup as long as it’s safe to eat and hasn’t spoiled.
It also gives you some flexibility. If you’ve got half a bag of carrots, an onion and a couple of potatoes, you don’t necessarily need to go shopping for a completely different list of ingredients before you can make lunch.
5. You control what goes into your soup
When you make soup yourself, you choose the ingredients.
That can be useful if you need to watch particular ingredients, have allergies or intolerances, prefer vegetarian or vegan food, or simply don’t like something commonly found in ready-made soups.
It also means you can adjust flavours to suit yourself. If you like loads of garlic, add it. If you hate coriander, don’t put it anywhere near your soup. There are no soup police coming to check!
You can also choose your own stock and seasonings, which is useful if you’re keeping an eye on salt.
6. You can choose smooth or chunky soup
Many soup makers have programmes for both smooth and chunky soup.
I like smooth soups such as tomato, butternut squash and mushroom, but sometimes something chunky with pasta, lentils or vegetables feels much more like a proper meal.
Check what programmes your machine offers because they do vary. You shouldn’t assume that every ingredient or every soup recipe will work with every setting.
7. Soup can be an inexpensive lunch
Soup itself can be very cheap to make, particularly when you’re using seasonal vegetables, lentils, tinned tomatoes and ingredients you already have.
Of course, buying a soup maker costs money in the first place, so I wouldn’t claim that owning one automatically saves you money. If it sits untouched in a cupboard, it’s definitely not saving you anything!
If you already buy lots of ready-made soup and a soup maker encourages you to make your own instead, that’s where you may notice a difference.
8. Some soup makers can do more than make soup
This varies enormously between models, so check before buying rather than assuming they all do the same thing.
Some soup makers have programmes for things such as smoothies, sauces or blending without heating. I’ve even used mine to make smooth curry sauce and gravy.
Whether those extra functions are genuinely useful depends on what other appliances you already own. If you’ve already got a blender you love, a smoothie function probably isn’t going to change your life!
Are there any disadvantages to soup makers?
There are, and I think they’re worth considering before you buy one.
The obvious one is space. Soup makers aren’t tiny, and if your kitchen cupboards are already overflowing with gadgets you might resent having another one.
Capacity can also be limiting. A soup maker is brilliant for making a few portions, but if you’re trying to batch cook enormous quantities, a big saucepan may be more practical.
You’re also restricted by the machine’s minimum and maximum fill levels. You can’t simply double a recipe and hope it fits.
Some ingredients need extra care too. Meat may need cooking separately depending on your machine and recipe, and pasta, rice, dairy and frozen ingredients aren’t necessarily things you can throw in indiscriminately. Always check your manufacturer’s instructions.
Is a soup maker cheaper than using the hob?
I wouldn’t buy one purely because you expect it to slash your energy bills.
Running costs depend on the appliance, its wattage, the programme you use and what you’re comparing it with. There’s also the initial cost of buying the machine to consider.
For me, the main reason to use one is convenience rather than trying to save a few pence each time I make soup.
Is a soup maker worth it?
I think a soup maker is worth considering if you eat soup regularly and like the idea of putting the ingredients in one appliance and letting it cook and blend them for you.
If you make soup once every six months, probably not.
I also wouldn’t buy one expecting it to transform your cooking. A saucepan and stick blender can make perfectly good soup. The advantage of the soup maker is that it makes the whole process a little more convenient.
I’ve used mine for soup, sauces and even gravy, so it earns its cupboard space in our house. That’s really the test I’d use with any kitchen gadget: not whether other people rave about it, but whether you’re genuinely going to use it.
If you’re considering one, you can read my Morphy Richards soup maker review to see how I’ve got on with mine.
What can you make in a soup maker?
Vegetable soups are probably the obvious starting point. Tomato, carrot, parsnip, butternut squash, mushroom, pepper and lentil soups can all work well, depending on the recipe and your machine.
Once you’re comfortable using it, you can experiment a little more with different vegetables, herbs, spices and textures.
My soup maker recipes page has plenty of ideas, including easy vegetable soups and more filling options, while my healthy soup recipes collection has even more inspiration if you don’t mind adapting a recipe for your machine.
Just remember that soup makers aren’t identical. Check the instructions for yours before adapting recipes, particularly when you’re using ingredients such as meat, dairy, pasta, rice or frozen food.
