Soup Makers

I do it the old way in a big old stockpot but I have never tried a proper soup maker- what about bones? Surely you can't put the chicken carcass in?

I do have a ridiculously expensive Vitamix machine which chops,blends & heats in one go- mad present from gadget loving DH- I'd never have bought it but it is useful for a quick veggie soup. TBH it takes up too much room on work surface & I could easily live without it- good for smoothies & quick fresh fruit icecream though.

I agree with NellieMoser that soup tastes better if onions, garlic etc are fried first though. I never throw away meat bones until I have made stock- old habits die hard!

I bought a Morphy Richards soup maker and it is the best thing ever. I used to use a saucepan for making soup but found it rather heavy so my soup maker is ideal, it chops, cooks and blends to smooth or chunky, ideal. It also juices fruit and veg if required. Fabulous purchase, I wouldn't do without it.

I found a blender at a bring-and-buy sale for £1. Ages ago. It still works fine. I feel no need for a soup maker when it's so easy to do it without.

I've bought a hand blender which detaches to go in the dish washer which makes a difference. I do Nigella's yellow split pea soup and just hand blend.
And I still remember pushing red lentils through a drum sieve in Domestic Science and thinking never again. Soup making is so easy nowadays.

I would hate to go back to saucepan, pressure cooker or whatever else people say are all you need- the soup maker is wonderful!

I have the basic one that you are thinking of and it is fine. I use it most days in the winter.
Of course you can make it in a saucepan, but the soup maker was one of my best buys ever- it is so easy and far less to wash afterwards.

I haven't used my blender since I bought the soup maker. It takes up less space and is so much easier to clean than a blender and a saucepan. I certainly wouldn't go back!

I think if you are putting onions into soup, or anything else, they taste very much better for being slightly caramalised by frying/ sauteeing first.

I make soup but I don't think I have any room left for any more kitchen gadgets. I do have a blender so I don't feel the need for a soup maker.
A good knife and sauce pan and some onions and it's easy. I can still make it in 20 min unless it's yellow soup split pea soup which does need a pressure cooker.
I made some green pea soup with some smart price frozen peas the other day, the first time I had tried a green pea soup. It looked very unappetising indeed until I zapped it in the blender. It was very good indeed.

If you do not have a blender? If you have to buy either a blender or a soupmaker?
A soup maker is a blender and a pan at the same time. You can use it as blender and a smoothie maker for the grandkids. I even used mine as a kettle when mine started leaking.

Even better....A knife, a pressure cooker and a blender.

All you need is a knife, a saucepan and a blender.....Done job!

I had a vegetarian cafe and used to spend every day putting on a big pan of soup before I did anything else. That's probably why I prefer the easy way with a soup maker.

I'm with you on the soup making, Phoenix. I grew up watching my mum make tasty soup from next to nothing so have always just done it her way. My oldest daughter liked The Clangers on children's tv when she was small....I used to pretend I was the Soup Dragon. I'm honestly only slightly mad!

I have the Morphy Richards 48822 and it's one of the best things I've ever bought. It saves so much chopping and mess. Throw in whatever you have - garden surplus, veg rack leftovers, etc, roughly chopped, with herbs/stock cube and cold water - and in 21 minutes you have your soup. A quick rinse and the soup maker's ready to go again. I got mine for under £25 from Amazon's returns department - new, but with an open box. I've no idea about the sauteeing function, I'm afraid.

I have one from Coopers of Stortford which I use a lot.
Cost £39.99. Just put all my spare veg in before it goes off, with water and some bouillon or miso and switch on; then leave it until ready.

I make a lot of home made soup, and have NEVER felt the need for a soup maker! A reasonably heavy bottomed saucepan and a hand held blender do just fine!