Best Soup Makers 2022

It’s hard to beat a hot bowl of soup on a winter night, but should a soup maker be a kitchen essential? We discuss the benefits and features of soup cookers, so you can decide whether it’s a must-have or a purchase to skip.

Image credit: Morphy Richards

What is a soup maker used for?

A soup maker is an all-in-one kitchen appliance that can make soup with just the push of a button. Generally, you add the pre-cut ingredients and the soup maker will blend, heat, and cook the ingredients until the soup is your desired consistency and ready to serve.

But why would you need a dedicated soup maker when you can make soup in a pot over the stove? Well, a soup maker does most of the work for you, meaning less time and effort than toiling over a pot and a blender.

Here are some pros and cons of a soup maker, so you can figure out whether or not you need one.

What can you put in a soup blender?

Different soup makers might allow different types and sizes of ingredients, however for the most part, you can generally put the following ingredients in a soup maker:

• Pre-cut produce – it’s sometimes recommended to cut produce into bite-sized chunks.
• Stock, herbs and spices.
• Dairy, such as milk, butter, and cooking cream.
• Pre-cooked meats, although some soup makers have the ability to cook small amounts of raw meat.
• Small amounts of frozen vegetables – it may take longer to cook if you add over 100g of frozen veggies.

What to look for in a soup maker

Capacity

Most soup makers come with a jug with a 1.5 to 1.8L capacity. A 1.5L soup maker is generally enough to make 4 servings. If you’ve got a larger family or household, or just fancy leftovers, you can also find large soup makers with up to 2L of capacity.

You should also consider a soup maker’s dimensions and whether you can easily store it in your existing kitchen cabinetry.

Preset cooking functions

Most soup makers have multiple cooking settings to make soups with different textures and consistencies. Some also have a sauté function that lets you fry the ingredients at the beginning of the cooking process.

If you want to make the most out of your soup maker, look for one with a variety of preset functions, such as the option for creamy soups, thick and chunky soups, and stews. Some even have the option to make smoothies, jams, icy drinks and more – combined soup and smoothie makers are popular.

Cooking time

On their fastest setting, most soup makers can make soup in 20 to 30 minutes. However, you should still check the cooking time of all the different settings available on a soup maker before buying.

The cooking time will also depend on the cooking or blending setting you select. Chunky soup usually takes longer to cook.

Features

Soup makers usually come with a variety of features to make them easier to use – here are some they might have.

• Keep Warm: This function keeps your soup warm after it has finished cooking, so you can enjoy it when you’re ready to eat it.
• Pause: This lets you pause the soup cooking and let you add ingredients last minute.
• Overfill sensor: An overfill sensor will generally cut power to the blade, stopping the soup maker if it detects a potential spill.
• Delay timer: This only starts cooking when you set it to, so you can have it ready when you are.
• Auto-clean: A feature that automatically cleans the soup maker’s pot or jug – you may just have to add a drop of detergent.
• Portion control: This feature tailors your cooking time depending on the number of soup portions you’re making.
• Smart connectivity: A feature that provides access to recipes and tips for using your soup maker.
• Digital display: A digital display makes it easy to see the settings you’ve selected and how much time is left until your soup is ready.
• Travel bottle: Some soup makers come with a travel bottle so you can take your soup to go. Look for a vacuum-sealed travel bottle to prevent spills in your bag.
• Detachable power cord: makes for simple storage.

Cleaning and maintenance

Aside from an auto-clean feature, look for a soup maker with a non-stick base. A soup maker with a glass jug, rather than a plastic jug, will also make cleaning up easier, as glass has less chance of staining and will let you easily see which part needs cleaning.

It’s also a good idea to look at a soup maker in person to see if it’ll be easy to clean around the blades (unless they’re removable).

Ease of use

The purpose of a soup maker machine is to reduce the work of cooking, which is why it should be easy to use. Look for clear, easy-to-use controls and a detailed instruction manual – bonus points if it includes some soup maker recipes.

Price

Soup makers cost about the same as blenders, with prices ranging from $60 to well over $400 for more premium models. Generally, the more features and cooking functions available, the more expensive a soup maker will be.

Are soup makers worth it?

If you make soup often, or if cooking soup just doesn’t spark as much joy as eating it, then a soup maker can definitely be worth it. The ease of chopping your ingredients, putting them in the soup maker, and pressing a button to have all the hard work done for you can free up a lot of time for you to sit back, relax, and do your own thing.

However, if you’re someone who enjoys spending more time in the kitchen, or doesn’t think the cost and hassle of storing a dedicated appliance is worth it, then you might want to reconsider buying a soup maker and instead opt for a blender, which can be more versatile depending on the type you get.