There are few more healthy, economical or delicious lunchtime options than a warming bowl of home-made soup. As soon as autumn appears, it becomes my midweek go-to – but the need to watch over and stir the pot can put a halt on my good intentions. The best plug-in soup makers are an excellent way to reduce the time spent. After a quick scout in the fridge for a few odds and ends, I can whip up a tasty soup in around half an hour.
There are two main styles, including the more affordable all-in-one model which looks like a large kettle. This is ideal for simply throwing in your ingredients, choosing a smooth or chunky setting, popping on the lid (to which the blade is attached) and leaving it to run. They cook at set temperatures and in the main are not suitable for cooking raw meat, but can work wonders with leftovers such as roast chicken or ham along with a scoop of frozen corn or peas. They may have some additional settings such as blending or sauce-making and in general have a large capacity, averaging out at a maximum of 1.6 litres, enough for six servings.
The second style is taller, heavier and closely resembles a traditional blender or food processor, consisting of a base and separate glass jug with blades in the bottom. These tend to have more controllable functions and reach higher temperatures, so are safe for cooking raw meat. Since the blades are at the base rather than top-loaded, they can handle smaller quantities and soup is less likely to stick.
I’ve tested both sorts, from all the main manufacturers and you can read my reviews in full below, followed by answers to some frequently asked questions. But if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five:
Which is the best soup maker in 2024? At a glance
- Best overall soup maker - Lakeland Touchscreen Soup Maker
- Best value soup maker - Tower 1.6L Vizion Soup Maker
- Best sauté soup maker - Morphy Richards Sauté & Soup Maker
- Best multifunction soup maker - Ninja Foodi Blender & Soup Maker
- Best budget soup maker - Drew & Cole Digital Soup Maker
What to look for in a soup maker
Two key functions to consider are sauté and auto clean. The sauté function heats the base of the jug, so that ingredients can be fried at the beginning of the process. The diameter of the hot plate is significantly smaller than an average saucepan, so the amount you are able to cook is pretty limited.
Not all models have this function and you may decide it’s easy enough to sauté your onions etc in a frying pan before adding to the jug, or opt to simply toss the ingredients in raw and let the machine simmer them down.
As the jug and blades of a soup maker are integrated and cannot be fully submerged, cleaning them is a little tricky, especially with rich or creamy soups. So auto clean is a key feature for me. It works by adding water and a few drops of detergent to the jug and running a cycle. It proves really helpful for cleaning sharp blades. For models without auto-clean, it’s worth checking whether or not a specially-shaped cleaning brush is included with the machine.
A further factor is the chunky setting. While some machines chop during this cycle, most simply heat, which means you’ll need to keep your chef’s knives sharp in order to dice the ingredients before adding them to the jug. If there’s no blending or stirring taking place, having suffered several scorched bottoms, I’d suggest avoiding thicker soups such as lentil or pea and ham on this setting. Those work much better on a smooth programme.
Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended
Our guides will always help you find the best product at the best price. No manufacturer ever sees copy before publication and we do not accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.
How I tested the best soup makers
I tested each of the soup makers several times cooking smooth and chunky soups on the automatic settings. I scored each model on stability and safety as well as on how easy it was to operate and clean.
I also tested each soup maker’s range of additional functions, such as sauté and keep warm. Size and capacity were also factored into my final scores. All the soup makers listed below performed well, speedily delivering excellent results.
Best soup makers
1. Lakeland Touchscreen Soup Maker
£99.99, Lakeland
Best overall, 10/10
We like: controllability and ease of cleaning
We don’t like: the weight gives stability but it’s heavy for lifting
- Capacity:1400ml capacity for hot soups 1750ml cold
- Wattage: 1000W
- Good range of controllable functions including temperature, blending and ice crushing and programmes including smooth, smooth, sauce and auto clean
- Height 44cm / Jug weight 2.6kg
A solid and hefty machine, this model has a separate base and blender-style glass jug with blades set in the bottom. The base is made of brushed metal with a black touch-screen display that illuminates once the machine is switched on and there’s space to neatly coil the power cable for storage.
There are of course, the expected automatic settings of smooth and chunky soup and also a sauce function but there are also several additional manual settings that can prove very useful. The temperature can be adjusted which makes it safe to cook soups that include raw meat, for example a chunky beef and black bean soup, and can reach temperatures of up to 100C. The default timer of 30 minutes can also be increased to up to 60 minutes.
It pulses perfectly on the automatic chunky setting and I was delighted with a chicken and sweetcorn soup I tested which resulted in an even texture with uniform shreds of chicken.
The locking lid has a central, removable measuring cup so ingredients such as herbs can be added further into the cooking process. But do take care to ensure the cup is in place while the soup maker is in blending mode in order to avoid any hot and messy splatters.
The volume range of 600ml - 1400ml for hot and 1750ml for cold, allows for a variety of serving sizes and is suitable for cooking smaller quantities. Other functions include keep warm and ice crushing and the accompanying brochure offers plenty enough recipes to get you started.
There is no sauté function. The autoclean, however, is very effective, needing only a quick rinse out afterwards while the lid and cup can be washed separately, so the clean-up couldn’t be easier.
This soup maker offers unbeatable flexibility for cooks who prefer to customise their soups rather than simply press and go. And at under £100, it presents very good value.
2. Tower 1.6L Vizion Soup Maker
£69.99, Tower Housewares
Best value soup maker, 9/10
We like: ability to see the soup cooking and the three year guarantee
We don’t like: round handle means the lid can’t balance
- Capacity: 1600ml
- Wattage: 1000W
- Four functions: smooth and chunky soup, juice and blend
- Height in 31.8cm and weight in 2.19kg
The only kettle-style soup maker we tested to offer a clear jug. In this case it’s made from plastic so it’s lighter weight than glass but may possibly discolour over time if used to make vibrant soups such as those containing tomato puree or curry paste.
The functions are pared back to the very basics making this a safe choice for creating simple, everyday soups. It couldn’t be easier to operate and being able to watch the soup heat, blend and rest as it progresses through the cycle is reassuring for those with less cooking experience. It’s a quiet machine, even when blending and produced consistently good results during testing, delivering a velvety cauliflower soup in just 21 minutes.
The only downside is the rounded handle which means the lid with the attached blade needs to be laid on its side when lifted out of the jug. Make sure to have a chopping board nearby to handle the drips and protect the work surface.
3. Morphy Richards Sauté & Soup Maker
£99.99, Morphy Richards
Best sauté soup maker, 9/10
We like: the sauté function
We don’t like: no auto clean
- Capacity: 1600ml
- Wattage: 1000W
- Five functions: sauté, smooth and chunky soup, juice and blend
- Height 36cm / weight 2.17kg
A stainless steel kettle-style soup maker and the lightest of those tested. It has a flat handle on the lid which makes lifting out the blade and placing it down much less of a perilous balancing act than with some other models.
I loved the sauté function on this soup maker and found it the only machine to perform the task efficiently. The cooking plate has a nonstick coating and heats up to sizzling temperatures very quickly. While the surface area isn’t huge, it’s sufficient for softening onions and crisped my bacon lardons up nicely. As the lid is kept off for this setting, you can stir as you cook to ensure even results.
As with all kettle-style machines, this is not suitable for cooking raw meat such as chicken or mince with the exception of a small quantity that may be cooked using the sauté function.
This machine doesn’t chop on the chunky setting, however it does have a blend button so it’s possible to pulse it a few times after cooking to reach your preferred texture. The smooth setting gave excellent results.
The accompanying brochure is thorough and includes several recipes for soups, garnishes such as croutons and also smoothies.
4. Ninja Foodi Blender & Soup Maker
£129.99, Ninja
Best multifunction soup maker, 9/10
We like: the wide range of functions make this a useful machine all year round
We don’t like: the small surface area for sautéing
- Capacity:1400ml / 1750ml
- Wattage: 1000W
- Wide range of controllable functions including saute, chop and blend and programmes including smooth, chunky, sauce and jam
- Height 45cm / jug weight 2.54kg
This is a sturdy design with a large non-slip base, a separate glass jug and double locking lid so it scores well for safety.
As we’ve come to expect from Ninja, this machine has a huge number of additional functions which will guarantee it a place on your kitchen counter all year round, which is just as well considering its overall weight of 5.6kg.
The auto programmes include frozen drinks and jam along with a host of other functions such as pulse, keep warm and clean. There’s also a range of temperature settings from low to high which means uncooked meat can safely be used in soup making.
The pre-cook chop function is incredibly useful and allows for the addition of very roughly chopped ingredients such as a quartered onion which is then pulsed to a fairly fine size before cooking begins.
The sauté function, however, proved a little disappointing. As the blades are set in the base of the jug, the surface area for frying is very limited. Additionally, as the lid needs to be locked in place, it’s not possible to stir the ingredients as they cook so it won’t soften sufficiently if sauteing quantities greater than a small shallot or a couple of garlic cloves.
This machine runs quietly and beeps a warning before pulsing though it was very noisy on the final blending phase for smooth soups.
Alongside the instruction manual there’s a separate inspiration guide packed with tips for getting good results, including how to create customised soups and a good selection of recipes including jam, drinks and desserts such as coconut pineapple sorbet and chocolate fondue.
5. Drew & Cole Digital Soup Maker
£50.99, Amazon
Best budget soup maker, 9/10
We like: the extra smooth setting for silky soups
We don’t like: the lack of recipe inspo and no blending function
- Capacity: 1600ml
- Wattage: 900W
- Functions: smooth soup, extra smooth, chunky soup, oat / soy milk and auto clean
- Height 38.5 cm and weight 2.46 kg
The design of this soup maker, while simple and functional, offers some really useful features including flat surfaces on the lid and a flush handle which makes lifting out the blade clean and easy. A sliding cover over the electrical socket makes for safer cleaning.
This machine does not chop on the chunky setting and there’s no option to pulse or blend if you decide you’d like a smoother finish to your soup. However, if a pureed soup is your preference, the extra smooth setting is a real bonus and produced a wonderfully silky leek and potato soup during testing.
Unusually, this machine also has settings for making both soy and oat milk which could offer substantial cost savings if plant milks are a regular in your shopping basket.
There are no recipes included so I downloaded the app which disappointingly only listed two soups both of which called for pre-roasting the vegetables. The lack of a blend function is made up for (nearly) by the efficient auto clean setting.
This machine delivers on all the essential functions and in terms of price versus results, offers excellent value.
6. Tefal Perfectmix Cook
£149.99, Tefal
Best high-powered soup maker, 8/10
We like: the useful steam programme and the unbeatable clean
We don’t like: it’s tall and heavy so will need permanent counter space
- Capacity: 1400ml / 1750ml
- Wattage: 1400W
- 10 automatic programmes including soup, smoothie, ice crush, clean and steam
- Height 48.6cm / 5.8kg
With a whopping 1400 wattage, this multi-function machine has some serious power behind its blades. Styled as a traditional blender with a separate stainless steel base and glass jug which when assembled was the tallest of all the machines tested.
The parts are strong and robust. And if meticulous cleaning is high up on your list of priorities, this machine will score well as not only is there an auto clean function, the blades can also be removed for washing.It runs very quietly, though at 30 minutes for a smooth soup, it takes a little longer than other models.
Alongside the standard programmes and functions, it has an additional and very useful steam setting with an accompanying (small) drop-in basket. It did a great job of steaming greens and dumplings during testing.
If you’re in need of inspiration, Tefal has a very useful app which even includes a recipe search based on the ingredients you have in your fridge at home. But you’ll need to create an account and log-in to use it, which may be a step too far for some busy cooks.
7. Salter Digital Soup Maker
£54.99, Amazon
Best soup maker for small kitchens, 7/10
We like: The simplicity of the design
We don’t like: The huge volume of steam created
- Capacity: 1600ml
- Wattage 900W
- Short list of functions (smooth soup, chunky soup, chop, sauté etc)
- Height 29cm / 2.6kg
A basic but smart kettle-style design that certainly packs a punch with a vigorous simmer that quickly had my kitchen steaming up. As with all the other kettle-style models, a safety probe in the lid will trigger an alarm if it senses the mixture rising too high. However, with a volume sitting below the maximum level, my machine still signalled the alarm several times during each testing, again this may be due to that robust boil.
Despite my irritation at the alarm, the end results were very good. There’s no blending on the chunky setting so you’ll need to do all the chopping yourself but it did produce one of the smoothest soups (spiced butternut) of all those tested. Unfortunately, the rounded handle on the lid means the blade cannot easily be upended after lifting out and needs to be laid on its side.
The compact height means this soup maker can be neatly tucked away in a cupboard if counter space is limited. There are no recipes or inspiration given so you will need to experiment with your own recipes. A QR code links to a YouTube video showing how to operate the soup maker.
FAQs
How does a soup maker work?
Simply add ingredients to the jug, select a program (smooth or chunky), and the machine cooks and blends the soup automatically.
What else can I use a soup maker for?
You can use your soup maker for smoothies, sauces and warm drinks like hot chocolate. Some models also allow for making jam, ice cream and crushing ice.
Do soup makers use a lot of electricity?
All of the soup makers above draw 900 or 1,000 Watts, costing 22p and 25p per hour respectively under the current energy price cap.
Is it cheaper to make soup in a soup maker or on the hob?
According to energy efficiency site Sust-It’s gas cost calculator, a small burner on the hob uses 7p of gas per hour. A large burner uses 19p of gas. So, minute-for-minute, the hob is cheaper. But if it takes longer to do the job, those savings will be cancelled out.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
