When our bodies yearn for something truly nourishing, few dishes satisfy quite like a bowl of homemade soup. It's the ultimate comfort food: thrifty, healthy, and endlessly versatile. Having a repertoire of soup recipes is an affordable and straightforward way to boost your daily vegetable intake. However, the traditional method of making soup from scratch can be a time-consuming affair, involving sautéing vegetables, carefully adding liquid, and patiently simmering before finally blending everything together.
Enter the modern soup maker, a clever kitchen gadget designed to handle much of that fuss with the simple press of a button. Most models can complete their cooking programme from start to finish in under thirty minutes, transforming raw ingredients into a steaming bowl of soup with minimal effort. If you're planning to incorporate more healthy, home-cooked lunches and dinners into your routine, investing in a soup-making machine could prove incredibly useful.
Our Rigorous Testing Methodology
To determine which soup makers are truly worth your money, we embarked on an extensive testing process. Over several months, we evaluated a wide range of models, simmering a total of forty batches of soup to assess performance, ease of use, and value for money. Our testing was thorough and methodical, designed to provide you with reliable, real-world insights.
How We Conducted Our Tests
We selected two distinct soup recipes from trusted sources to test the machines' capabilities. The first was a smooth carrot soup with fennel, chilli, and crab, while the second was a chunky potato, leek, and wild mushroom soup. This allowed us to evaluate how each machine handled both smooth and textured soups.
For each soup maker, we assessed several key factors:
- Ease of Assembly and Use: How intuitive was the machine to set up and operate?
- Cooking Time: We timed the duration of both the smooth and chunky soup functions.
- Temperature Control: We recorded the final soup temperature, as well as the temperature of the machine's handle and exterior body after a complete cook cycle.
- Noise Levels: We noted the sound produced during the blending cycle.
- Power Consumption: We measured the energy draw of a single smooth soup programme.
- Final Results: The resulting soups were rated for texture and taste, with particular attention paid to whether vegetables in the chunky soups were cooked through properly.
- Cleanup: We evaluated how easy each machine was to clean, including the effectiveness of any self-cleaning functions.
After testing, all soup makers were either returned to the brand or retailer, or donated to a charitable organisation in Barnet, north London, that supports community kitchens and worthy causes.
The Best Soup Makers in the UK: Our Top Picks
Based on our comprehensive testing, here are the standout soup makers that delivered exceptional performance across various categories and budgets.
Best Soup Maker Overall: Tefal Easy Soup
Priced at £109.99, the Tefal Easy Soup emerged as our top overall choice. This medium-sized soup maker features four settings plus a self-cleaning cycle, housed in a double-walled jug with a clear, simple control panel. It also includes a 40-minute keep-warm function and comes with a recipe book for inspiration.
Why we recommend it: This machine does everything right. It proved easy to use, remarkably quiet (about as loud as a washing machine), and highly effective. The blending noise occurs only in short bursts, making it unlikely to disturb you if you're working nearby. The resulting soups were perfectly cooked—velvety smooth in the smooth programme and with properly tender vegetables in the chunky programme. Cleanup was exceptionally straightforward.
Key Specifications: Capacity: 1.2 litres; Power draw: 0.165KwH; Time: 23 minutes smooth / 25 minutes chunky; Top noise level: 69dB.
Best Budget Soup Maker: Aldi Ambiano Soup Maker
For those seeking outstanding value, the Aldi Ambiano soup maker, available in-store for £29.99, is a brilliant bargain. It boasts a 1.6-litre capacity and comes with five presets: smooth soup, chunky soup, smoothie, compote, and blend, along with a keep-warm function and boil-dry protection.
Why we recommend it: This soup maker looks smart with its all-black matt finish and feels well-constructed. It's incredibly simple to use: just add ingredients up to the max fill line and press start. In just 25 minutes, it produced some of the smoothest soup we tasted. While it lacks a dedicated self-clean function, adding a little water and washing-up liquid and running a quick blend cycle achieves the same result. It's also notably quiet during operation.
Key Specifications: Capacity: 1.6 litres; Power draw: 0.255KwH; Time: 25 minutes smooth / 29 minutes chunky; Top noise level: 65dB.
Best Multifunctional Soup Maker: Ninja Foodi Blender and Soup Maker
If you're looking for a versatile powerhouse, the Ninja Foodi Blender and Soup Maker, priced from £149.99, is an impressive choice. It consists of a base power station with digital controls and a heat-resistant glass jug. With ten preset programmes, six manual settings, keep-warm, and self-clean functions, it's a highly capable machine that comes with a 25-recipe book.
Why we recommend it: This is a sturdy, well-made appliance with powerful blending blades that create exceptionally silky soups and can even handle ice. The generous number of one-touch programmes makes it easy to use despite its advanced capabilities. The large capacity is ideal for families and batch cooking, and the glass jug allows you to monitor your soup as it cooks.
Key Specifications: Capacity: 1.4 litres hot / 1.7 litres cold; Power draw: 0.221KwH; Time: 30 minutes smooth or chunky; Top noise level: 88.9dB.
Best Compact Soup Maker: Lakeland Compact Soup Maker
Perfect for small kitchens or fewer portions, the Lakeland Compact Soup Maker, available from £59.99, features a one-litre capacity and four functions: smooth, chunky, drinks, and blend, plus self-clean. It's lightweight and portable, making it ideal for one to two people.
Why we recommend it: Its compact size is a major advantage for those with limited worktop or storage space. It uses less power than larger models and can prepare lunch in as little as 23 minutes. While the blending cycles are short, they can reach noise levels similar to a noisy conversation. It's an economical choice for smaller households.
Key Specifications: Capacity: 1 litre; Power draw: 0.076KwH; Time: 23 minutes smooth / 26 minutes chunky; Top noise level: 75dB.
Best Premium-Feeling Soup Maker: Panasonic Blender and Soup Maker
For those who appreciate premium design and multifunctionality, the Panasonic Blender and Soup Maker, priced from £129.99, is a standout. It features a control panel and heating plate in the base unit, with a removable glass jug on top. It includes nine automatic programmes, keep-warm and cleaning cycles, and even a "quiet cover" to muffle blending noise.
Why we recommend it: This machine looks and feels exceptionally premium. It offers impressive functionality, similar to the Ninja model, and was the quickest in our tests, delivering a bowl of soup in just 22 minutes. The quiet cover effectively reduces noise during blending cycles. It's a powerful and versatile appliance for those who want more control over their cooking.
Key Specifications: Capacity: 1 litre hot / 1.2 litres cold; Power draw: 0.133kWh; Time: 22 minutes smooth / 20 minutes chunky; Top noise level: 80dB (71dB with quiet cover).
Other Notable Contenders
Several other soup makers performed well in our tests and deserve mention. The Salter Kuro Digital Soup Maker (from £49.99) is an affordable, solid choice for families, offering good looks, a large capacity, and quick runtime. The Daewoo Soup Maker (from £39.99) represents excellent value, producing impressively smooth soup in just 21 minutes. The Morphy Richards Saute and Soup (from £76.11) is very economical to run and excels at chunky soups, though it struggles with perfectly smooth textures.
Key Considerations When Buying a Soup Maker
Before making your purchase, consider the following factors to ensure you choose the right model for your needs.
Budget and Features
If you're looking for a basic soup maker to handle everyday vegetable and stock combinations, spending between £30 and £40 can secure a perfectly adequate model, especially if you shop for deals. Multifunction models command higher prices, but you're paying for superior blending performance and added versatility. Consider whether you truly need those extra options. If you already own a high-powered blender, a simpler, more compact soup maker might be the wiser choice.
Capacity and Household Size
Think carefully about capacity. For larger families or those who enjoy batch cooking, opt for a model with a capacity of 1.6 litres or more. For smaller households or individuals who prefer not to eat the same meal repeatedly, a more compact model without a minimum fill requirement for two or three portions will be more suitable and economical.
Functionality and Verification
Some premium soup makers double as powerful blenders, capable of crushing ice and making milkshakes or cocktails. Assess whether this additional functionality aligns with your cooking habits. Even budget-friendly soup makers typically include a non-heating blending function for basic tasks. Finally, ensure that any machine you're considering is a genuine soup maker with a heating plate, as some appliances may be marketed as such without actually having the necessary components to cook soup properly.
Investing in a quality soup maker can revolutionise your approach to healthy, home-cooked meals. By considering your budget, household needs, and desired features, you can select a model that will provide delicious, nourishing soups with minimal fuss for years to come.
