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Soup! Is there any better way to warm your bones than with a big bowl of comforting, liquid goodness? We don’t think so, which is why we decided to put together our very own best soup maker machine reviews. After all, winter is well and truly here, and switching from smoothies to soups seems like a sensible idea to us!
While there are a plethora of canned soup options available on the shelves of your local grocery store, what they contain can often leave a lot to be desired. The ever-present baddies such as salt and sugar are there by the bucketload, and then there are those hideously unpronounceable chemical sounding ingredients, too.
Yuk!
As with so many of our food choices these days, homemade leads the way if you want the best nutritional bang for your buck. Unlike more extravagant dishes, soups are super-easy to throw together and a great way to get more of those wonderful veggies in your life even if you use the good old-fashioned pot on the stove method.
However, you can make your life even easier…enter the best soup maker machines!
Before we dive into the reviews themselves, let’s take a closer look at why we should be eating more soups, and why we should be using a soup making gadget to get creative in the kitchen.
Why soup?
As we’ve already touched upon above, making soup at home is a great way to load up on vegetables without the harmful stuff that can be found in some store-bought cans. Homemade vegetable soups are packed with nutrients and can be made in batches, frozen and warmed through to give you a quick and easy meal when time is at a premium.
Soups are also a great way to improve the way our foods interact together. Science has shown the importance of food synergy, and combining our veg together in the form of a soup gives us an easy way to mix up the phytochemicals we need to improve health and stave of a plethora of killer diseases.
Interested in food synergy? Check out the short video on the subject below:
As vegans, our soups are naturally going to be plant-based affairs, making them low in fat and a perfect way to maintain a healthy body weight. However, if you want to give your soup a little fat content and recreate that creaminess found in some non-vegan soups without adding dairy, creamed coconut is the way to go.
Unlike the coconut milk or cream that is sold in cans, creamed coconut comes in a block and is made from 100% pure coconut – no gums or nasty emulsifiers here. Adding creamed coconut results in a nicely thickened soup with a deliciously silky texture…YUM! (1)
Last but not least is the fact that soup is surprisingly filling. As soups are generally made with quite a lot of water and foods (vegetables) that are high in fiber yet low in energy density, you have the perfect combination for a meal that satisfies even the emptiest of stomachs.
Throw in a hunk of crusty whole grain bread as well and your hunger pangs are as good as gone!
RELATED: BEST VEGAN BREAD RECIPES
Why not just use a good ol’ pot on the stove?
One word – convenience. While making soup from scratch in the old fashioned way is really simple, it’s time consuming, messy and requires constant supervision. Oh, and then there’s the washing up…urggh!
If you want to make a smooth soup in the traditional way, you’ll also need either a stick blender to whizz it up with, or have the time and patience to wait until the soup is cool enough to put through a blender or food processor.
Even then you may find you have too much soup for your kitchen appliance to handle. What a palaver!
That being said, buying a soup maker does mean that you’ll have yet another piece of kit to store, so be sure you have enough room in your kitchen cupboards or worktop. It’s also worth being honest with yourself about how much you are going to use your new soup maker machine.
I know I’m certainly guilty of shiny object syndrome from time to time!
For the money, though, soup maker machines are really good value; especially if you intend to take soup to work or school each day.
Okay, so are there different types of soup maker?
Yes, but don’t worry, there are only two types you really need to consider when looking for a good soup maker for home use. As you’ll generally find with most kitchen appliances, there are pros and cons to both, so let’s take a look at what you can expect from each.
Blender style soup maker
At first glance, you’d be hard pushed to distinguish these soup makers from a regular worktop blender. However, the key difference between the two is the fact that a soup maker blender has the ability to heat the contents of the blender as well as whizz them up.
This is done thanks to a heating element which is usually situated within a plate in the bottom of the blender, but some do heat via the blades rotating at high speeds.
The blade heated soup machine will need to be run at a very high setting in order to create the amount of heat necessary to cook the ingredients, so you’ll be treated to seven minutes of noise as the blades do their stuff.
Not ideal.
One thing plenty of people like about the blender style electric soup maker is the fact they often come with transparent jugs so you can see your soup as it’s being blended.
That being said, there seems to be a trend toward opaque jugs, which some people will see as a move backwards.
The only reason for this I can think of is the possible staining of transparent jugs by repeatedly cooking soups containing deep colors such as those made with tomatoes and beets. This, however, is just a guess, not something I know for certain.
Many of these machines are usually marketed as “multi-functional”, claiming that you can use them for soups, smoothies and all manner of blending needs.
However, for some this is pushing things a little as they end up not doing any of their tasks very well.
Others do perform adequately at all tasks, but it’s important not to be swayed by promises made by some manufacturers when their products are clearly not up to the job.
Kettle style soup making machine
These do the same job as a blender soup maker – heating the ingredients and blending them – but they, as their name suggests, look a lot more like an electric kettle than a worktop blender.
A kettle soup making machine will generally have blades in the lid, as opposed to the base, and the general consensus seems to be that the kettle style soup maker is easier to clean than the blender style.
Another benefit of this type of soup maker is the fact that they are far more compact than their blender style cousins.
Possibly the biggest advantage of buying a kettle style soup blender, though, is that they are usually cheaper than the blender style soup makers on the market.
This is an unusual benefit as the kettle style repeatedly beat the blender style in our review of the best soup makers available.
Features to look for when buying an electric soup maker
When looking to buy a soup maker, there are one or two things you’ll want to look out for:
Blending modes
Variety is the spice of life, and it also helps when it comes to making awesome soups, too.
Keep an eye out for the different types of blending options each machine has when you’re perusing the various soup makers on the market.
Some will only have one or two settings, whereas others will allow you to make smooth and chunky soups, crush ice, make smoothies, and more.
Cooking duration
As we mentioned previously, some of the bladed heated soup makers can have a dish ready for consumption in around seven minutes, but you might have such a headache that you’ll no longer want to eat anything.
This is due to the fact that you’ll have to run the blender at full pelt for the whole seven minutes…which is a long time to listen to that racket.
While this speedy option can be handy if you’re in a rush, a much more sedate method is when the ingredients are cooked first by the heating element, then blended.
A good soup maker machine will have a piping hot meal ready within 25 minutes, and you’ll still be able to hold a conversation while it works its magic.
Capacity
This is a big one, and it’s often something people wish they’d taken more notice of before they plumped for a smaller machine. The range of sizes varies quite a bit, and they’re often marketed to single people, families, etc. according to their size.
This, however, can be a little shortsighted, especially for the singletons out there.
Think about it; soup generally freezes extremely well, so why not make batches and have a stock of quick and easy meal options for those times when you need something fast?
Opting for the bigger machine can often be the more prudent purchase, too.
Buying small amounts of veg can sometimes be problematic, and it’s most certainly more expensive, so being able to make bigger amounts of soup at once can save you money in the long run.
Sautéing
While this feature will generally be more of a boon to those cooking with meat, having a sauté option can be beneficial to vegan and vegetarian soup makers, too.
Almost all traditional soup recipes tell you to sauté the harder veg briefly, and there’s a reason for that.
Being able to sauté your vegetables prior to cooking increases the flavor of your soups, so a sauté option is definitely something to consider when deciding which soup maker to buy.
How easy are they to clean?
This is an important point, as the main reasons to buy an electric soup machine is often to minimise mess and fuss. As anyone who already has a few small kitchen appliances will testify, not all machines are created equal.
Therefore it’s worth taking note of whether or not the ingredients can get into places they shouldn’t and whether the soup maker has a tendency to let food get stuck on the bottom of the soup blender.
If they do, there’s an increased chance of burning, and we all know just how difficult burnt food is to clean off of anything!
The best soup maker machine reviews
Now that we know why soup makers are a good idea, and what we should be looking out for when buying one, it’s time to get into the reviews proper.
So, without further ado, let’s get down to the nitty gritty and start our best soup maker machine reviews!
Hometech 800w Electric Soup Maker Machine
Looking for a good value soup making machine that doesn’t compromise on performance? Well, the Hometech 800w Soup Maker Machine might be just the ticket…might be.
This kettle style soup cooker and blender is designed to cope with most soup making chores thanks to its easy to use control panel.
The Hometech soup maker’s control panel has four buttons, giving you the opportunity to make both smooth and chunky soups with one press, while the pulse button is there so you have a little more control if you just want to give your soup a high-powered blitz without fully blending it. The simmer/boil function does what it says it will – bring your soup to a boil, then simmer to keep it warm. No degrees in astrophysics needed here!
There are, however, one or two issues with what could have been the perfect product. Every so often, the unit doesn’t blend the soup at all when selecting smooth. This is a major problem for those who are time poor and looking for a soup maker to get things right first time, every time.
No rhyme or reason to this, even when chopping veg extra small before placing inside the soup maker it sometimes fails to whizz the soup up as it should. Not great, and definitely worth noting if buying the machine on the strength of its 23-minute cook time. If you need to run it again, that time naturally increases and it’s just plain frustrating, anyway.
Another problem seems to be that the Hometech Soup Maker has a tendency to scorch the ingredients and leave a hard-to-clean residue on the hot plate at the base. While this may not be too much of a problem over the course of half-a-dozen cycles, it could be a pain should that residue be allowed to build up over time.
The J-style cleaning brush that comes with the product is a handy addition, as are the recipes included, but the Hometech is lacking that quality feel in our opinion.
LIKES
- Very simple to use
- Competitively priced
- Easy to store
- Decent cook time
DISLIKES
- Temperamental functionality
- Fiddly cleaning
- Occasionally scorches food
- Stainless steel exterior gets extremely hot
- Lacks that “quality” feel
VonShef Fresh Soup Maker
The VonShef Fresh Soup Maker is an inexpensive blender style soup making machine that does the job it’s supposed to do, but not without flaws.
The main problem with the VonShef is keeping it clean. As anyone who has had a worktop blender will testify, they’re not the easiest kitchen appliance to keep clean, but the VonShef is especially difficult thanks to the rubber found at the base of the glass jug.
Should food run down the side and sit against the rubber (which it will), it’ll tend to find its way between the two…and it’s nigh on impossible to get out! Over time, this will undoubtedly cause an unsightly build-up of nastiness. Not exactly what you want from something you’re cooking with.
The control panel on the VonShef soup maker machine is pretty self-explanatory, which is just as well because the user manual is very thin on instructions. Another gripe is the fact that the blender seems to struggle with certain veggies, making us think that the motor could do with a little more oomph.
It’s also far from the most attractive piece of kitchenware you’ll ever buy but, for the money, that’s hardly a surprise and not really an issue if you have the cupboard space to hide it away in.
All these moans about the VonShef are more out of frustration than anything else, as it had the potential to be a real winner, especially in its price range.
It comes with a wonderfully solid glass jug that has a decent capacity at 57oz and can turn out a good meal in as little as 20 minutes, if you opt for a smooth soup. Such a shame the design is lacking, chiefly with regard to the rubber seal at the base of the jug.
That being said, if you’re on a budget, and are willing to be extremely careful not to let food drip down the side, the VonShef does do the job that it’s supposed to do perfectly adequately.
LIKES
- Functions well
- Low price
- Solid glass jug
- Fast cook time (20mins smooth, 30mins chunky)
- Suction cups help hold the appliance in place, providing they’re kept clean
DISLIKES
- Poor seal at base of jug allows food to get in (but terrifically difficult to get out)
- Hard to clean, especially around the seal mentioned above
- User manual could do with more detail
- Blades are quite small for the size of the jug
- Blending function isn’t as powerful as it could be
- It’s not the prettiest machine in the world
Gourmia GSM1150 Automatic Soup Maker
Gourmia are a forward thinking kitchenware brand, and the Gourmia GSM1150 Automatic Soup Maker reflects this nicely. It seems as though the white coats at Gourmia have listened to one of the key problems soup maker users have with these appliances and tackled it head on. Cleaning.
The Gourmia GSM1150 not only makes cleaning easy; it actually takes care of it for you, thanks to its self-cleaning function. All you need to do is add water, plug it in, turn it on and hit start. Three minutes later, you’ll see the cleaning lights have illuminated, meaning the job’s done. Then, just give it a quick rinse afterwards and dry the machine off. Brilliant!
This machine is also one of the few on the market that can really do more than just make soup. Marketed as a five-in-one machine, the GSM1150 actually does a decent job of everything it says it will, making it extraordinary value for money. Plus, it’ll save you space in the kitchen, too.
Functionality comes from a top control panel that is simplicity itself. Clearly labelled and fuss-free, just what you want from a machine that is supposed to bring convenience into your home.
Gourmia have taken your safety into consideration, too. They’ve made the outer shell with of a double layer of stainless steel, giving the soup maker a thermal structure that helps prevent scalding – something that can occur with other soup makers.
Gourmia are also ETL listed, giving you further peace of mind as you’ll know that their products comply with North American safety standards.
However, there is one thing that really lets this machine down – its capacity. At only 1.1 liters, the GSM1150 is a little on the small side for our liking. Even if you’re just cooking for yourself, it’s always nice to be able to make more soup to have another time.
All things considered, though, this is still a great piece of kit – and the price will surprise you, too.
LIKES
- Performs all tasks to a good standard
- Anti-scald protection, great safety feature
- Ridiculously easy to operate
- Excellent user manual with full instructions for each function
- Free recipe book included
DISLIKES
- Flowery design may not be to everyone’s taste
- No chunky soup mode
- No sautéing feature
- Small capacity
Gourmia GSM1450 Automatic Soup Maker
Another product from Gourmia, the GSM1450 is a step up from the already impressive GSM1150 reviewed above. This model is actually a six-in-one machine, and it’s capable of handling a whole lot more than just soups.
As you would expect, the GSM1450 soup maker machine does everything the GSM1150 does (including the helpful self-cleaning function), but it also has a much more premium quality feel and look to it.
The GSM1450 is a very solid product, and it feels better built than the smaller GSM1150. It does, however, weigh in at 5.5lbs, which is a full 1.5lbs heavier than the GSM1150, so for those who may struggle with weightier items this should be taken into account.
A single button handles all five modes, making the GSM1450 a breeze to use. The soups come out extremely well blended but, again, there’s no chunky option, which is a real shame.
The clockwise closing lid is easy to slot into place, thanks to the large handle, and it feels reassuringly secure – important when preparing piping hot soup!
Of all the products, the GSM1450 is also the most pleasant to look at (in our opinion). So, if you intend to leave your soup maker machine out on show, this appliance wouldn’t look out of place in the most modern of kitchens, which is great for those with limited cupboard space.
LIKES
- Anti-scald protection
- Simple, one button operation
- Sleek and modern design
- Solid construction from durable stainless steel
- Easy to follow user manual with full instructions for each function
- Free recipe book included
DISLIKES
- Cannot sauté food prior to cooking
- No chunky soup mode
Idavee Presto Pure IAE15 Soup Maker
Marketed as the highest capacity machine of its kind, the Presto Pure IAE15 is the daddy of our selections in this best soup maker machine review. With a whopping 1.9 liters (64.25 US fluid ounces), this bad boy will satisfy both big families and those of you who like to “batch-up” when making soup.
The Presto Pure IAE15 offers seven functions in the one machine, with milk, juices, porridge and oatmeal all possible. Unfortunately, however, like the Gourmia models, there is no chunky soup function with this machine. For some this will be a minor point, but for those of us who like a bit of variety, this is a negative to what is otherwise a very capable and multifunctional machine.
Operating the Presto Pure IAE15 is simple and straightforward. In fact, it’d be very difficult to select the wrong setting when using this machine.
The only thing we’d like to see improved upon is the fact that this product ships with a plastic jug and strainer. These are made from Polypropylene, which is regarded as safe, but their inclusion does cheapen a product that is at the higher end of the soup maker machine market.
Like the Gourmia models, the Presto Pure IAE15 has a self-cleaning function that gives you a head-start when it comes to getting any residue off of your machine once you’re finished cooking.
Although there is a cleaning brush included in the box, it could be better. In fact, a standard J-style brush would be a huge improvement as the one that comes with the soup maker is missing bristles in those all-important corners.
Finally, there is something that doesn’t sit quite right with us, and that’s the name of the product. We, maybe naively, thought that this was a Presto product, but it isn’t.
Presto have been making pressure cookers for around 100 years, so the name carries some weight, but the Presto Pure is, in fact, the model name of a product made by a company called Idavee LLC. That being said, the machine is still decent, but it just feels like you’re being misled a little by the manufacturers choice of name.
Nevertheless, Idavee are extremely proactive and willing to work with their customers should they have a problem with any of their machines, so this minor gripe shouldn’t really sway your decision one way or the other. We just thought you should know in case you mistakenly assumed, like us, that you would receive a Presto product.
LIKES
- Double walled 304 food grade stainless steel construction
- Large 1.9 liter capacity
- Easy to use with clear modes displayed on lid
- Self-cleaning mode to assist with washing
- Plenty of other items included in the box (but see negatives, too)
- Good range of functions other than soup making
- Quieter than most other soup makers (still audible, though)
DISLIKES
- No chunky soup mode
- Doesn’t have a sauté mode
- Motor could do with a little more ‘oomph’
- Included plastic jug and strainer aren’t the best quality
- The cleaning brush doesn’t get into the edges as it should
Best Soup Maker Machine Reviews…Done!
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That’s it! Our list of best soup maker machine reviews is complete.
If you’re looking for a convenient way to cook up tasty, healthy vegetarian and vegan soups for you and your family without the fuss, a soup maker would definitely be a welcome addition to your range of kitchen appliances.
About The Author:
Lisa Williams
Lisa Williams is a committed vegan, passionate animal welfare advocate, and keen follower of too many v-friendly food blogs to mention. She started happyhappyvegan.com back in 2016 because she felt there was a need for more straightforward information on plant-based living.
Back then, too many sites seem to either concentrate solely on recipes or be too intimidating or inaccessible for the v-curious, and she wanted to change that. The landscape is certainly a whole lot different now!
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REFERENCES
- Elizabeth Grossman | How Emulsifiers Are Messing with Our Guts (and Making Us Fat) | https://civileats.com/2015/02/25/how-emulsifiers-are-messing-with-our-guts-and-making-us-fat/
Very desapointed purchase the homteck soup maker in August 2018 I can do the chunky soup or smooth soup but the biggest problems it is not HOT not even warm and yet the boiling button works ,My sister has a Phillip soup maker and in twenty minutes the soup is piping Hot and that s what I wanted with homteck ,so what am I doing wrong
Sorry to hear that, Renate. Have you contacted the manufacturer direct?