We’re also able to help you make a great decision about buying with our in depth information on the blog. To find your way around, use the menu at the top of the site. In general our reviews are listed under each manufacturer’s page, and the guidance is in the blog section. Further down this page, we’ve also included some FAQs to help you with some really common questions too!
Contents
Top Soup Makers
Here’s our recommended soup makers table. We’ve ordered them based on a combination of features and value for money, so you can compare them to get the most for your money!
If you see something you particularly like the look of, there’s also a blue button to show you the current Amazon price.
We’ve chosen them as our recommended retailer due to the regular discounted prices they offer compared to the high street, and the fact that they carry a really broad range too.
Image | Product Name | Get Price |
---|---|---|
Tefal BL841140
| Check Amazon Price (46% Off RRP) | |
Morphy Richards 48822
| Check Amazon Price (31% Off RRP) | |
VonShef 900W
| Check Amazon Price (Out Of Stock) | |
Morphy Richards 501016
| Check Amazon Price (Out Of Stock) | |
Morphy Richards 501014
| Check Amazon Price (20% Off RRP) | |
Cooks Professional
| ||
BERG 1350W
| Check Amazon Price (Out Of Stock) | |
Morphy Richards 501020
| Check Amazon Price (13% Off RRP) |
Top 10 UK Soup Maker Reviews
If you’d like to learn a little more about the above machines, you’re in luck! Next, we’re going to go into more detail about each of the items in the table, along with a few other choices that we’ve had in there in the past but are no longer current models.
As soup makers are now getting much more popular than a few years back, you may be buying your first one so we hope these brief overviews help. Each of the following mini reviews is designed to give you a feel for what you’re buying, but with the more popular models, you’ll find we’ve also gone into more detail about what they offer in a more detailed review.
If there’s one available, it’s linked from the bottom of that soup maker’s overview below.
Tefal BL841140
Check Amazon Price
(46% Off RRP)
Our favourite soup maker is the Tefal BL841140. In design,it may look a little older than some of the other choices in our recommendations table, but don’t judge a book by its cover and be put off by that! Where this soup maker excels compared to the rest is in the ‘little extras’ it offers.
For example, there’s a ‘keep warm’ function, which is a simple yet incredibly helpful solution to those family mealtimes and getting everything onto the table at the right time. It means you can prepare soup in advance, but have it ready to go up to two hours after the cooking cycle completes.
Parents everywhere will understand how useful that flexibility will be, cooking a family meal will regularly be thrown into chaos by visitors, small children needing attention, the phone ringing and so on. Of course, many of those apply to every home in the country, but when you’re cooking for multiple mouths, it’s great to have a soup maker keeping things ready to serve on your behalf.
In terms of the main functions you’ll get with the BL841140, you’ll benefit from:
- Chunky Soup
- Smooth Soup
- Compote setting
- Blending
That brings us to the cream of the crop which will really sell this soup maker to busy households – the easy clean function. Whereas some soup makers will leave your with a difficult cleaning task after you’ve eaten, the Tefal is a breeze. Just fill it with water, choose the easy clean cycle and you’re good to let it do its thing. A few minutes later it will be done – and it just needs an empty out and a rinse, and perhaps an occasional quick wipe around inside for removing more stubborn soup residue.
If you’re worried about worktop space, this is fairly compact – you’re talking the size of a large electric kettle. That should mean that it’s not too intrusive if it lives out on display, but similarly won’t take up too much cupboard space if you prefer a clearer, minimal clutter kitchen.
While the blender facility probably won’t be a critical requirement of most buyers of soup kettles, it’s a nice extra to have. The instruction book includes a few ideas and recipes if you do fancy experimenting with smoothies or shakes though. Hopefully that’s a good run down to give you an idea of what you can expect, but if you want to learn even more, check out the Tefal BL841140 review page.
Check Amazon Price
(46% Off RRP)
Morphy Richards 48822
Check Amazon Price
(31% Off RRP)
Following closely behind the Tefal is the Morphy Richards 48822. The only thing that’s really kept this from the top spot is that it does occasionally drop out of stock, and it’s also been around for quite a while now. It offers some very impressive features for a low price – usually cheaper than the Tefal above too.
If you’re looking for an all round good performer for a low price, this is likely your soup maker if the Tefal above is a bit too pricey. It’s entirely possible to get an even cheaper soup maker, and you’ll find cheaper ones below. The problem though is this is the kind of product where you get what you pay for – and going for a name like Morphy Richards buys you the quality to be confident that it will last for years to come.
Most people buy soup makers as they’re trying to be healthy, and have an easy way to prepare a hot meal. Of course, that’s exactly what they’re designed to do, so buying a good one is a great investment. On the other hand, buying one of the really cheap (and possibly sub standard) products will probably mean you get lower quality soup too, which is likely to undermine your motivation to eat healthier.
The 48822 soup maker from Morphy Richards solves that nicely by bringing a simple yet good machine to the market that’s easy to use, and priced low enough to be affordable to the vast majority of households. That ease of use will also appeal to people that aren’t particularly experienced with soup making – letting you focus on getting the ingredients right and not having to worry about the cooking process at all.
It’s got four settings to vary up the coarseness of the finished product, just like the Tefal. They’re described as smooth and chunky, along with the juicing and blending functions too. That aligns nicely with the Tefal, so in terms of core functionality, these two are comparable. Where this falls short of the Tefal, however, is you’ll want to consume your food within fifteen minutes of the cooking process completing, or it will cool too much to consider it a hot meal.
Finally, Morphy Richards supply the 48822 with a two year manufacturer’s warranty, which is a good sign that they believe in the product and that it will last. Here’s our Morphy Richards 48822 review, and you can find it on Amazon’s along with the current price here:
Check Amazon Price
(31% Off RRP)
VonShef 900W
Check Amazon Price
(Out Of Stock)
We mentioned lower cost soup makers above, and here’s one of the better ones if you really can’t afford the top two. This is the 900W (watt) offering from Vonshef, simply referring to the power of the motor powering it. That’s plenty to whizz up the soups big enough for family life, and makes easy work of the 1.75 litre capacity from both a blending and heating perspective.
That higher capacity is what really wins the Vonshef its spot in the recommendations table above, as it easily exceeds most lower end models on the market. In case it’s not obvious, that’s enough for five good sized 350ml servings, whereas its predecessor, the 800W version made four bowls that size in a single cycle.
From loading your chopped up veg, water and stock into the Vonshef, your soup will take from 25 minutes to prepare, and it stays acceptably hot for fifteen to twenty minutes afterwards and warm up to a full hour later to allow time for serving. Depending on how big you like your servings to be, you’ll get between four large and six smaller portions from the 1.75 litre jug.
Where the Tefal above offers the facility to keep the soup hotter for longer, it’s these types of extra functions where the Vonshef falls a little behind. If this is as far as you can stretch though, it’s certainly a lot better than nothing, and over time you’ll grow to love making your own soups and find that the canned alternatives start to taste very processed by comparison.
If you’d like to learn a little more about the Vonshef, our 900W soup maker review is here, or if you’re wondering about the price, find out here:
Check Amazon Price
(Out Of Stock)
Morphy Richards 501016
Check Amazon Price
(Out Of Stock)
You’ve already seen the 48822, but the 501016 is another strong contender from the Morphy Richards soup maker range. It’s another soup maker that can feed the family – you’ll be able to make six small or four large bowls at a time if you run to the full capacity of 1600ml.
As you should have come to expect by now from all good soup makers, you’ll get smooth and chunky settings for your soups, plus a blender facility and juicing ability to outshine the VonShef.
This has a few nice additions over some of the other models in the range, not least a digital countdown timer which gives you an (accurate) estimate of the time left until the machine’s programme completes and you can serve.
Compared to the previous Vonshef this is also a breeze for cleaning, the surfaces just need a wipe around with a wet cloth and soapy water then a good rinse out after use.
Here’s our review of the Morphy Richards 501016, or check it out on Amazon here:
Check Amazon Price
(Out Of Stock)
Morphy Richards 501014
Check Amazon Price
(20% Off RRP)
Here’s another offering from the soup experts at Morphy Richards, the 501014. You might be thinking at this stage that they all look the same, and you’d be right, they are remarkably similar in appearance.
In general, we’ve recommended the simple solutions in soup making, but that’s not to say they’re all one trick ponies. The above soup makers are likely to be best for the majority of people starting out with making their own soups, but this one takes things a step further so might appeal to those looking for something a bit more versatile.
The major difference here is you’re buying something that can saute as well as making straight soups. I have to admit, when I first looked at this I wasn’t 100% clear on the definition of saute-ing, so had to double check. In essence, it’s similar to frying, so before you add all the ingredients and liquid, the base of this soup maker acts like a mini frying pan to allow you to cook some of the ingredients off first, before you add the rest.
While this works brilliantly for bacon, we wouldn’t recommend starting with raw chicken even with a saute function – we’re not saying it won’t safely cook through, it’s just a step further than we’re comfortable with. In the case of chunkier meats, it’s probably wise to cook them through separately first.
Naturally, the remainder of the soup making functionality matches up to the earlier Morphy Richards quality as you would expect, and there are a few nice extras too like the ability to stop the cooking cycle part way through to do things like add seasoning and otherwise check on progress without having to start it again from scratch.
In summary then, if you want more than basic soup making, check the 501014 soup and saute maker out here:
Check Amazon Price
(20% Off RRP)
Cooks Professional
When we were initially building this site, we wanted to offer alternatives to the main brands like Morphy Richards and Tefal, so here’s a great option – the Cooks Professional soup maker.
We like it as it’s a fairly good product for a less known brand to put out, and also includes a recipe book, which is great if you don’t know much about how to get started. What’s more, it’s at the cheaper end of the spectrum too – something we all like to see and be able to consider if we’re on a budget!
It goes without saying that with that low price you do have to compromise on quality and features to a certain extent, but it’s important to note that it’s still a good starter machine if you just want to dip your toes in to soup making (not literally!).
Where you might notice a difference is that this soup maker offers a maximum capacity of just 1200ml, around two thirds of the larger ones above. That could well put you off if you’re feeding a family of four or more, but if its just you and perhaps a partner, that may not be of concern.
It’s also able to help you out with shakes and smoothies too like most other soup makers, as much of the mechanics of making them and soups overlap. While we don’t expect many readers will go for this model, it’s a reasonable and very affordable choice for beginners.
BERG 1350W
Check Amazon Price
(Out Of Stock)
As with the Cooks Professional, BERG is also a lesser known brand, but in this case it’s a little more pricey.
The design of this soup maker is what’s likely to really stand out, as it does look a lot more stylish than pretty much all the rest we feature. That’s not to say it doesn’t make good soup, it does, and more of that in a moment.
If you’re the sort of person that loves to show off their gadgets on the worktop, this may well be exactly what you’re looking for, even thought the brilliant design does come with a little less functionality. The BERG 1350W isn’t just a soup maker, it’s actually closer to a blender.
It’s great for soups, whether you’re a chunky or smooth soup fan, thanks to its impressive control over the blending functions – especially as there are multiple blending speeds. As it’s got integrated heating, it does comfortably qualify a soup maker but some people may have overlooked it at first glance assuming that it’s ‘just a blender’.
The reason it’s lower in our recommended list is price – the RRP on this model is well over £100, considerably higher than most other makes and models. You will often find that there are offers on, and they vary a lot over time so if you like this one but aren’t sure about the price, be sure to check the Amazon price using the blue button below as they tend to be very competitive with pricing.
In summary, if you can afford the best, you should consider this BERG soup cooker alongside other models above, the main downside really is price. Speaking of which, here’s the button you need to find out the current price:
Check Amazon Price
(Out Of Stock)
Morphy Richards 501020
Check Amazon Price
(13% Off RRP)
Our final machine is the 501020 from Morphy Richards. As you’ve probably guessed, the fact that they make up half of the models demonstrates how dominant they are at making great soup kettles at a reasonable price.
This is the most expensive of the four, but it does offer a little more for your money if you’re just getting started and want things to be really easy to use. Little things like making it easier to measure out quantities into the soup maker is one example of that extra help, which should mean you can also minimise wastage too, and while its a very simple difference compared to the above models, it may well be an important difference depending on your skill and experience level.
The cleaning routine should also be easier too – it’s got a dedicated cleaning setting to make sure that you need to put in the minimum effort to wipe out any residue and just use soapy water to wipe the inside before you dry and put it away until next time.
All the controls on this machine are on the top of the lid of the unit, and while they may look a little daunting initially, you’ll quickly discover that’s because it’s been made very simple to operate once you read what they all do.
Check Amazon Price
(13% Off RRP)
Top Soup Maker Brands
Whenever you buy electrical items, it can be a dilemma whether to buy a trusted, well known brand or something more unknown that appears to be a bargain.
As you’ll have noticed in our recommendations, there’s a good mix of those, so let’s have a closer look at those brands, as well as some that didn’t make the cut.
Morphy Richards
You’ll already know from the above table that there’s one brand with a lot more to offer in the quality stakes when it comes to soup makers, and that’s Morphy Richards. We’re big fans of their soup makers here at SoupMakerZone.com.
They’ve created several really good soup maker models, including the top rated 48822 which offers really solid basic soup making, up to the 501014 which takes things further with it’s ability to sauté.
Due to that wide ranging selection of soup maker choices, there’s an entire section dedicated to the Morphy Richards soupmakers range here.
Why Buy A Morphy Richards Soup Maker?
Buying a well known brand with a ton of experience is a wise plan if you like reliability. Of course, no-one buys a product expecting it to fail, but there’s a limit to how much extra it’s reasonable to spend to get that peace of mind.
Fortunately, Morphy Richards are both reliable and affordable, so you’re getting the best of both worlds without breaking the bank. They’re also really easy to use – so it you like to unbox a product and get started quickly, something like the 48822 makes a really good choice.
In other words, if you want a no fuss solution, this just works. Admittedly, it’s been around for a long time, but is still very popular and sells well. If you think about it, soup is soup, so there’s very little to improve on with a good product – ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it‘!
For those people looking to buy their first soup maker, turning to Morphy Richards should be appealing. It’s a very simple thing to learn and you can get some great food to enjoy for lunch from day one.
You can, of course, experiment as much as you like with your recipes, and Google is always there to provide you with some recipes to get started or later move things forward. Where having an easy to use soup maker really helps is in being able to forget about getting the cooking right, and being able to focus on what goes in.
You can always upgrade to a more complicated soup cooker later if you feel the need, and if not, it should last for years into the future.
The Difference Between Morphy Richards Compact Soup Makers
Sometimes, you can find yourself Googling for what you expect to be simple answers, but this is one of those questions we thought needed addressing as there’s sparse detail out there!
A big part of the answer is in the age of our preferred recommendation, the 48822. It’s been around for a very long time, and has enjoyed a lot of popularity due to its ease of use. That’s why it’s remained one of our top picks for such a long time.
Since that model was released, many alternative models have come out, as you will see from the table. However, while they all build on the success of their earlier siblings, none have really taken over.
There’s additional functions and new styling that have arrived with more recent (compact) models, but our top choice in the Morphy Richards range is our top choice for a reason!
Tefal
Close on the heels of Morphy Richards come Tefal, and while they take the top spot, they don’t offer the same choice.
Tefal are well known for all sorts of kitchen products, so you might well associate them more with pots and pans than soup makers. As such a powerhouse in the kitchen product market, it’s no surprise that their BL841140 Easy Soup maker is so good.
You can find our Tefal reviews in their section here.
VonShef
Vonshef have been a pleasant surprise in our research to assemble this website.
While they’re nowhere near as well known as Tefal or Morphy Richards, they’ve created some good quality basic soup makers and they are very competitively priced too.
Starting out with their 800W model, it’s since been updated to the 900W upgrade, which you’ll find reviewed here. As they’re intended to to basic solutions, you won’t get a huge number of features, so you’ll be unlikely to choose these unless you’re a first time soup kettle buyer.
If you are a beginner though and are looking for a low cost model, they’re worth checking out! Our Vonshef soup maker reviews can be found here.
Breville
Breville are much better known in the USA market than in the UK for their kitchen appliances, however their popularity is slowly but surely growing amongst Brits too.
Their products range from these soup makers to kettle and toaster sets, as well as more specific electrical items such as juicers and blenders.
Daewoo
Many people are more familiar with Daewoo for making cars than kitchen products, but the South Korean manufacturing giants have focused on much smaller creations than vehicles since offloading them to Chevrolet around twenty years ago.
Their strength is simplicity, with some reliable and sturdy soup makers available.
Silvercrest
If you know the name Silvercrest in relation to making soup, you’re likely aware of their Cook n Mix soup cooker.
It’s an affordable machine that’s capable of smooth and chunky soups, as well as compotes, smoothies and blending which gives it the tagline of a 5 in 1 solution.
Kenwood
If you’re old enough to remember the 80s, you’ll remember Kenwood as being a huge manufacturer of electricals. They’re not as dominant today as thirty or so years ago, but their history of reliable products are fondly remembered by many.
They still exist today, and one of the lines they make is the soup maker.
Those are far from all of the possible choices of soup maker out there. If you want to look more broadly, there’s also soup kettles available from well known kitchen product companies including Cuisinart and Salter as well as others like Tower and Ambiano. Just because you don’t recognise a brand doesn’t necessarily mean you can judge the quality, but you may feel more comfortable trusting the after sales care and support of better known brands.
Should You Buy A Premium Or Cheap Soup Maker?
Let’s cut straight to the chase and address the big question – do you get what you pay for with soup makers, and in turn do you need to spend more to get something really good?
The more cynical readers will probably be thinking we’re here to get you to spend as much as possible, and might be surprised at our answer – actually, no it’s not a case of buying the most expensive model you can find.
One of our favourites, the Morphy Richards 48822 is very affordable and often even discounted further on Amazon, allowing you to get a really good deal.
The top placed Tefal Easy Soup Maker is a little more expensive, but still far from the priciest option out there. The question about how much to spend is clearly valid, on average you will get more features on high end machines than cheap ones, but if you’re new to soup makers, that’s not something you really need to worry about.
On the other hand, if you’re more experienced you will already know what extras you’re looking for, and be able to use our reviews to help you narrow things down further.
That variation in experience and knowledge in our readers means that there’s no single answer to fit everyone as to what the ideal choice is, and that’s why we’ve carefully arranged our top soup maker reviews table near the top of this page.
Buying A Cheap Soup Maker
From time to time people ask us about the cheapest soup maker they can buy. If you’re really after the cheapest model, you’re better off just heading to Amazon and sorting them by price.
Offers change all the time, so if we told you what was cheapest now, it would likely be wrong by the time you read this! What’s more, you’ll almost certainly be able to find something even cheaper than Amazon if you look really hard, for example at the local market or car boot sale.
What that might not give you though, is the reassurance you get from buying from trusted places that the products are safe. Hopefully, when people ask what the cheapest soup maker is, they’re really asking about the lowest priced decent model that we’d recommend.
If that’s your requirement, take a look at the table at the top of the page, and compare the pricing.
As we talked about a moment ago, prices change over time, so what’s cheapest at the time of writing probably won’t be when you are reading this.
Small Soup Makers To Save Space
Compact soup makers are a necessity for some buyers simply because workspace in the kitchen comes at a premium if you’re tight on space. That could either be because you’ve just got a small kitchen, or the ever growing number of cooking gadgets and gizmos is beginning to take over.
If you’re struggling to find the information you need in our reviews, a great tip is to click through to Amazon and scroll down – there’s usually a comparison table that gives the specifics about the product and often includes the dimensions.
If you’re still not sure, the smaller machines then to be the ones with the lowest liquid capacity. You want to be looking for a maximum of 1600ml if you want a smaller machine.
The Soup Maker Clone: White Labels and Re-badging
Every so often, you’ll see a soup maker on sale in the shops that looks remarkably similar to ones you’ve seen elsewhere or online. That might be models that are made by the bigger names, or equally those that are as obscure as the one you’re looking at.
Sometimes, this can be a case of imitation being a form of flattery, but more commonly, it’s simply the same machine. But how can that be? Quite simply, developing and manufacturing products can be expensive. As a result, companies like supermarkets sometimes work with electrical specialists to make their own brand goods.
That means that they’re not always so different from ones you’ll see elsewhere, although the price will be lower. The electrical brands don’t want to sell their branded ones cheaper as it hurts their bottom line, so the outcome is a process called re-badging or white labelling.
Quite simply, it’s the same, or a very similar product, but with a different name on it. So, that means that if you see a Lidl soup maker or an Aldi soup maker on your next visit to your local store, it may not necessarily be one they make themselves!
As a result, it is possible to get some great deals on products this way. However, as you’ll know by now from looking at the table and reviews above, not all soup makers are the same. Be sure to check the features list carefully, and see whether we’ve got a review here on the site too!
We can’t cover every possible make and model as they’re coming out all the time, but it’s worth a check. You can also search for the brand and model name on Google too if you’re interested in checking out some reviews.
Where To Buy
On this site, you’ll find links to buy soup makers on Amazon, but they’re far from the only place. The reason we link to Amazon is that they’re one of the most convenient places to buy – offering free next day delivery in many cases if you’ve got Prime (if not, why not take a free trial?).
Some people have asked if we recommend Amazon because they pay the biggest commissions, but actually we’re more focused on giving you great prices and the fastest service, something Amazon excel at.
I’m sure plenty of companies would pay us more if we asked around, but that would likely mean higher prices and worse service, hardly an incentive for you to buy at all! It’s important that we do give you some other ideas too, so let’s finish with a run down of some other retailers and websites to consider.
Argos
At the very mention of the Argos brand, I always think back to the catalogues we had at home as a kid, flicking through the kids section and circling the toys and games I wanted to ask Santa for.
While there’s not many of us that would ask Santa for a soup maker for our Christmas gift, they do have some good choices all year round if you’d rather buy on the high street.
While the downside is having to go and physically get it rather than ordering online and getting it delivered to your door, it also means you can get it same day too. Generally they’re a little more expensive than Amazon, and much more limited in choice, but Argos are a good, trusted brand for buying in person.
We’d recommend price checking on their website before you head out though, and also using their useful stock check feature to make sure they’ve actually got them for you to buy today in store.
Tesco
While you won’t always be able to be very selective with your Tesco soup maker choices, you often can find them in store.
Tesco are very competitive with pricing too like Amazon are online, so you can find bargains if you don’t have your heart set on a specific model. If you’re lucky, you might also find even better prices on soup makers in Tesco from time to time, so if you fall lucky, it’s wise to buy them there and then. There’s no guarantee they’ll last, either in stock or on such a great deal.
Morrisons
While Morrisons aren’t always market leaders, they’re a lot better than they used to be.
They’ve caught up with the competition with online shopping as well as offering a lot more than food too. You can now buy electricals in store, and soup makers are sometimes part of their line up.
If you happen to shop there, be sure to check out the electricals aisle, but it’s probably not the place to go unless you’re passing by.
Sainsbury’s
If you’re a fan of Nectar points, buying a soup maker at Sainsbury’s might make a lot of sense.
Generally, Sainsbury’s aren’t the cheapest of the big supermarkets to shop for food in, but they do offer some great deals on kitchen electricals from time to time.
You can usually see their current deals on their website, so if you don’t happen to be visiting the store in the coming days, you can see the offers from the comfort of home.
Asda
When it comes to the big supermarket heavyweights, Asda will often spring to mind for the best prices.
If you happen to visit at a time when they’re in stock, the same applies with soup makers too. Stock can be an issue, as a lot of people pass through the doors of Asda stores, so when there’s a great deal on, be sure to grab it quickly.
For those who prefer not to shop online, Asda soup maker purchases are probably one of the best choices in terms of pricing.
John Lewis
John Lewis are worth a mention as they tend to offer great guarantees on purchases. Be sure to check the terms before relying on that though, as they can change over time.
Their electricals are available both online and in store, so worth a check for the prices and deals to see if they’re competitive when you’re looking to buy.
Lakeland
Most people have heard of Lakeland, but you may not find they spring to mind when you’re looking for a soup maker.
Like John Lewis, the Lakeland Guarantee offers an extended warranty on purchases, which can mean you’re covered under the warranty for up to three years.
Again, check the terms on their website or in store before you buy.
Currys
Last but by no means least, Currys are the exception to the rule in terms of the big names of yesteryear.
While most of those older chain stores like Comet, Tandy and more have fallen victim to recessions, the so called ‘death of the high street’ and the online revolution, Currys PC World are still going strong with their mix of high street stores, mall outlets and out of town warehouse style locations.
If you want to see soup makers in the flesh, they’re the best destination as you’ll find plenty out on show, particularly in the bigger stores. They also tend to have a good mix of brands too, and while you usually pay more than on Amazon, they’re available to take away there and then.