Homemade soup has never been so 平易な - or so quick! FEMAIL 実験（する）s some souper swanky gadgets to perk up your lunch

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As the nights draw in, what's more 満足させるing than a bowl of homemade soup? High-tech soup 製造者s mean it's never been easier to make your own from scratch. These souped-up gadgets will do everything from making croutons to washing-up. Tessa Cunningham put the 最新の models to the 実験（する）.

Tefal 平易な Soup 製造者, £59.99, lakeland.co.uk

IT WASHES UP, TOO!

Tefal 平易な Soup 製造者, £59.99, lakeland.co.uk

Tefal's chunky soupmaker - which has the blade in its lid - looks just like a Thermos flask, 完全にする with a handy 扱う (main picture).

I imagined carrying it into work and making soup at my desk. Sadly it's impossible because, if you 解除する it by the 扱う, the lid opens. Shame.

However, it's hard to be disappointed in a machine that is clever enough to cook 1.2 litres of soup and keep it warm for up to two hours. I fry an onion, put all my 成分s into the jug and 圧力（をかける） the Creamed Soup setting. There's also a Soup With Pieces button if you prefer.

I'm on the phone while the machine gurgles away in the corner. Just 28 minutes later, I hear a beeping noise.

My soup is ready, but I can carry on chatting as the machine automatically switches to 'keep warm' 方式. When I'm done, I 簡単に fill it with water, 圧力（をかける） the 平易な Clean button and it washes itself, even heating the water. Fantastic.?

4/5

下落する Boss 最高の Blender, £499.99, lakeland.co.uk

FASTEST BY FAR

下落する Boss 最高の Blender, £499.99, lakeland.co.uk

Heston Blumenthal （人命などを）奪う，主張するs this heavyweight machine can make a 麻薬を吸うing hot jug of soup in just six minutes. That's barely the time it takes to make an omelette.

So is it possible?

As I 乗る，着手する on a simple recipe for vegetable soup, I realise how Heston has 削減（する） corners. His swanky machine - which also makes smoothies and frozen desserts - won't fry. It's a 重要な step in soup- making so I have to do it 分かれて. 加える, the jug makes only 1.2 litres.

So, after frying my onion on the stove, I pop the chopped 成分s (onion, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and water) in and 圧力（をかける） the Soup button.

即時に the machine's three 抱擁する stainless steel blades shriek into 活動／戦闘.

The din is almost unbearable. It's like standing next to a 巨大な jet at 十分な throttle. The dog starts howling and I 逃げる to the bedroom. I can still hear it one 床に打ち倒す up. Heston's six minutes are the longest of my life.

On the 加える 味方する, the soup is hot and smooth. But at this price, surely it could fry an onion and keep the noise 負かす／撃墜する??

1/5

Crofton Soup 製造者, £49.99, aldi.co.uk

BUDGET BUY

Crofton Soup 製造者, £49.99, aldi.co.uk

This gadget, which makes a generous 1.4 litres, looks basic, but it's hard to 不平（をいう） as you get plenty of bang for your buck.

There's a four-速度(を上げる） dial for blending, it can make smooth or chunky soup and keeps it warm for up to 35 minutes.

After getting the machine to fry my onion with the Heating And Cooking 選択, I select Heating And Blending, setting the time on the 統合するd LED 審査する for 30 minutes.

The blade whirrs into 活動／戦闘, chopping and blending in 15- second bursts throughout the cooking time. But it is so noisy that next time I'll cook the soup in the 製造者 and then use the short Blend 選択 afterwards.

The machine beeps when it's done. As I'm not hungry yet, I 圧力（をかける） the Heat And Keep Warm button. My soup is still tasty and hot after 35 minutes.?

3/5

EASY PEASY

Salter Electric Soup 製造者, £46.95, amazon.co.uk

If you want 簡単, this could be the machine for you.

There are just three settings: Puree, Chunky and Blend/Clean (so you can mix the soup to your 願望（する）d consistency and, later, clean the jug.)

A handy plastic 手段ing jug slots into the lid, which also houses the blade. It makes a 満足させるing 1.6 litres of soup in one go.

Once my 成分s are chopped they all go in together (there's no 選択 to fry) and I 圧力（をかける） Puree. Within a minute, I hear 泡ing. I leave it cooking while I catch up with emails. A long beep 警報s me when the soup is finished an 許容できる 21 minutes later. It's hot and a lovely consistency. What could be easier??

3/5

Cuisinart SSB1U, £98, johnlewis.com

A PRICEY CHOICE

Cuisinart SSB1U, £98, johnlewis.com

If you're very particular, this machine - which can make 1.4 litres in 30 minutes - could be ideal. It's like having your own sous chef. It won't just fry your veg - it 動かすs them, too. But you have to 始める，決める the タイミングs and heat levels yourself, so you can't just walk away and paint your nails.

に引き続いて the recipe 調書をとる／予約する, I fry my onion for two minutes on low before 追加するing the other 成分s and switching to high for ten minutes. When I see it 泡ing I switch to simmer for 20 minutes. With the veg cooked, I move to a 急速な／放蕩な Blend (there are four 速度(を上げる）s) to get a smooth consistency.

The machine is impressively 静かな and my soup is hot and delicious. But I'm not sure it's much easier than using a frying pan and 手渡す blender.?

2/5

SIMPLY THE BEST

Morphy Richards Saute And Soup, £62.49, amazon.co.uk

I fell in love with this smart-looking machine on sight. It's compact enough to fit in a kitchen cupboard, but so powerful it will make a whopping 1.6 litres in just 21 minutes. And the 献身的な Saute programme means I can make fresh croutons, too.

I start with the croutons. I 圧力（をかける） the Saute button, 追加する some oil and as soon as it sizzles pop in little chunks of bread. They take just eight minutes. I 除去する them and put them aside.

圧力（をかける）ing the Saute button again, I fry my diced onion. Once it looks done, I 追加する the 残り／休憩（する） of the 成分s and select the Smooth button. There's also a Chunky button should you prefer. An LED 審査する lights up and starts counting 負かす／撃墜する the 21-minute cooking time (Chunky takes 28 minutes.)

Andrew James 7 in 1 Soupmaker, £44.99, amazon.co.uk

Though it 放出するs a 一連の ますます noisy gurgles as it cooks and grinds, I don't have to listen. I'm next door with my feet up, reading the paper.

A gentle beep 警報s me when the soup is done. It's delicious. If only the machine cleaned itself, it would be perfect.?

5/5

SOUPER SWANKY

Andrew James 7 in 1 Soupmaker, £44.99, amazon.co.uk

This swanky machine in metallic red or 黒人／ボイコット and grey looks twice the price. The lightest machine we tried, it also makes the most soup a whopping 1.75 litres. It won't fry onions, but, after chucking in my vegetables, it purrs into 活動／戦闘 the second I 圧力（をかける） the Smooth Soup button.

補欠／交替の／交替するing between cooking and blending, it takes 20 minutes to make a nourishing soup.

The glass jug means you can watch it at work and stop it 早期に if it looks to your liking.

A ping tells me that the 職業 is done. Perfect!

5/5