Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m

On Thursday, 30 November 2017 21:09:55 UTC, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m

they make life easy resulting in a lot more soup eaten. But can't handle anything not cut up fairly fine.


NT

On 30/11/17 21:09, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m

I make my soups (leek and potato, cream of mushroom, mixed vegetable
etc) by bunging the ingredients into my slow cooker and when they are
cooked, whizzing them with my liquidiser-on-a-stick. I imagine you could
do likewise with your pressure cooker.

Nick

On 01/12/17 07:57, Nick Odell wrote:
On 30/11/17 21:09, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m

I make my soups (leek and potato, cream of mushroom, mixed vegetable
etc) by bunging the ingredients into my slow cooker and when they are
cooked, whizzing them with my liquidiser-on-a-stick. I imagine you could
do likewise with your pressure cooker.

Nick

I make my spups by chopping the ingredients up with a knife and putting
them into a suacepan on low heat.

Or buy them in pots from waitrose, with the money I saved by not buying
a slow cooker or a pressure cooker.


--
"If you dont read the news paper, you are un-informed. If you read the
news paper, you are mis-informed."

Mark Twain

On Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:22:49 -0800 (PST), wrote:

snip


they make life easy resulting in a lot more soup eaten.

That's the hope.

But can't handle anything not cut up fairly fine.

Ok, thanks. Do / have you got / had one OOI?

Cheers, T i m

On 30/11/2017 21:09, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m


I like to make soup but just use a large stock pot- I make a lot and
freeze it.

I used to use a pressure cooker but it wasn't compatible with our hob
when we had the kitchen done some time back.

I've tried a slow cooker but it only holds a few litres- I normally make
8 or 9 litres.

The problem with these gadgets is storage. Our kitchen isn't small by
any means but there is a limit to the number of gadgets you can find
space for, especially if they aren't used that often.

--

Suspect someone is claiming a benefit under false pretences? Incapacity
Benefit or Personal Independence Payment when they don't need it? They
are depriving those in real need!

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 07:57:37 +0000, Nick Odell
wrote:

snip

I make my soups (leek and potato, cream of mushroom, mixed vegetable
etc) by bunging the ingredients into my slow cooker and when they are
cooked, whizzing them with my liquidiser-on-a-stick.

Ok.

I imagine you could
do likewise with your pressure cooker.

Whilst I probably could, it is a bit big and dragging it out, and
cleaning it and putting it away might not be so conducive to doing a
quick soup (in the sense of how much time we have to stand over it)
than we might with a smaller / lighter machine?

I guess we were looking for the sort of ease_of_use we get with the
electric pressure cooker (set and forget) but with a soup maker.

Cheers, T i m

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 08:16:23 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

snip

I make my spups by chopping the ingredients up with a knife and putting
them into a suacepan on low heat.

For how long?

Unless you have a hob with a timer, or set a timer of some sort or
hover over the cooker while it is all simmering away, there is the
chance that you (well, I) will forget, or get distracted on the phone
on IM and end up with a burnt mess (or worse). That's why we like the
electric pressure cooker because you start it going and it does it's
stuff, beeps and drops back to warm all on it's own.

Or buy them in pots from waitrose,

Complete with all the extra salt, chemicals and preservatives.

with the money I saved by not buying
a slow cooker or a pressure cooker.

Not for ever though eh, and you aren't comparing like with like (you
were ok with yer saucepan solution).

I just had a bronchoscopy and due to have a Barium meal / X-Ray before
the end of the year and know I should lose a couple of stone and so
looking of things I could do to make all that better (not necessarily
easier (as in buying a can of soup) or cheaper) and therefore more
likely to happen.

Cheers, T i m

"T i m" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m

get a kettle .....

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 09:21:20 +0000, Brian Reay wrote:

snip

Hi Brian.

I like to make soup but just use a large stock pot- I make a lot and
freeze it.

We only have a small under_the_counter freezer so not really an option
here. ;-(

I used to use a pressure cooker but it wasn't compatible with our hob
when we had the kitchen done some time back.

Ok.

I've tried a slow cooker but it only holds a few litres- I normally make
8 or 9 litres.

The problem with that (for us and no freezer space) is we don't
generally have a meal plan and will often eat whatever I fancy cooking
(for the three of us). We (Mrs and I) are trying to eat no later than
8pm now (recent doctors general advice, we generally go to bed around
12) and so it would have to be something that took not much longer
than popping some fish in the oven and frozen veg on the hob.

The problem with these gadgets is storage.

Noted.

Our kitchen isn't small by
any means but there is a limit to the number of gadgets you can find
space for, especially if they aren't used that often.

Agreed ... and we may well have to have a bit of a prune-up even to
take a soup maker but it might be worth the effort.

So, is there a particular make or model the panel could recommend?

Cheers, T i m

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 09:43:29 -0000, "Jim GM4DHJ ..."
wrote:

snip


get a kettle .....


Yeah, thanks for that and we have a nice Kenwood kettle for packet
soups but I'm not sure they are quite as 'good' for you as soup made
from fresh (or even frozen, compared with packet or ready made soup)
veg?

I don't see it quite the same as a bread maker as 1) we are trying to
cut back on our bread intake 2) try to eat wholemeal bread and 3)
because we don't eat a lot, 'fresh bread' would be solid before we got
past 4 slices.

Potatoes, carrots, onion, leek, suede, turnip, sweet potato and maybe
some sprouts or curly kale would last quite a while in the veg rack
and if it made something quickly and easily that was edible and 'good
for you', then it could work.

Cheers, T i m

On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 10:12:03 AM UTC, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 09:43:29 -0000, "Jim GM4DHJ ..."
wrote:

snip


get a kettle .....


Yeah, thanks for that and we have a nice Kenwood kettle for packet
soups but I'm not sure they are quite as 'good' for you as soup made
from fresh (or even frozen, compared with packet or ready made soup)
veg?

I don't see it quite the same as a bread maker as 1) we are trying to
cut back on our bread intake 2) try to eat wholemeal bread and 3)
because we don't eat a lot, 'fresh bread' would be solid before we got
past 4 slices.

Potatoes, carrots, onion, leek, suede, turnip, sweet potato and maybe
some sprouts or curly kale would last quite a while in the veg rack
and if it made something quickly and easily that was edible and 'good
for you', then it could work.

Cheers, T i m

We slice and freeze 3 types of bread. I like to vary things

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 02:31:41 -0800 (PST), stuart noble
wrote:

snip


We slice and freeze 3 types of bread. I like to vary things

We borrowed a neighbours bread maker and it was both fun (interesting)
and tasty (nothing like the smell and taste of fresh bread). ;-)

However, the novelty soon wore off and as mentioned elsewhere, we
don't have a big freezer and so don't have the luxury of bulk /
freezing etc.

Cheers, T i m

On 30/11/2017 21:09, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

I've always regarded making soup as rather a waste of time as you don't
end up with a complete meal and the canned ones are very good.

--
Max Demian

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 09:43:29 -0000, "Jim GM4DHJ ..."
wrote:

snip


get a kettle .....


Yeah, thanks for that and we have a nice Kenwood kettle for packet
soups but I'm not sure they are quite as 'good' for you as soup made
from fresh (or even frozen, compared with packet or ready made soup)
veg?

I don't see it quite the same as a bread maker as 1) we are trying to
cut back on our bread intake 2) try to eat wholemeal bread and 3)
because we don't eat a lot, 'fresh bread' would be solid before we got
past 4 slices.

Potatoes, carrots, onion, leek, suede, turnip, sweet potato and maybe
some sprouts or curly kale would last quite a while in the veg rack
and if it made something quickly and easily that was edible and 'good
for you', then it could work.

Cheers, T i m

no no a soup kettle....makes fantastic soup....

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTUwMFgxNTAw/z/RA4AAOSwDk5UAEw9/$_35.JPG?set_id=2

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 02:31:41 -0800 (PST), stuart noble
wrote:

snip


We slice and freeze 3 types of bread. I like to vary things

We borrowed a neighbours bread maker and it was both fun (interesting)
and tasty (nothing like the smell and taste of fresh bread). ;-)

However, the novelty soon wore off and as mentioned elsewhere, we
don't have a big freezer and so don't have the luxury of bulk /
freezing etc.

Cheers, T i m



got four bread maker...never use them

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:18:27 -0000, "Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack
....." wrote:

snip

no no a soup kettle....makes fantastic soup....

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTUwMFgxNTAw/z/RA4AAOSwDk5UAEw9/$_35.JPG?set_id=2


Ah, that's strange as it seems to say 'Soup Maker' on it? ;-)

Coincidentally, that particular one (or possibly a later version with
a flatter handle) was the one I was looking at on Argos earlier and it
seems to have plenty of positive reviews.

Do you have a favourite recipe Jim and have you had other makes and
models to compare against (quality / reliability / functionality).

Cheers, T i m

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 10:52:22 +0000, Max Demian
wrote:

snip

I've always regarded making soup as rather a waste of time as you don't
end up with a complete meal

In what way is it not complete OOI? I mean, even if you only use veg
and pulses, it could give you your '5 a day' and can't see any reason
why it couldn't complement a balanced diet?

and the canned ones are very good.

They certainly can be (excuse the pun) but I'm not sure if they can
ever be as 'good' (from a nutrition pov) than something made from
fresh (or even frozen possibly) ingredients and without all the
additives?

Don't get me wrong, for a hot and quick snack / meal I quite enjoy a
can of 'Chunky chicken and veg' or even a straight tomato soup but my
favourite but least nutritious is probably chicken noodle (from a
packet).

Cheers, T i m

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:18:27 -0000, "Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack
...." wrote:

snip

no no a soup kettle....makes fantastic soup....

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTUwMFgxNTAw/z/RA4AAOSwDk5UAEw9/$_35.JPG?set_id=2


Ah, that's strange as it seems to say 'Soup Maker' on it? ;-)

Coincidentally, that particular one (or possibly a later version with
a flatter handle) was the one I was looking at on Argos earlier and it
seems to have plenty of positive reviews.

Do you have a favourite recipe Jim and have you had other makes and
models to compare against (quality / reliability / functionality).

Cheers, T i m

think we have a Salter one sold by bargain books recently for a tenner
bought stock...the wife does the soup...you won't regret buying one

"Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack ...." wrote in
message ...

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:18:27 -0000, "Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack
...." wrote:

snip

no no a soup kettle....makes fantastic soup....

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTUwMFgxNTAw/z/RA4AAOSwDk5UAEw9/$_35.JPG?set_id=2


Ah, that's strange as it seems to say 'Soup Maker' on it? ;-)

Coincidentally, that particular one (or possibly a later version with
a flatter handle) was the one I was looking at on Argos earlier and it
seems to have plenty of positive reviews.

Do you have a favourite recipe Jim and have you had other makes and
models to compare against (quality / reliability / functionality).

Cheers, T i m

think we have a Salter one sold by bargain books recently for a tenner
bought stock...the wife does the soup...you won't regret buying one

the wife just phoned we have Salter and morphy richards ones and she says
both are good ......making me hungry

I use our breadmaker at least once a week to knead dough. I make
wholemeal bread, and the breadmaker does a nice job of mixing the
ingredients, kneading the dough, letting it rise at a controlled
temperature, knocking down, etc.

I wait for it to finish the dough cycle, then shape the dough into the
desired style. 650gms of flour makes a couple of small loaves and
several rolls. Made on Friday and stored carefully, it lasts the
weekend, then any left over goes to the birds and other vermin.
Depending on how many guests we have, the birds get about half.

Incidentally, I only make wholemeal bread, except occasionally under
protest. I also made pizzas the other day - wholemeal ofc.

"GB" wrote in message
news
I use our breadmaker at least once a week to knead dough. I make wholemeal
bread, and the breadmaker does a nice job of mixing the ingredients,
kneading the dough, letting it rise at a controlled temperature, knocking
down, etc.

I wait for it to finish the dough cycle, then shape the dough into the
desired style. 650gms of flour makes a couple of small loaves and several
rolls. Made on Friday and stored carefully, it lasts the weekend, then any
left over goes to the birds and other vermin. Depending on how many guests
we have, the birds get about half.

Incidentally, I only make wholemeal bread, except occasionally under
protest. I also made pizzas the other day - wholemeal ofc.


yes but it is too much trouble but the bread is fantastic when hot.........I
pick them up at car boot sales and made two out of one ...one had a bad belt
and one had a buggered lcd display........ended up with four in the end some
brand new....two spare.....one here and one at the static van ...never use
them...getting me hungry

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:39:33 -0000, "Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack
....." wrote:

snip

think we have a Salter one sold by bargain books recently for a tenner
bought stock...

Ok, I've seen a Salter one (better known for their scales?) and it
also had good reviews.

the wife does the soup...

With a 'machine' it's more likely to be my job. ;-)

you won't regret buying one

My Mrs was free (she even paid for the (marriage) certificate
herself)? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:09:55 +0000, T i m wrote:

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

There are two sorts, one more or less a high speed blender which
either has a built in heater or relies upon blade friction to generate
heat (and vast noise) the other more like a large kettle with a top
mounted small chopping blade. I've tried the latter but didn't like
them much. The range from smallest to largest quantity you can make
in any machine is small. Although it isn't required many soups are
much better if the ingredients are sauteed first. I found using a
slow cooker plus an immersion blender (stick blender, wand blender)
to be much more useful. The ingredients can be cooked briefly in a
normal frying pan then put in the slow cooker for the day before being
chopped into the required chunkyness with the stick blender.

Soup makers also only really make soup whereas the slow cooker can be
used for many other things as can the stick blender.

On 12/1/2017 7:28 AM, Peter Parry wrote:

There are two sorts, one more or less a high speed blender which
either has a built in heater or relies upon blade friction to generate
heat (and vast noise) the other more like a large kettle with a top
mounted small chopping blade. I've tried the latter but didn't like
them much. The range from smallest to largest quantity you can make
in any machine is small. Although it isn't required many soups are
much better if the ingredients are sauteed first. I found using a
slow cooker plus an immersion blender (stick blender, wand blender)
to be much more useful. The ingredients can be cooked briefly in a
normal frying pan then put in the slow cooker for the day before being
chopped into the required chunkyness with the stick blender.

Soup makers also only really make soup whereas the slow cooker can be
used for many other things as can the stick blender.

+1

On Fri, 01 Dec 2017 12:28:16 +0000, Peter Parry
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:09:55 +0000, T i m wrote:

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

There are two sorts, one more or less a high speed blender which
either has a built in heater or relies upon blade friction to generate
heat (and vast noise)

Whilst the noise would be an issue as such, (I'm unlikely to be making
soup when anyone is asleep) I would prefer something quieter if
possible (because of my Tinnitus).

the other more like a large kettle with a top
mounted small chopping blade.

I think the one I tried to repair that was given to my Mum had a top
mounted blade but it looked like it may have been overfilled at some
point as the top motor bearing had rusted solid (when it should even
have been able to get wet. Or it had been cleaned with too much water
and the water had run up inside the unit etc).

I've tried the latter but didn't like
them much.

Ok. May I ask why?

The range from smallest to largest quantity you can make
in any machine is small.

Ok, but enough for 2-3 portions potentially?

Although it isn't required many soups are
much better if the ingredients are sauteed first.

Understood. Luckily, we aren't 'foodies' so this is really only as a
form of nutritious sustenance. ;-)

I found using a
slow cooker plus an immersion blender (stick blender, wand blender)
to be much more useful.

Whilst I can see how that could be 'a way', we don't have a slow
cooker, don't really have the time and could rarely predict what we
might want to eat that far ahead. ;-(

The ingredients can be cooked briefly in a
normal frying pan then put in the slow cooker for the day before being
chopped into the required chunkyness with the stick blender.

That sounds more like a hobby than just health eating Peter. ;-)

Soup makers also only really make soup

Understood.

whereas the slow cooker can be
used for many other things as can the stick blender.

Yes, I'm sure they can ... or I could use our electric pressure cooker
and stick blender (we may even have the blender somewhere) but the
pressure cooker is a bit bulky and ours needs some tending (ours
possibly has a glitch where it skips the pressure cooking time once up
to pressure IF you have been using it to brown / saute for a
reasonable period pre pressure cooking. Power cycling and just letting
off some of the pressure normally allows it to complete the program
ok). Plus you then have two things to clean and put away again.

I think the solution (for us) *is* a soup maker, the question is
really are there any that punch above their weight or to specifically
avoid?

Cheers, T i m

On Friday, 1 December 2017 09:17:50 UTC, T i m wrote:
On Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:22:49 -0800 (PST), tabbypurr wrote:

snip


they make life easy resulting in a lot more soup eaten.

That's the hope.

But can't handle anything not cut up fairly fine.

Ok, thanks. Do / have you got / had one OOI?

Cheers, T i m

yes, aldi, wouldn't buy another one of theirs


NT

On Friday, 1 December 2017 10:52:26 UTC, Max Demian wrote:
On 30/11/2017 21:09, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

I've always regarded making soup as rather a waste of time as you don't
end up with a complete meal and the canned ones are very good.


I've never yet met a canned soup that wasn't at the garbage end of the scale.

Storage has never been a problem with it.

They can make curries too, put the veg in that you want chopped or pureed, add tinned toms & chick peas & anything else when it's done its cycle. Ditto some other dishes.

And the same technique lets you make more soup than they will hold. With tomato soup, omit the tomato passata and you can double the volume once done.


NT

On Fri, 01 Dec 2017 14:28:16 +0000, T i m wrote:

On Fri, 01 Dec 2017 12:28:16 +0000, Peter Parry
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:09:55 +0000, T i m wrote:

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

There are two sorts, one more or less a high speed blender which
either has a built in heater or relies upon blade friction to generate
heat (and vast noise)

Whilst the noise would be an issue as such, (I'm unlikely to be making
soup when anyone is asleep) I would prefer something quieter if
possible (because of my Tinnitus).

The blender/liquidiser type are very noisy (or at least all I have
heard are). Those that heat the soup through friction particularly so
as they go at full welly for quarter of an hour (some also vibrate so
much you have to keep hold of the damn things for the whole time!)

the other more like a large kettle with a top
mounted small chopping blade.

I think the one I tried to repair that was given to my Mum had a top
mounted blade but it looked like it may have been overfilled at some
point as the top motor bearing had rusted solid (when it should even
have been able to get wet. Or it had been cleaned with too much water
and the water had run up inside the unit etc).

Steam also tends to kill them and if they are put away with any trace
of water from washing in them the water vapour tends to get past the
seal and cause the pressed metal bits to corrode.

I've tried the latter but didn't like
them much.

Ok. May I ask why?

They were expensive and didn't do a particularly good job. If you
simply plonked the ingredients in they heated them up enough not to
kill you and chopped them but the result was quite bland. They didn't
really cook for long enough and only reach about 90-95 deg. To make
them attractive they advertise silly (short) cooking times like 30
minutes but fundamentally they don't do anything you can't do in a
saucepan with a stick blender. You wouldn't make most soups in a
saucepan in 30 minutes as they wouldn't develop much taste and the
texture would be a bit coarse. Cooked in a soup maker they are no
different.

The range from smallest to largest quantity you can make
in any machine is small.

Ok, but enough for 2-3 portions potentially?

You would need to check - most seem to be designed for 4 portions and
are fairly fussy about putting the amounts they want in. You can get
smaller ones for just 1 or two people but I don't know if a "4 person"
one would be happy to make enough for two.

Although it isn't required many soups are
much better if the ingredients are sauteed first.

Understood. Luckily, we aren't 'foodies' so this is really only as a
form of nutritious sustenance. ;-)

It's not a matter of trying to emulate Heston Blumental but trying to
make something which isn't as horrible as Complan. With a large
saucepan you can braise the meat and vegetables, add stock and cook
for 30 mins - you have now done most of what a soup maker does but
done it somewhat better, quicker and with less washing up. Put a
stick blender in and you have done everything a soup maker does. Let
it simmer for an hour or let it cook for some hours in a slow cooker
and you have done much better than a soup maker.

I found using a
slow cooker plus an immersion blender (stick blender, wand blender)
to be much more useful.

Whilst I can see how that could be 'a way', we don't have a slow
cooker, don't really have the time and could rarely predict what we
might want to eat that far ahead. ;-(

Soup from scratch using raw ingredients isn't fast food, you need
time to break down the meat structure and vegetable stalks and let
flavours develop. A saucepan or a soup maker will take the same time
to achieve the same results (actually a saucepan will be quicker as
soup cookers are not very powerful and don't boil the contents. There
is nothing magic in a soup maker and unlike a pressure cooker nothing
to speed up the cooking process compared with a saucepan. Your
existing electric pressure cooker could be used to achieve better
results (if you find your blender :-).

The ingredients can be cooked briefly in a
normal frying pan then put in the slow cooker for the day before being
chopped into the required chunkyness with the stick blender.

That sounds more like a hobby than just health eating Peter. ;-)

Do as above in a large saucepan and you get better taste for less
money :-). When set to its "Chunky" setting the soup maker is simply
an electric saucepan, it heats the soup but doesn't chop it.

Soup makers also only really make soup

Understood.

whereas the slow cooker can be
used for many other things as can the stick blender.

Yes, I'm sure they can ... or I could use our electric pressure cooker
and stick blender (we may even have the blender somewhere) but the
pressure cooker is a bit bulky and ours needs some tending (ours
possibly has a glitch where it skips the pressure cooking time once up
to pressure IF you have been using it to brown / saute for a
reasonable period pre pressure cooking. Power cycling and just letting
off some of the pressure normally allows it to complete the program
ok).

A slow cooker is the least attention needing device you can get. Plug
in, turn on and ignore. Ceramic cooking vessel goes into dishwasher.
Soup would be ready in a couple of hours but if left for 10 would be
fine.

Plus you then have two things to clean and put away again.

Soup makers are very fussy about washing and being dried - more work
than a soup maker. Most importantly - you can't put a soup maker in a
dishwasher!

I think the solution (for us) *is* a soup maker, the question is
really are there any that punch above their weight or to specifically
avoid?

They are all very simple devices, you don't need any of the digital
gizmos some build into the lid and none are designed to last very
long. The manufacturers guess (largely correctly) that most get
relegated to the back of a cupboard long before they get a chance to
wear out. The first one was designed by Morphy Richards and seem to
still be popular.

"Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack ...." wrote in
message ...

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 02:31:41 -0800 (PST), stuart noble
wrote:

snip


We slice and freeze 3 types of bread. I like to vary things

We borrowed a neighbours bread maker and it was both fun (interesting)
and tasty (nothing like the smell and taste of fresh bread). ;-)

However, the novelty soon wore off and as mentioned elsewhere, we
don't have a big freezer and so don't have the luxury of bulk /
freezing etc.

got four bread maker...never use them

I use mine every 4 days, never buy bread. Mine leaves bought stuff for dead.

On 30/11/2017 21:09, T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a
(veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was
worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and
my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just
needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was
scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general
related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown /
fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a
pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it
drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m

I have one of the standard "kettle with a stirrer" types, and I find it
very good (although I'm currently in a phase of not using it).

As you say, it won't cook meat, but you can stick cooked chicken or
bacon or sliced peperoni in it (for example).

They are sized for about four helpings, for the two of us I tend to cook
a full batch and pop half in the fridge for the next day.

One of the nice things about them is that you can stick vegetables that
are past their best, or leftover vegetables in them. Virtually every
mixture comes out as brown sludge, but they are great if you like to
experiment with flavours. Easy way of getting up your vegetable "count".

IIRC the standard cooking cycle is about 20 minutes. I suppose it gets
to about 70 C. You can use it without the liquidiser, but I normally use it.

On 01/12/2017 11:36, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 10:52:22 +0000, Max Demian
wrote:

snip

I've always regarded making soup as rather a waste of time as you don't
end up with a complete meal

In what way is it not complete OOI? I mean, even if you only use veg
and pulses, it could give you your '5 a day' and can't see any reason
why it couldn't complement a balanced diet?

Soup isn't going to fill you up, even with a couple of slices of toast.
OK for an evening snack. My main meal of the day is lunch.

--
Max Demian

On 01/12/2017 12:28, Peter Parry wrote:
On Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:09:55 +0000, T i m wrote:

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

There are two sorts, one more or less a high speed blender which
either has a built in heater or relies upon blade friction to generate
heat (and vast noise) the other more like a large kettle with a top
mounted small chopping blade. I've tried the latter but didn't like
them much. The range from smallest to largest quantity you can make
in any machine is small. Although it isn't required many soups are
much better if the ingredients are sauteed first. I found using a
slow cooker plus an immersion blender (stick blender, wand blender)
to be much more useful. The ingredients can be cooked briefly in a
normal frying pan then put in the slow cooker for the day before being
chopped into the required chunkyness with the stick blender.

Soup makers also only really make soup whereas the slow cooker can be
used for many other things as can the stick blender.

I wouldn't be without my slow cooker or my stick blender. Nevertheless,
chucking a few vegetables and a stock cube in the kettle type can
produce nice soup with little more effort than opening a tin, and in 20
minutes. And using up whatever you have to hand.

On 01/12/2017 19:29, Max Demian wrote:
On 01/12/2017 11:36, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 10:52:22 +0000, Max Demian
wrote:

snip

I've always regarded making soup as rather a waste of time as you don't
end up with a complete meal

In what way is it not complete OOI? I mean, even if you only use veg
and pulses, it could give you your '5 a day' and can't see any reason
why it couldn't complement a balanced diet?

Soup isn't going to fill you up, even with a couple of slices of toast.
OK for an evening snack. My main meal of the day is lunch.


You need to try a proper northern soup, not the watery stuff southerners
call soup.



--

Suspect someone is claiming a benefit under false pretences? Incapacity
Benefit or Personal Independence Payment when they don't need it? They
are depriving those in real need!

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

On 2017-12-01, Peter Parry wrote:

On Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:09:55 +0000, T i m wrote:

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for
veg or pre-cooked meat?

There are two sorts, one more or less a high speed blender which
either has a built in heater or relies upon blade friction to generate
heat (and vast noise) the other more like a large kettle with a top
mounted small chopping blade. I've tried the latter but didn't like
them much. The range from smallest to largest quantity you can make
in any machine is small. Although it isn't required many soups are
much better if the ingredients are sauteed first. I found using a
slow cooker plus an immersion blender (stick blender, wand blender)
to be much more useful. The ingredients can be cooked briefly in a
normal frying pan then put in the slow cooker for the day before being
chopped into the required chunkyness with the stick blender.

Soup makers also only really make soup whereas the slow cooker can be
used for many other things as can the stick blender.

I've never tried a dedicated soup maker, but I'd expect there to be
reliability issues for the "all-in-one" device compared with using a
stick blender & either a slower-cooker or a big pot. (We used to have
a slow-cooker but gave it away in favour of using one of the heavy
pots we have anyway, either on the hob for the whole process or
started on the hob & transferred into the oven. YMMV.)

Someone else mentioned bread makers --- we have one of those & I find
it useful because I can throw everything in & set the timer so it
finishes when we get up in the morning.

On Friday, 1 December 2017 21:22:52 UTC, Brian Reay wrote:
You need to try a proper northern soup, not the watery stuff southerners
call soup.

A slice of Nora Batty's concrete and coriander?

Owain

On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 19:00:01 +0000, newshound
wrote:

snip

I have one of the standard "kettle with a stirrer" types, and I find it
very good (although I'm currently in a phase of not using it).

In the end I went for the Morphy Richards 'Saute and Soup' maker and
I'd say so far (3 goes) I'm pretty impressed.

As you say, it won't cook meat, but you can stick cooked chicken or
bacon or sliced peperoni in it (for example).

Our one will (to a point) because of the 'saute' bit. You first chuck
in say some chopped onions and some chicken pieces and it will brown /
sear / part cook them pretty quickly, just in the kettle part in
'saute' mode.

They are sized for about four helpings, for the two of us I tend to cook
a full batch and pop half in the fridge for the next day.

Check.

One of the nice things about them is that you can stick vegetables that
are past their best, or leftover vegetables in them. Virtually every
mixture comes out as brown sludge, but they are great if you like to
experiment with flavours. Easy way of getting up your vegetable "count".

That's the plan. ;-)

IIRC the standard cooking cycle is about 20 minutes. I suppose it gets
to about 70 C. You can use it without the liquidiser, but I normally use it.

I would say ours gets a bit hotter and you can clearly hear it start
to boil (at the element at least) nearly instantly after hitting go.

The saute option is also pretty cool for re heating a leftover portion
but as I found out the other day, it tends to react like molten lava
in the way a smooth soup bubble up and pops. ;-)

We (I) have done a chunky mushroom and veg soup / casserole, a
mushroom and veg smooth soup and a sweet potato and tomato smooth
(onion , ginger , garlic etc) soup and all seem to have been received
very well (well, seconds were had and we have thrown nothing away as
yet). ;-)

For the mushroom soup you can be sauteing some onions as you are
peeling the mushroom and we have found a bag of Sainsbury's pre
chopped and bagged veg an easy way of doing that bit (with no waste
and often reduced price g).

Once I know what works and we all like best I'll probably buy the veg
loose.

So, thanks to all you provided some feedback ... it all helped (even
the more off-piste replies). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

p.s. We should also be getting £15 'new member' cashback as we bought
it from Argos (Fast click and collect, top of the road) and via 'Top
Cashback'.