Morphy Richards Soup Maker 501040 review

Out of all the models we tested, it was the easiest to use, from unpacking to making a steaming soup. It was also the speediest, producing our carrot & coriander soup (with no pre-cooking) in just 21 minutes. The soup was silky smooth, restaurant-style, and had a delicious depth of flavour.

We also tried out the chunky setting using the French-style pistou recipe included. This setting takes a little longer at 28 mins. The advice is to cut the vegetables into small chunks to ensure it's cooked properly, which we did.

There is the option to switch to the blend setting afterwards but we found we didn't need to. The vegetables and pasta had a great texture and we liked the addition of a little tomato purée to thicken.

The drinks function takes only two minutes. This machine has a top-down motor with the blade attached. It's powerful, but the small blade is not suitable for ice, so make sure the main liquid is fridge-cold for a refreshing drink.

The minimum capacity is 1.3 litres, which is a lot for a smoothie. It's fine if you're serving four, but if you want to rustle up a drink for one this is far too much. It did do a great job though, smoothly blending seeds in our berry and banana concoction.

The appliance is hand-wash only and must not be immersed due to electrical components, both in the lid and base, but it was very easy, using a brush and warm soapy water. We'd recommend doing it straight after use.

There are only six soup and three drinks recipes included in the booklet. We'd have liked a few more, but found it conquered our Good Food recipes very well and was so easy to use that we'd feel confident selecting our own recipes.

Available from Amazon (£129.99)

Specifications
Capacity: Maximum 1.6 litres, minimum 1.3 litres
Dimensions: 37 x 28 x 22.5cm
Weight: 2.4kg
Power: 1000W
Jug material: Stainless steel
Functions: Smooth (21 mins), chunky (28 mins), drinks (2 mins), blend
Cleaning: By hand, not dishwasher safe
Timer? Yes, a countdown for pre-sets
Keep warm setting: No
Removable jug: No, but detachable power lead
Guarantee: Two years

Read our buyer's guide to the best soup makers

This review was last updated in December 2019. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.