With colder temperatures setting in, soup is certain to be a family staple on the menu. Shoppers have rated one kitchen gadget for its versatility and ability to whip up ‘marvellous’ soups in ‘just 22 minutes’.
The Panasonic Blender and Soup Maker MX-HG4401 is £149.99 online, and comes bursting with functionality. Price-wise, it’s also cheaper than Ninja’s Foodi Blender and Soup Maker, which is £179.99.
For less than £150, the Panasonic Blender and Soup Maker comes with a free recipe app, the Panasonic Kitchen+ app, which is filled with recipe ideas. The app has breakfast, lunch and dinner suggestions, as well as a selection of vegan and vegetarian choices and recipes from all around the world, Panasonic says.
It has 11 auto programmes (and 10 power levels), including smooth soup, cold smoothies, fruit purees, pasta sauce, chunky soup, warm purees for baby or nut drinks. Those wanting to blitz up something on manual can do so too, and with an 800W heating element.
Thanks to its versatility, Panasonic says the Smooth Soup auto programme does all the thinking and work for cooks, turning fresh raw ingredients into cooked soup in 22 minutes. Users can pour straight from the 1.2-litre glass jug into a bowl for ease, too.
This hot/cold blender and soup maker is powerful, with a 6-fin blade and a motor that runs up to 12,000rpm, Panasonic says, so whether it’s carrots, nuts, or seeds, blending is easy. Regular blender users will know the hassle of cleaning them, but this gadget has an Auto Clean function, where its high-powered heating element heats up to a ‘hygienically hot’ 70°C, loosening any residue in the jug.
For those on the go, it has a Delay Timer function so users can add ingredients and set the timer for up to 12 hours. While the Keep Warm function keeps a temperature of around “55°C for up to four hours”.
For those who can stretch the budget, Argos has the Tefal PerfectMix Cook 2L 2-in-1 Cold Blender & Soup Maker for £199. This high-speed blender is also a hot/cold blender, and they say it makes soy milk in just half an hour. It has 10 automatic hot or cold settings, four cold and six hot, with a two-litre capacity.
Another option would be to downsize and invest in a Nutribullet, which has become popular over the last while. The Pro 900 Series Blender – Champagne – is available at Currys for £81.99 and comes with two blending cups. It has dishwasher safe parts too so cleaning it is hassle-free.
Shoppers online have rated it highly on Panasonic’s website, with one person saying: “Quickly warms up, very solid with the right ingredients it makes marvellous soups.” Another shopper said: “Highly versatile with an excellent range of functions which is a great time saver.” And a third said: “Quick delivery as promised. Very versatile blender, makes excellent foods.”
Another shopper raved about the soup maker, however, they didn’t enjoy all of the recipes recommended. They said: “Also the recipes can be a little tasteless unless some of ingredients are sautéed first. Otherwise, you are essentially just whizzing up boiled veg.”
