I’ve recently been eyeing up soup makers. I think these are a relatively recent innovation which both blend and cook ingredients in order to make rich, creamy soups. They tend to be pretty pricey though and, because they both blend and heat the ingredients, there are electrical components you can’t just put in a bowl to soak or stick in the dishwasher.

Jane recently had the opportunity to pick up a 600W Silvercrest blender (a Lidl brand) for a very low price at a local tabletop sale. Even though the blender body was pink, her least favourite colour, I encouraged her to pick it up and we got a chance to play with it tonight.

So far, I’m very impressed. I cooked a leek and potato soup up on the hob and, after cooling it for a few minutes in a bowl of cold water, I briefly blended it, yielding a silky smooth result. For the price she paid, I reckon about 5-10 soups will be plenty to cover the investment and, if it holds up for longer, it is all win. I think the original price was near £60, which would have taken a bit longer to pay back but it creates a much smoother result than we can manage using either our food processor or stick blender. As an extra bonus, you can stick the jug and the blade in the dishwasher although blending a mixture of washing up liquid and water also seems to work well when the dishwasher is full.

Consequently, my yearning for a soup maker is on a temporary hold!