The short answer (checked 8 November 2026)
- Best overall is the Morphy Richards Classic Soup Maker 48822, the 1.6L machine most people buy. A smooth batch costs at most about 9.2p of electricity at the price cap, or 5.8p a litre, the lowest of the picks.
- Best for one or two people is the Morphy Richards Compact. It makes 800ml to 1L, so you are not forced to make 1.3L at a time, for at most 7.5p a smooth batch.
- Bigger is cheaper per litre. The 1.6L machines cost 5.8p to 6.4p a litre at most; the 1L machines cost 7.5p to 13.1p.
- Audit finding: the Daewoo SDA1714 listing promises "Fresh Homemade Soup in 20 Minutes". The instruction manual on the same listing gives 26 minutes for smooth soup and 28 for chunky.
- Of the nineteen soup makers in Amazon UK's top twenty Soup Kettles and Makers chart, read on 8 November 2026, only eight give a wattage anywhere in the title, bullet points or specification tables.
A soup maker is a jug blender with a heating element in the base. You put in raw vegetables and stock, press a button, and about twenty to thirty-five minutes later it has cooked and blended the soup. It is a practical winter kitchen gift, and its running cost is easy to work out from two numbers: the heater's wattage and how long the programme runs. We took both from each maker's own listing and manual, and ranked the machines by what a litre of smooth soup costs to make.
How this page was made
Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 8 November 2026 · next check 1 January 2027 · how we picked
Prices in this table come from Amazon and are refreshed at least once a day, with the date of the last update under the table. The cost-per-use and running-cost figures on this page use prices Look Into read on 8 November 2026, so they can differ from today's price.
What a batch of soup costs to make
The working is watts x minutes / 60 / 1,000 to give kWh, multiplied by the Ofgem price cap of 26.32p per kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average, Direct Debit, standing charge excluded, checked 8 November 2026). This is a ceiling. It assumes the heater runs flat out for the whole programme, and in practice the heater cycles on and off once the soup is hot, so the real figure will be lower. It does not include the ingredients.
| Soup maker | Heater power and source | Smooth programme | Smooth batch, at most | Per litre, at most |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morphy Richards Classic 48822 (1.6L) | 1,000W (listing) | 21 minutes | 9.21p | 5.76p |
| Salter Kuro (1.6L) | 900W (listing) | About 25 minutes | 9.87p | 6.17p |
| Daewoo SDA1714 (1.6L) | 900W heating (manual) | 26 minutes | 10.26p | 6.42p |
| Morphy Richards Compact (1L) | 900W (listing) | 19 minutes | 7.50p | 7.50p |
| Tefal MultiSoup (1L) | 850W (listing) | 35 minutes | 13.05p | 13.05p |
Chunky programmes run longer because the soup simmers without blending. At the same ceiling, a chunky batch costs about 12.3p in the Morphy Richards Classic (28 minutes), 11.8p in the Salter (about 30 minutes), 11.1p in the Daewoo (28 minutes), 10.3p in the Compact (26 minutes) and 13.1p in the Tefal (35 minutes). Every figure here is a few pence, so choose on size and programmes first.
The minimum fill matters too
The Morphy Richards Classic manual says your ingredients, including liquid, must be above the 1.3L line, and the Salter manual gives a 1,300ml minimum. So the big machines will not make a small batch: every time you use one you are making at least four or five bowls. The Morphy Richards Compact works between 800ml and 1L. If you live alone, or want fresh soup rather than a fridge full of it, that is worth more than the lower cost per litre of the big jugs.
How we picked these
We read the top twenty of Amazon UK's Soup Kettles and Makers Best Sellers chart on 8 November 2026. One entry is a commercial soup warmer rather than a soup maker, which leaves nineteen. We opened all nineteen listings, read the title, bullet points and specification tables, and opened the instruction manuals supplied on the listings for the shortlist. We picked five that cover the two common sizes and the main brands, each with a wattage and a programme time we could take from the maker. We have not made soup in any of them.
As an Amazon Associate, Look Into earns from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of 8 November 2026 8:03 pm and are subject to change.Compare live prices for every pick
Morphy Richards Classic Soup Maker 48822, 1.6L
Price: check the live price on Amazon · 1,000W · smooth batch at most 9.21p, 5.76p a litre · number 2 in Soup Kettles and Makers, 8 November 2026
The classic family soup maker and the cheapest per litre of the picks, because it has the shortest smooth programme of the big machines, 21 minutes, at a 1.6L capacity. Its manual sets out four programmes: smooth at 21 minutes, chunky at 28, juice at 2 and a manual blend.
The catch: the 1.3L minimum fill. It is built for four or more bowls at a time. The manual does not repeat the 1,000W figure the listing gives.
Salter Kuro Soup Maker, 1.6L
Price: check the live price on Amazon · 900W · smooth batch at most 9.87p, 6.17p a litre · number 13 in Soup Kettles and Makers, 8 November 2026
A 1.6L machine with five programmes, including a keep-warm setting that the manual supplied on its listing says runs for about 25 to 27 minutes, so soup can wait for whoever gets home last. Its smooth programme takes about 25 minutes.
The catch: keep-warm adds to the electricity, so a batch left on warm costs more than our figure. Like the Morphy Richards, it has a 1,300ml minimum fill.
Daewoo 2-in-1 Soup Maker SDA1714, 1.6L
Price: check the live price on Amazon · 900W heating (manual) · smooth batch at most 10.26p, 6.42p a litre · number 1 in Soup Kettles and Makers, 8 November 2026
The best seller in the chart this week, and a soup maker and smoothie blender in one. Its manual lists six programmes, including a smoothie setting and a compote setting, and gives the heater as 900W with a 140W motor.
The catch: the listing's headline, "Fresh Homemade Soup in 20 Minutes", is not what the manual says. The manual gives 26 minutes for smooth soup and 28 for chunky. The listing's specification table also gives 1,000 watts, where the manual splits it into 900W heating and 140W motor.
Morphy Richards Compact Soup Maker, 1L
Price: check the live price on Amazon · 900W · smooth batch at most 7.50p · number 6 in Soup Kettles and Makers, 8 November 2026
The smallest of the picks and the cheapest batch, because it makes less soup and has the shortest smooth programme here, 19 minutes. Its manual gives a working range of 800ml to 1L, which is two or three bowls, so you can make soup for lunch without a week of leftovers.
The catch: per litre it costs more than the big machines, and it cannot make enough for a family in one go. The listing says chunky soup takes "under 31 mins"; the manual says 26 minutes.
Tefal MultiSoup Soup Maker, 1L
Price: check the live price on Amazon · 850W · smooth batch at most 13.05p · number 3 in Soup Kettles and Makers, 8 November 2026
Six programmes on the listing, and the manual adds a compote setting, a hot water setting and an auto-clean cycle. It takes up to 1L for hot soup and 1.2L for cold drinks.
The catch: its soup programmes run for 35 minutes, the longest here, so a batch takes longer and costs the most of the picks, at most about 13p a litre. That is still pennies, but it is close to twice the Morphy Richards Classic per litre.
What the nineteen listings actually say
- Only eight of nineteen give a wattage in the title, bullet points or specification tables. On one, the Morphy Richards Sauté and Soup Maker, the only "W" figure in the specification table is the 17cm width; neither the listing nor its manual gives a power rating.
- Eight quote a time in minutes, usually how long soup takes.
- One time claim disagrees with its own manual. The Daewoo SDA1714 headline says 20 minutes; its manual says 26 for smooth and 28 for chunky.
- Only one of nineteen gives a minimum fill on the listing, the Drew Cole Clever Soup Maker. For the rest you need the manual: 1.3L for the Morphy Richards Classic and the Salter, 800ml for the Morphy Richards Compact.
Buying one as a gift or in the sale
Choose the size first. A 1.6L machine suits a family and is cheaper per litre, but it will not make less than about 1.3L. A 1L machine suits one or two people. After that, the differences in running cost are a few pence a batch. If you are buying in the Black Friday sale, our deal checker tests a sale price against its 90-day low. For other ways to cook cheaply, see the cheapest way to cook compared and our slow cookers guide.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to run a soup maker?
At most about 7.5p to 13p a batch at the October 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh, for the machines in this guide. That assumes the heater runs at full power for the whole programme; it cycles on and off once the soup is hot, so the real cost is lower.
How long does a soup maker take?
From 19 to 35 minutes for smooth soup on the machines we checked, according to their manuals. Chunky programmes take longer on most, up to 30 minutes on the Salter and 35 on the Tefal.
Can you make a small amount of soup in a soup maker?
Not in the 1.6L machines. The Morphy Richards Classic and the Salter both need at least about 1.3L of ingredients and liquid. The Morphy Richards Compact works from 800ml.
Is a soup maker cheaper than making soup on the hob?
We have not costed hob soup here, because it depends on your hob type and how long you simmer. A soup maker batch costs at most a few pence in electricity. The bigger saving for most people is time and washing up.
Sources
- Ofgem, Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, 1 October to 31 December 2026, checked 8 November 2026.
- Amazon UK, Soup Kettles and Makers Best Sellers, top twenty, and each of the nineteen soup maker listings, read 8 November 2026.
- Instruction manuals supplied on the Amazon listings for the Morphy Richards Classic (48822), Morphy Richards Compact, Morphy Richards Sauté and Soup Maker, Salter soup maker, Daewoo SDA1714 and Tefal MultiSoup, read 8 November 2026.
