Ninja gadget makes cooking winter comfort food 'effortless'
When the temperature drops and hearty meals move to the top of the menu, time-saving kitchen appliances become essential for creating warming dishes without long preparation. The Ninja Foodi Soup Maker is available for £116.99 down from £179.99 on Amazon, which is built to prepare fresh soup in as little as 20 minutes, taking ingredients from the chopping board to the bowl in one process. Blending and cooking simultaneously allows for a choice of textures, whether a rustic chunky soup or a smooth, velvety finish.Its multi-purpose design enables chopping, sautéing, blending and cooking within the same jug.A built-in heating element cooks ingredients directly while the blades work to achieve the desired consistency, making it suitable for both hot recipes and cold creations such as smoothies or sauces. To simplify everyday use, ten Auto-iQ programmes automate the cooking and blending stages, while six manual settings offer greater control when needed. An Auto Stir function helps ingredients cook evenly and prevents sticking, reducing the need for constant attention. Cleaning is designed to be just as straightforward, with a dedicated cleaning programme and a heat-resistant glass jug featuring a non-stick coating. The appliance can blend up to 1.7 litres of cold ingredients or 1.4 litres of hot food, and the lid includes a built-in measuring cup for added convenience. The model includes the motor base, glass jug, tamper, cleaning brush and a recipe guide for inspiration. An alternative is the Morphy Richards Saute and Soup Maker for £100 from Argos. This one has a 1.6 litre capacity, and buyers can select smooth or chunky settings to match their preferences, and the results are ready in 25 minutes.A cheaper one is the Daewoo 1.6L Soup Maker for £39.99 from Robert Dyas. This is also said to have a large 1.6 litre volume that allows for the preparation of up to six servings, making it perfect for cooking and freezing.The Ninja Foodi Soup Maker has been rated a high 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon. One person said: “Excellent, versatile blender makes soup making effortless. I know I will be eating lots of homemade soup this winter, it's comfort food.” Another wrote as part of a longer review: “This blender is absolutely amazing quality and truly lives up to its premium feel.”Users also highlighted its design: “I only made soups so far and they turned out amazing. The blending facility makes the smooth soup. It is easy to use. Good size for two people. I love the clean facility as it is safer to use because of the blade. The machine is very sturdy.”Some did, however, deduct a star and said: “Brilliant for soup and a game changer. The downside is that it's difficult to clean even when the clean mode is applied.”Another wrote: “Makes beautiful, smooth soup quickly. Diced raw chicken, frozen mixed vegetables stock and a tin of tomatoes are all that is needed. Add some water to the hot line, press the smooth button, and 30 minutes later, you have yummy soup. The only negative is that it can be noisy when blending.”
