d-i-y soups?

[T i m]

Hi all,

Tonight I used our Tefal electric pressure cooker again to make a (veggie) sausage casserole (for 5 or 6), but I was wondering if it was worth getting one of those automatic soupmakers for both us (x2) and my Mum (x1) (who was previously given one that they thought just needed some minor attention but had a seized motor bearing so was scrapped before she could try it).

So, does anyone have one they could recommend or any other general related thoughts please?

The Tefal has a fairly large Teflon 'pot' that allows you to brown / fry / sear stuff first (sausages, onion / leek etc) then use it as a pressure cooker and have it all done in around 7 minutes (then it drops back to 'warm' mode for 24 hrs I think).

I'm assuming an automatic soup maker would really only be any use for veg or pre-cooked meat?

Cheers, T i m

[tabbypurr]

they make life easy resulting in a lot more soup eaten. But can't handle anything not cut up fairly fine.

NT

[Nick Odell]

I make my soups (leek and potato, cream of mushroom, mixed vegetable etc) by bunging the ingredients into my slow cooker and when they are cooked, whizzing them with my liquidiser-on-a-stick. I imagine you could do likewise with your pressure cooker.

Nick

[The Natural Philosopher]

I make my spups by chopping the ingredients up with a knife and putting them into a suacepan on low heat.

Or buy them in pots from waitrose, with the money I saved by not buying a slow cooker or a pressure cooker.

[T i m]

That's the hope.

Ok, thanks. Do / have you got / had one OOI?

Cheers, T i m

[Brian Reay]

I like to make soup but just use a large stock pot- I make a lot and freeze it.

I used to use a pressure cooker but it wasn't compatible with our hob when we had the kitchen done some time back.

I've tried a slow cooker but it only holds a few litres- I normally make

8 or 9 litres.

The problem with these gadgets is storage. Our kitchen isn't small by any means but there is a limit to the number of gadgets you can find space for, especially if they aren't used that often.

[T i m]

Ok.

Whilst I probably could, it is a bit big and dragging it out, and cleaning it and putting it away might not be so conducive to doing a quick soup (in the sense of how much time we have to stand over it) than we might with a smaller / lighter machine?

I guess we were looking for the sort of ease_of_use we get with the electric pressure cooker (set and forget) but with a soup maker.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

For how long?

Unless you have a hob with a timer, or set a timer of some sort or hover over the cooker while it is all simmering away, there is the chance that you (well, I) will forget, or get distracted on the phone on IM and end up with a burnt mess (or worse). That's why we like the electric pressure cooker because you start it going and it does it's stuff, beeps and drops back to warm all on it's own.

Complete with all the extra salt, chemicals and preservatives.

Not for ever though eh, and you aren't comparing like with like (you were ok with yer saucepan solution).

I just had a bronchoscopy and due to have a Barium meal / X-Ray before the end of the year and know I should lose a couple of stone and so looking of things I could do to make all that better (not necessarily easier (as in buying a can of soup) or cheaper) and therefore more likely to happen.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Hi Brian.

We only have a small under_the_counter freezer so not really an option here. ;-(

Ok.

The problem with that (for us and no freezer space) is we don't generally have a meal plan and will often eat whatever I fancy cooking (for the three of us). We (Mrs and I) are trying to eat no later than

8pm now (recent doctors general advice, we generally go to bed around 12) and so it would have to be something that took not much longer than popping some fish in the oven and frozen veg on the hob.

Noted.

Agreed ... and we may well have to have a bit of a prune-up even to take a soup maker but it might be worth the effort.

So, is there a particular make or model the panel could recommend?

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Yeah, thanks for that and we have a nice Kenwood kettle for packet soups but I'm not sure they are quite as 'good' for you as soup made from fresh (or even frozen, compared with packet or ready made soup) veg?

I don't see it quite the same as a bread maker as 1) we are trying to cut back on our bread intake 2) try to eat wholemeal bread and 3) because we don't eat a lot, 'fresh bread' would be solid before we got past 4 slices.

Potatoes, carrots, onion, leek, suede, turnip, sweet potato and maybe some sprouts or curly kale would last quite a while in the veg rack and if it made something quickly and easily that was edible and 'good for you', then it could work.

Cheers, T i m

[stuart noble]

We slice and freeze 3 types of bread. I like to vary things

[T i m]

We borrowed a neighbours bread maker and it was both fun (interesting) and tasty (nothing like the smell and taste of fresh bread). ;-)

However, the novelty soon wore off and as mentioned elsewhere, we don't have a big freezer and so don't have the luxury of bulk / freezing etc.

Cheers, T i m

[Max Demian]

I've always regarded making soup as rather a waste of time as you don't end up with a complete meal and the canned ones are very good.

[Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack]

no no a soup kettle....makes fantastic soup....

$_35.JPG?set_id=2

[Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack]

got four bread maker...never use them

[T i m]

Ah, that's strange as it seems to say 'Soup Maker' on it? ;-)

Coincidentally, that particular one (or possibly a later version with a flatter handle) was the one I was looking at on Argos earlier and it seems to have plenty of positive reviews.

Do you have a favourite recipe Jim and have you had other makes and models to compare against (quality / reliability / functionality).

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

In what way is it not complete OOI? I mean, even if you only use veg and pulses, it could give you your '5 a day' and can't see any reason why it couldn't complement a balanced diet?

They certainly can be (excuse the pun) but I'm not sure if they can ever be as 'good' (from a nutrition pov) than something made from fresh (or even frozen possibly) ingredients and without all the additives?

Don't get me wrong, for a hot and quick snack / meal I quite enjoy a can of 'Chunky chicken and veg' or even a straight tomato soup but my favourite but least nutritious is probably chicken noodle (from a packet).

Cheers, T i m

[Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack]

think we have a Salter one sold by bargain books recently for a tenner bought stock...the wife does the soup...you won't regret buying one

[Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack]

"Jim GM4DHJ in the Radio Shack ...." wrote in message news:TbbUB.103712$ [e-mail]...

the wife just phoned we have Salter and morphy richards ones and she says both are good ......making me hungry

[GB]

I use our breadmaker at least once a week to knead dough. I make wholemeal bread, and the breadmaker does a nice job of mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, letting it rise at a controlled temperature, knocking down, etc.

I wait for it to finish the dough cycle, then shape the dough into the desired style. 650gms of flour makes a couple of small loaves and several rolls. Made on Friday and stored carefully, it lasts the weekend, then any left over goes to the birds and other vermin. Depending on how many guests we have, the birds get about half.

Incidentally, I only make wholemeal bread, except occasionally under protest. I also made pizzas the other day - wholemeal ofc.