The Ascent 2300i can be used to make your own butter (no churning by hand, yet all of the wow factor at your next dinner party), dips, nut butters, mayonnaise, non-dairy milks, hot soup from scratch without a pan in sight, bread and pasta dough, wholegrain flours, baby food and frozen desserts – essentially, almost anything you could make in a food processor. I really like the saute function on my Morphy Richards soup maker, so I was happy to see it included on the Ninja. It runs for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, smoothie blenders, also known as personal blenders, come with a small plastic cup rather than a jug. Fill the cup with your ingredients, then attach the blade, flip the cup upside down and connect to the base. When the ingredients are blended to your liking, remove from the base, unscrew the blade, and screw on a to-go lid, then take your drink with you. Simple to use, we were impressed with the Breville The Fresh and Furious. It was able to liquidise pineapple and leafy spinach into a completely smooth and lightly aerated drink, with no bits, as well as crush ice, chop nuts, and emulsify eggs and oil into mayonnaise. The controls are devilishly simple to get the hang of – there are five programmes at the push of a button, such as green smoothie, frozen dessert or soup (designed to heat up ingredients rather than blend already hot soup), plus a manual dial for ramping up through 12 speed settings and an LCD screen showing count up or count down times.

You’ll get more use out of a blender that’s easy to clean, so look for those where all the removable parts are dishwasher safe. Some blender jugs will split apart so that the blades can be safely cleaned separately and more thoroughly. If the jug has fixed blades, it can be difficult to clean around them by hand, so always use a brush. Our how to clean a blender guide has more tips. Are blenders noisy? Now for the fun part! You can top your loaded potato soup with anything you like and omit what you don't like.

Perfect for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

In a large pot, sauté the onions and celery with butter over medium heat until the onions are translucent in color. If you are making crispy bacon for your toppings, you can use the bacon grease instead of butter. In truth, Vitamix, Blendtec, and Breville all have a blender that can prepare cold desserts and warm soups. However, these machines use the friction from the spinning blades to generate the heat. So, it can’t cook your soup to a boiling temperature as with a True hot and cold blender that relies on a heating element. Another negative is the blender glass container is VERY HEAVY . The electronics of the built in soup maker is attached to the bottom of the glass. It is heavy lifting the blender top to pour out a liquid/concoction, or to clean it, if you wash it in the sink. Also you have to be careful not to get the electronic bottom of the glass part wet. There is a way to clean the glass container while it stays on the blender, but I have not done that yet. The Smart Program for cleaning removes most food and residue from the pitcher and blades in under 60 seconds. Any leftover mess is easily scrubbed away with the included cleaning brush. You can even use the small white or red potatoes and leave the skins on for a more rustic-style potato soup with potato chunks. I would still use some Russet potatoes, though, for the creamy texture since new potatoes are waxy potatoes.

The entire blade column can also be removed, and all the attachments are dishwasher-safe, making cleaning a breeze. To set the clean was off you need to fill it up with 700ml of water, add in a squirt of washing up liquid and then press the clean button. It actually heats up the water and takes it for a soapy sud filled swirl around the jug. It runs for x minutes. It is quite noisy – not one to do early morning or late at night. Heat On Another great option at the pricey end of the scale. The Vitamix A2500i is one of the most powerful blenders that we tested. It has a 1200-1400W motor that made light work of whatever we threw at it.

$39 Value Mealio® Soup Flask

There is no cleaning preset, however, and none of the accessories are dishwasher safe so you'll need to wash this blender by hand. We also found that food sorts became trapped underneath the blades because they don't sit low enough to blend it, so it's large quantities of food all the way for the jug if you're to get the most out of it.

The blender comes with a 1.5-litre jug, smaller than most other Breville blenders. We also found a slight amount of leakage when the blender was filled to maximum capacity, but this was only in the well of the lid and not enough to be a serious concern. Generally speaking, you'll want to find a smoothie blender with blades that can pulverize ice and frozen fruits and veg into silky smooth liquids with minimal grit. Also, seek a model with a travel cup and lid so you can take your drinks on the go. In the case of personal blenders, you should be able to remove the cup right from the base as soon as you're done blending. For larger-scale models, seek a container that doubles as a pitcher so you can pour your drinks straight away. If you want professional-style smoothies, Breville the Super Q is the option for you. This powerhouse blender wouldn't look out of place in a professional kitchen. It's also got a personal blending cup with a travel lid to make smoothies for when you're on the go. Serve with your favorite toppings. How to Make Loaded Potato Soup in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender

Enjoy the Delicious Results Every Time

She tried the Nutribullet 01930 Smart Touch 1.85L Blender and is a huge fan, thanks to just how versatile it is in her kitchen. She uses it regularly for soups, smoothies and frozen margaritas, of course. How to buy the right blender for you The Magimix Power Blender surrounded by ingredients to make a smoothie (Image credit: TechRadar) How to choose the best blender for you The Mealio® Hot and Cold Blender is the ultimate multi-functional kitchen appliance that is more than just a blender. It's a powerful soup maker and a versatile smoothie maker all in one. With 8 preset programs, this blender lets you create everything from smoothies to soups with just one touch. Whether you're looking for the best blender for smoothies or an electric soup maker that can make hot and cold culinary creations, the Mealio® has got you covered. I think so, yes. There are so many different recipes you can make with the Ninja. The versatility of the machine makes it so much more than a soup maker. However, if we are purely comparing the soup making abilities, then again, I much prefer the Ninja.

We also evaluate how finely and evenly the blenders chop ice and nuts and compare how easy they are to use. Finally, for each model, we rate how loud they are, how durable and easy to clean the body and parts are, and the valuable accessories they come with, such as a tamper for moving ingredients closer to the blade, extra jugs, or containers, and recipe booklets for inspiration. Sturdy glass jug blenders tend to be able to withstand longer continuous running times than blenders with plastic jugs. To compare each blender, we’ve spent hours in the kitchen preparing bowlfuls of mayonnaise while blending pineapple, spinach, and Greek yogurt into a smoothie. As well as assessing how smooth the sauce and smoothie are, we’re also looking for ingredients that are well-combined without any curdling and whether there is residue trapped under the blade or if the elements have leaked from the base lid during blending. A “hot and cold blender” is a specialty blender that brings together a high-speed blending blade and a heating element into one appliance. So, unlike the usual blender for juicing and smoothies, you can also warm/ cook soups or sauces instantly.

…and so much more!

As we shall see later in the article, some hot and cold blenders can even keep your food warm for several hours after hot blending. So, it could be a great addition if you’re always in a rush with time due to work and home chores. What’s The Best Hot and Cold Blender in 2023? A blender for one, this model has a small capacity and is only able to blend the contents of the single-serve jug.The Cuisinart Cordless On The Go Blender has a small blade and a single blending setting. If you're looking for an all-purpose blender then this probably isn't the model for you, however, if you are looking for a blender to regularly make drinks then this is a fab option. Molly is the Ecommerce Editor for Ideal Home covering all things appliances, meaning that she's always reviewing the next coffee machine or air fryer on the market. The great thing about this blender is straight out of the box it’s clear how to use it. The dial turned to the right controls the intensity or to the left to select a preset program (Clean, Ice, Smoothie, Soups, Desserts). The three buttons start to pulse and stop the machine. I couldn’t see any minimum quantity requirements on the Ninja jug, or in their instructions, so I tested it out. Guess what? There are no minimum amounts – meaning you can absolutely make soup for 1 if you want to! I love having this option. Jam