This is a slower rotation of the blades that’s used to mix food. This blender is very easy to use and has many features. The owners manual is definitely worth taking a look through since some of the functions of this machine may not be obvious to a new user. The blender function works very well and easily blends ice, raw vegetables, fruits and mixes them appropriately.
I followed the instructions and it felt like there were a lot of steps. But I really think it would have been easier to cook it on the stove. This would be a very good thing to have if you don’t have a stove.
There’s a high setting (up to 100C) for bringing liquids up to the boil and a simmer setting which is a lower temperature (up to 80C) and ideal for simmering soups. If you want to stir, you need to press the slow stir button. One of the biggest benefits of soup is its high comfort factor. Nothing, that is, except a bowl of warm homemade soup. With a combination appliance such as this soup maker, the comfort level is pushed even further as it reduces the time spent cooking, giving you more time to relax. What is my verdict after making soup in a blender?
Put a little soapy water in, turn it on and rinse. We have made smoothies several times since. My husband actually snuck some spinach in a smoothie (a concept I have Strongly resisted) and I didn’t notice any change to texture. Ease of Use
A few buttons to push but nothing too complicated.
The Soup Maker is effortless to maintain, with controls that give you the option of letting the machine work by itself or allow you to adapt as desired. Given that you could spend the same on a standalone blender, this is a super-smart buy. For those who hate reading manuals, the quick-start guide is invaluable, though the Soup Maker’s operation is seductively straightforward. Line the jug up with the base using the arrows, select the cooking duration and heating level, and you’re on the first step to soup. The blender function is not as powerful as many other soup maker brands. This means that if you have foods that are quite chunky like carrots, that it can take a while to blend and sometimes feels like an effort.
The first is sauté for browning base ingredients such as onion and garlic. These need to be finely chopped as larger chunks can get lodged in the blade if no liquid is added. The glass jug itself is similarly well constructed, with the electronics slightly elevated from the bottom rim of the base to avoid damage, and a sturdy handle at the side.
While you’ll still have to chop your veg, you then simply chuck everything into the machine, which usually looks like a traditional blender, add stock or hot water, and you’re good to go. The Cuisinart blend and cook soup maker really doesn’t work, unless all you want is pureed soups it’s good for that, but that’s just about it. If you cut your vegetables with any bit of thickness, they don’t cook through well at all I don’t want a crunch in my soup and I don’t know of anyone cuisinart pots and pans set else that does either. It holds onto smells as well, so if you use any seasonings and spices, it will stay no matter how well you clean it. Blending Power
This is the one thing it does well, it purees things to a pulp and that’s all it will do, don’t use it if you’re only wanting it chopped it won’t do that for you. Versatility
Not very versatile at all, like I said before it’s mainly for pureed soups and that’s about it nothing with any thickness or rustic style soups sadly.
Within about a 40 minute time frame (from start to finish), I had an incredibly flavorful and unbelievably silky smooth Spiced Carrot Soup that would be luscious enough to serve to company. It was garnished with crispy Prosciutto, a dollop of Greek Yogurt and some snipped cilantro. The Scotch broth was thoroughly cooked, including the pearl barley, after about half an hour. After a quick blitz on level 2 – levels 3 and 4 are deactivated if the contents are over 60 degrees C – the soup was consistently creamy but still retained some texture and bite.