Awkward design and limited software functionality. Concerns about product longevity.
I'm an apologist of kitchen gadgets that allow one to save time and make healthy choices.
When I seen a similar item in a US website, and its claims I knew I just had to get one.
Here in the UK our choices are more limited, therefore I went with the Morphy Richards as it seems to have good reviews and it is affordable.
Truth is, I ended up returning it. Not because the concept is flawed, but simply because it did no such thing in aiding in the kitchen, and instead it was more of an hassle.
My main uses for this were soups and milks. Now I love oat milk, but it turns out its only good for cold oat milks. In such aspect this is no different to get a pot with cold water, add the oats and blend. Now I have the raw taste of oats, so therefore I couldn't use it, otherwise I would be using my juicer.
Almond milk is a similar story. It only caters to milk using 100% almonds. IMHO it could very well use the blender at slow speed to achieve a more creamy result, similar to a milk brother, but no such function exits. And that takes us to the problem below...
Temperature regulation: This thing literally boils the water. There's no option for a slow cook or one below boiling (90C), as required to cook foods that naturally overflow (Rice, oats, starchy foods). This is great to get soup done quickly, but limits the usability of the machine for other tasks.
Adding uncooked grains is not an option, since these take a long time to cook and the time can't be adjusted to cater to the recipe.
There is no re-warm function. It would be nice to finish the soup/ keep it in the container with a lid and re-heat when needed, but this is not possible. Also there is no delayed option, to have the soup finished just at dinner time. And with a metallic container, contents do go cold very quickly.
Its an example where an extra button and some software could make the machine much more usable and what makes more sophisticated soup makers a better option.
Blending only runs for a few short pulses of a few seconds each. IMHO the results can at times be ingredients a bit too coarse. Granted one can manually adjust, but wasn't this suppose to automate the whole process?
Cleaning is another concern. Yes, the bottom has a nonstick lining, but the remainder is stainless. Leave the soup in the machine any longer than needed (remember there's no delayed start/keep warm) and, if it is blended, it will start to stick. Likewise, it is not recommended to add any ingredients that can potentially stick (milk/butter/oil) therefore requiring the transfer over and seasoning of contents and something else to wash, an an extra step.
Cleaning is awkward, because both the lid and the base have electrical components and can't be placed under water. The manual recommends a cleaning cycle essentially boiling some water, so the steam dissolves solids, but this only adds up to the inconvenience of using the machine in the first place.
Other concern is the durability of the nonstick covering the heating element. Having used other nonstick utensils I don't believe this would last a very long time if used a few times a week to have fresh soup, exactly what I envisioned when buying it.
Likewise, the electric contacts, each time the lid is added/removed will probably become worn out over time and stop functioning properly.
So hopefully the points above will help you make a more informed decision. Granted some concerns will not be an issue to everyone, but will likely help you decide whenever to get a more expensive model, with more options, or simply try other options such as slow cooking/pressure cooking.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned