Morphy Richards Total Control 501020 White Soup Maker Review

The Total Control 501020 is the latest Morphy Richards Soup Maker. I spoke about all the different Morphy Richards soup makers in my post Which Morphy Richards Soup Maker Is Best? and I told you my reasons why I thought the Total Control was one of the best options to buy.

This post will go in to much more details showing you all the features and functions of this model as well as my likes and dislikes.  If you are thinking about which soup maker to buy, or you already have this model and want to know how to start using it, read on.

Morphy Richards Total Control Review & Beginners Guide

I am going to explain each feature in more detail, list out any pros and cons, as well as answer many of the frequently asked questions.

I will also along the way provide you with video demonstrations (coming soon!) and photos to make your decision making process even easier. Or, if you already have this soup maker, hopefully this guide will make using it even easier!

Main Features

• 1600ml capacity
• 1100 watt power
• Saute
• Keep warm
• Pre-Clean
• Removable inner pot
• Smoothie function
• Choose between smooth, medium or chunky texture
• Portion control (from 2 to 4 portions)
• Recipe booklet (16 recipes)

Straight out of the box the Total Control is intuitive and easy to use. However, it did take me a while to make use of all the features that the Total Control offers, which is a shame considering how great they are! So that you don’t fall in to the same trap as me, I have created a step by step guide to each feature and function.

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to ask me in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Making A Soup In The Morphy Richards Total Control

This really is as simple as adding the right ingredients and pressing a button – you only need to make a few decisions along the way!

Aside from the obvious one of which recipe to make (here’s some inspiration!), the other choices are whether to use the smooth, chunky or medium mode.

The Smooth

The sharp blades along with the 1100 watt motor ensure that any ingredients using this mode are blended into a smooth soup. The cycle only takes 21 minutes to make 4 portions and 19 minutes to make 3 portions.

Side Note: If you want to really make sure your soups are silky smooth, chop up ingredients like potatoes as small as you can into chunks – this way they will cook faster and be easier to blend down.

The Medium

This mode, as the name suggests, is kind of an in between consistency; neither completely smooth, nor chunky. It has a more bumpy texture but without the chunks. The cycle time varies depending on portion sizes; 22 minutes for 2 portions, 24 minutes for 3 portions and 26 minutes for 4 portions.

The Chunky

The chunky setting cooks the soup without any blending. This means that the cycle does take longer to make sure that the ingredients are fully heated through. If at the end of the cycle you would prefer a little less chunk, you can press the blend function (more on this later on). The times for the chunky cycle are again dependent on portion sizes; 25 minutes for 2 portions, 27 minutes for 3 portions and 29 minutes for 4 portions.

Further Blending

Once the soup cycle has completed on the chunky or medium cycle you are able to further blend it should you wish to make it smoother. This can be done either straight after the soup maker has finished making the soup, or at a later stage after say, reheating.

The lid needs to be on for the blend function to work. Once the soup maker has been plugged in just select the ‘Blend’ function via the ‘Mode’ button. Blending is manual and you will need to keep your finger on the blend button to keep it working.

Side Note: Don’t use this blend function to make smoothies or blend any ingredients that haven’t been cooked or are soft.

Using Portion Control

This is a brilliant feature of the Total Control Soup Maker and probably what sets it apart from other soup makers. The ability to make fewer portions make this particular model well suited for smaller households, or those making soup for just 1 or 2 people.

With the previous Morphy Richards Saute and Soup Maker you always need to make a minimum of 4 portions (1.6L capacity) which isn’t always suitable for some users.

The portion control is available depending on what type of soup you are making;

Smooth: 3 or 4 portions

Medium & Chunky: 2, 3 or 4 portions 

The soup maker jug vessel has the measurements showing so that you know how much you need to fill for each portion size;

2 portions = 800ml

3 portions = 1200ml

4 portions = 1600ml 

The different portion sizes are easy to select via the Mode button on the lid.

Sauteeing In A Soup Maker

This is one of my favourite functions in this model, and the previous Saute and Soup Morphy Richards.

The Total Control works slightly differently to the Saute and Soup model – for the Total Control you need to have the lid in place for the saute function to work, whereas with the Saute and Soup you need to have the lid off.

I prefer having the lid off so that I can keep an eye on how quickly ingredients are cooking, it’s not a deal breaker not being able to keep the lid off, but it needs to be a consideration before you buy.

The saute function in this model works by adding a little oil to the base of the soup maker jug and then replacing the lid. Switch the saute function on by using the ‘Mode’ button. Once the oil has heated (around 1 minute) you can add your ingredients. I usually use it for gently cooking onions and garlic – you can saute most vegetables if you wish to but it isn’t recommended for cooking more than around 100g of meat as it won’t cook through adequately. The maximum time for using the saute function is 10 minutes.

Reheating Soup

This is another really handy addition to the Total Control Soup Maker. You can reheat your soup within the following times;

4 portions = 17 minutes

3 portions = 14 minutes

2 portions = 11 minutes

Side Note: It is only recommended that you reheat homemade soups and not shop bought ones.

The Keep Warm Mode

Once the soup cycle has completed it will beep for 10 seconds and then head straight into the keep warm mode.

Making Smoothies and Milkshakes

The Morphy Richards range of soup makers aren’t just for hot soups. You can also make smoothies and milkshakes, making use of the 1100 watt power capability.

You can make either 3 or 4 portions (1200ml or 1600ml) with ingredients of your choice. Add solid ingredients first, followed by the liquid. Then, select the ‘drinks’ function and press the start button. Once complete the soup maker will beep for 10 seconds to let you know.

There are 4 ‘drinks’ recipes included in the booklet you receive with the soup maker;

• Peanut Butter Milkshake
• Mocha Milkshake
• Blueberry and Oat Breakfast Smoothie
• Blueberry and Oat Breakfast Smooth (made with Natural Yoghurt)

Using The Pre-Clean

This is a well thought out function that is new to the Total Control model. Simply add 800ml of water to the removal jug part of the soup maker and add a little bit of washing up soap. Replace the lid and switch the soup maker on. Select the Pre-Clean function via the Mode button and press start.

The Pre-Clean function runs for 4 minutes. Once it is finished you will need to rinse out the jug with some water to remove any soap bubbles.

Why use the pre-clean function? Over time you will be cooking with many different types of ingredients which will gradually begin to leave odours that aren’t always removable via conventional washing up (I make a lot of curry style soups which do leave a rather ‘spicy aroma’ so this feature is fab!) This pre-clean function is an added way to ensure your soup maker is clean and fresh for every use.

Side Note: You will still need to wash up the soup maker after each use, the pre-clean is like an extra boost to cleaning it.

Cleaning The Soup Maker

Although the pre-clean function is great to use to really get rid of any lingering smells, you still need to wash up your soup maker after each use. Never leave the soup in the jug vessel for long lengths of time – I ‘may’ have done this on the odd occasion and I can tell you it’s no fun cleaning it out later! Always transfer it to a soup flask or another suitable container for storing soup.

Once the soup is empty remove the inner vessel from the soup maker outer casing by pressing the red release button. The inner jug vessel can be submerged in hot soapy water to be thoroughly cleaned. This is a huge improvement on the previous Saute & Soup Maker from Morphy Richards which can be trickier to clean thoroughly.

The lid needs more care in it’s cleaning and should not be submerged in water; instead use a sponge or damp cloth and give it a good clean that way, taking care when you clean around the sharp blades.

The outer jug unit shouldn’t be too dirty but will need a light wipe down with a damp cloth.

Don’t use any abrasive sponges to clean any part of the soup maker.

Make sure everything is completely dry before putting back together.

Morphy Richards Total Control Vs Morphy Richards Saute and Soup Maker

I covered this in my previous comparison article about Morphy Richards Soup Makers but I will repeat it here – I have extensively used both soup makers and have no complaints about either. Both are incredible machines that perform well, producing delicious soup in record quick time. But which soup maker is best? It’s honestly hard to say, both have their pros and cons. I will try and briefly summarise them again here for you;

• Total Control is easier to clean with a removable inner jug vessel and pre-clean function.
• Total Control has portion control meaning less wastage and making it more suitable for 1 or 2 people.
• Total Control has a keep warm function.
• Saute & Soup allows you to saute with the lid off, a feature I prefer when cooking with some ingredients.

Conclusion – Should You Buy The Total Control?

If you are in the market for a soup maker then the Morphy Richards Total Control should be a definite contender. It produces really great soup and is very simple to use. It takes up very little room on the kitchen counter top and can easily stay out all the time.

Do you have any questions or anything you’d like to mention? Please do so in the comments below!