A soup maker is a blender with a built-in heating function. This way, you can make a fresh soup or baby food in addition to a smoothie. The blender first cooks the ingredients and then mixes them until they're smooth. You can also use a soup maker for other warm preparations, like a broth or minestrone. Most models have pre-programmed cooking programs. That's useful, because you don't have to think about the right preparation time and temperature.