When the weather cools down, there's nothing better than whipping up some warming, hearty soups and stews. So here are some tools that will help you with the job. The beauty of an immersion blender is that you can put it directly into the soup, and that's a big time saver. A skimmer allows you to remove small items from soups and stocks, such as bay leaves and herb bundles. A big stock pot will allow you to make enough soup to last a few days. Vitamix's powerful blenders can make your soups perfectly smooth and silky in a hurry. Try a soup bowl and plate combo for meals like grilled cheese and tomato soup. A flexible silicone ladle allows you to get into the corners of your pot and scoop out every bit of soup. This Phillips soup maker has six preset programs that allow you to make different types of soup.