Nut milk maker recommendations

[Susanwusan]

I'm thinking about getting a nut milk maker.  Are they "worth it" and what are the reliable brands that are not expensive?

[Darienne]

No answer here.  This is the first I've heard of them and boy! are they expensive!  

 

Do you drink a lot of nut milk?  It seems that some of the Google posts suggest that buying it is cheaper than making it because the commercial establishment s obtain a much cheaper price on the ingredients.  Or...you might have almond trees on your land I suppose.

[heidih]

Have you looked into the ones that do soy milk?  Almonds may be a memory as our drought continues - California produces the bulk of crop. Not a happy nut future.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, heidih said:

Have you looked into the ones that do soy milk?  Almonds may be a memory as our drought continues - California produces the bulk of crop. Not a happy nut future.

 

I'm sitting here enjoying my nightly bowl of California almonds, but for almond milk I use Spanish almonds and Turkish apricot kernels.

 

@Susanwusan I'm not sure what is "not expensive" in your kitchen budget but for my almond milk I use a Blendtec blender and a Kuvings juicer.  Together (about $2000) they were more than expensive for my limited circumstances, but the results are worth it.  By now I have more than paid for the cost of the Kuvings juicer in the savings of not having to buy commercial orgeat or almond milk.

 

This weekend's project is another batch of orgeat:

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/52996-orgeat/

 

 

 

[donk79]

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

This weekend's project is another batch of orgeat:

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/52996-orgeat/

 

I saw the title of this topic and immediately thought "If orgeat counts, then @JoNorvelleWalkeris definitely my favorite nut milk maker!". If you want to learn more about almond milk science, I seriously recommend her notes in the linked topic.  I don't drink/use much of any oft milk, but find the orgeat topic fascinating.

 

[SLB]

I too enjoyed @JoNorvelleWalker's orgeat exploration.

 

But what brought me to this topic was the recipe for almond milk that is in "A Drizzle of Honey", which reconstructs the cuisine of the Jewish converso community of Inquisition Spain, as follows:

 

1C sliced almonds

2t sugar

2C chicken broth, water, or wine.  

 

(Gitlitz D. and Davidson L., A Drizzle of Honey, 1999, p. 19.)

 

I nearly fell out! I had no idea almond milk could taste like anything other than sugar (which is what the stuff people buy in those boxes taste like to me, white-sugar-water).

 

Well, let's be honest. I had no idea that almond milk was an old-timey thing at all.  I thought it was a newfangled pricey opportunity for plant-based living.  You learn something new every day!

Edited March 15, 2023 by SLB (log)

[heidih]

1 minute ago, SLB said:

Well, let's be honest. I had no idea that almond milk was an old-timey thing at all.  I thought it was a newfangled pricey opportunity for plant-based living.  You learn something new every day!

Makes sense if keeping Kosher - no meat + dairy.