When Andrew Watman tested, he made three types of milk with each. For almond milk he used unroasted, unsalted almonds. For cashew, he used unroasted, unsalted cashews. For macadamia, he used dry roasted, unsalted macadamia nuts. I used old-fashioned rolled oats, unsalted raw almonds, and unsweetened coconut shreds.
For the machines, we looked for a well-engineered products that will last a long time, as well as ergonomic and intuitive design. Many of these required the machine’s parts to be separated and cleaned thoroughly, especially because the mushy plant matter can have a tendency to stick. Any machine that had a thoughtful design with cleaning was rated higher.
I also considered the length of time it took to produce the milk, as well as the simplicity of using the product (and ease of cleaning it). We also examined the taste and smoothness, comparing it to each other and store-bought milks. I also added additional sweeteners like agave, dates, and lavender simple syrup to see how the flavors changed with each machine.
These freshly made plant-and nut-based milks are all going to have a shorter shelf life than plant milks you buy at the store (typically about five days) because of the lack of added preservatives. We looked for machines that weren’t just blenders, but specifically curated for making the best plant milk possible.
