Best Almond Milk-Making Machines 🥛 Cheap vs Expensive?

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Plant-based milks especially almond and oat milk have grown in popularity, and making them at home has become something I do more and more frequently.

But making almond milk manually is a pain! So I’ve taken it upon myself to test out two different types of milk-making machines, one with a higher price tag (MioMat) and another that’s more budget-friendly, to see how they stack up.

As a personal venture, I am here to share my experiences and insights, particularly on whether investing in either of these gadgets is a sound decision, and if spending extra really make sense.

I’m looking forward to discovering how much time and effort I can save by using one of these machines.

I am also curious about the impact of machine usage on the quality and taste of the milk produced.

When it comes to the ingredients in store-bought almond milk, the actual almond content is often surprisingly low.

Making milk at home could potentially offer a more nutritious and tastier alternative, cutting out unnecessary additives found in commercial products.

I’ll provide a comparison between my homemade versions and the almond milk off the shelf, as well as share some tips on using these appliances, the variety of milks and other foods you can produce with them, and my final thoughts on whether they’re practical for regular use.

Key Points

• Testing two milk-making machines revealed differences in their performance and the quality of the milk produced.
• Homemade plant-based milk has the potential to be more nutritious and flavorful than store-bought versions that contain minimal actual nuts and added e-numbers (emulsifiers).
• Practicality and additional features vary between machines, impacting the ease of use and final product consistency.

Let’s Talk About the Two Machines…

The first machine is the slightly more expensive MioMat, which, despite not being top-of-the-line, boasts an efficient, upgraded grinder with three blades.

“A more powerful grinder typically results in a richer flavour and better nutrient extraction from the nuts.”

“On the other end of the spectrum, the more economical option surprisingly featured more blades and offered simple functionality without sacrificing on quality.“

Both of these machines have durable stainless steel interiors, but they differ in capacity, with the MioMat holding 1.2 litres and the other 600 ml, and in the variety of settings offered.

The process of making the milk is straightforward. Start with high-quality, preferably organic almonds or oats, wash them, and soak them for at least four hours to enhance the taste and texture of the finished product.

I like adding personal touches like vanilla or a sprinkle of nutmeg to elevate the flavor profile.

Interestingly, these machines aren’t limited to milk-making – they can whip up soups as well, a feature I find convenient even though I’m not a regular soup consumer. It’s nice to have the versatility for those colder evenings when soup is more appealing.

Why I Make My Own Plant-Based Milk at Home

Investing in a machine that allows you to make your own almond milk may raise the question: why not just purchase a ready carton from the store?

* Have You Studied The Ingredients on the Back?

Indeed, the convenience of grabbing a carton off a supermarket shelf is undeniable. However, when you scrutinise the contents of store-bought almond milk, the actual almond content is surprisingly low –

The most popular brand of almond milk available in the store here only contains 2.3% of almonds!

The remaining ingredients are often fillers and chemicals such as emulsifiers, stabilisers, and oils, aimed at mimicking the texture of cow’s milk and boosting the shelf life of the product.

While this works out great for the manufacturer, it’s not necessarily the optimum choice for those of us seeking nutrient-rich milk.

Moreover, with the growing health concerns surrounding the additives represented by ‘emulsifiers’ or various E numbers, making your own milk starts to seem more appealing.

* More Taste and More Nutrients

For me, the taste is also a significant factor. The diluted flavour of some supermarket milk pales in comparison to the rich, full-bodied taste of homemade almond milk.

Making almond milk at home also ensures that you reap the maximum nutritional benefits of almonds, which are brimming with protein, fibre, calcium, and magnesium – without the less desirable additives.

My Take After Using Them Both

After using them both i will say that there was a slight difference in the consistency and smoothness of what they produced. Not a major difference, but it was noticeable. 

 To my surprise, with the more expensive MioMat, it took a little bit more experimenting to get the milk consistency to my liking. But the cheaper, more simple model seemed to be able just to do it by default.

You’ve got a total of 8 programs on the Mio, including raw milk, cereal milk, soy milk, creamy soup, chunky soup, porridge and smoothie.

“It can be an overwhelming selection of features and not all of them work as well as you want.”

I tried out each one and I found that for some reason, the creamy soup setting makes better milk than the actual raw milk setting does.  

On the Mio, the smoothie function was disappointing, I think that the shape of the jug doesn’t lend itself well to doing everything.

But the cheaper model just did its thing. I didn’t really have to look at the instructions. Less of a learning curve with that one.

Other Annoyances…

There was another annoyance that I will tell you about when it comes to comparing the two machines. 

It might not be a big deal for you, but the way the MioMat opens is slightly impractical. 

The blade or grinder bit is connected to the lid, 

When you open it up, you have to make sure you lay it somewhere it isn’t gonna roll off the table and fall and you have to remember to dry it off before you set it down, why, because it will drip a little. So it can be a little messier. 

I also don’t like how the MioMat connects to the base through that handle, you have to remember that it isn’t a hinge, and to match the lid to the connection point in the handle. 

The top control unit and blade are all one piece, which overall makes it feel more top-heavy. I would much prefer the blade and control to be in the base area of the machine. 

Overall it just feels a little clunky and clumsy and it doesn’t feel very secure to me. 

It is bigger and feels more robust. But it’s not for everybody. 

With the cheaper machine, as I said, it was much easier to use day to day for my almond milk and in terms of consistency of what it produced, it was spot on every time.

It also takes up a lot less space on the kitchen counter.

My Overall Opinion?

I’d say that Both of these machines work very well. In the time I’ve used them.

They both did a very good job at making almond milk, and the extra features of the MioMat on paper make it a better buy. 

But, for my personal needs of just having a simple machine to not take up too much space in the kitchen, the cheaper model did a more than good enough job. 

Even though the MioMat has its upgraded grinder parts, larger capacity, and stronger output the difference between the output wasn’t enough for me to be amazed.

Another thing is the noise, the MioMat was quite noisy in its operation. The noise was as loud as my washing machine. Much louder than I thought it would be, but to be fair, it does look like a tank of a machine and it is advertised as being on the more powerful side. 

“It really depends on how much milk you intend to make at any one time.”

With the cheaper machine, not really an awful lot to say, and that’s not a bad thing. The strength of this machine is its simplicity. A better experience, easier to figure out, takes up less space, is easier to clean up and makes a lot less noise. 

“Before I bought the MioMat, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as cereal milk!”

Overall, both did what they said they do, it comes down to your preference, and realistically, how much milk you intend to make in one go. The 600ml of the smaller, cheaper machine was more than enough for me. I’ve put the extra milk in the freezer so I’m good for the next two weeks.

If you have a bigger family or you just drink lots of milk then of course the Mio with it’s 1.2 litre capacity might appeal more to you.