However, we always advise taking extra care before buying a kitchen appliance that is dedicated to one specific function, as this can be wasteful on resources and lead to a cluttered kitchen. If you are looking for greater versatility, we’ve tested a few powerful blenders and juicers which can be used to make plant milks at home, as well as for a number of other functions.
Whether it’s seeds, nuts, oats or other bases, usually when making a plant milk you will be left with a fine pulp. Many specifically designed plant milk makers will come with recipe ideas for the pulp — on test we put the pulp from making our almond milk in a warm dry place for a few hours to completely dry. It could then be used as ground almonds in baking.
It’s worth noting that if you’re after a barista-style plant milk to froth for your morning coffee, you’re unlikely to achieve those results with homemade plant milk. Barista-style almond milk and oat milk often have extra ingredients like oils and stabilizers which help to achieve the foaminess that makes for a latte or flat white, and we found this difficult to replicate when testing plant milk makers ourselves.
Read on for our guide to the best plant milk makers.
The best plant and nut milk makers at a glance
- Best quick plant milk maker: The Milky Plant, £290
- Best affordable plant milk maker: Salter plant milk maker, £62.99
- Best juicer for making plant milk: Fridja F1900 juicer, £134.99
- Best versatile appliance for plant milk: Sage the 3x Bluicer Pro, £299.95
- Best blender for making plant milk: Tefal PerfectMix Cook blender, £160
Best plant milk makers in 2023
The Milky Plant
Best quick plant milk maker
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 20W (per cycle)
The Milky Plant is a unique product on the market at the moment dedicated to making, as the name might suggest, plant milks. The brand prides itself on its sustainability credentials and this extends to its packaging, which was entirely recyclable – still sadly a rarity in the world of kitchen appliances. It even came with a branded tote bag and sticker to personalise your Milky Plant with slogans like ‘keep c-almond carry on’.
The machine has a compact footprint but it’s quite tall and would likely need to stay on the countertop, although it might be a tight fit under some kitchen cupboards. With a clear manual, the set up is a breeze, but where this plant milk maker really comes into its own is the speed. Unlike the majority of other models, The Milky Plant doesn’t recommend a soaking time for any of the ingredients in its extensive list of online recipes. With any preparation time removed from the equation, you can make plant milks in less than five minutes from start to finish.
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As well as oat milk and almond milk, we tested its recipe for pistachio milk with dates which was completely smooth with a lovely flavour and pleasant pale green colour. While we did find the filter cup very difficult to remove from the machine – a process which is needed after every use for cleaning – The Milky Plant is a great option if you regularly drink plant and nut milks and want to splash out on an attractive dedicated machine.
Salter plant milk maker
Best affordable plant milk maker
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 220W
This model from Salter is a dedicated plant milk maker and while it doesn’t have the modern look of some pricier models, it functions really well. The design resembles a water filter jug, with a basket containing blades which disperse the fine pulp into the liquid.
We also found the entirely-recyclable packaging a fantastic element, made largely of cardboard and paper.
On test, we found the recommended ratio of oats to water — 50g of ingredients to 1L of water — made for very thin and watery milk. While this ratio might be more cost-effective if using a pricier ingredient like almonds, we found that a higher ratio of oats to water made for a more satisfying milk. As oats are a relatively low-cost ingredient, it didn’t increase our overall spend significantly.
Fridja F1900 juicer
Best juicer for making plant milk
Star rating: 4/5
Wattage: 240W
Whether you’re looking for more ways to use an appliance already in your home, or for a plant milk maker that also has other functions, a juicer could be a great option. This model from Fridja worked really well for making both oat and almond milk.
We also found that the pulp produced was much easier to repurpose than other models as it was completely separated from any liquid. We used 100g of almonds to 900ml of water which produced a similar texture to skimmed milk with a slight foam on the surface and a nice flavour.
Juicers are notoriously difficult to clean with so many small, fiddly parts and this model is no exception. We found it took quite a while to make sure all the elements were cleaned and all the pulp removed.
Sage the 3x Bluicer Pro
Best versatile appliance for plant milk
Star rating: 4/5
Wattage: 1350W
If it’s versatility you’re after, the Sage the 3X Bluicer Pro is designed for just that, and having tested it previously for juicing and smoothie-making, we decided to put it through its paces for plant milks. As we’ve come to expect from Sage, the model feels weighty and well-made.
The machine is certainly powerful, with five settings for juicing and three for blending. While we found the set up slightly confusing at first, with the help of the manual we were soon using the machine with ease. This is a powerful piece of kit, but we found the juicing setting was too powerful even on the slowest setting to be used for plant milks.
However, the blending setting did work well for our oat and almond milks. It’s an impressively powerful blender which made light work of incorporating the ingredients and water into one liquid. As with making plant milks in other blenders, we found there was a slight grittiness to both the oat and almond milks we made in this. If it’s a really smooth plant milk you’re after, we’d recommend straining it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove any larger pieces.
Tefal PerfectMix Cook blender
Best blender for making plant milk
Star rating: 3.5/5
Wattage: 1400W
Blenders can be a super versatile piece of kit, and are the recommended method of making plant milk in the recipes we used on test. This model from Tefal is a high-speed blender which also has a cooking function, making it super versatile for making soups, sauces and smoothies as well as plant milks.
The machine is sleek and impressive straight out of the box, with a weighty glass jug which requires two hands to lift. With incredibly sharp blades, care is needed when cleaning the machine, although there is a cleaning setting which we found did a good job of removing any stubborn or hard-to-reach residue.
The PerfectMix Cook has a setting for ‘multigrain milk’ which utilises the cook function of the blender and takes half an hour. There isn’t much information about this function in the manual but when we tested it to make oat milk, the result was a strange one with an unappetising colour and a skin which formed on the surface. The almond milk produced was slightly better although it had a strong after taste, and we’ve concluded this setting is likely better suited for soya milks.
However we did find the powerful blending function worked really well for incorporating soaked almonds into water to make almond milk. On initial tasting, there was a slight grittiness, but once we’d passed the liquid through a fine sieve, the milk was satisfying with a light almond flavour.
Are plant milk makers worth it?
There are a couple of factors to consider if you’re considering taking the plunge and buying a plant milk maker. The first is how much plant milk you make and what kind. If you’re getting through one carton of almond milk per week, it may well be more cost effective to buy it rather than make it at home.
But if your household is getting through a lot of plant milk or if you like to experiment with different plant milks, then buying an appliance could be a good option. For example, on test we experimented with making some pistachio nut milk, which we’ve struggled to find in shops. We used 80g of shelled pistachios with 500ml of water which produced a deliciously nutty and moreish drink.
There are also cases where buying the ingredients to make your own plant milk will be more cost effective than regularly purchasing it as part of your weekly shop. For example, oats are very affordable as an ingredient whereas popular brands of oat milk will set you back between £2-£4.50 per carton.
Which plant based milk is best?
One of the best things about making your own plant milk is the versatility on offer — you can use pretty much any seed or nut you can get your hands on to make into plant milk. It’s worth taking note that many plant milks available in shops will be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals and these will be absent from homemade plant milks. Read our guide to the best dairy milk alternatives to learn more.
Oat milk: this is often a very creamy milk that has a neutral flavour with a slight oaty, powdery after taste. Oat milk doesn’t split when heated so works well in sauces. This is a good option if you’re looking to keep your carbon footprint low as oats are often produced in the UK.
Almond milk: almond milk has a slight nutty flavour but isn’t sweet. This is a good plant milk to add to hot drinks like tea and coffee.
Hemp milk: made from blending hemp seeds with water, this milk is nutty and slightly sweet. We’ve found it works well in hot drinks and smoothies.
Rice milk: a good option if you can’t tolerate dairy or soy, rice milk can be thin and is best avoided for hot drinks as it doesn’t disperse to give them a creamy colour. It can be used for smoothies and sauces although you may need to add a little more of your thickening ingredient than normal.
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