Less packaging, more deliciousness?

October 7, 2012 11:06 AM

I drink nondairy milks (mostly almond, some soy) and eat tofu. When I have made these things in the past, I have enjoyed the results but ended up with a lot of dirty dishes. A friend recommended the Soyajoy G3, which is a countertop electric appliance that heats and grinds the nuts/beans (previously in 2005, about an earlier model). Does anyone have experience with electric soy/nut-milk makers?
posted by catlet to food & drink (2 answers total)

I make soy milk for the household about once a week with a SoyQuick, using beans purchased in bulk. I've also made mung bean, rice, and almond milks with my appliance, and tofu from my homemade soy milk.

Tofu is messy to make and I can get a good selection of inexpensive tofu from several nearby sources, so I don't make my own tofu. I did a cost comparison of commercial and homemade almond milk and decided to get a few litres as a treat a couple of times a year when I find a good sale: milk on sale at 3x1L for $5 is cheaper than I can find almonds for milk (best sale prices now running over $5/lb). I keep making soy milk because it's ridiculously inexpensive for a good product. I quickly grew to prefer the unsweetened taste and thinner texture of my homemade milk, which works as well as the $4 2L boxes in cooking and baking as well as for drinking. I liked rice milk when I made it but it's never been one of my dietary mainstays.

Cleanup is a minor nuisance, best tended to before things cool down to room temperature.
posted by thatdawnperson at 11:53 AM on October 7, 2012 [1 favorite]

I used to live in a house that used a SoyaJoy. Things to consider:

-The grinding process is noisy. Plan to make your soymilk at a time when no one is sleeping or doing something they need to concentrate on.

-Milk is thinner than what you buy from the store. I found it perfectly fine for coffee and baking but less ideal for drinking straight or putting on cereal. I don't recall using the milk for vegan versions of rich dishes like cream soups, but I imagine that's another place where it wouldn't work as well. YMMV.

-Agreed with thatdawnperson about cleaning the machine before the soybean residue cools down. I'd also add that the blades are very small, and you'll want some sort of fine brush for getting the gunk out from under all the little moving pieces. A toothbrush works well.

-At the end of the soy-milk making process, you'll be left with a mass of unprocessed soy pulp. (Okara.) You can flavor the okara and cook it more or less as is, but I found it damn near inedible--still feel a bit sick when I think about okara nuggets. If you're going to save okara, imho, it's better to find ways to sneak it into baked goods or otherwise disguise it. My house used to make good okara waffles.
posted by ActionPopulated at 4:48 PM on October 7, 2012