Like many of us, Alicia Long never paid attention to the nutrition labels of the plant-based milk she bought each week. But after she became pregnant and began living a healthier lifestyle, she decided to pay more attention to the quality of the food she was eating. Long was shocked by the amount of added oil, sugar, and preservatives in her favorite brands. After scouring the supermarket for whole foods, she came home and spotted a Nespresso machine on the counter. That sparked an idea: What if there was a machine that could quickly make plant-based milk at home? A year later, Long and her husband invented Nutr.
Since its launch in 2021, the sleek Nutr countertop milk machine (which retails for $170 to $190) has taken the plant-based milk community by storm. At its core, the Nutr is a high-speed blender with additional heating capabilities for making a variety of drinks, sauces, soups, and batters. Its compact interior is designed to produce one serving of milk at a time, with a capacity of 8 to 13 ounces, so your milk will always be as fresh as possible. With just a few tablespoons of nuts, seeds, or oats and a little water, you can make preservative-free plant-based milk in minutes.
The Forks Over Knives team was curious about this new gadget, so I put it through its paces to see if it lived up to the hype we’ve seen on social media.
To get the most out of Nutr, I tried four recipes from the Nutr recipe collection to see how they handled various tasks. While I’m skeptical about the fact that the nuts don’t need to be soaked before blending, I have to say that I’m completely obsessed with this little machine. Before we get started with the tasting, let’s take a closer look at Nutr’s overall functionality and usability.
First, this ergonomic hand kettle is small enough to fit on any countertop and light enough to operate with one hand. Its stylish appearance is perfect for design-conscious homes without sacrificing the style of the kitchen. The one-button interface lets you choose from a variety of settings (cool, heat, boil, keep warm, and self-clean), and while it was a little confusing to operate at first, I quickly learned how to choose the settings I wanted. Each machine comes with a sturdy measuring spoon, metal filter, and a booklet of basic milk recipes to make the entire process as simple as possible from start to finish. The Nutr is not dishwasher safe, so I especially like its self-cleaning feature, which saves me from having to wash my hands.
Each blending cycle lasts three to five minutes, alternating between intense blending and interval blending. When I made my first batch of oat milk, I wasn’t a fan of the noise such a small machine made (though it should be noted that I’m generally more sensitive to loud noises than most people). But the more I use it, the more I’ve gotten used to the noise. I found a decibel meter app to measure the Nutr’s noise compared to my Nutribullet blender and found the Nutr to be 10 dB quieter than the blender.
Aside from being slightly quieter, the main difference between the Nutr and a standard high-speed blender is that the Nutr doesn’t require you to soak the nuts before blending. While some high-end Vitamix and Blendtec blenders don’t require soaking, they’re not cheap. Cheaper options like the Nutribullet do require soaking, so if you’re looking for a convenient, time-saving way to make nut milk, the Nutr is a worthwhile addition to your kitchen. But if you’ve already invested in a high-end blender, buying another Nutr might not make sense.
Now, back to the big question: does Nutr plant milk taste good? The short answer is: it does. Honestly, I’m surprised at how much better it tastes than the stuff I buy at the store and keep in the freezer. Every recipe I tried was creamy, delicious, and only required a few simple pantry staples. None of the recipes called for butter or refined sugar, and while I used maple syrup as a sweetener, I might opt for dates next time for a more subtle flavor.
Personally, I love oat milk and can’t wait to try my homemade version. Two tablespoons of oats, one cup of water, ¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and a pinch of salt make the smoothest, most delicious milk I’ve ever tasted. Unlike store-bought milk, which is often watery and flavorless, this milk is thick, smooth, and packed with the goodness of the oats. It’s perfect for adding to herbal tea or dipping into vegan chocolate chip cookies. I absolutely love overnight oats, and this recipe has become my go-to for the perfect creamy breakfast oatmeal.
Almond milk is number two on my list of plant-based milks, so I tried the almond milk recipe from the booklet that came with Nutr. The recipe is exactly the same as the oat milk recipe, except it uses almonds instead of oats, but this one is sweeter. It’s almost like I’m drinking an almond cookie, delicious in a few sips but too sweet for me to finish a full glass. The sweetness issue is easily solved by cutting the maple syrup in half, and I even tested a batch of milk with no added sweetener at all. I found the unsweetened milk a little bland, but it’s still creamy and has an almond flavor, so you can definitely cut back on the added sugar if that’s important to your diet.
I noticed that the smoothie made with almonds had more pulp than the smoothie made with oats, so I had to strain it twice to remove most of the pulp. However, I like the taste after the first strainer because the soft pulp gives it a rich, nutty flavor and makes it more like a milkshake than regular milk. I left this smoothie in the fridge for a few hours and found that the milk separated a little over time, which is normal, so I gave it a good stir before trying it. It tastes just as good as the day I made it, so don’t worry if you notice separation, it’s a sign that it doesn’t contain any preservatives or stabilizers! Overall, almond milk is delicious and much healthier than store-bought milk.
This cashew cream recipe is incredibly thick and creamy, without any unhealthy ingredients. To turn the milk from formula milk into a thicker cream, you need to cut the amount of water you add in half. Of all the main ingredients I tried, cashews had the smoothest texture, with very little, if any, pulp filtering out at the end. Simple yet rich, this recipe is perfect for drizzling over blended soups or as a creamy garnish for restaurant-quality meals.
While browsing the Nutr website, I was drawn to the delicious dips and sauces they recommended. I wanted to see what else I could make with this little machine, so I spent a few minutes adding ingredients for a vegan, oil-free cheese sauce. I kid you not, this is probably the most delicious plant-based cheese I’ve ever tasted. The balance of seasonings, thick yet creamy texture, and visually appealing orange hue make it perfect for dipping crackers and veggies. While it wasn’t as perfectly smooth as the dairy-based Nacho Cheese Sauce, it totally satisfied my junk food cravings despite only having healthy, whole food ingredients. It’s ready in five minutes with the push of a button, and it’s now my secret weapon recipe for when I’m hosting a party and want to serve a delicious dip.
Long is currently working on a new generation of Nutr machines that will include an internal filtration mechanism and a “family” version that can produce large quantities of plant-based milk. But for the average whole food plant-based consumer who uses less non-dairy milk, the classic Nutr machine is a great tool to add to your arsenal and improve your cooking. With the power of homemade plant-based milk, there’s no limit to your creativity in the kitchen—so get making it!
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Post time: Nov-15-2024