The Almond Cow Milk Maker Is Worth Every Cent, and I’ll Die on That Hill

The way the Almond Cow Milk Maker works couldn’t be simpler. You just fill the base with water, add your ingredients to the filter basket (about 0.5 to 1 cup of raw ingredients to make 6 cups of milk), and attach the filter basket to the top. Then, you press the button and it's done in about 60 seconds—seriously, that’s it. The instructions say you don’t have to strain the pulp, but I do because it keeps me from wasting that last 2/3-ish cup of milk.

Cleanup is also super quick and effortless. Depending on how dirty it is, you can give it a quick rinse, add hot water and soap and run the machine (similar to how you might clean a blender), or deep-clean with vinegar.

You can make any kind of plant milk in the Almond Cow using any combination of grains, nuts, or seeds as well as add-ins like maple syrup, dates, salt, or cinnamon. The recipes provided by the brand are absolutely top tier—the trademarked Cococash is so good that its only downside in my home is getting used up so quickly. I used to like some store-bought plant milks, but not even the best and fanciest ones compare to how good this mix of coconut shreds, cashew pieces, chopped, pitted dates (or maple syrup!), vanilla, and sea salt is.

Homemade plant milk also tends to be much more nutrient-dense than store-bought, which is mostly water with thickeners and additives. By having a much higher ratio of main ingredients to water, the homemade stuff tends to have a lot more protein, healthy fats, and minerals like zinc and magnesium, and it doesn’t contain any ingredients you don’t want in there because you’re the one adding them.

Beyond convenience and complete control over your ingredients, one of the main reasons Almond Cow exists is to provide a more eco-friendly alternative to store-bought plant milks. I used to generate so much waste via oat and almond milk cartons alone, so having a manageable way to make plant milk at home without the waste has made a huge difference for me.

Speaking of waste, I wasn’t sure what I’d do with the pulp left over after making each batch of milk, but there’s a whole Almond Cow cookbook that includes tons of recipes for using it, and I was able to find a lot of other great ideas on the brand’s Instagram. So far, my favorite is using the pulp as a zero-waste swap for almond flour (I made these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies), not only because it’s a perfect substitution, but also because almond flour can be pricey.

The main downside of this appliance is that it’s expensive, but it’s definitely paid for itself in my kitchen based on how costly store-bought milks are these days. I also wouldn’t mind if it made more than 6 cups of milk at a time, but since homemade plant milk doesn’t have the preservatives that store-bought does, it has a shorter shelf life anyway. That said, the company does make a 2-gallon version, which is advertised for restaurants, juice bars, and coffee shops. It comes at a much steeper price, too ($1,195 at the time of this writing).

One other minor qualm: The Almond Cow does leave a decent amount of milk in the pulp, so I do recommend getting a nut milk bag or some cheesecloth to strain it out (that extra step takes me under a minute). The last thing to note is that the milk does separate in the fridge (just like non-homogenized dairy milk does), so you'll need to give it a quick shake or mix and it’s good to go.

When I used to make homemade plant-based milks, the process was just enough of a pain that I kept going back to store-bought even though it was more expensive and less eco-friendly. Since having the Almond Cow Milk Maker, the DIY process has been quick and easy enough that I haven’t bought a single carton from the store. Instead, you can pry the jug of Cococash milk from my cold, dead hands.

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Katya Weiss-Andersson is the Small Appliances Expert for The Spruce Eats and has nine years of experience as a professional chef. Between cooking in cramped kitchens all over the world and developing recipes out of small apartment kitchens with limited budgets and space, Katya has honed in on how to make life easier in the kitchen.