Whether you have hot girl IBS and can't have dairy, or you're just trying to cut back on single use plastics and cartons, making your own alternative milks is a good idea.

Sure, you could use a high-powered blender and a nut milk bag to make non-dairy milks, but dedicated nut milk makers can help you avoid soaking and straining nuts, seeds, and grains. That means less grunt work for you and less time until you have a fresh cup of vegan milk ready for your daily smoothie or coffee. It's a win-win.

It's no secret that oat milk is the it-girl of non-dairy milks, but not enough is said about the uses for cashew milk, soy milk, and pretty much every other non-dairy milk under the sun. We've rounded up the best nut milk makers on the market (including the trendy Almond Cow and Nutr machines) for every kind of non-dairy milk. You'll even find makers with options for turning quinoa, rice, and hemp seeds into delicious vegan drinks.

Now that we've said the phrase "nut milk" entirely too many times, here are our top picks:

Almond Cow (opens in a new tab)

Our top pick

Almond cow next to glasses of nut milk and an almond cow recipe book

Credit: Jae Thomas

Specs

Capacity: Six cups
Run time for one batch: One minute

Buying Options

$245 from Almond Cow

Whether you're trying to go zero-waste or you just want to cut back on alternative milks with preservatives and extra ingredients, the Almond Cow(opens in a new tab) can help.

Not only will this handy gadget save you money and help you take control of the ingredients in your almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk, it's also speedy enough that making a batch of milk doesn't feel like a chore. In just one minute, you can have up to six cups of non-dairy milk, plus a nut or grain pulp that's great for smoothies, baking, and more. It also has a special creamer cup for making thicker, creamier versions of your favorite nut or grain milks.

Almond Cow has a ton of sustainability research behind it, making it a good pick for folks who want to cut down on their carbon footprint (so long as you balance this with the ecological impact of almonds(opens in a new tab) or your chosen seed/nut/grain, that is.) For the breakdown on sustainability facts and usage, check out our full Almond Cow review.

Nutr (opens in a new tab)

Best for small spaces

white nutr machine sitting on a kitchen countertop

Credit: Nutr

Specs

Capacity: 350mL or about 1.5 cups
Time to run a full cycle: Five minutes to 20 minutes

Buying Options

$169 from Nutr

If you live on your own, or are the only person in the household to use non-dairy milk, the Nutr(opens in a new tab) is a solid single-serving nut milk maker. It makes about 1.5 cups of milks at a time, and has settings for room temp, warm, and hot milk, plus a self-cleaning function.

The Nutr takes longer to run a full cycle than our top pick, but it can make warm or room temperature milks in about five minutes — so it's still quick enough to be convenient.

For the full rundown on Nutr's functions and performance, check out our Nutr review.

Tribest Soyabella (opens in a new tab)

Most versatile

Credit: Tribest

Specs

Capacity: 5.5 cups
Time to run a full cycle: 30 seconds to 15 minutes

Buying Options

$119.95 from Amazon

The Tribest Soyabella(opens in a new tab) has a similar design to the Almond Cow — the grinder, strain basket, and outer are all nearly identical, but where the Soyabella differs is in settings. The Soyabella has more functions than the Almond Cow, including a hot setting, the ability to grind coffee beans and spices, and grind dried beans and grains. While the Almond Cow can make nut milks in less than a minute, Soyabella claims that it can do it in 30 seconds.

The downside of choosing the Soyabella over the Almond Cow is that the Almond Cow comes backed up with tons of sustainability research, so we know how efficient it is. If you're not too concerned about the sustainability aspect and just want the extra grinding and temperature functions, the Soyabella is a solid option.

ChefWave Milkmade vegan milk maker (opens in a new tab)

Best for busy mornings

White vegan milk maker with clear pitcher

Credit: ChefWave

Specs

Capacity: 2.5 cups
Time to run a full cycle: 15 to 25 minutes, depending on content

Buying Options

$249.95 from Amazon

If you're the kind of person who schedules your coffee to start brewing at a certain time every morning, you'll love the delay start feature on the ChefWave Milkmade(opens in a new tab). Schedule your coffee and your vegan milk to be done at the same time, and you'll be starting each day out right.

The ChefMade MilkMade has six pre-set functions: soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, macadamia milk, coconut milk, and oat milk. Each function is laid out on a sleek digital panel, which makes this the most high-tech pick on the list. It also has a self-clean setting, so you wont need to scrub any of the pieces on a regular basis.

More in Kitchen

How we tested

We hands-on tested both the Almond Cow and the Nutr milk makers, and were impressed by the performances of both machines — so much so that they both received Mashable Choice awards. Both machines were tested with multiple types of nuts and seeds to check texture, taste, and cycle time.

We haven't hands-on tested the Tribest Soyabella or the ChefWave Milkmade yet, but found that they were both worth mentioning due to their functionality and user reviews. Both makers are ranked 4.3 stars on Amazon at the time of writing. Neither machine had any serious, recurring issues after we reviewed hundreds of user reviews.

Some factors we took into consideration while hands on testing and researching nut milk makers are:

Cycle time: How fast a milk maker can actually churn out milk is hugely important in how often folks will use that appliance in their kitchens. The faster a machine, the more convenient it is, and the more often it'll be used. The top scoring products in this category were the Tribest Soyabella, which can make a batch of milk in as little as 30 seconds, and the Almond Cow, which cycles in slightly under a minute.
Cost: It's obviously less convenient to make your own non-dairy milk than just buying it at the store, so the cost of the nut milk maker has to pay for itself after a while. We kept our price range to $300 and under to find the appliances with the best value.
Sustainability factor: Ultimately, making your own non-dairy milk is a sustainability venture. We prioritized nut milk makers with short run times (less electricity use) and that offered sustainability metrics. The highest scoring for sustainability was the Almond Cow, which comes with a slew of sustainability studies and research to back it up.

Jae Thomas

Jae Thomas is the Deputy Shopping Editor for Mashable. They specialize in all things outdoor gear, kitchen goods, pet products, and fitness gadgets. Before Jae came to Mashable, they received a B.A. in Journalism and English Literature from New York University and wrote for publications like Bon Appétit, Epicurious, The Daily Beast, Apartment Therapy, and Marie Claire.

When they're not testing products or writing about online shopping, you'll find Jae whipping up an elaborate meal, hiking, camping, or hanging out with their dog, Miso. Reach out to them on Twitter at @jaetaurina(opens in a new tab) or by email at [email protected]