ChefWave Milkmade Review: A Clear Winner For Making Alternative Milk At Home
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In 2022, we’ve seen non-dairy milk rise so far into mainstream grocery shopping that, in certain parts of the country, those options outnumber the moo juice we grew up on. But with the added demand, we’ve also seen prices rise, ingredients change, and questions suddenly stir in our heads asking “is this even healthy anymore?”
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Well, after much deliberation, I decided to invest in the ChefWave Milkmade Milk Maker, an at-home machine that allows you to make your favorite nut milk. This is similar to the Nutr that SPY has reviewed in the past, but a tad more diesel.
If you’re reading this, then you might be an alternative-milk drinker — for one or more reasons. Maybe you’re lactose intolerant, or you’ve chosen the vegan way of doing things, or you don’t like the additives in dairy milk. Whether or not you fall into one of these categories, we feel you, and we also feel that this product has the solution.
ChefWave Milkmade Dairy Alternative Milk Maker
Buy Now On Amazon $199.95
$250 at the home depot
$250 at Macy's
Pros
Fast; nut milk in 12 minutes or less
Control of ingredients
No mess, no straining, no clumps
Simple and easy-to-use compact countertop design
Durable burr grinder blades
Money saver
Cons
At $199 it’s not cheap
It’s kind of noisy
ChefWave Milkmade Specs
Product Dimensions: 13.6″ x 6.5″ x 12.8″
Color : White or Black
Glass pitcher: 1 pound, 10 or 20-ounce capacity
Total Item Weight: 11.7 pounds
Voltage: 120V
1000W power
From the manufacturer: all the food contact parts of the ChefWave Milkmade Milk Maker machine are BPA free
The Nitty Gritty of Dairy-Alternative Milk
Let’s talk about the current state of nut and oat milk in general. They’re healthier than dairy milk, right? In many ways, yes. But in their own category, they are not always healthy.
Most store-bought, massed produced nut and oat milks are processed in facilities with massive tanks. How else can they meet the demand? But this comes at a cost, both in price and quality. The average cost of a 32-ounce carton of almond milk is $3.50 with $6 as the highest price we found. Many kinds of big-batch nut milk contains additives, such as Carrageenan, which may cause intestinal distress in some people as well as:
Inflammation
Gas
Bloating
Glucose intolerance
A Medical News Today report details the FDA’s approval of this food additive, a “substance extracted from red seaweed and processed with alkaline substances,” and growing concerns about whether or not it’s a carcinogen. That doesn’t sound clean, healthy, or cost-effective. Enter the Chefwave Milkmade milk maker.
Key Features of the ChefWave MilkMade Milk Maker
This non-dairy milk maker comes with a glass pitcher with lid and a wastewater basin for cleanup. It features one-touch presets for the most popular non-dairy milks, including almond, oat, soy, and more. I like to use it to make cashew milk, which is delicious.
Think of the ChefWave Milkmade Milk Maker as your second coffee machine but, unlike other milk machines, this one cleans itself. Yes, that’s right — self-cleaning like your favorite robot vacuum. Just empty the cleanup tank and that’s it.
The ChefWave Milkmade milkmaker also comes with a simple recipe booklet. It includes which programs to use for other types of nuts such as macadamia, walnut, and hazelnut, as well as flavored milks like chocolate, coconut, cashew, and vanilla, to name a few.
How to Clean the ChefWave Milk Maker
The ChefWave Milkmade Milk Maker has self-cleaning cycles, so you can easily clean the machine between uses with the self-cleaning cycle. It also has an auto-off setting. While auto clean is the default setting, you can also choose to Deep Clean or Dry Clean.
The wastewater basin, glass pitcher, grinding compartment, and steam cover can be wiped down or air-dried.
On top of everything, The ChefWave Milkmade Milk Maker has a delayed start that can be set to a desired amount of time in 30-minute to 1-hour increments, for fresh milk whenever you desire.
How to Use the ChefWave Milk Maker
Using the ChevWave Milkmade Milk Maker is very easy. This is how I’ve used the machine thus far and it’s been working very well.
Step 1: Fill the tank with water to your desired liquid volume
Step 2: Add a palm-sized portion of your favorite nut, oat, or coconut
Step 3: Select the type of nut and/or additional combination from the recipe book (included)
Step 4: Choose 10 or 20 ounces
Step 5: Press Start
The finished product is ready in just a few minutes using only a handful of nuts. It can only make 10-20 ounces at a time, but if you just need enough for a cup of coffee or two in the morning, save the rest in the glass pitcher.
Now, of course, being a powered machine with a stainless steel-blade grinder, it makes some noise but it’s comparable to a small smoothie blender.
The Verdict: Should You Buy the ChefWave Milkmade Milk Maker?
In short — yes. If you use nut or oat milk for your coffee, baking, cereal, etc., then this is the machine for you. This well-designed, durable, compact, set-it-and-forget-it machine does everything it says and with plenty of options for your personal taste.
This is not an inexpensive device. It costs $199, but if you use almond, oat, and other types of nut milk in your coffee, smoothies, overnight oats, or anything on a regular basis, it’ll pay for itself in a short amount of time. If you’re not sure, it does include a one-year manufacturer warranty, just in case anything goes wrong.
On top of saving money on the milk you buy most, you control what goes into it. If you’re somebody who reads labels and ingredient lists, you’re going to love it. And if you know somebody who does, this could be an incredible gift.
ChefWave Milkmade Dairy Alternative Milk Maker
Buy Now On Amazon $199.95
$250 at the home depot
$250 at Macy's
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