Almond Cow vs. Blender: What’s Best for Nut Milk?

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A full review of the Almond Cow, plus a comparison of its nut milk making capabilities vs.
a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec

Making nut milk at home can be just as easy, cost-effective and even more delicious than store-bought milks. However, there are a lot of options on the market in terms of devices. In this blog post I’m going to review (and break down) the increasingly popular Almond Cow, and compare its nut-making capabilities with my high-speed Vitamix blender.

In case you missed it, I also shared my Ultimate Guide to Making Nut Milk on the blog last week. If you haven’t read that yet, be sure to check it out for more nut-milk-making tips and tricks!

A full review of the Almond Cow, plus a comparison of its nut milk making capabilities vs. a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec #almondcow #vitamix #nutmilk #review | frommybowl.com

First Up: The Almond Cow

the Almond Cow assembled against white backgroundCost / Availability:

The Almond Cow is sold for $195 USD and is available exclusively on the Almond Cow website (affiliate link). International shipping and payment plans are also available.

Comes With: 
  • the blender base + head (including a built-in immersion blender and metal strainer),
  • plastic draining cup,
  • removable power cord, and
  • cleaning supplies for the metal strainer

overhead photo of all accessories that come with the almond cow

The Process:

process of making nut milk in the almond cow

Using the Almond Cow is very straightforward and simple:
  • Soak the nuts or seeds for a minimum of 4 hours, then place them in the metal strainer and screw onto the head. You can use a minimum of 1/4 cup of nuts and a maximum of about 1 1/2 cups of nuts – the more you use, the creamier it will be. You can also make oat milk in the Almond Cow too, which doesn’t require soaking.
  • Fill the base with water to the MIN (5 1/2 cups) or MAX (6 1/2 cups) fill lines, then close the blender and plug it in
  • Blend by pressing the button on the top of the blender, which will light up. The Almond Cow runs in “cycles”; one cycle runs for around 60 seconds and includes intervals of the blender running and resting. The light on the top of the device will flash while the cycle is running, and stop once complete. The Almond Cow website recommends blending each nut milk for one to two cycles total.
  • Strain the nut milk by placing the metal strainer into the plastic draining basket for at least 10 minutes. Then you can store both the nut milk and nut pulp in the fridge, and use as desired!

The Pros:

  • Size: this took up a lot less counter space than I thought, and is actually smaller than my blender; I also like how the power cord is removable!
  • Price: the Almond Cow comes in at around $200, which is still less expensive than a high-speed blender. The website also offers interest-free payment plans starting at $65/month.
  • Cleanup: the device is relatively easy to clean, and the toothbrush that comes with the machine helps to get all of the blended nut pieces out of the strainer. The outside metal of the device will get discolored if you don’t dry it immediately though, which is a slight bummer.

The Cons:

  • Design: it can be a little difficult to secure the metal strainer onto the blender head once it is filled with nuts. Also, the Almond Cow makes rather large batches of milk, with the smallest being around 5 1/2 cups.
  • Consistency: even though I used more nuts for this milk, it appeared more translucent and less creamy than my Vitamix. The end result was still satisfying, but less cost-effective in terms of nuts.

The Nut Pulp

the nut pulp from the almond cow in metal strainer and plastic draining cup

I’m not sure if this is a pro or a con, so I’ve decided to include a separate section on the leftover nut pulp for each device!

The Almond Cow naturally separates the nut pulp. After blending, simply place the metal strainer into the plastic draining cup and wait at least 10 minutes. Then you can scoop out the leftover pulp and discard or use as desired!

The pulp from the Almond Cow is much more wet and chunkier than the Vitamix, which you will see later. Because you are not squeezing the pulp by hand, there’s naturally going to be more moisture in it. The resulting pulp also still has rather large pieces of almonds in it because the blender is not as powerful and does not run as long. This pulp is more edible, and definitely tastes like almonds – which can be a good thing if you plan to use it in another recipe, but at the same time it does feel like you could be getting more “milk” out of your nuts.

The Vitamix (or other High-Speed Blender)

the vitamix assembled against white background

Cost / Availability:

A Vitamix starts at $290 USD for a certified refurbished blender and can run up to around $700, depending on the model. These blenders are available online (affiliate link) and at a variety of retailers across the world. I personally own a Vitamix A3500 Series blender, but any model from this brand is powerful enough to make nut milk.

Comes With:
  • the blender base (with attached power cord),
  • the blender itself, which houses the blades (size varies based on model), and
  • a tamper – this helps to blend thicker mixtures, but is not needed to make nut milk

The Process:

process of making nut milk in the vitamix

How to Make Nut Milk in a high-speed Blender:
  • Soak the nuts or seeds (optional – not required), then place them in the blender with any amount of water. The Vitamix allows you to make nut milk batches as small as one cup, or as large as 4-8 cups, depending on the size of your blender. You can also use any amount of nuts, seeds, or grains to make your milk.
  • Blend the nuts and water together on high speed for 90 seconds
  • Strain the blended mixture through a nut milk bag into a large glass bowl, then
  • Pour the final nut milk into a glass jar and store in the fridge. You can also remove the nut pulp from the bag, and use as desired

The Pros:

  • Consistency: the Vitamix allows for much more versatility in terms of the creaminess ratio and quantity of nut milk that you’d like to make. Not only that, but it “milks” the nuts better: the final product is more opaque and much creamier in terms of consistency and mouthfeel when compared to the same amount of nuts used in the Almond Cow.
  • Versatility: the Vitamix makes excellent nut milk, but can also be used for smoothies, soups, sauces, and nut butters.

The Cons:

  • Price: high-speed blenders are known for being notoriously expensive, with prices ranging from $290 for certified reconditioned models, up to a whopping $720 for top-of-the-line new models. However, payment plans are available these blenders do go on sale occasionally, and any model is powerful enough to make nut milk. When compared to the Almond Cow, you can end up paying as little as $90 extra for a machine that can make nut milk in addition to a variety of other recipes.
  • Extra Work: It does take slightly longer to make nut milk in the Vitamix, because you have to strain it through a nut milk bag into a separate bowl. However, the cleanup process is still easy, and takes about the same amount of time as the Almond Cow. I personally found my nut milk bag easier to clean than the metal strainer.

The Nut Pulp

The Vitamix produces nut pulp that is darker, finer, and has a spongier texture than the Almond Cow. This is because the Vitamix practically liquifies the nuts or seeds as they are blended, leaving behind only the fiber once strained.

nut pulp from vitamix in small glass bowl

Just like the Almond Cow, you can choose to discard, compost, or reuse this nut pulp. It does not really taste like Almonds, and has a denser, thicker texture to it. However, it still works perfectly well in these Banana Nut Pulp Cookies, or can be frozen and blended into smoothies, or mixed into oats.

In Summary…

jar of almond milk in front of the vitamix and almond cow

The Vitamix produces creamier nut milk, finer pulp, and has more culinary uses, but has a higher price tag. Overall, I would recommend purchasing a Vitamix (or similar high-speed blender) if you have the extra cash.

The Almond Cowhowever, is still a great option for homemade nut milk and more versatile pulp at a lower cost. It’s also a great option if you already own a blender, but cannot make nut milk with it.

Honorable Mention: The Ninja Kitchen Bullet Blender

ninja kitchen bullet blender assembled against white background

Before I owned a Vitamix or Almond Cow, I would use my Ninja Bullet Blender! It clocks in at $150 total, and also comes with a mini food processor attachment, which is powerful enough to blend nut butters and soups. The blender itself is limited, but can still make small batches of cashew milk, pumpkin seed milk, and hemp milk – see my nut milk guide for more details.

It’s not the perfect solution, but is a very acceptable compromise in terms of budget, versatility, and counter space – hence why I wanted to give it a quick little honorable mention in this post. I still use mine today, especially when I only want to make small batches of sauces or milk.

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. Thank you so very much for a “Perfect review “ I hope both companies are paying you for your service ? I am always in a jam finding Christmas gifts for my wife ( after 30 fantastic years together” she has almost everything 😇.
    She is a huge nut milk girl , so FB sent me the almond Cow AD. ( that whole thing is too scary)
    But I saw your review and helped me greatly !! We have the Vita-Mix and so with a few nut bags , ready to go!!
    Thank you, does not help with Xmas gift ( my wife wants a no Xmas gift holiday and spent the money on our local food bank )

  2. Thank you for your review. For me, I see the benefit of both the Vitamix and the Almond Cow. When I am traveling, the Almond Cow, considering how portable it is, is a great solution and will save me money. My children are all over the place, so I can easily travel with the Almond Cow and use the Vitamix when I am at home.

  3. Thank you! In doing research about pea milk, I ended up off on a few tangents including adding pea protein to nut or oat milks, and making my own dairy milk alternatives. I ended up on the Almond Cow website and fell in love! I was like “I want this”! I, like the researcher I am, went through the whole website and found nothing to dispel my infatuation. Then I went and checked out reviews using the google search and came upon your website (among others). The Almond Cow is a super machine and if you do not already have a quality blender, this would be great to have. Quality blenders have to be up to the task of pulping almonds. Not all blenders are made the same. I have an older. Vitamix and it will definitely do the job. So after reading your review I realized not all processes are equal. The almond milk produced by both machines do not sound like they are equal and why spend money on a milk making machine when you can or already have one which will do the job a bit better and has “other culinary uses”. Very happy for the comparison because I would have made inroads to get the milk maker instead of using my Vitamix not knowing there was not much of a process difference but definitely an end result difference. Also, the amount I need weekly is not huge and I like the idea of controlling this. On this note I will say, Thank You again.

  4. Wow. Will you marry me? This is EXACTLY how a comparison post should be. Answered all my questions (with helpful explanations e.g. why Vitamix’ pulp is different). Enough other pulp ideas to give us options without overwhelm. Information easy to find and presented in a logical order. You included the mess factor! Well laid out and not overloaded with photos. I’ve never commented on a cooking post before but this was like a perfect asana flow.

  5. Thanks so much for your review! The Almond Cow ad came to me on FB and I checked it out. But I have a Blendtec and make great nut milks with that. Was wondering what this thing does–which is not much. I’ll keep making my nut milk and straining it in a nut milk bag. My Blendtec has earned its place on my kitchen counter!

  6. Thank you! Your review was so helpful. I was in doubt between getting the Almond Cow and the Chufa Mix, since what I don’t like of the process of making the almond milk is the squeezing part, but your review was so helpful and made me take the right decision. Thank you so much!

  7. I did almond milk with my NutriBullet and it’s very easy… and I paid for it just £80 or less…. I have it for years…

      1. I was hoping to find a comparison of the almond cow to the nutramilk as far as nut milk making capabilities go.

        Maybe a follow up some day?

      2. Perhaps! Although we are pretty satisfied with the high tech blenders especially since they’re multi-use!

  8. Thank you for this review. Like other readers, you’ve convinced me to just stick with my Vitamix. I’m going to try using an ultra-fine metal strainer to make the process even easier. (I use this strainer to rinse amaranth seeds, so it’s really fine.)

    1. The Vitamix is a great versatile tool! The more you use it you understand why it’s used in professional kitchens all over.

  9. That wonderful chunky nut pulp that is left behind with the Almond Cow can be used in soooo many different ways/recipes that are included with the Almond Cow. So, essentially zero waste! My Vitamix almost purees my nut milks so no real pulp to use. If you want a little more creaminess than the AC offers, you can run it through 2 or 3 cycles to make it more creamy. I love both the AC and my Vitamix!

    1. Thanks. I think the whole point of the AC is that you don’t need some bag. I appreciate that you said you can just run it 2 or 3 times. Problem solved. I have a high-powered blender and the thought of using it for the first step in making milk is not appealing.

  10. Not sure the difference between a high speed blender and a regular blender. Mine makes smoothies, etc and has different speeds so I think I’ll give it a try. I had a Ninja and used that to make almond milk before it broke but the blender I have now should be fine I think! Thanks for the review!

    1. Our typical reference for high speed blenders are things like the Vitamix or Blendtec (or something equally as powerful). Thanks for reading!

  11. Thanks for the review. We have a vitamix, but I was debating on the Almond Cow, however, I think I’ll stop being lazy and just use my vitamix more ???? your review was so helpful!

  12. I really appreciate this review! I have a great vitamin and we’re a dairy (cow) free family so having the ability to make alternative mills is great! I’ve been wanting an Almond Cow, but I have a nice Ascent Vitamix so I’m just going to give that a go!

  13. Thank you for your review! I have a Vitamix and was thinking about getting the Almond Cow as the process seemed quicker, less messy and easier overall. Your review has convinced me otherwise and I will be purchasing some Nut Milk Bags and get started making a variety of nut milks!

  14. Thank you so much for your review I already have a vitamix so it makes creamier nut than the almond cow I’ll stick to my vitamix

  15. Thank you. I use the Almond cow nut milk maker — It’s just so much easier for me and I put in a little touch of vanilla or sprinkle of cinnamon with whatever nut I am using

    1. Great review, super helpful! Thank you, I’m happy to have found your site & look forward to checking out your recipes for nut milk.