Soy Milk Maker vs. Blender: Which Is Better for Homemade Soy Milk?

You want fresh soy milk at home. Do you need a soy milk maker, or is your blender enough?

Short answer: a blender and a pot work fine if you make soy milk once in a while. If you want fresh soy milk every week, a soy milk maker saves you a lot of time and mess.

We have sold soy milk makers for years, so we are not neutral. But we will be honest about both ways, so you can pick what fits you.

Why soy milk is harder to make than almond milk

Almond milk is easy: blend almonds with water, strain, done. Almonds are eaten raw anyway.

Soybeans are different. Like other beans, they must be fully cooked before you eat them. That cooking step is what makes soy milk more work at home.

Option 1: Blender and pot

What you need

• 1/2 cup of dry soybeans
• About 4 cups (1 liter) of water
• A blender
• A big pot
• A fine cloth or nut milk bag

How to do it

1. Soak the soybeans overnight, or about 8 hours. Forgot? Pour boiling water over them and wait 2 hours.
2. Rinse the soaked beans.
3. Blend the beans with the water until smooth.
4. Cook the mix in a big pot for about 30 minutes. Stir often. Soy milk foams up and boils over very fast, so do not walk away.
5. Strain it through a fine cloth or nut milk bag. Let it cool a bit first so you don't burn your hands.

The good

• You probably already own a blender and a pot
• It costs nothing extra to try

The not so good

• You must plan ahead and soak the beans
• You stand at the stove and stir for about 30 minutes
• Boil-overs happen, and burned soy milk at the bottom of the pot is hard to clean
• A blender, a pot, a bag and a bowl to wash afterwards
• A regular blender leaves bigger pieces, so you get less milk and more leftover pulp

Option 2: A soy milk maker

A soy milk maker is a blender and a cooker in one. It heats and blends the beans by itself, at the right temperature, for the right time.

How it works with MioMat

1. Add the soybeans and water. Soaking is optional.
2. Choose the Soy Milk program and press start.
3. Come back in about 35 minutes to hot, fully cooked soy milk.

Straining is up to you. Some people drink it as it is, with all the fiber. Others strain it for coffee and cereal.

The good

• About 5 minutes of your time, cleanup included
• No soaking needed, no stirring, no boil-overs
• Very fine grinding, so more of the bean ends up in your milk
• Only one pot to rinse
• It keeps the milk warm by itself after the program ends

The not so good

• It costs money up front
• It takes some counter space
• Rinse it right after use. Dried soy residue sticks and takes longer to clean.

Side by side

Is a soy milk maker worth it?

Do the math with your own numbers. Homemade soy milk costs less than $1 a quart from bulk soybeans. A 32 oz carton of clean soy milk (just soybeans and water) costs around $3.79 at the store.

If you drink a carton or two a week, the savings add up fast. Our savings calculator shows how much you would save in a year.

Our honest advice: try the blender method once. If you love the taste but hate the work, that's exactly what a soy milk maker is for.

What else can you make from the milk?

Once you have fresh soy milk, you are only one small step away from:

• Thick soy yogurt, with just soy milk and probiotic capsules
• Fresh plant-based cheese (lemon-set tofu), with just soy milk and lemon juice
• And the leftover pulp, called okara, goes into burgers, crackers and baking

Want the easy way?

MioMat makes soy milk from dry or soaked soybeans at the touch of a button. It also makes oat, rice and nut milks, soups and porridge. Every new MioMat comes with our video courses for milk, yogurt and fresh plant-based cheese, plus free US shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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