Is It Cheaper to Make Nut Milk At Home? I Tried the Nama M1 and Crunched the Numbers

Whether you’re lactose intolerant, vegan or just plain nuts about nut milk, it’s likely that you have an assortment of plant-based milks in your refrigerator, standing at attention like armed soldiers prepared to accompany your morning bowl of cereal or oatmeal. 

The undeniable appeal of this delicious and gut-friendly beverage lies in its complete customization. Bases range from uber-popular almond and cashew to the more nuanced, including Brazil nut, pistachio and walnut. These beverages can also be sweetened with dates or coconut sugar and even enhanced with spices like cinnamon or vanilla. 

But in these trying economic times, pricey nut milk can feel like a luxury rather than a nutritious necessity. Luckily, there are appliances like the $359 Nama M1 that are designed to help customers potentially save money in the long run. I got my hands on the trendy appliance and put it to the ultimate test. 

Here’s how it performed. Plus, a breakdown of how much it costs to make nut milk at home versus in-store. 

How the Nama M1 works

The process of creating nut milk is practically effortless. At its most basic utility, simply take a cup of your preferred nuts (or a nut blend) and add 3-4 cups of water (depending on your preferred consistency) to the drum. 

Next, press the main button and allow the machine to extract the milk for 1 minute. Once the countdown has ended, you will then be instructed to open the nozzle and allow the blended liquid to flow into the supplied pitcher (which comes with a lid for easy refrigerator storage). The Nama M1 will then extract any remaining milk for an additional 45 seconds. 

You can make more than nut milk

The beauty of the Nama M1 is that its beverages can be tailored to your personal preferences. You can add your choice of sweetener and/or flavor infusions, including dates and sugar, as well as fruit and honey. You can also swap popular nuts for practically any type of grain or seed, including oat and hemp. 

Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of using the machine to make oat milk. I made a batch, but there was something a bit goopy and gritty about its resulting texture, and it tainted my morning coffee. 

The Nama M1 also provides a helpful list of recipes to help inspire the indecisive. This includes ideas for the leftover pulp that make a wonderful addition to grain-free baked goods like cookies, muffins and crackers. 

How did the nut milk taste?

The barista-style nut milks are velvety, creamy, and scrumptious, surpassing most mainstream grocery store varieties. You can taste the depth and complexities of flavors, even with something as simple as an almond. Additionally, the company offers a clever plastic mat that folds in half and seals, allowing for the storage and freezing of leftover nut pulp. This is an innovative and effective way to preserve the byproduct, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. 

It’s important to note that the nut milks separate after a few hours. While it may be aesthetically displeasing, it’s a completely natural phenomenon without added binding agents. You’ll need to give the pitcher a good mix before consumption. 

So, is it cheaper to make your own almond milk?

A cup of whole almonds generally costs between $1.50 and $2.50 and produces 3 to 4 cups of almond milk. If you buy your almonds in bulk and the price nets out to $1.50, you’ll be paying $0.38 per cup to make almond milk at home.

Compare that to grocery store almond milk. National averages in typical US grocery prices are $3 to $4 per half gallon (8 cups). That breaks down to $0.31-$0.50 per cup. 

If you want filler-free almond milk, making it is cheaper

While the cost difference may seem negligible, there’s a major caveat. Most grocery store nut milk brands load them up with fillers to help with texture and shelf stableness. Thickening agents, including gellan and guar gum, are often added to achieve creaminess, while stabilizers such as lecithin (made from sunflower or soy) and potassium citrate are added to extend shelf life.

If you want a pure, filler-free nut milk, you’ll have to spring for a premium brand like Elmhurst, which costs more like $1.75 per cup. If you’re after the healthiest almond milk without those added filers, making it at home is the clear value option.

There’s certainly the upfront cost of a nut milk maker to consider, but if you drink a cup or more of almond milk per day, even this premium machine would pay for itself in a year or less.

Nut milk cost comparison

Nut milk type	Price per cup (avg.)
Homemade (filler-free)	$0.38–$0.83
Typical store-bought (with fillers)	$0.31–$0.50
Elmhurst (filler-free)	$1.50

How much does the Nama M1 cost?

The Nama currently costs $359 on the brand’s website and $379 on Amazon. While Nama M1 and actual nuts are certainly investments, the appliance is ideal for someone who drinks nut milk on a daily basis and may be going through a couple $5-$8 cartons in a single week. 

As mentioned above, for filler-free nut milk, the Nama would pay for itself in roughly a year for a household consuming one or more cups a day.

Final Verdict 

Most people believe that they don’t have the minutes or patience to invest in making homemade nut milk, but this contraption will prove otherwise. The Nama M1 is straightforward, time-efficient, and produces a pure drink that isn’t chock-full of the hard-to-pronounce ingredients you often read on nutritional labels. 

While the initial spend may be jarring, it’s a long-term expense that should pay for itself after a few months of constant use. And, frankly, it’s a commitment to your health, which makes it all the more justified.