Average Customer Review:
 ( 32 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
81 of 81 found the following review helpful:
 Awesome product, awesome result.Jan 14, 2008
By Naomi Schoenfeld
Awesome product, awesome result.
When buying an appliance, it is important to know what to expect - and not to expect - from it; many of the negative reviews for the Soyabella (and other soymilk makers) seem to be from people who had the wrong idea about what soymilk makers actually /do/.
When made the old-fashioned way, making your own soymilk consists (a) soaking the beans in cold water, (b) grinding the soaked beans into a paste, (c) two to four hours of simmering, skimming, and keeping pots of water and soybean-paste from boiling over, (d) straining resulting hot liquid to get out the bean fiber, and (e) seasoning to taste. It's not hard to do at home, but it's tiring and very time consuming. Automatic soymilk makers replace the hours of heating and processing beans and water into a milk-like solution with a casual 15-minute wait, and do some of the straining for you. They do /not/ fully strain the liquid (that takes too fine a sieve - it would clog incessantly) or conjure seasonings out of thin air.
If you're serious about getting the price savings (about a quarter the cost), energy and resource savings (no packaging or fuel used to get it to you) and convenience (no need to run to the store when you need more), be realistic about what the Soyabella will do for you - and you'll find yourself enjoying the best soymilk you've ever tasted.
And so:
1) Soak your beans for 8-12 hours.
2) Run the soymilk maker.
3) Pour the resulting soymilk through cheesecloth or a /very/ fine sieve, to remove the last 'gritty' particles.
4) If desired, season with a bit of salt, sweetener, and whatever else you fancy (vanilla anyone?)
We've been using our Soyabella for several weeks now, and have had consistent, delicious results. Not only is the soymilk excellent, but it makes a great-tasting tofu, as well. The okara (leftover bean mash - you're not throwing that stuff out, are you? It's a powerhouse of nutrition and a free bonus) is of similarly high quality, and has become a staple mixed into doughs for our breads, muffins, and even cookies.
45 of 47 found the following review helpful:
Tastes great!!Apr 18, 2006
By H. Lee
This soymilk maker is beautiful and easy to use. I hate trying to figure out and wash complicated kitchen appliances, but this one takes no time to set up and use. I use it every day to make soy milk and almond milk (my favorites). I drink a cup of fresh h ot soymilk in the morning, and put the rest in the fridge for later.
34 of 35 found the following review helpful:
 Good Value and Good Finished Product.Mar 26, 2007
By sinophile
"JP"
Very simple to use and very clear instructions. If I had previously known that a a soy milk machine like this existed, I would have purchased it. While cleanup could still be easier, the finished product tastes like the fresh-made Chinese soy milks in Asia. If you add a bit of sugar and vanilla, it also tastes like the western soy milks. I have made more than 12 batches of soy milk and two of almond milk... and the left-over, high-fibre okara makes great omelets and can be used as a meat substitute. The soy milk can also be turned into "flower tofu" by adding a coagulant and some ginger syrup. It has been both a fun and educational purchase.
28 of 29 found the following review helpful:
Easier than I thought it would be.Nov 29, 2007
By Aaron Mckie
I ordered this thinking, "ok, well I'm saving moeny, but I'm gonna have to hassel with making soy milk everyday for my two kids." Turns out, it's pretty easy to use and clean. (Still could be easier, but overall takes less than 2 min.)
I add a bit of sugar and vanilla, and the kids didn't say anything this morning when I served it up nice and cold from sitting in the fridge overnight.
I also add flax seed right it.
No where does it say how many beans you'll need, but you can figure it's less than 1/4 cup soy beans for each 1.3L of milk you get back.
So after my trip to the health foods store, and dividing down the cost, I figure it costs me about .40 per Half Gallon to make my own soy milk. (Using all organic products... soybeans, sea salt, flax, sugar cane, and vanilla)
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
WOW!Nov 18, 2007
By White Horse
I highly recommend Soyabella. With multiple, severe food allergies, soyabella makes delicious, relatively quick "milks", w/o carcinogens like carageenan, fake vanilla from China, etc. Rapidly pays for itself. Since I cannot have soy, I make alternatives. Millet is too thin. Brown rice is nice. Heard rinsing rice in H2O for several minutes removes a lot of starch - haven't tried that yet. Barley is okay. My favorites are either toasted or raw buckwheat, with either maple syrup or 3 t organic sugar. Because of one negative review I read, I emailed Soyabella with questions. They answered promptly and informatively. I was impressed. If your milk comes out too thick, either add more water and shake, or use less grain next time. Soyabella looks elegant and sleek, doesn't have a plastic interior, and is pretty easy to clean up. I give the left over grain mush to the chickens.
See all 32 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
based on 32 reviews
