REVIEW – I’ve reviewed 1000’s of products in the almost 24 years that the Gadgeteer has been online and of those products, there aren’t many that I can say have changed my life. Ok, that sounds a little dramatic. But it’s true, there are a few products that have actually changed my life for the better. One product is the robot vacuum and the latest is the ChefWave Milkmade non-dairy milk maker. What the heck, you ask? Let me show you.
What is it?
The ChefWave Milkmade non-dairy milk maker is just what the name implies. It’s a kitchen appliance that sits on your countertop and allows you to quickly make non-dairy milk using nuts or grains.
What’s in the box?
- ChefWave Milkmade non-dairy milk maker
- Manual
- Recipes
- Measuring cup
Design and features
The ChefWave Milkmade is a countertop appliance, so that means you’ll need some space on your counter for it to live. It’s probably not something you’ll want to store away in a cabinet because you’ll be using it frequently. Think of it sort of like a coffee maker which is actually what a relative thought it was when they noticed it on my counter.
The ChefWave Milkmade has an attractive white plastic housing that should blend in with almost any kitchen decor.
The device isn’t huge, but it does need at least 13.6 x 6.5 x 12.8 in. of space on your countertop. It also needs some room above it too because it has a steam valve. But more about that later.
As far as the parts go, there is a glass pitcher, a plastic wastewater basin, and a water reservoir.
The glass pitcher is made of thick glass with a steel button embedded in the bottom of it that makes it easy to orient the pitcher exactly where it needs to go on the ChefWave Milkmade base. The top of the pitcher is made of plastic and is removable for easy cleaning.
The water reservoir is on the back of the unit.
The reservoir is simple to remove and fill with water. It has a 20 ounce capacity which is the maximum amount of non-diary milk that the ChefWave Milkmade will make at a time. The minimum amount of milk that you can make is 10 ounces.
On the top of the ChefWave Milkmade you will find the grinding compartment and the display panel.
The grinding compartment has a see-through glass dome on top with a steam cover.
The steam cover has a silicone stopper and pulls out for easy cleaning.
Inside the grinding compartment are 4 grinding blades and a water spigot.
Let’s make some non-diary milk!
What kinds of non-dairy milk can you make with the ChefWave Milkmade? Almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, walnut milk, oat milk, coconut milk, and probably others that haven’t been thought of yet. But those are the nuts and grains that are listed in the small recipe book that comes with the unit.
I ordered some organic roasted almonds from Amazon for my first test of the Milkmade.
The great thing about the ChefWave Milkmade is that you do NOT have to soak the nuts or grains before you make the milk. This means that it’s incredibly simple and quick to make some milk. All you have to do is fill the water reservoir on the back of the Milkmade with plain water, then you pour 1-2 tablespoons of nuts or oats into the grinding compartment depending on the quantity of milk that you want to make and shut the lid.
Then you plug in the unit and use the touch buttons to select the volume and type of milk you want to make. You can also set a timer if you want a delayed start. Then press the start button and less than 15 minutes later, you’ll have fresh non-dairy milk!
After the milk is finished, the Milkmade will clean itself using the remaining water in the water reservoir and deposit the dirty water in the wastewater basin.
Don’t worry if you’re busy and forget to remove the pitcher after the milk has been deposited. The automatic cleaning session will NOT put the dirty water in the pitcher if you fail to remove it. The ChefWave Milkmade is smarter than that. The spigot rotates to deposit the dirty water into the wastewater basin.
The wastewater is the only thing you’ll need to empty once the cleaning has been completed. There’s no pulp to remote, nothing else to clean other than checking the steam valve to see if any residue is in it. I’ve only had this happen once when I made milk from steel-cut oats. But just to be clean, I rinse it out at least once a week.
There’s also a note in the manual that you’ll want to descale by adding some vinegar to the water reservoir and manually chose the cleaning option. This is important if you happen to have hard water in your area.
See in action
The ChefWave Milkmade is easy to use, but how does the non-dairy milk taste?
My first test of the Milkmade was using roasted unsalted almonds that I bought from Amazon. Just to repeat, you don’t have to soak the nuts or oats before you make the milk. Actually, the recipe book/instructions specifically tell you NOT to soak.
The almond milk turned out great and all that was in it was a tablespoon of whole roasted unsalted almonds and water but after the milk was made, I added a pinch of sea salt and a little stevia to sweeten it up just a smidge. The milk was smooth without any chunks of nuts that weren’t ground up.
For my next test, I used steel-cut oats and it worked just as well. But it’s important to note that the oat milk thickens up quite a bit after it’s in the refrigerator.
I then tried half almonds, half pistachios, and then I tried half almonds and half cashews. All the combinations worked great.
I even decided to try making soy milk. I ordered a bag of organic soy beans via Amazon and well, you can see the results below.
Another winner! It’s so fun and quick to make non-dairy milk that I keep trying to come up with other ideas and combinations to try.
What I like
- So easy to use!
- You can choose the ingredients
- No soaking
- Very fast
- Auto cleaning
What I’d change
- Nothing
Final thoughts
I like the ChefWave Milkmade so much that it’s going to be added to my Julie’s Favorite Gear page the next time I do an update. Right now it’s my favorite “gadget”. It is well made, easy to use, and allows me to make non-dairy milk that have only the ingredients that I want AND I can make a fresh batch in just minutes with no messy clean-ups. Thanks ChefWave for designing such a terrific kitchen appliance.
Update 9/8/21
I reviewed the Milkmade 2 months ago and it’s earned a permanent spot on my kitchen counter. Counter real estate is a premium at my house, so that’s saying a lot about this kitchen appliance. I’ve not purchased any “milk” of any type from the grocery store. I enjoy being able to have fresh milk within minutes. Granted that it’s hot milk, but I just make it first thing in the morning or the night before and put it in the refrigerator. My latest concoction is soy, almond, and cashew. I still need to try coconut and someone mentioned sweet potato which sounds odd but I’m willing to try anything!
Update 8/12/22
I’ve been using the Milkmade for about a year now and it’s still working as well as it did the first day I tried it. I mainly use it to make almond, soy, and coconut milk which then I use to make shakes and one of my favorite low-carb desserts – chia pudding. If you’re interested, here’s how I make it:
2 T of chia seeds
1 t of cocoa powder
2 packets of sweetener (I use stevia)
a pinch of salt
1/2 C of almond milk, soymilk, or coconut milk
Put all the ingredients in a small container, stir, then put it in the fridge overnight. It sets up and makes a great pudding. I even put whip cream on it sometimes 🙂
Price: $225.60
Where to buy: Amazon (save 20% off using coupon code: GADGET20MM)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ChefWave.
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Vinegar is not suitable for descaling as it is too agressive. Descaling solutions are easy to find.
Fascinating. I assume you’d want to make the milk the night before in most cases to have it chilled for drinking.
David, I usually make it in the morning and it’s more than chilled enough for a protein smoothy after my afternoon workout 🙂
Hi Julie! My daughter gave me the milkmaker for Christmas.I just made my first batch tonight of almond milk but it tastes a bit watery.Can I add more nuts than 2 tbl.w/the next batch and not damage the machine?
Elaine, I have a little 2T scoop that I use and I pile it as high as I can so I think it’s fine. I think you’re used to the store bought almond milk. I think they put all kinds of weird stuff in it to make it thicker. One trick is to put in a few cashews. They tend to make things creamier without really adding a lot of flavor.
Thanks for this tip Julie. I just got my machine this holiday and felt it was watery as well, all knowing that I need to adjust to a more natural product. Only bummer, is it makes my lattes really watery.
Hi, does this machine make rice milk?? It seems imposible to find info on the net, also, which of the 6 program buttons can be used to make rice milk?? I thiught maybe the soy button and can the 500W grinder. Grind rice, brown etc?? Let me know 😃
Rene, There is no mention of using this machine to make rice milk so I can’t confirm or deny that it will work. You can email Chefwave’s support and ask them.
To put nuts, seeds to be rubbed against plastic at the time of the mixing that must generate a friction which by consequence creates microplastic which insinuates itself in the liquid, the final product and which finishes ingested by the human body (the bisphenole A for ex. is prohibited in France because considered as endocrinian pertubarteur) It is dangerous for the health…
The Milkmade’s grinding compartment isn’t made of plastic.
What is the grinding compartment made of? Thanks
It looks like enameled metal. Not plastic.
I’m going to be pedantic. It’s not “milk”. At best it’s milk-substitute, or almond drink. I don’t work for the dairy industry, but they have a valid truth in labeling case. Almonds don’t lactate. It will never be “milk”
That said, It looks like a great appliance to have for those that can’t consume dairy products. I’m surprised it took this long for a machine like this to hit the market.
Right, milk requires impregnating a female cow, stealing her baby so they can steal not just some, but all the milk. Like all mammal moms she is emotionally attached and cries out for days. Baby is locked alone in a shed and become veal four months later. Mom would live 20 yrs, but is hamburger after 4 pregnancies/5 yrs because her milk production has gone down a little. So that’s the cruelty to animals angle, but then there’s the environmental and health angle. No matter which angle you take the dairy milk industry is a nightmare. Milk deserves to get it’s name stolen, if for no other reason than to help people transition to less cruel, more healthy and sustainable plant milks.
Has anyone tried adding dates with the nuts to be used a a sweetener?
Daniel, Since dates are soft and sticky, I’m not sure how well they would blend. I don’t have any to try but I can put some on my grocery list next week and test it soon-ish and let you know if no one else responds that they’ve tried it.
I use a small amount of dates — or maple syrup or coconut, too — and a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla. Awesome outcomes!
There is also date syrup, I bought some in the gluten free section at Walmart.
1 medjule date with the pot removed is sweet perfection in most nut milks.
We love 1 C cashers, 1 medjule date, a tiny piece of vanilla bean, the cheaper broken ones sold for grinding with husk to 1 litre of water.
Thank you for your review! I went to buy this after reading it and I attempted to use the coupon code that you provided, but it does not work on either site. Is there another code we can use or has it expired? Thanks again!
Elizabeth if you can wait a bit, I’ve emailed ChefWave and hopefully they will fix that code so it will work again. I’ll let you know when it’s working again.
Hello, you mentioned that the oat milk thickened quite a bit when it was chilled. Was it slimy? Have you tried traditional rolled oats?
Thank you!
L., I didn’t drink the steelcut oat milk. I used it in chia pudding. I’ve not tried rolled oat milk yet. I will make some today and then let you know if it also thickens or gets slimy after it is chilled.
Milk made with regular rolled oats did not thicken and is not slimy.
Hi Julie,
I am super excited to try this product, because we drink A LOT of soy milk and are fed up with the price and also the immense amount of packaging we are supporting by doing so.
We are pretty particular about taste, so I am pretty curious to find out what the fresh stuff tastes like.
Thanks so much for your review, it’s been super helpful!
Lynne, you are very welcome. You can customize the taste by adding sweeteners, vanilla, etc. I don’t drink soy or any of the milks I make straight up. I use them over cereal, in smoothies, chia pudding, etc.
Please can someone share a really good oat milk recipe? I tried with 3 tbs of oats and felt it was too watery, then upped to 4tbs and felt it was too slimy.
Can you use organic brown rice?
I’ve not tried to make rice milk and am not sure if it would work very well because rice grains are very hard. I’m not sure the short time in hot water would soften the rice enough. I’m just guessing though. Might be best to ask Chefwave.
This machine look like a dupe of the Joyoung soy milk machine. While the two look remarkably alike, the functions available seem different. Do you have any information about the differences between the two?
Sophy, I’d not heard of the Joyoung soy milk machine but you’re right, it looks very similar to the ChefWave. So much so that I’m wondering if both are made by the same company. I don’t have any information on the differences other than the Joyoung soy milk machine says it makes coffee and even juice. The ChefWave does not advertise those features.
I am only seeing this review because I have researched the Joyoung appliance that the Chefwave is a duplicate of. Joyoung is the original of this type of machine. Your unit is a slightly older version of Joyoung. The newer Joyoung model is bigger and does rice milk also. The Chefwave may be “licensed” by Joyoung to use their patented technology. Chefwave is a dead ringer for the original Joyoung. The quality comparison would be interesting.
We just received our Milkmaker, just curious about the measuring cup, it’s marked in 5ths and 10ths, what are these measurements?
Curt, good question. I misplaced that cup a long time ago.
I have the same question. Do I just use a regular tablespoon to measure things? What do I use the cup for?
I bought a little 2T scoop. I don’t really know what the cup is useful for. I’ve already misplaced it.
Is this machine suitable for australia power supply?
I keep getting error code 2. The manual says code 2 means the reservoir is clogged. It isn’t clogged. The clogging seems to be in the dispenser function. It dispenses half the cleaning warer and not the second half. It is erratic and frustrating because sometimes it stops cleaning and other times it finishes the cleaning. I’ve tried every cleaning function. Dry cleaning, deep cleaning and regular cleaning.
I got it today. I may have to return it.
Hello. I’ve been making almond milk using a Vitamix and even after soaking and peeling the almonds it has a gritty texture. Does the ChefWave produce smooth milk? I’m torn between this machine and the Almond Cow. I’m less concerned about the cleanup and potential pulp waste, I just want the smoothest possible milk.
I think it’s very smooth, but there is a very fine pulp. You could strain it out.
Which setting do you use when mixing oats with nuts?
I’ve never tried that before. You may be better off making two individual batches and then mixing them together.
Make almond butter then use 1tbls butter to 8 oz. water. Best almond milk ever no milk machine needed.
Hi Julie, Do you have a working code?
I have sent an email to the PR person for Chefwave so stay tuned. I’ll let you know if they send me a new code.
Is there any plastic that touches the milk or the pulp?
I don’t think so, but I can’t see inside the unit.
Thank you for your review. Does it still function well without any problem after 2+ years? I had a Insta Nova blender making nut and soy milk for almost 3 years and it start leaking now. It was discontinued so I cannot get replacement so I am looking for a new soy/ nut milk maker. Also I saw your other replies mentioned the grinder chamber is made of enameled metal. I was concerned before I saw your post because it looks like plastic. I tried to use your link and code but it does not work anymore, any chance you have a new code you can update. Thank you so much again.
Jane, I haven’t used mine in awhile. It’s on my counter and I’ve been meaning give it to a friend/family member. I just sent an email to the PR person who sent it to me to see if they could get me a new discount code but they aren’t working with Chefwave anymore. Sorry!
Thank you for your reply, really appreciated! Happy New Year!
Hello I was just wondering if you can make rice milk in the chefwave milk maker?
Like I replied to another comment: I’ve not tried to make rice milk and am not sure if it would work very well because rice grains are very hard. I’m not sure the short time in hot water would soften the rice enough. I’m just guessing though. Might be best to ask Chefwave.