Soy Milk Maker! The SoyaPower

[thatoneguy]

:)

[Sunny]

I have the SoyaPower. I don't use it that much anymore. I really should. But drinking it plain, or slightly sweetened, it tastes beany to me. In another thread, I asked how to fix this, and I think someone recommended mixing some almonds with the beans. I tried that, but it didn't seem to taste any different. I think the website has recipes to make it taste more like commercial soymilk ... I should take a look at them.

It doesn't work well for coffee, either, as it tends to curdle. But it works great in smoothies, which is mostly what I use it for.

The machine itself is really easy to use and clean. I also have the tofu press, but haven't used it yet.

That doesn't really sound like a glowing endorsement, does it? :p I guess I just need to find the right recipe. It is a great machine.

[m1k3k]

i have the soyquick one at home. i posted a detailed review of it on my site. check it out, leafygreen.info


http://leafygreen.info

[Sunny]

I had a similar experience the one or two times I tried to make soy milk without a machine. What a pain! And it sounds like making tofu is a pain in the ass, too, which is why I haven't tried it yet.

What do you mix in your soy milk? Just sugar? What kind (white, raw, etc)? How much do you add? It doesn't taste a little beany to you? I've heard that brown rice syrup helps it taste more like store bought, but that stuff ain't cheap.

[mushycat]

I make soymilk and tofu every week and you're doing it a bit wrong. : ) Eventually I'm going to write up a whole tutorial, but for now to help with your curd forming problem:

The most important factor I've found for good curd formation is heating the soymilk to 190F before adding the coagulant (Use a thermometer. If you boil over soymilk you will be very very unhappy). That has pretty much guaranteed nice big curds for me. Also your water to soybean ratio should be about 8:1. Two cups of soybeans should make a bit more than a standard store-bought package of tofu.

Also, adding more coagulant does not make firmer tofu. The biggest factor for firmness is how hard you press it. Soy bean quality, soy milk quality (might be an issue using a machine), and different types of coagulants also factor in. oh, and don't stir it so much. I stir mine for a second and that's it. You can tell if you haven't used enough coagulant (once you have the other factors nailed down) if you don't see clear yellow whey separate from the curds. Just add some more (always mixed in with some hot water first).

Epson salts make good tofu, but if you use calcium chloride or gypsum you'll have the benefit of adding calcium to your diet instead of sodium. You can get those coagulants from brewery supply stores.

I could go on and on for hours but hopefully that much will help you out a bit.

[Recycler]

Are there any soymilk makers that are NOT made in China under exploitative factory conditions? I'm interested in buying one made under fair labor conditions, even if it means paying significantly more $$. Thanks for any help here!