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January 2006

Home Zone / Kitchenwares / Appliances

SoyQuick Automatic™ Soymilk Maker
Soymilk and Tofu Made Fresh in Your Own Kitchen

When we first heard about soymilk machines for making soymilk and tofu, we couldn’t understand why anyone would want to make either product when both are readily available at grocery stores. But then we asked ourselves why people purchase kitchen appliances like bread machines or smoothie blenders. An obvious answer came to mind after we tested the SoyQuick soymilk maker. All over the world, people make soymilk and tofu for the same reasons they choose to make other products at home: to enjoy foods in their most natural and freshest form and to have the freedom to customize flavors and consistency. While it’s not as easy as flipping a switch as you would on your espresso machine or twisting the cap off a juice carton, if you have at least 25 minutes (this includes clean-up time) 1 to 2 days a week, you can have a cup of fresh soymilk every morning for 7 days or a block of tofu to use for the week (tofu takes a bit longer to prepare). If you are only in search of a convenient glass of creamy soymilk to have with your breakfast, click here to read our review of Pearl Organic Soymilk because this review will not matter to you. If you revel in the satisfaction of consuming or handling products in their most pure state, no matter the length of time it takes to do so, please read on.

Summary

The SoyQuick Automatic™ Soymilk Maker requires time and patience to reap the full benefits of making fresh soymilk or tofu. Not only do the soybeans need to soak overnight, but the appliance must also be carefully maintained for future use. There are, however, many benefits to the product:

• The Tofu Kit: A Tofu Making Kit can be purchased from SoyQuick, which includes the plastic tofu mold, cheesecloth, and coagulant needed to make fresh tofu. If you’ve missed our background article on tofu, click here to read All About Tofu.
• Ingredient Control: The machine makes wholesome soymilk. Additional ingredients added into the product are strictly up to the proprietor, making this appliance ideal for those who have dietary restrictions or simply enjoy coming up with creative soymilk flavors or tofu textures.
• Cost Effectiveness: You can have fresh, homemade soymilk and tofu for a lot cheaper than the store-bought types; 1 quart of milk can cost as low as 20 cents, and a 7- ounce square of tofu amounts to less than a dollar.
• Variety Option: Other "milks" derived from other products, including rice, almonds, and assorted beans can also be produced with the same appliance.

Okara Making: While making fresh soymilk, the soymilk maker naturally yields okara, the cream-colored remnants of the finely ground soybeans. Its flavor resembles that of authentic coconut meat—not the artificial tropical flavor—and its consistency is similar to creamy polenta. Low in fat and high in fiber, okara is a delicious soybean byproduct often incorporated into recipes to give body to dishes like soups, casseroles and croquettes.

One cup of dry soybeans yields approximately 2 cups of okara. Photo courtesy of Xogij.Blogs.

Pre-Process

Soybeans need to be rinsed under running water, then soaked in water for at least 8 hours before they can be put into the machine to be cooked and pureed. We immersed the soybeans in water overnight.

Process

In the morning, we drained the soybeans, which had expanded in size, and poured them into the stainless steel filter cup that detaches from the head of the soymilk maker. See Step 1 below. Then we filled the stainless steel jug with water up to the specified maximum level line, re-attached the filter cup to the head and closed the jug by inserting the head in place. Once the power cord was plugged in and a beep followed by a green light turned on, we pressed the START button. See Step 2 below. Fifteen minutes later (after some grumbling and hissing from the machine), we had ourselves steaming-hot, light, creamy and frothy soymilk. See Step 3 below. So far, the steps were easy to follow. The difficult part came when we tried to pour the milk from the container. The machine consists of three separate parts: The top is the motor’s head, which has a long pole with a blade attached to the end. The middle part is the filter cup, and the bottom is the stainless steel pitcher. The head of the machine was not only heavy to hold once lifted out of the pitcher, but the blade attached at the end was dripping with soymilk. There was no drip-pan or safety feature that made it easier to handle the heated and dripping appliance. Instead, we had to look for our own mixing bowl large enough to safely set the appliance’s elongated part aside. Also, though the pour handle was rubber, the container is stainless steel and was scalding hot —dangerous when fingers even slightly brushed against it. We had to take great precaution when handling the jug.

Step 1: Fill the filter cup with soybeans that have been soaked overnight and drained.	Step 2 : Assemble the appliance and press the START button.	Step 3 : The machine will beep after about 15 minutes; and hot soymilk is ready to drink.

Cleaning

The instructions suggest that the appliance be washed immediately after use so as to not allow any of the soy remnants to dry and harden, making it twice as difficult to clean. Right after emptying all the contents from the jug, with a firm scrub pad and a sturdy brush, we removed soybean pulp from the filter cup and stainless steel jug; both cleaning utensils were included with the machine. The filter cup was so fine that it took a bit longer to remove all traces of the soybean byproduct film. But in total, excluding bean soaking time, the entire process of making soymilk and cleaning up took about 25 minutes.

Making Tofu from Soymilk

The next experiment, with a new jug of soymilk, was to make tofu. Following the instructions above, we made another batch of soymilk. This time, however, instead of pouring the steaming, hot soymilk into cups and enjoying it on the spot, we left the contents in the jug and added two packets of coagulant (magnesium chloride) that had to be purchased from SoyQuick separately and stirred. Then we covered the top with a large plate and let it sit for 20 minutes. When we returned, we found the curds and whey separated, so we poured the contents into a cheesecloth arranged inside the tofu press (image left) included in the SoyQuick Tofu Making Kit. After all the water was drained and pressed out with the tofu paddle, we folded the cheesecloth over the tofu and let it stand for another 20 minutes to solidify. The result was a spongy, 7-ounce cake of tofu touch with a slightly sweet flavor and a mildly creamy consistency. When we cut it into pieces and tossed it in a stir-fry, the tofu drank in the flavors of soy sauce and vegetables. However, for the time it takes to make fresh tofu, we are much more likely to purchase a box at the store, as pre-made tofu already contains very few additives and is as versatile as homemade tofu.

Enjoying Homemade Soymilk and Tofu

As with commercial soymilk, there are numerous ways to incorporate the beverage into everyday dishes. But with homemade soymilk, you have the advantage of customizing the flavors and deciding how much to make. Fresh soymilk is great to...

• Mix into cream soups and sauces
• Replace dairy milk in baking recipes, including cakes and waffle batters
• Add to coffee, tea, shakes and smoothies
• Make ice cream , custards and puddings

Click here to read our article A Tasty Day with Tofu for simple tofu recipes.

If you are a soymilk- or tofu-lover who doesn’t mind taking the time to make your favorite products as fresh as possible, this is one appliance you will be glad to own.

SoyQuick Soymilk Automatic Maker, Tofu Making Kit, Coagulator SoyQuick Automatic Soymilk Maker SDZ4, $99.95 Click here to purchase SoyQuick Automatic Soymilk Maker SDZ5, $119.95 Click here to purchase Tofu Making Kit $6.95 with SoyQuick Maker purchase Extra Tofu Coagulator Packets Prices range between $5.95 to $14.95 depending on quantity Shipping and taxes additional. Prices and availability are verified at publication but are subject to change.
		Make extra strong soymilk by adding less water.

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