My mom was a devout soy milk drinker and my dad was a classic full-fat cow's milk guy when I was growing up. Now, cow's milk is practically a thing of the past. Well, not quite. But cow's milk consumption has decreased by almost 21% since 2010as Big Dairy has taken some major heat, with reports of poor animal conditions, health-related consequences and environmental impact becoming public knowledge.
The slow decline of cow's milk has revealed a wealth of lucrative opportunities: creating milk substitutes from virtually anything. There are milk options for people who are dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. Alternative milks are the most popular plant-based productin the US, outpacing industry-leading meat alternativesBeyond and Impossible Foods. And it seems like plant milk growth will continue. Retail sales of milk alternatives are expected to increase by almost $1 billion dollars by 2025.
Plant milks aren't just for vegans or folks with dietary restrictions. With the help of colleagues in CNET's San Francisco and Charlotte, North Carolina, offices, I pitted eight plant-based beverages against each other to see which one would reign supreme. Please note that this test was not scientifically airtight, and I am not a milk expert by any means. These results are based solely on my opinions and those of my colleagues.
Here's how my CNET colleagues voted
To figure out which alternative milk was the best, we performed two office taste tests of eight different milks in our San Francisco and Charlotte locations. Again, these tests were not highly scientific -- in San Francisco, we measured oat, almond, soy, coconut and pea drinks, while in Charlotte, we tested hemp instead of pea. Everyone tasted the milks one at a time and offered their thoughts about the texture, taste, consistency and aftertaste.
Here are the estimated survey results from 33 colleagues across both offices from the alt-milk taste test.
- Oat (53%)
- Almond (21%)
- Soy (18%)
- Hemp (6%)
- Coconut (2%)
How I ranked the top 5 alternative milks
For my own taste test, I tasted each milk individually, and also tried them mixed in coffee. Here are my picks for the top five alt-milks I tried.
5. Coconut: So Delicious Unsweetened
Coming in dead last in my taste test was So Delicious' Coconut Milk, which should be renamed for false marketing. The milk, while most similar to dairy's texture, was uncomfortably thick and flavorless. This is essentially just milky water. Or watery milk. Regardless, I will never drink this again.
In coffee: The coconut milk watered down the coffee while adding no flavor.
4. Almond: Califia Unsweetened
Though almond milk is usually my favorite, this one was pretty tasteless. There was an initial burst of almond flavor that dulled into a light coating and lingering aftertaste. The consistency was thin, though smooth. This milk is good if you're just adding it for smoothies, but on its own, this one was just OK.
In coffee: The almond milk left a slightly bitter aftertaste while also watering the coffee down. Thumbs down.
3. Hemp: Pacific Foods Unsweetened
While my colleagues reacted poorly to this milk's grainy, gritty consistency and slimy texture, I enjoyed it. This was my first time tasting hemp milk, and it was a pleasant surprise. The texture was thicker than both the coconut and almond milks, and I personally thought the earthy flavor was nice.
In coffee: This is where the grainy texture became a problem. The hemp milk was not great in coffee and did not add any sweetness. The consistency wasn't thick enough to blend well with the coffee, leaving it watered down.
2. Soy: Silk Unsweetened
Although the soy milk didn't have much flavor on its own, its astounding performance when it came to coffee was what made the difference. The consistency was the most similar to that of cow's milk, and it has a similar nutritional profile. If you're looking for the closest replacement for cow's milk, this is it.
In coffee: The creamy, thicker consistency of the soy milk blended perfectly into the coffee. It added natural sweetness and a mild vanilla aftertaste. This is definitely my favorite pick to add to coffee.
1. Oat: Planet Oat Unsweetened
Oat milk has surged to fame in recent years and now maintains a cult following, and I can see why. It's naturally sweet but not overly so. It has a smooth texture, and it's not bland. While this plant milk is thin in consistency compared to cow's milk, it doesn't leave any weird aftertastes and doesn't coat the mouth.
One note here: We tested Planet Oat for this story, but many of my colleagues insisted Oatly was even better. I definitely underestimated how seriously people take their oat milk brand loyalty.
In coffee: The oat milk was less sweet than the soy milk, but even so, the consistency was thick and smooth enough to complement the coffee's texture without watering it down.
Honorable mentions
We tested a few additional plant milks. Here are some notes about them:
- Ripple Pea: This milk can only be described as weird and too sweet on its own, but it was delicious in coffee. I know, it surprised me too.
- Good Karma Flax: This tasted like watered down powdered milk.
- Elmhurst Cashew: I have never tried an alt-milk that tasted so much like what it's made from. This milk is only pleasant if you love cashews in liquid form.
Thousands of years of plant-based milk
Despite their recent explosion into the mainstream, plant-based milks have been around for thousands of years. It's easy to forget, but at least 70% of the world is lactose intolerant to some degree, said Christopher Gardner, professor and director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.
For example, soy milk has been prepared in China since 1365 and almond milk was around in the Middle East since the 13th century. Coconut milk has also been popular for centuries in Southeast Asian countries, said registered dietitian and nutritionist Vandana Sheth, author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes.
Environmental impact: Are alt-milks better than dairy?
Even though almond milk has had a bad rap for the amount of water required to produce it, cow's milk still has significantly higher impacts on the environment across all metrics than any plant-based alternatives, according to Stanford's Gardner. Cow's milk produces around three times as much greenhouse gas emissions; uses around 10 times as much land and 2 to 20 times as much freshwater; and generates much higher levels of eutrophication-- excess plant growth due to fertilizer runoff -- according to research done by Hannah Ritchie, who holds a doctorate in Geosciences from the University of Edinburgh, for Our World in Data.
"Plant-based milks are an easy switch to make; they're cheaper than dairy and don't taste that different," Gardner said. If you're looking for an easy way to reduce your environmental footprint, all plant milks are generally better for the environment than cow's milk, he added.
The bottom line
When it comes to deciding which milk alternative to choose, you're the person who best knows your own nutritional needs. If you're looking for a milk that provides a good source of protein, for example, choose soy, pea or flaxseed milk, said Sheth. If you're concerned about high blood sugar and want a milk lower in carbs, consider almond milk or macadamia nut milk-- another rising plant milk star.
Soy, almond, cashew, coconut and rice milk might be a better option if you have chronic kidney disease since they have a lower potassium and phosphorus content compared to dairy milk. According the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, people with chronic kidney disease may want to avoid foods high in potassium and phosphorus. If you have health concerns, be sure to check with your doctor or a nutritionist before switching to any plant milk.
The good news is most plant milks, no matter what they started out as, are fortified with many of the vitamins and minerals people are looking for, such as calcium or vitamin A, said Gardner.
At the end of the day, everyone has their own preferences. You don't have to agree with my rankings, but I hope this inspired you to enjoy a glass of your favorite plant milk with a warm chocolate chip cookie and some friends.
