Food: Milking It

Testing out a soy-milk maker for home kitchens.

photo courtesy Soyabella

Lactose intolerance runs high among people of Asian ancestry, so soy milk is a welcome ingredient in many Island homes. With this in mind, I tested out the Soyabella Soymilk Maker ($139), and found it surprisingly easy to use.

I soaked about 50 cents worth of dried soybeans overnight, then drained them and added them with water to the machine. Fifteen minutes later, I had a quart of hot soy milk, which I doctored with a bit of vanilla, salt and Splenda. It was far better than the milk from store-bought cartons. I liked the appliance’s safety features, including a hidden heating element, an overheat sensor and an enclosed blade.

The only downsides to Soyabella are having to clean the machine and planning ahead to soak the beans. Still, if you like soy milk, this is an economical, and truly yummy, way to enjoy it. You can purchase a Soyabella machine at www.tribestlife.com.