Almond Milk Concentrate

For full disclosure, I am writing this review for the compensation of 20% off of an order off of the Joi website. That being said, I wouldn't be bothering if I didn't already like the product. 1) Taste The taste of Joi is about what you'd expect from a product that has almonds as its only ingredient - kind of bland and not ideal on its own, but easily blendable with other flavors. I think it tastes as best as it can given that caveat. 2) Texture/Blendability I blend up my Joi mixes in a regular blender, using the shake setting. The mix blends extremely well and it's a little magical how it turns from light brown to bright white as it blends. The blended texture is extremely smooth and mixes well with the other ingredients I add. The one caution I will make is that the top of it tends to froth a good bit if you do this, so just be aware if that's not something you want. 3) Value On the face of it, the items are pretty expensive for milk. However, given that it is literally just almonds, it's actually a very good price for how much you're getting. If you check the calories on a carton of "normal" almond milk and then this, you'll see the difference immediately - "regular" almond milk is mostly filler. In addition, if you get the new glass jars it comes in, you're essentially getting an extremely good quality small jar for "free" once you've used the mixture. Not everyone will want to keep and use them, but if you do it's an added bonus. For myself, I needed to research alternative milks with few ingredients as a result of some nasty GI disorders I've developed. I've become too sensitive to some of the ingredients in "regular" almond milk to be able to drink it anymore. It's also made it a lot more difficult to get calories. Finding Joi in these circumstances was extremely helpful to me - not only do I not need to worry about a bunch of "gum" this and "for flavor" that, but it packs a high-calorie punch and helps me keep from starving when my health is bad. It also means I can add in my own flavors in whatever type and proportion I want, which makes it more flexible. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this product and will be continuing to buy it for the foreseeable future.

Actually cheaper than the boxed kind, if you do the math right (see below). Amazing product, if you understand what you’re getting. Typical almond milk, even homemade, is more like a “tea” of almonds - in the store it has additives to make it smoother and more shelf stable, and to add calcium etc. This is whole, finely ground almonds, period. The milk therefore has more nutrition - aka calories - per cup. Boxed almond milk has what, 35-50 calories per cup, while Joi has close to 200. We’ve been programmed to think low calories is healthy, but the way I see it is, boxed almond milk is buying a bunch of water and chemicals with a dash of almond. Joi is, again, whole blanched almonds. If you compare the cost per cup, yes Joi seems expensive. But if you water Joi down so it has an equal amount of calories or almond content as the boxed, Joi is far far ***less*** expensive than boxed. A cup of Joi has a lot of beneficial nutrients, while boxed almond milk is mostly filler and homemade usually involves throwing a lot of the almond away after the liquid is extracted. Now that we know fat isn’t evil (we do, right?), we can see Joi is an actual whole food. Yes you need to keep an eye on the portion size if you’re concerned about weight gain, but again - it’s a real food. My housemate makes homemade almond milk which has similar settling, but is much less creamy and flavorful, and more expensive when you consider dollars per nutrient. Also less ecologically sound, as so much of the almond gets thrown away. I was delighted to find this foams as nicely as cow milk in the espresso machine - even delicate micro foam! Not always, I’m still figuring out why it sometimes doesn’t. Yes there is a little grit but that happens in homemade too. It doesn’t happen in boxed not because boxed is innately better, but because boxed is a totally different product.

NEW REVIEW If you don't have the time to soak some gorgeous nuts of your choice overnight in the fridge in imported water from New Zealand, blend them up in the morning, run them through a mesh strainer, and have 1 - 2 gallons of homemade almond milk to live off of for the next week or two, then let's talk about JOI. My last review was hard to write because I wanted to love JOI, and the first encounter with it left me thinking, 'Why is this just a flat, lifeless, diluted glass of chalk water?!' My review was brutally honest that this just wasn't the best way to experience joy. Fast forward to just a few seasons later, and I get a second chance to try the new and improved JOI. Guess what? My first review needs an update! This new JOI is creamier and a great alternative to homemade or store-bought when in a pinch, on a journey, or simply lacking refrigeration. I recommend using a lot of JOI with "better" water to get a more satisfying thickness, adding a dash of salt or vanilla to your taste for flavor improvement, and blending it for a solid 5 minutes to incorporate everything into a smooth finish. Ultimately, this new version is worth trying (especially the cashew), and I am happy to share the news that this might just bring you joy. ---------------------- OLD REVIEW Such a great idea, but somehow failed execution. December 12, 2019 I wanted to like this so much. I love JOI's advertising and the concept of having a nut base on hand to quickly mix with water and go. And, as a branding person, their imagery and expressive nature are to be celebrated. I mean, "Add JOI" and "Made with JOI," how does that not make your heart feel happy? Unfortunately, the flavor is weak, if non-existent. This nut base mix -- though initially appearing like it could be a nut butter who deserves to be nut milk -- is not even relatable to any almond milk you would buy at a store, and it's a whole other galaxy away from making your own at home. The disappointment is palpable. When you mix this into your glass, you won't get the anticipated sweetness of almond, nor the rich, creamy goodness of the oil fats and the proteins swirling unhindered in your cup. No. Instead, you will get a flat, lifeless, diluted glass of chalk water. For the same price, you can soak some gorgeous almonds of your choice overnight in the fridge in imported water from New Zealand, blend them up in the morning, run them through a mesh strainer, and have 1 - 2 gallons of homemade almond milk to live off of for the next week or two. Need some stored away for a rainy day? You can freeze some of your creation as a concentrate. When ready, toss some into a pitcher with water to defrost in the fridge whenever you want. All of this to say, there are better ways to spend your money that will bring you more joy.

I wanted to like this product, mostly because it seemed like a great way to keep lots of waxed cartons out of the landfill, given the typical almond milk packaging. I mixed up a quart to keep in the fridge. It did not blend completely and it did separate. However, I do not drink almond milk on its own, but add it to smoothies or coffee or use it in recipes, so the fact that it's not a perfectly homogenized mixture was an issue but not a show stopper. The label says there are "up to" 27 servings per 15 oz container, at one tablespoon per 1 cup water. (The instructions are not on the label. You have to go to the website to figure out the ratio. The company states: "Add 1-2 tablespoons of JOI to 1 cup of water in a blender and blend for 30 seconds on medium-high.") So, let's say, using 1 Tbl per 1 cup of water, that's 27 cups of almond milk. That is, to be exact, 8 oz (1 cup) shy of 7 quarts. But if you want something creamier, similar to pre-made almond milk, you will likely use 2 Tbl per cup of water. So the cost per quart is either a little over $3 or closer to $6. So comparative cost to pre-made is an issue. The flavor is okay. I found it tasted a little creamier in coffee than my favorite brand, Almond Breeze Original. In a smoothie, the flavor gets buried under the other ingredients, so neither the flavor nor the consistency was an issue. One of the features of pre-made almond milk I prize is its high calcium value. It's an added ingredient. So, I need to add calcium carbonate to JOI to get the same bang for my bones as with 1 cup of Almond Breeze - 4% versus 45%. The shelf-life feature of JOI is nice, always having it on hand. But many pre-made almond milks are shelf stable as well. The biggest issue I have is potential waste. The product is the consistency of tahini, which means it sticks to your scoop or your spoon. Getting the product from the JOI container into your blender requires a lot of finger scraping if you're frugal, or, if you just scoop a blob like they show in the video into your blender, you are wasting a lot of the product each time you make a batch. I may buy this again, mainly because of supply chain issues with my usual brand, but I can't recommend it without the above caveats.

I ordered JOI's Almond Milk Unsweetened Plain Concentrate for the first time, and it's definitely going to be a staple in my kitchen. I love that I can make a fresh glass of almond milk whenever I want simply by mixing it with water. The fact that it's made from 100% almonds with no added sugars or gums really appeals to my preference for simple, clean ingredients. One thing that has pleasantly surprised me is how versatile it is. I adjust the water ratio depending on whether I want a richer, creamier milk for my morning coffee or a lighter version for my smoothies. Plus, I no longer worry about buying a carton of almond milk only to have it go bad before I can finish it. Knowing I can make just the right amount really cuts down on waste, which is a big win for me.

The idea here is that dirtying a blender jar and using your own pitcher is going to save money (and maybe packaging/carbon) over buying prepared almond milk from the store. The idea seemed valid, but IMO, this product doesn't hit the mark. After you prepare it, almond solids start settling out, and foam forms on the top. The attached photo is after settling overnight. I then stirred it up and made my coffee with it, but as I was drinking my coffee I kept getting mouthfuls of almond crunchies. After this experience I was thinking of straining it in a nut milk bag, but that would decrease the convenience factor significantly. As for the taste, I don't think it tastes very similar to normal almond milk, it tastes more like diluted nut butter. The marketing materials say "not a butter" but as soon as I opened it and smelled it I became convinced that it is just almond butter in a custom package. You might find you prefer the flavor of diluted almond butter over a commercial almond milk (which has had the solids strained out), but just realize it will be different. Personally, I don't like it as much. And I don't think the money saving promise holds up. I paid $22 for one jar, and used the entire thing to make a half gallon of almond milk. Folks, I see half gallon cartons of Silk Almond here on Amazon for $2.99. I did use double the suggested concentration, so it was "creamier" than store-bought almond milk, but even if you were going to go with the recommended ratio that's still a 4-5x price diff. And regular almond butter seems to be available at half the price per ounce of this product. Rating at one star because I really can't see any redeeming features of this product. There are many positive reviews and the manufacturers appear to have worked very hard on it in good faith, but for me it is a total writeoff.

Delicious!

Made delicious almond milk. Used a magic bullet to blend it with water redmond salt (which I think made it grainy) and GloryBee honey. Then poured into a pitcher. Good for at home use, but I am still looking for a good filler free instant almond milk powder!!! *UPDATE* Now using Selina Celtic Sea and organic raw honey for delicous almond milk. No grain. I have my eye on the Elmhurst Barista Almond Milk it looks dreamy. But it is a bit pricey. For now I am buying the Fisher non gmo almonds and keeping a container soaking overnight. With a juicer filter on my magic bullet I make a quick fresh daily milk. With that said, the Joi is so far the most feasible for camping/travel etc as it is a creamy paste that is shelf stable. Again, still looking for that plain filler free instant almond milk powder creamer...... cough cough Joi. (With somehow a good price and non gmo?) *UPDATE* This is great to have on hand when I forget to soak almonds overnight. Semi-instant almond milk :) (you still have to blend it - though I look to test if shaking in a jar works or perhaps hand frother)