Ellie's Best Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag - Big 12"X12" Commercial Grade - Reusable Almond Milk Bag & All Purpose Strainer – Fine Mesh Nylon Cheesecloth & Cold Brew Coffee Filter - Free Recipes & Videos

Product: Ellie’s Best Bigger Better Nut Milk BagRating: 5/5 (excellent)Not to put too strong a spin on it, but this product is a genuine boon for anyone wishing to make their own nutmilk, soymilk, butter, Greek-style (hung) yogurt, or fresh cheese. What used to be a messy wasteful chore using disposable muslin cloth, or butter cloth, has since become an easy and pleasant routine ... so easy that ever since buying my first “Ellie’s Nutmilk Bag” a little over a year ago, I’ve been regularly making my own soy and nutmilks (Almond, Cashew and Coconut) on a weekly basis ever since, along with the occasional batch of homemade ‘hung’ Greek style yogurt or homemade butter.Likes: STURDY, REUSABLE & ECONOMICAL: The nylon weave, and strongly stitched seams, are excellent, and vastly superior (for home use) to both single use cotton muslin cloth, or even premium butter cloth (which tends to fray at the edges when cut to size and washed for reuse). My first bag is still going strong after 50+ uses, and will probably last at least 50 more. ERGONOMIC: Whereas cotton muslin cloth must be cut to size and stacked in layers for most uses, and cotton butter cloth must be cut down to size and manually tied closed, Ellie’s bag is already the ideal size and configuration for most household uses - a sturdy bag of butter cloth-rated nylon weave (90-mesh) with a built-in drawstring. Cleanup is a snap too (see handwashing tips below) DISHWASHER SAFE: Yes, it’s dishwasher/clothes washer safe (albeit with minor caveats - see the addendum at the end of this review). However, I don’t recommend putting it in a clothes dryer ... let it air dry.Nits: None (!).I’ve been reviewing semi-regularly on Amazon since 1999, and it’s very rare than I’m unable to come up with at least one meaningful nit on a given product ... but nothing substantial comes to mind about this item. It’s indispensable for the task it’s designed for, reusable, ergonomic, inexpensive to replace, and once dried it even rolls into a tiny compact shape that needs very little space. I’d be hard pressed to name a culinary product that’s given me more bang for the buck ... what’s not to love ?HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. An absolute must-have for aficionados of homemade nutmilk, soymilk, butter and hung yogurt/curd.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------ADDENDUM -SOME HELPFUL TIPS: HANDWASHING: I spread the bag out flat, on it’s side, in the bottom of the sink, and then rise it thoroughly on both sides (top and bottom), then turn it inside out and repeat the process. After rinsing is done, I’ll rinse the sink, then repeat the process once more, this time scrubbing gently with a soapy sponge. Last, a quick wring out, and I let it air dry in the dish rack. Takes 50-60 secs, tops. DISHWASHER: If you’re considering using the dishwasher, here’s a tip, and a suggestion: (1) Drawstring: after first rinsing and handwashing the bag (see above), I’ll fold the bottom of the bag up towards the lip, then scrunch it laterally and slip it upright into one of the narrow bins in the silverware rack. I do it that way so that the dangling drawstring can't reach down into the heating element and possibly melt during the dry cycle. (2) HEAT: Nylon is heat sensitive, and although the dry cycle on most residential dishwashers doesn’t get hot enough to melt it, it does cause the nylon weave to contract and stiffen a bit with repeated exposure, so I prefer to wash it by hand for making nut milks, and ONLY use the dishwasher after I use it to make butter or drain yogurt ... and I try to remember to remove the bag from the washer before the heat cycle starts. Because of the heat induced contraction, I now own 2 bags - I use the slightly heat-shrunk one exclusively for yogurt and butter, and my newer one exclusively for nutmilks and it never goes near the dishwasher. STRAINING NUT MILK: Although designed to be squeezed by hand, I have a slightly improved method. I rest a stainless steel colander in a work bowl, then slip the nutmilk bag into an upright 1 qt plastic deli container, and pull the mouth of the bag open and down around the lips of same, to hold it open. Next I’ll pulse & pour the first carafe of freshly pureed nutmilk into it, then remove the tupperware (no longer needed) and then let the bag continue to drain in the colander. With the bag partially full, it will stay upright, so you can blend and pour the remainder of the batch through it with only one hand needed to hold it open. When the bowl under the colander fills, replace with a fresh bowl. After draining is complete, gently shake the bag to settle the pulp, hold the bag upright and using a ‘finger flicking’ motion (as if plinking someone on the nose), flick the sides of the bag so any clinging pulp falls into the bottom, then twist the neck of the bag several times until the pulp forms a tight ball in the bottom. At this point most people squeeze it by hand to extract the remaining milk, but I prefer to lay the ball on it’s side in the bottom of the colander, and press firmly with a heavy smooth-bottomed paillard pounder {ex: https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Ultimate-Pounder-Tenderizer/dp/B00004UE7C }, until the pulp is firm and dryish, after which I'll freeze it (once I have enough, I'll dehydrate and grind all the spent nut and/or coconut pulp into powder, for use in baked goods and dhokla). As for the milk, I'll adjust the flavor as desired, then store in 1qt glass bottle(s) in the fridge { https://www.amazon.com/Dairy-Shoppe-Glass-Bottle-Vintage/dp/B018BDZQUQ}. Since homemade nut and soy milks are not homogenized/stabilized, they start to separate after a few hours, and fully separate in 1-3 days, resulting in an unappetizing appearance ... this is purely cosmetic, not a sign of early spoilage. Simply give it a quick shake and it’ll look good as new. Actual refrigerated lifespan is roughly 6-7 days ... longer if you add a little potassium sorbate {https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O93LRK}.-----------------------COMMENT (Photos): Homemade sweet butter (from supermarket heavy cream) draining in an Ellie’s Nutmilk Bag. To explain - my 7 cup food processor takes about 7 minutes to whip and break 3 cups of heavy cream into butter and whey. Figure that 1 quart of 40% milkfat heavy cream will yield ¾ lb of sweet butter, and just over 8 fl oz of liquid whey (which I culture into buttermilk if I have at least a quart, otherwise I use it to make bread or simply drink it).

I purchased this bag to replace another I bought on Amazon, one which fell apart on the first use. I've used Ellie's bag a couple of times and it does a great job. The extra capacity makes it easy to strain my almond and coconut milk. The bag seems to be strong and well made, although time will tell. It's certainly easier to use this bag than it was to use the other methods of straining I tried. Give it a try!12/24/2019: I've had this bag for over a year now, and am impressed with the quality. I use it just about every day, some days more than once, as I make juices and nut milk in my Vitamix blender. The bag gets wrung out and twisted tightly in order to extract the liquids, it's washed after every use in hot water, and when dry, folded and put into a drawer. I'd have thought that by now the bag would be showing signs of wear, or starting to come apart at the seams or degrade in some way, but that has not been the case. It is strong and continues to work as new. It has stained a little after all the use it's gotten, but that's not at all a concern. This nut bag is GREAT!12/2/20: It's been two years of almost daily use, and the bag is still going strong. Nothing has diminished my appreciation for this quality product.

I just started juicing with a brand new Vitamix, I’ve always wanted one, but the bloating I was getting was terrible! This bag is incredible and should be in your kitchen. I can’t imagine one being better. It is very easy to use and also clean, and dries quickly. I highly recommend it and the quality is top notch. It’s a great family owned business and they have videos on YT which is how I found the bag. I just love it, it’s changed my juicing game for the better.

These bags are a must if you make your own milks. I make coconut and almond milk and these work great. They are very easy to clean and drip dry. They last for quite a long time. They are fairly think but let the milk flow easily.

It was perfect for when I made homemade Fire Cider. Very sturdy and easy to clean.