Plant milk is everywhere. Once a niche alternative, it now lines supermarket shelves in endless varieties – oat, almond, soya, hazelnut, coconut, rice, pea – and is often the product of choice in coffee shops. Whether for ethical, environmental or dietary reasons, more and more people are ditching dairy. But not all plant milks are created equal. Some taste fantastic on their own but split in hot coffee or tea, some are ultra-processed, and others still have questionable sustainability credentials. Even so, according to the environmental charity Hubbub, oat, almond and soy milk generate at least 68% fewer planet-warming emissions than conventional dairy milk, require less land and fresh water, and have a lower impact on waterways through chemical run-off and eutrophication.
I tested 10 plant-based milks, judging them on taste, texture, ingredients, sustainability and how they perform in coffee, and I enlisted my local cafe, Oru, in south-east London, to help me assess them for taste, texture and stability once heat is applied. Here’s how they measure up.
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Best all-rounder
Califia Farms organic oat barista blend
£2.30 at Ocado
★★★★★
A balanced, clean oat flavour, with mild sweetness and a smooth, creamy texture. Works well in coffee, tea, cereal and smoothies. It froths exceptionally well, too. It’s made with organic EU-grown oats, manufactured in Europe and free from gums or stabilisers. Califia Farms has a sustainability initiative focused on reducing carbon emissions and improving packaging recyclability, and, alongside Plenish, is The Good Shopping Guide’s best-scoring plant milk for sustainability.
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Best bargain
The Original Oatly whole oat long life drink
£2 for 1 litre at Asda
£2 for 1 litre at Tesco
★★★★☆
The pale cream colour is similar to that of dairy milk, and it has a subtle aroma and a relatively neutral flavour profile. Drunk straight,the mouthfeel was slightly cloying, but it works well in cereal, tea and filter coffee. It’s excellent for lattes and steams easily with a stable microfoam. Oatly calculates the climate footprint of its products and puts this one at 0.49kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e)/kg, although the brand has a low sustainability score on The Good Shopping Guide.
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And the rest …
Plenish organic barista almond
£2.25 for 1 litre at Tesco
£12.99 for 6 x 1 litre at Amazon
★★★★☆
Crisp and white, with a clean mouthfeel and subtle almond aroma. Works well straight as well as in tea, coffee, cereal and smoothies. Steams well for lattes, too, but tricky to make latte art.
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Rude Health organic brown rice drink
£2.30 for 1 litre at Morrisons
£2.30 for 1 litre at Tesco
★★★★☆
Bright, white colour, with a fresh, clean flavour and a deliciously full taste that’s never overpowering. Very sweet, though. Best enjoyed straight, or in tea, cereal or smoothies. Not suitable for latte, because it won’t steam. It’s made with whole brown rice, including the bran, so it has a naturally sweet taste without added sugars. The ingredients include spring water, organic brown rice, organic cold-pressed sunflower oil and sea salt. Rude Health is a certified B Corp.
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Plenish organic soya
£2.25 for 1 litre at Sainsbury’s
£2.25 for 1 litre at Tesco
★★★★☆
The flavour is balanced, and it has a subtle scent of soya beans. Refreshingly unsweet, too, unlike most oat and nut milk. The mouthfeel is clean, with good viscosity. Best enjoyed straight, in tea, cereal or smoothies. Not for latte or steaming. Made with a simple ingredients list, namely spring water, EU-grown organic soya beans and sea salt, this is a great source of protein. One of the best-scoring plant milks for its sustainability on The Good Shopping Guide.
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Moma Signature oat drink
£2 for 1 litre at Waitrose
£2 for 1 litre at Ocado
★★★★☆
A yellow, custard-like colour, a sweet, malty and rich flavour, and a creamy texture. This contains a larger percentage of oats than most brands, resulting in a thicker texture, creamier colour and sweeter taste. Delicious straight and on cereal, and also good in tea. It steams well and has a smooth microfoam texture, making it decent for lattes. This one is made with UK-grown oats, harvested and packed within 100 miles, so has a climate footprint of only 0.35kg CO₂e/kg.
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Rude Health organic hazelnut long life drink
£2.50 for 1 litre at Ocado
£16 for 6 x 1 litre at Holland & Barrett
★★★★☆
A beautiful, pale hazelnut beige, with a wonderful, nutty aroma. The taste is naturally sweet, nutty and delicious, and there’s a clean mouthfeel and pleasant aftertaste. Best enjoyed straight, or in tea, cereal or smoothies. Not suitable for latte. Made with simple ingredients – spring water, organic rice, organic hazelnuts, organic cold-pressed sunflower oil and sea salt – this provides a rich, sweet flavour without added sugars.
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Arla Jörd chilled oat and hemp drink
£1.90 for 1 litre at Sainsbury’s
★★★☆☆
A subtle but pleasant hemp flavour, with a clean taste and a pleasant mouthfeel. Best enjoyed straight with tea or cereal. Not really suitable for coffee, though, because it develops a bitter flavour when heated; it’s also difficult to foam. Unlike many similar products, this is free from rapeseed oil, and I opted to include it here because hemp is such an incredible plant, which contributes to soil health and carbon sequestration. That said, Jörd has a low sustainability score on The Good Shopping Guide and is owned by Arla, the fourth largest dairy producer in the world.
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Minor Figures barista oat
£2.10 for 1 litre at Ocado
£2.10 for 1 litre at Amazon
★★★☆☆
A smooth texture, but a slightly artificial aroma and aftertaste. Works well in tea, coffee (to which it imparts a slight acidity), cereal and drunk straight. Froths adequately for lattes, too. Minor Figures is a certified carbon-neutral company that offsets 100% of its carbon emissions by supporting Gold Standard carbon-offsetting projects.
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Alpro soya chilled dairy alternative
£1.88 for 1 litre at Asda
£2 for 1 litre at Ocado
★★☆☆☆
For me, this is a nostalgic product that I used to drink in the 1980s, but now, while the taste is sweet and it has a good viscosity, I find it has an off-putting artificial aroma. Good in coffee, tea, cereal and smoothies. Alpro is a B Corp-certified company, ensuring high social and environmental standards and its soya is non-GMO; but it’s the lowest-scoring plant milk for sustainability.
