The Pricey Oat Milk Brand You Need To Leave Out Of Your Shopping Cart

From oat ice cream to Starbucks' iconic Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, oat milk is really having a moment. The alternative to dairy milk which used to only find its way into the shopping carts of vegans and people with a dairy intolerance is now the cool kid on the block. With many brands to choose from, oat milk lovers are truly spoiled for choice. Luckily, Tasting Table's Jolee Sullivan tested 11 oat milk brands and discovered the one you can safely leave out of your shopping cart: Malk.

The reason why oat milk stands out even among dairy-free milks is the naturally silkier, creamier consistency. Unfortunately, this trait is nonexistent in Malk's oat milk. It's disappointingly thin and watery, instantly making it clear that your options with this brand's milk are very limited. The lack of creaminess doesn't make it a good choice for overnight oats, let alone a delicious frothy latte. In fact, the frothing experience is so poor that one customer compared it to soap suds on top of bathtub water. That's definitely not something we want to see in our morning cup of coffee.

Several buyers noted that because of its thin consistency, Malk is not a good alternative for dairy milk, especially if you don't have dietary restrictions. Some attempted to fix the poor consistency by repeatedly shaking the bottle, but despite their best try, they weren't successful.

We might be able to look past the thin consistency if the flavor was on point, but unfortunately, Malk disappoints in this area as well. The flavor is watery, mild, and bland. Some people describe it as sour or bitter, even to the point where it ruined the taste of coffee (also known as the cardinal sin). It's no surprise that Malk is not the brand of oat milk that has Starbucks' loyalty.

Perhaps a big reason why this brand is such a letdown is the incredibly high price it's going for. You get what you pay for is just a cliché, and in this case, it's very untrue. The price averages around $6 for 28 ounces or $8 for 32 ounces, making Malk significantly pricier than most oat milks on the market. The price is supposed to reflect top-tier ingredients such as organic oats and Himalayan salt, but the ingredient list is missing something that could fix the problems with texture and taste: oil.

Malk's oat milk is completely oil-free, which is likely the culprit behind the lack of creaminess and the absence of rich, memorable flavor. This proves the point that not every product or recipe can be turned low-fat without encountering some complications, and oat milk is perhaps not the dietary area where we should be skimping on a few grams of fat.