HK1242525B - Method and device for making nut butter and nut milk - Google Patents

Description

Method and apparatus for making nut butters and nut milks

Background Art

Nut milk is a popular beverage, particularly for those who prefer not to consume dairy products for personal or medical reasons. The vast majority of nut milks are currently sold pre-made in stores. Pre-made nut milks are readily available, but they require a significant amount of chemical additives to keep solids suspended, negating many of their health and flavor benefits. While a variety of nut milks are available on the market, most contain undesirable extra ingredients. For example, some nut milks contain tricalcium phosphate, a naturally occurring mineral salt that increases the calcium content of almond milk to that of dairy products. They also contain carrageenan, a naturally occurring carbohydrate derived from red seaweed. This serves to suspend calcium and vitamins, which would otherwise settle to the bottom of the container. Non-organic nut milks contain ingredients such as gellan gum, dipotassium phosphate, and xanthan gum. Gellan gum is used as a thickener and stabilizer, dipotassium phosphate is used in non-dairy creamers to prevent curdling, and xanthan gum prevents separation. While these ingredients are generally considered safe for food use, there is some controversy regarding their safety. Consequently, many people have begun making their own nut milks. Recipes are readily available online. Nut milk preparation methods typically involve a "nut milk bag," which is essentially a fine-mesh cheesecloth bag. Nut milk is also relatively inexpensive to make. Most recipes call for one cup of nuts for every four to six cups of water.

Methods for producing fresh nut milk at home or in small retail locations are known, but these methods all have numerous drawbacks. The most common method involves soaking the nuts in water overnight, draining the water, adding clean water and the nuts to a blender, blending, and filtering through a filter bag. This is a very cumbersome and time-consuming process, and much of the nuts' nutrients and flavor are lost during the soaking and draining of the overnight soaking water. Soaking is necessary to soften the nuts, allowing them to emulsify better in the blender and resulting in finer particles for better extraction of nutrients when mixed with water. Without the soaking step, more nut meat remains in the filter bag, meaning fewer nutrients in the finished milk and more food waste. Regardless of the soaking time, current methods for producing nut milk in small quantities leave residual nut meat that cannot be emulsified into the nut milk. Soybella manufactures a soymilk maker that also includes instructions for making nut milk. However, this machine produces the same results as described above, with a large amount of nut meat remaining and not incorporated into the nut milk.

In addition, nut butter is produced by grinding nuts in a food processor or blender, either for making nut milk as described above, or often because the demand is for nut butter itself (such as for spreading in cooking). However, even after extending the motor running time, the known devices cannot fully turn the nuts into butter, but leave large pieces of non-butter-like nut pieces. There are also nut butter devices on the market that are intended to produce nut butter. However, these devices usually require the addition of oil to assist the process of turning into butter, and most of them are usually only able to turn roasted nuts into butter, and cannot use raw nuts. For example, Nostalgia manufactures a peanut butter machine that can also be used to turn other types of nuts into butter, but instructs to add oil.

There is a need for a method for efficiently producing nut butters and nut milks in small batches that has little or no waste of nut meat, does not require a time-consuming soaking step, and is easy to clean. There is also a need for a single, compact device that allows consumers to perform the method at home.

The foregoing examples of the background art and their limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the background art will become apparent to those with skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of the present invention is a simple two-step process for producing nut milk in small quantities. First, a nut butter is formed from whole nuts or nut pieces in a small device. Once the nut butter is formed, water is added and stirred with the nut butter to produce the nut milk. If desired, the nut milk can be filtered to remove any remaining non-buttery nut pieces. Another aspect of the present invention is a small device that allows a user to turn a selected amount of nuts into nut milk in two short steps with substantially no remaining nut meat. Another aspect of the present invention is a small device that is easy to clean. Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus that allows a user to make nut milk in two steps with minimal or no nut meat waste. Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus that can efficiently turn nuts placed therein into nut butter in a single step without remaining large nut pieces and without the need for added oil.

The following embodiments and aspects of the present invention are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools, and methods, which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting, of their scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.

A small apparatus for producing nut milk comprises a mixing vessel and a cutting device having one or more blades positioned a distance from the inner wall of the mixing vessel. The area of the mixing vessel surrounding the blades can be vertical or nearly vertical, at least for the height of the cutting device and a minimal amount of space above. One or more screens can be provided to filter out remaining nut skins and any nut meat that was not ground sufficiently small to be suspended in the water during the mixing step.

In addition to the aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings and detailed description, which constitute a part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the following drawings:

FIG1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a nut milk device;

FIG2 is an exploded view of the nut milk device of FIG1 ;

FIG3 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of a nut milk device;

FIG4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a nut milk device;

FIG5 is an exploded view of the nut milk device of FIG4 ;

FIG6 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a nut milk device;

FIG7 is a front cross-sectional view of the nut milk device of FIG6 ;

FIG8 is a side cross-sectional view of the nut milk device of FIG6 ;

FIG9 is a perspective view of the cutting device of the nut milk device of FIG6;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a container label for a nut milk device according to the present invention.

Before further explaining the described embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of the specific arrangements shown, as the present invention is capable of other embodiments. The embodiments and drawings disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive. In addition, the terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and not for limiting purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood that nut butter is a common name for nuts that are ground into a smooth, spreadable paste similar to a butter. Peanut butter is the most common form, although peanuts are not true nuts and must be roasted to achieve a buttery consistency using current production methods. Of course, nut butters can also be made from other types of nuts, such as almonds or cashews. Nut butters can be made from raw, roasted, or baked nuts, typically yielding a ratio of approximately two cups of butter for every three cups of nuts. In addition to nuts and some legumes (such as peanuts), certain seeds can be buttered in the same manner, such as sesame seeds (including raw, roasted, and baked seeds). As used herein, the terms "nuts" and "nut butter" are used for exemplary purposes to facilitate clarity and concise description; no limitation is intended or should be inferred regarding taxonomic non-nuts that can also be buttered and used for similar purposes, as such applications fall within the scope of the present invention. Unless otherwise noted, the methods and steps described herein for converting nuts into nut butter and emulsifying the nut butter in water to produce nut milk, in accordance with the present invention, generally involve using approximately two cups of nuts (of any type) and eight cups of water. This is for illustrative purposes; it will be appreciated that variations in the amounts and/or ratios of ingredients may result in different absolute values (e.g., observed time to puree) compared to the described embodiment, while still benefiting from the relative efficiencies according to the present invention.

1 and 2 , a nut milk making apparatus 100 is shown as a small device sized to rest on a countertop or similar surface. A base 101 includes a motor 102 that drives a shaft 103. A cutting device 104 is mounted on the shaft 103 and is thereby powered by the motor 102. The cutting device 104 includes a central hub 105 and at least one blade 106 extending outward from the central hub 105. The cutting device 104 of the depicted embodiment has two blades, wherein the blades are positioned offset in height relative to each other. Each blade 106 has a blade tip 107 at its end opposite the central hub 105. As described in more detail below, the central hub 105 may include one or more ribs (not shown). A mixing container 109 is mounted on the base 101 via the shaft 103. The mixing container 109 has an inner sidewall 110 and an outer sidewall 111. A removable lid 113 is disposed on the top of the mixing container 109. In this embodiment, a base plate 114 is disposed on the bottom of the mixing container 109. Base plate 114 is a metal plate with small holes to allow the nut milk to drain at the end of the process, as described below. In a preferred embodiment, base plate 114 comprises a 100 mesh screen (0.0059 inch or 0.149 mm diameter openings), which is small enough to allow the emulsified nut milk to drain while also filtering out nut skin pieces and residual nut meat (if any). As shown, cutting device 104 is mounted on shaft 103 within mixing container 109 above base plate screen 114.

The inner sidewall 110 of the mixing container 109 is preferably vertical or nearly vertical in the area around the cutting device 104 to ensure that the nut paste is well formed. If necessary, the mixing container 109 can be expanded to accommodate more liquid above the area where the nut paste is formed. The blades 106 extend radially from the central hub 105 toward the inner sidewall 110. In the described embodiment, the gap between the tip 107 of each blade 106 and the inner sidewall 110 is about 0.10 inches (2.54 mm). Although the radial gap between the tip 107 of the lower blade and the inner wall 110 of the mixing container 109 is preferably 0.10 inches (2.54 mm), a range of about 0.09 inches to 0.11 inches (2.29 mm to 2.79 mm) can also be used. In this arrangement, where the inner sidewall 110 in the area of the cutting device 104 is nearly vertical and spaced about 0.09 to 0.11 inches (2.29 to 2.79 mm) from the blade tip 107, the nuts are effectively crushed into a nut paste, rather than being merely chopped into small pieces that escape further processing by the blade. Similarly, it is also advantageous that the bottom blade of the at least one blade 106 is positioned proximate to the bottom surface of the mixing container 109, which in this embodiment is defined by the base plate 114. The bottom blade can be spaced about 0.04 to 0.07 inches (1.02 to 1.78 mm) from the bottom surface of the mixing container 109, effectively converting the nuts into a nut paste.

During operation, the nut milk maker 100 is run until the nuts have been completely converted to nut butter. The user then pours water into the mixing container 109 and runs the nut milk maker 100 again to mix the nut butter and water, thereby producing fresh nut milk. The nut milk can be dispensed from a pouring spout 115 located below the base plate 114, which captures any nut particles (such as nut skins) that have not been fully crushed and emulsified in the water. In the prior art, approximately 70% to 85% of the nut milk remains as unused pulp and skins. In contrast, in the method of the present invention, virtually no pulp remains, significantly reducing waste and cleanup. In one embodiment of a method of using the nut milk maker 100, a selected amount of nuts (including raw, roasted, or baked nuts) is first placed in the mixing container 107 and the lid 109 is secured to the mixing container. The motor 102 is then turned on for approximately 2 to 12 minutes, or longer for some nuts, until the nuts are converted to nut butter. It should be understood that the time required to achieve buttering varies depending on the type of nut and its moisture content. For example, soft nuts (such as cashews) often become paste in less than three minutes. Harder nuts (such as almonds) may become paste in more than five minutes or so. However, the high water content of almonds may increase the time to become paste to as much as 20 minutes. Once the nut paste is formed, water is then added and the motor is turned on again, and the contents are stirred for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. In a preferred embodiment, two cups of raw nuts and 8 cups of water produce about half a gallon of nut milk, and all or almost all of the two cups of nuts are liquefied into nut milk. Using the methods of the prior art, even with a considerable output of nut milk, the nut milk produced will be thinner, so the nut milk will have fewer nutrients and a lighter taste.

Of course, it should be understood that there is no requirement to add water to the nut butter to make nut milk. If the user desires, the method and apparatus of the present invention can be used in a single step as a nut processor to make nut butter as described above. The user can then use the nut butter for any number of purposes (e.g., in cooking, as a spread, etc.). The present invention is not intended to be limited to nut milks, and no such limitation should be inferred.

3 , another embodiment of a nut milk making device 300 according to the present invention is described. A base 301 has a motor (not shown) that powers a cutting device 304 using a shaft 303. The cutting device 304 has at least one blade 306 extending outward from a central hub 305. The depicted embodiment has at least two blades, which are positioned offset in height relative to one another. A mixing container 309 is disposed within an outer container 316 and thus has a smaller diameter than the mixing container 316. Both the mixing container 309 and the outer container 316 are mounted on the base 301. The mixing container has an inner sidewall 310 facing the cutting device 104, an outer sidewall facing the outer container 316, and a bottom surface 312 located below the bottom blade of the at least one blade 306. As in the previous embodiment, it is important to maintain a sufficient minimum and maximum distance between the blade tip 307 and the inner sidewall 310 of the mixing container 309. Thus, the inner sidewall 310 of the mixing container 309 can be positioned with a gap of about 0.09 inches to 0.11 inches (2.29 mm to 2.79 mm), and preferably about 0.10 inches (2.54 mm), from the blade tip 307. Similarly, the bottom blade can be positioned with a gap of about 0.04 inches to 0.07 inches (1.02 mm to 1.78 mm) from the bottom surface of the mixing container 309. In this embodiment, the screen 314 comprises the entire sidewalls 310, 311 of the mixing container 309. The screen 314 is preferably a metal screen having holes sized to prevent unemulsified nut butter/chunks (if any) and residual nut skins from passing into the gap between the mixing container 309 and the outer container 316, while allowing fully emulsified nut milk to pass through. For example, the screen 314 can be an etched 100 mesh stainless steel screen (0.0059 inch or 0.149 mm diameter openings). In this embodiment, after removing the lid 313, the finished nut milk is poured out of the top of the nut milk maker 300. Remaining nut particles (if any) remain in the mixing container 309 and are not poured out with the filtered nut milk. Note that the method of using the device and the time frame for each step are generally the same in all disclosed embodiments.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, some embodiments of the nut milk making device 400 according to the present invention may include a storage container 417 for holding the finished nut milk. For example, the base 401 can be appropriately sized and/or otherwise configured to receive the storage container 417 so that the pouring spout 415 is positioned to easily transfer the finished nut milk to the storage container 417. Thus, the base 401 is high enough to allow the storage container 417 to fit below the mixing container 409. The nut milk maker 400 also includes a screen 414 positioned within the mixing container 409. In this embodiment, the sides of the screen 414 are appropriately spaced from the blades in the same manner as the walls of the mixing container in the previous embodiments to allow the nuts to be adequately crushed into nut butter.

Next, with reference to Figures 6 to 9, another embodiment of a nut milk making device 600 according to the present invention is shown. As previously described, a motor drives a shaft (not shown) connected to the cutting device 604 and the mixing container 609. The cutting device includes a central hub 605 and one or more blades 606 extending radially from the central hub 605. The blades 606 are offset from each other in a vertical direction along the central hub 605. The leading edge of each blade 606 has a large number of serrations for crushing nuts into nut paste. Each blade 606 has a blade tip 607. The blade tip 607 is positioned approximately 0.09 to 0.11 inches (2.29 to 2.79 mm), and preferably approximately 0.10 inches (2.54 mm) from the inner sidewall 610 of the mixing container 609 (see Figures 7 and 8). Similarly, the bottom blade of the one or more blades 606 can be positioned approximately 0.04 to 0.07 inches (1.02 to 1.78 mm) from the inner bottom surface 612 of the mixing container 609. The central hub 605 may also include a plurality of radially extending ribs 608 (see FIG. 9 ) that aid in mixing.

The mixing container 609 is located within the outer container 616. In the described embodiment, the mixing container 609 is sized to accommodate the total amount of nut butter and water that will be used to make the desired amount of nut milk. For example, the volume of the mixing container 609 is large enough to produce approximately 2L (about 1/2 gallon) of nut milk in a single use. Of course, the size of the device can also be adapted for smaller or larger production capacities. It is also conceivable that the size of the mixing container can be adapted to accommodate only a portion of the ingredients (for example, if some water is configured to flow into the gap between the outer container and the mixing container), which still falls within the scope and spirit of the present invention. However, as described in more detail below, this concept may not effectively emulsify the water and nut butter during mixing as in the described embodiment. The nut milk maker 600 also includes at least one screen 614 arranged on the side walls 610, 611 of the mixing container 609. At least one screen 614 has holes sized to prevent unemulsified nut butter (if any) and nut/skin pieces from passing into the gap between the mixing container 609 and the outer container 616, while being sized to allow emulsified nut milk to flow through. For example, at least one screen 614 can be 100 mesh (0.0059 inch or 0.149 mm diameter openings). In the depicted embodiment, each screen 614 is approximately 75 mm wide by 40 mm high (approximately 2.95 inches by 1.57 inches).

The described nut milk making machine 600 further includes a mixer 618 extending upward from the base 601 and terminating above the mixing container 609. The mixer 618 introduces one or more mixing arms 619 into the mixing container 609. The mixing arms 619 are configured to scrape nut chunks and/or nut butter from the inner sidewall 610 of the mixing container 609 during the nut butter making step. In this way, the mixing arms 619 can push any butter/chunks on the upper portion of the inner sidewall 610 back to the blade 606. In addition, the mixing arms 619 can be actuated during the nut milk making step to assist in blending the nuts with the water. It should be understood that sufficient clearance is provided between the mixing arms 619 and the area of the sidewall 610 occupied by the blade 606. In some embodiments, the sidewall 610 of the mixing container 609 can even be inverted so that gravity pulls the nuts and butter back to the blade 606, and no mixing arms 619 are provided.

In operation of this embodiment, a user can place nuts into the mixing container 609 through the opening in the lid 613 and turn on the nut milk making machine 600 until the nuts are fully pureed by the action of the blades 606, with additional contributions from the mixing arms 619 and the ribs 608 of the central hub 605. Of course, in other embodiments, the lid 613 may not have a separate opening; the entire lid can simply be removed to add the nuts, then replaced. As described above, the time it takes to puree the nuts can vary from a few minutes to almost 20 minutes, depending at least on the type, hardness, and moisture content of the nuts. Nevertheless, compared to known devices, the arrangement of the blades, central hub, mixing container, and mixing arms of the present invention provides for efficient and substantially complete comminution of the nuts into a nut butter. Of course, if only nut butter is desired, the user can stop after the pureeing step and not continue with the nut milk making process. In this case, the present invention relates to a one-step method for making nut butter. Furthermore, no oil needs to be added to facilitate the pureeing process. For example, the device of the described embodiment is capable of pureeing up to six cups of almonds. However, as the user adds nuts, especially toward the upper limit, the pureeing time and motor load may increase accordingly compared to the amount of nuts typically used to make nut milk (e.g., approximately two cups of nuts per eight cups of water). Any limitation to nut milks is not intended and should not be inferred.

In the second operating step, when the user wishes to make nut milk, water is added to the inner container 609 and the nut milk maker 600 is operated again (e.g., for one to two minutes) to emulsify the nut butter into the water. The rotation of the blades 606, the ribs 608 of the central hub 605, and the mixing arms 619 all facilitate this mixing process. At this point, the nut milk is ready, and a pouring spout 615 can be provided on the outer container 616 to allow the finished nut milk to be emptied into a storage container 617 or another container as desired. The blades 606 and/or arms 619 can be further actuated to provide centrifugal force for faster discharge. As described above, the duration of the butter making step can vary depending on the type of nuts, their preparation (e.g., raw, roasted, baked), and conditions (e.g., moisture content). However, according to the present invention, thorough mixing may only take one to two minutes. Furthermore, there is no need to pre-soak the nuts in water for several hours, as is conventionally done for making nut milk.

It will be appreciated that the mesh size and length/width dimensions of the one or more screens 614 initially retain the added water within the mixing vessel 609, as the nut butter will clog or "plug" the screen until the nuts are sufficiently emulsified to cause the nut milk to begin draining. Concentrating the added water and nut butter together within the mixing vessel 609 aids in the emulsification process, as compared to previous devices where the water moves freely between the mixing section and the exterior (i.e., only a portion of the water is in contact with the nuts for mixing at any given time, which can result in longer mixing times and incomplete emulsification).

As shown in FIG. 10 , for any embodiment, it may be advantageous to include markings on the container to assist the user in adding the correct proportion of nuts to the water.

Although various aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations. Therefore, the appended claims, as referenced below, are intended to be interpreted as including all such modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations within their true spirit and scope. Each embodiment described herein has numerous equivalents.

The terms and expressions that have been used are used as terms of description rather than limitation, and there is no intention to use such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalents or portions thereof of the features shown and described, but it should be recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claimed invention. Therefore, it should be understood that although the present invention has been particularly disclosed through preferred embodiments and optional features, modifications and variations of the concepts disclosed herein may be adopted by those skilled in the art, and these modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Whenever a range is given in the specification, it is intended that all intermediate ranges and subranges and all individual values included in the range given are included in the present invention. When a Markush group or other group is used herein, the present invention is intended to include all individual members of the group individually and all combinations and subcombinations possible in the group.

Generally speaking, the terms and phrases used herein have the meanings commonly known in the art, which can be found by reference to standard texts, journal articles and contexts known to those skilled in the art. The above definitions are provided to clarify their specific use in the context of the present invention.

A set of claims according to the present invention may include:

1. An apparatus for producing nut butter and/or nut milk from nuts, comprising:

a base having a motor configured to drive the shaft;

an outer container located above the base;

a mixing container positioned within the outer container, the mixing container comprising an inner sidewall and at least one screen, the inner sidewall being generally vertical, the at least one screen having a plurality of holes sized just large enough to allow the nut milk to freely pass therethrough; and

a cutting device positioned within the mixing vessel and mounted on the shaft, the cutting device being configured to be driven by the motor during operation, the cutting device comprising a central hub and at least two blades, the at least two blades being vertically offset and each having a blade tip, each blade tip being positioned a radial distance from an inner sidewall of the mixing vessel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radial distance between the inner sidewall and each blade tip is approximately 2.29 mm to 2.79 mm (0.09 inch to 0.11 inch).

3. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the radial distance between the inner sidewall and each blade tip is about 2.54 mm (0.10 inches).

4. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a bottom blade of the at least two blades is spaced about 1.02 mm to 1.78 mm (0.04 inch to 0.07 inch) from the bottom inner surface of the mixing container.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one screen is arranged in a side wall of the mixing container.

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of openings of the at least one screen is approximately 100 mesh.

7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising two screens, each screen being approximately 75 mm x 40 mm (2.95 inches x 1.57 inches).

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the side wall consists substantially of the screen.

9. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more mixing arms are provided in the mixing container, the one or more mixing arms being configured to scrape the inner side wall of the mixing container.

10. A method for producing nut butter directly from nuts using the apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising the steps of:

Adding the desired amount of nuts to the mixing container; and

The at least two blades are activated for about two to twenty minutes until the nuts are crushed into nut butter.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the nuts are raw, roasted and/or baked without prior soaking and wherein no oil is added.

12. A method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein during the step of comminuting the nuts into a nut paste, one or more mixing arms are activated.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the steps of:

adding water to the mixing vessel; and

The at least two blades are activated for about one to three minutes, until the nut butter and the water are completely emulsified into nut milk.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more mixing arms are activated during the step of emulsifying the nut butter in water to form the nut milk.

15. A method for producing nut butter directly from nuts using an apparatus, the method comprising the following steps:

adding the desired amount of unsoaked nuts to the mixing container of the apparatus; and

At least two blades located within the mixing container are activated for about two to twenty minutes until the nuts are crushed into a nut butter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more mixing arms are activated during the step of crushing the nuts into a nut paste.

17. A method for producing nut milk using an apparatus, the method comprising the following steps:

Add the desired amount of unsoaked nuts to the mixing container of the apparatus;

activating at least two blades within the mixing container for about two to twenty minutes until the nuts are crushed into a nut butter;

adding water to the mixing container containing the nut butter;

activating the at least two blades for about one to two minutes, until the nut butter and the water are completely emulsified into nut milk; and

The nut milk is discharged through the pouring spout of the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more mixing arms are activated during the steps of comminuting the nuts into a nut butter and emulsifying the nut butter in water to form the nut milk.

Reference Signs List

X00～Nut milk making machine

X01～Base

X02～motor

X03～axis

X04～Cutting device

X05～Center Hub

X06～Blade

X07～Blade tip

X08～ribs

X09～Mixing container

X10～Inner wall

X11～outer wall

X12～bottom inner surface

X13～cover

X14～Substrate/Screen

X15～Dumping port

X16～Outer container

X17 Storage Container

X18～Mixer

X19～Mixing arm

Claims (12)

1. An apparatus for producing nut butter and/or nut milk from nuts, comprising: a base having a motor configured for driving a shaft; an outer container located above the base; a mixing container located within the outer container, the mixing container including an inner sidewall, a bottom inner surface, and at least one screen disposed on the inner sidewall, the inner sidewall being generally vertical, the at least one screen having a plurality of holes sized just large enough to allow nut milk to pass freely; and a cutting device located within the mixing container and mounted on the shaft, the cutting device being configured to be driven by the motor during operation, the cutting device including a central hub and At least two blades, the at least two blades being vertically offset and each blade having a blade tip, each blade tip being positioned at a radial distance from the inner sidewall of the mixing container; and one or more mixing arms arranged within the mixing container, the one or more mixing arms being configured to scrape the inner sidewall of the mixing container; wherein the radial distance between the inner sidewall and each blade tip is 2.29 mm to 2.79 mm; wherein the bottom blades of the at least two blades are spaced 1.02 mm to 1.78 mm from the bottom inner surface of the mixing container; wherein the plurality of holes of the at least one screen are 100 mesh. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the radial distance between the inner sidewall and each blade tip is 2.54 mm. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises two screens, each screen being 75mm × 40mm. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sidewall is substantially composed of the screen. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the central hub of the device comprises a plurality of radially extending ribs. 6. A method for directly producing nut butter and/or nut milk from nuts using the apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, the method comprising the steps of: adding a desired amount of nuts to the mixing container; and activating the at least two blades for two to twenty minutes until the nuts are pulverized into nut butter. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the nuts are raw nuts, roasted nuts and/or baked nuts, and do not require prior soaking, and wherein no oil is required. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more mixing arms are activated during the step of grinding the nuts into nut butter. 9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of: adding water to the mixing container; and activating the at least two blades for one to three minutes until the nut butter and the water are completely emulsified into a nut milk. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the nuts are raw nuts, roasted nuts and/or baked nuts, and do not require prior soaking, and wherein no oil is required. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more mixing arms are activated during the step of grinding the nuts into nut butter. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more mixing arms are activated during the steps of grinding the nuts into nut paste and emulsifying the nut paste in water to form the nut milk.