OATBOX Barista Oat Beverage (946ml/32oz)

I just finished a case of Oatly and came across Oatbox while on a trip in Montreal. It's creamier and sweeter than Oatly.

I've tried every oat milk I've come across, and for the longest time, Oatly had long been my favourite—both in terms of taste and steaming capability. (Minor Figures was a close second, but I’ve always found it colours the coffee too much, despite what other people seem to say.) I randomly came across Oatbox at a liquidation store, and having never heard of it, figured I'd test it out.

I didn't expect much, but to my delight, it not only tasted great but was also super nice to work with. In terms of flavour, it's about as neutral as Oatly, but just a little sweeter. The slight increase in sweetness could be a drawback to some, but I think it ends up working really well in a milk drink, emulating the sweetness of regular milk and highlighting the coffee itself. It’s slightly thinner when sipping it side by side, but still has a great texture when frothed. I won’t claim it steams identically to dairy, but as far as alternative milk goes, I find it super workable. I’ve been able to get some of my nicest oat textures with it.

Aside from adopting Oatbox for my home setup, the café I work in has also started using it, and feedback has been pretty positive. My only real complaint is that the oats aren’t gluten free. And even though Oatbox provides a spec for gluten content, it would be really nice to have a true gluten-free option for customers who might need it. I’ve had a celiac customer report that she had a drink with Oatbox when we ran out of Oatly and was fine, but we still keep cartons of Oatly on standby just in case.

Super happy to support a Canadian company making a really great product! Easily my number-one pick for oat milk now, and highly, highly recommended.