David Attenborough’s documentary, A Life on Our Planet, had a profound effect on Alicia Long and Dane Turk. Although they were already careful stewards of the planet, they were not fully aware of how drastically the health of the planet has declined and the dangers that await it. The film told of the negative effects of the dairy industry on the environment. For instance, cows produce more greenhouse gas emissions than any other livestock. Milk farms take up almost 900 million acres in the US alone, and dairy cattle are responsible for over 90 tons of CO2 annually.
Alicia and Dane had been drinking plant-based milk for some time, but after the documentary, they checked the ingredient labels and were surprised at the added preservatives, sugars, fillers and emulsifiers.
Nutr Before Shark Tank
While Alicia, a recruiter for Google, was on maternity leave, she took an online course, “Start and Scale,” to pursue her long-held dream of becoming an entrepreneur. She learned that she needed to create a solution, not a product. The problems with commercial nut milk came to mind: the unhealthy additives, the carton waste and the general defilement of the environment. Alicia had grown up in China drinking nut milk made by her mother, a time-intensive and very messy procedure. She found that people today were making nut milk at home with a blender, with or without a nut milk bag—also time-consuming and an awful mess to clean up.
Alice with her business acumen and Dane with his expertise in mechanical engineering created the Nutr Machine: compact, convenient, versatile and self-cleaning. Now you can make nut milk with the mere touch of a button.
Nutr Features
- Powerful blades and motor for tastier and creamier nut milk without pre-soaking the nuts.
- Timed function for pre-soaking, if you prefer.
- Dimensions: 4.3 inches by 8.2 inches, makes 8-13 ounces of beverage.
- Fully recyclable outer packaging and box; biodegradable package insert.
* All Nutr decisions are guided by the mission to help mitigate climate change. Also. they have partnered with the international organization, One Tree Planted, and promised to plant one tree for every Nutr Machine sold. One Tree Planted restores forests and creates habitats for biodiversity.
3 heat settings + boil and keep warm functions.
- Room Temperature setting for oat and chilled milks
- Warm (140°) for warm beverages and creamers
- Hot (212°) for boiling soy and rice milks
* Soy milk needs to reach this temperature to be safely consumed - Water Boil for making tea
- Keep Warm
- Self Clean
Nutr Machine 1-2-3 ++
- Add 1 scoop of nuts, seeds or grains, or any blend thereof.
- Fill Nutr with water between the Min and Max lines, depending on how creamy you want the milk.
* Add a dash of salt or a natural sugar source (e.g., dates or vanilla) per your taste. - Choose the temperature (Room Temp, Warm, Hot) and blend for about five minutes.
- Filter out the pulp by pouring the nut milk into your cup or glass through the included stainless steel strainer.
- Add dish soap and water to use the auto-clean function. Or hand wash the inside cavity and cap with the included brush.
* Nutr is not dishwasher safe.
The Nutr Machine makes a variety of hot and cold milk-based beverages, including creamers, lattes, smoothies and shakes. A recipe book comes with the machine, and there are recipes on the website—fabulous recipes such as Espresso Martini, Green Apple Smoothie and Mocha Cookie Frappuccino. The possibilities are endless!
The bases you can use for your own specialties are almost endless: almonds, cashews, old-fashioned or quick oats (use cold water), coconut, walnuts, rice, hemp, flax, sesame, mung beans, peanuts and soybeans (hot setting must be used).
Nutr in the Shark Tank
Company | Nutr |
Shark Tank Air Date | 01/20/2023 |
Season | Season 14 Episode 12 |
Entrepreneurs | Alicia Long and Dane Turk |
Pitch | $500,000 for 5% equity |
On-air Deal* | No Deal |
Shark | No Deal |
Website | thenutr.com |
Alicia Long and Dane Turk went into the Shark Tank seeking an investment of $500,000 for 5% equity in Nutr. This put their proposed business valuation at $10M, and proved to be a major sticking point for the Sharks.
Unlike fundraising outside of the show, on Shark Tank enterpreneurs must recieve the full dollar amount they are seeking. The Sharks aren’t allowed to offer less money than the business asks for, but can negotiate for a larger slice of the pie for that dollar amount. With Alicia and Dane asking for a large sum like $500,000, it can be tough for Sharks to make an offer without asking for majority ownership and control of the business, something most entrepreneurs wouldn’t agree to.
Lori Greiner also questioned whther people would buy yet another countertop kitchen appliance, and Mark Cuban felt he would have a conflict of interest due to his existing stake in a competing brand. Alicia and Dane left the Shark Tank without an investment.
Nutr as a “Best Gift”
- Forbes Magazine: “Father’s Day Gifts for Coffee Lovers”
- Good Housekeeping: Winner in “2022 Kitchen Gear, Multi-functional Whizzes” category
- People: “For the Dad Who Prefers Nut Milk”
- Wall Street Journal: “Eco-Friendly Gadgets for the Climate-Conscious Techie”