Help! Thinking of buying a yogurt maker

LeanneM

LeanneM

Cathlete
Hi everyone,

In my quest to save money and cut back on waste, I've been looking into buying a yogurt maker. I was reading on-line that you don't even need an actual yogurt maker to create your own, but I thought it would be easiest to just get a machine so I wouldn't have to worry about timing it, etc.

If any of you make your own yogurt, is there a particular model/brand that you'd recommend?

Also, if you make it yourself, does it have the same high-protein level that Greek yogurt does? (I'm addicted to that stuff!:9 )

Thanks in advance for any help!:)
 
Leanne - I don't have a yogurt maker, but I have made yogurt. I think buying a maker would be a good idea. It's very important for yogurt to stay at a steady temperature as it "yogs" (or whatever it's called :7 ), and the yogurt makers are very well insulated.

I made mine using powdered milk mixed with water, and two ice cube-sized pieces of yogurt that I'd bought from the store. I had put the yogurt into an ice cube tray and frozen it for later use. It took a lot of watching and constantly checking the temperature, since I just made mine using a quart jar wrapped in lots of towels, and then stuck it in the oven on "warm".

I don't know what process is used to make Greek yogurt. But the more milk solids you use, the thicker the yogurt will be, and I'd assume the more protein it will have.

Not sure this is any help... if you have any more questions, just yell.
 
Hey Shannon,

Thanks so much! It definitely sounds like using the maker will make the process easier! :)
 
I have a yogurt maker, and it's really easy, but I am dissappointed in it because it doesn't have a timer - you still have to check it and check it until it's done. But it does help regulate the temerature better. So, if you can find one with a timer or auto-shut off, that would be better!

Greek yogurt is regular yogurt that has been strained, so that extra whey (and lactose) is removed, leaving behind more protein and less milk sugar than regular yogurt. You can make it yourself easily by taking regular yogurt and straining it through a coffee filter in a colander for 4 hours or so. You only get about half as much greek yogurt as you started with, though, since so much volume is removed when you drain it.

I initially wanted to make yogurt so I could make my own greek yogurt, but considering the cost of milk, and how much yogurt you get from it, it turns out it's actually cheaper for me to buy the Trader Joe's greek yogurt than to make it :(

Also, i tried making yogurt with the powerdered milk added and I thought it tasted nasty - like the way powdered milk tastes ;). Since then, I just use regular milk with nothing added, and it tastes great.
 
Thanks for the great responses, everyone! :)I appreciate all the help and ideas!

I was hoping that it would be more cost-effective to try to make my own, but, from what Instantblue says, it may be cheaper to keep buying the Trader Joe's brand! I'll check out the threat that Jen recommended, too!:)
 
I have the Donvier maker - got it at amazon.com - and I LOVE it. It has a timer, ready light etc which makes things a bit more convenient than my previous yogurt maker which, after 20 years was still working so went to Goodwill.

I buy starter via bakers catalog - they have 2 types, really convenient too.

~ Ann ~
Aim for nothing and you'll hit it everytime --- anonymous
 
Thanks so much, Ann! :) I was looking at the Donvier model, and it had great reviews, but it's always nice to hear directly from someone who was happy with it!:)
 
Have fun, Leanne!

Oh, a few more things I thought of:

Temperature affects the thickness and consistency of the yogurt. Another reason to enjoy that new yogurt maker!

The starter also affects the quality, of course. If you have trouble finding a good brand, or if you think it's too expensive, try using store-bought yogurt as a starter. I honestly don't know how much yogurt-making starter costs. Anyhow...

Remember above when I said I froze my yogurt in ice cube trays? That's why. Just make sure if you try it that the yogurt you buy contains active cultures. Then just spoon it into ice cube trays and freeze. I found that two yogurt cubes added to a quart of milk works great.
 
Thanks so much again, Shannon! That's all such great advice! I had read about freezing the cubes to use as a starter, so I'm glad to hear that that method works well. :)
 
I have a Salton and it's easy to use and makes good yogurt. But I agree that it's not only easier but actually cheaper to buy the yogurt at Trader Joe's! I got my machine very inexpensively on Amazon, but it's pretty much just taking up counter space at this point since it always seems like a better idea just to pick up yogurt at the store.
 
Well, I went ahead and ordered one! We'll see if it ends up working out! I figure that it should pay for itself within a month or two -- and hopefully it'll be as tasty as the Trader Joe's stuff!:9

Thanks for all the help, everyone!
 
I'm glad to see this thread. I've thought of getting a yogurt maker to make vegan yogurt, because it's hard to find here and I can never find plain soy yogurt. Maybe I'll give it a try as well!
 
Hi Amy,

From the reviews of the various yogurt makers on Amazon, it sounds like you can make great soy yogurt in the machines, too!:) It might be worth checking into a bit more.
 
I got the 18 dollar one from amazon...and it paid for itself within a week...I use skim milk and greek non fat yogurt as the base so the protein is quite high....its wonderful!
 
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