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Happy with my purchase
I was interested in making my own yogurt because I eat a lot of it and I enjoy "kitchen gadgets". I originally purchased the EuroCuisine 7 jar maker from Williams and Sonoma because I had a gift certificate. I quickly grew tired of fussing around with those little jars, especially since you are not supposed to put the tops in the dishwasher and I was having trouble getting even the jars themselves clean in the diswasher with the way they are shaped. I saw this one and purchased it based on the reviews, and the fact that you make a one big container. I have made yogurt at least 5 times using the recommended starter and have had no trouble at all. I like the texture and taste of the yogurt too (using the unflavored gelatine mixed in). I didn't use the thermometer that came with it, but instead one that I knew was calibrated accurately. Definitely recommend.
[Thursday, July 24, 2008]
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Makes good yogurt - but you still have to work at it
I wanted to get a yogurt maker so that my daughter and I could have a ready supply of good-quality yogurt on hand at all times. After doing a little research I decided to go with the Yogourmet machine, and ordered the one that came with starter. The first batch turned out great - I used organic whole milk, with about 2 cups of half and half added to bring the quantity to 2 quarts. After 4 hours we had a nice thick yogurt.
The next batch I made, using 2 quarts of organic whole milk and a tablespoon of yogurt reserved from the first batch (based on a recommendation from a yogurt recipe), was not quite as successful. It took twice as long to become "yogurt", and even then it was soupy. It was important to me to be able to use yogurt as a starter, rather than having to rely on the powdered starter, so I wanted to try again using yogurt as the starter.
The next time I decreased the amount of milk and increased the amount of starter, using only a quart and a half of milk, and a 1/2 cup of starter. It all turned out well, and in about 4 hours we had a container of nice, thick yogurt.
Two comments: first, I've read that chemicals in the plastic inner container can leach into the milk, so I am going to switch to a glass container. Second, my dream yogurt maker would require me to do just 5 things: pour the milk into a container, turn the machine on, add the starter when the milk is at the right temperature, then unplug the machine and remove the inner container.
As it is now, I have to heat the milk, watch the thermometer, pour the milk into another container, then keep checking the temp to see if it's ready for the starter (takes about 40 min in a 65 degree room), then stir in the starter, then put the milk in the container, add water for a water bath, then turn it on, then unplug and remove the inner container.
I'd like a yogurt maker that operates something like a bread machine, where you put the milk in, then the machine heats it up, beeps when it's the right temp for starter, then after you've added the starter, stirs the it into the milk, then goes into fermenting mode, then beeps when it's done. Maybe they could even come up with a way to add the starter automatically, like making a little container that releases the starter when the milk reaches the right temperature. The machine I have really just keeps the milk at a constant temperature. I have to do everything else. But of course, the machine I'm thinking of would probably cost a fortune.
Anyway, it's giving me what I want - yogurt made with quality ingredients at a low price - even though I have to devote about an hour of my time to paying attention to it.
[Friday, July 11, 2008]
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