Making yogurt is something everyone should try to do at home, as it eliminates the use of plastic and costs much less. Even the flavor is nicer than store bought yogurt and you can add any mix of ingredients, like fresh fruit, nuts or even chocolate for extra deliciousness. All you need is the best yogurt maker you can find, although it can be as simple as a container to hold the milk and culture mixture as fermentation takes place. Good to have features and accessories are a timer, thermometer, auto-shutoff and maybe even a strainer or cheese cloth if you want to make Greek yogurt.
There are some very good yogurt makers available on Amazon.
When you make yogurt for the first time, you’ll need to add a bit of store bought yogurt as a starter culture to your milk. Once the first batch is made, set aside a little to use as your starter for the next batch.
You don’t necessarily have to boil the milk first if it is pasteurized, but if you like it to be thick, it is better if you do. Allow it to cool to 110F before you add it and the starter to the yogurt maker.
Our best yogurt maker reviews don’t include machines that boil your milk first, so you’ll have to do that first and cool it to your desired temeprature before starting the fermenting process. If you want a yogurt maker with heating and temperature control, check out the amazing multi-cookers that include a yogurt making function among other things. Otherwise, read on to find machines where you boil the milk before adding it in.
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Yogourmet Electric Yogurt Maker
If you want to make bulk quantities of yogurt, the Yogourmet Electric Yogurt Maker will allow you to make one or two liters of yogurt at a time.
This precisely controlled temperature of the yogurt tub uses an outer heated water bath and included thermometer that keeps the temp of the yogurt at the exact level for optimal yogurt incubation. This versatile unit comes with a cheese cloth bag too that enables you to make cheeses, buttermilk and even sour cream! No other yogurt maker here has these capabilities and both containers are made of BPA-free plastic.
Of course, you’ll have to commit to making larger batches of yogurt, but if you have a family or have a way to store it for several days while it is being consumed, that won’t be a problem.
Although this is one of the most expensive units on this list, if you want to make yogurt, cheese, buttermilk or sour cream in bulk, this is the most effective yogurt maker on this list.
Best Inexpensive Electric Yogurt Maker
Euro Cuisine YM80 Yogurt Maker
If you want just a basic yogurt maker that makes yogurt as delicious as any other maker on the market, then it’s going to be difficult to beat the Euro Cuisine YM80 Yogurt Maker. There is nothing fancy about this unit, just boil the milk, flip the switch to “on,” add the milk into each individual glass cup, put in your starter but do not cap them, then let it warm for 8 hours or more and you’ll get mouth watering yogurt.
The glass jars are 6 ounces each, and you’ll get 7 of them in total so you can have different flavors in each if you want. And while there is no actual electric timer, there is an indicator on the lid that you can set to the number of hours you want and it will remind you when to switch off the unit. When done, you can remove the jars, shut them with their caps and refrigerate them for later.
Yogurt Maker With Automatic Shut-off
Euro Cuisine Automatic Yogurt Maker
If you want a yogurt maker with an automatic shut-off feature, the Euro Cuisine Automatic Yogurt Maker is one of the best priced units available. You pour in the ingredients, set the timer from 6 to 10 hours, and when the time is up, the yogurt maker will “beep” and shut itself off.
It comes with seven 6-ounce glass jars, so you’ll be able to make a good amount, even if you have a family. The digital timer has two buttons, one to add time and one to subtract time. It’s easy to use, and even kids can punch in the hours so they can help you make delicious home made yogurt every time.
Best Yogurt Maker on the Market
Cuisinart CYM-100 Electronic Yogurt Maker with Automatic Cooling
If you want a totally automatic yogurt maker from start to finish, then the Cuisinart CYM-100 Electronic Yogurt Maker is the only choice here. You can, literally, pour in room temperature milk, set the timer and the machine will do the rest.
This is a bulk yogurt maker that makes a full 50 ounces of yogurt at a time. Add in the cultures to the milk, set fermentation time between 1 and 24 hours and when the fermentation is complete, it will switch to automatic cooling mode and begin to chill your yogurt to the perfect temperature. It will stay in chill mode until you switch off the unit.
Although this is the most expensive yogurt making unit on this list, it is also the easiest one to use. All you need to do is to set the time and forget about it until the cooking is complete. The LED display will let you know how much time is left until processing is complete. It will chill down the yogurt so that it is ready to eat right from the container. Perfect if you want some fresh, cold yogurt to top up your cereal early in the morning before heading off to work!
Best Greek Yogurt Maker
Dash Greek Yogurt Maker
If you want to make 1.5 quart bulk quantities of Greek yogurt, and don’t want to pay a lot of money, then the Dash Greek Yogurt Maker is one of your best choices.
Since Greek yogurt is regular yogurt with all the whey drained off, it is more labor intensive than just allowing the ingredients to ferment together. Essentially, a regular yogurt maker cooks the yogurt at the right temperature, and after that, you’ll have to drain off the whey manually if your yogurt maker doesn’t include straining apparatus. With the Dash, there is a strainer container to hold the thick yogurt as it forms, a container underneath to catch the whey and another outer container. The fermenting time is about 8 hours, which is roughly the same as regular yogurt, but you can adjust the time needed using the LCD display. It may take up to 8 more hours to drain off the whey.
You get thick and protein rich yogurt, exactly as Greek Yogurt is supposed to be, but you’ll have to settle with making it in bulk quantities. However, this unit does come with two 1.5 quart pails, so there will always be enough to go around.
Euro Cuisine YM260 Yogurt and Greek Yogurt Maker
The Euro Cuisine YM260 Yogurt Maker allows you to make up to 2 quarts of yogurt with each batch. You can make regular yogurt, Greek yogurt and even cheese with the included drawstring cotton bag. Versatility is one of its strong points, and it will make regular and Greek yogurt with the best of them.
Price wise, this is a middle of the road bulk yogurt maker that comes with a printed on set of times. You turn the lid to the time when the yogurt will be done, and watch for that time on a clock so you’ll know it is ready. Nothing fancy here, just a good machine that makes quality yogurt. You also get a serving bowl and a stainless steel thermometer if you want to monitor the temperature of the mix at any time.
Best of all, it comes with a 3 year limited warranty, and that proves that this is a quality unit. For the best all-in-one unit that can do everything, as long as it is done in bulk, this yogurt maker would be the best bang for the buck on this list.