Yogurt Maker: The Ultimate Yogurt Machine Review

The demand for yogurt has been rising over the years with the many variances making it a favorite desert. You can always have it as a desert or even a snack and knowing how to make it at home makes it possible to have all the flavors that you desire with the guarantee of quality and availability. You will enjoy your yogurt even more knowing that you have walked through every step of its processing and tweaking the ingredients to suit your desires.

There’s a common trend of an avalanche of yogurt machines following the popularity of foods and this is no different with yogurt. The market is now awash with tons of yogurt related machines. One of the devices that will make it easy for you to make your yogurt at home is a yogurt maker. Its operation is as simple as the name sounds but the results are splendid. Let’s walk together in this yogurt machine buying guide and find out what these machines have to offer while reviewing some of the best yogurt machines.

Top 5 yogurt makers

1. Cuisinart CYM 100 Electronic Yogurt Maker

Cuisinart is renowned for its outstanding yogurt machine models and the Cuisinart CYM is yet another ingenious product. It features an in-built cooling system making it a favorite for frozen yogurt lovers. The high-end maker allows the user to over 8 servings as it is equipped with a 50 ounce container.

The simple and friendly Cuisinart yogurt machine is considered to be on the higher end when it comes to pricing but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring what that price tag hides. The machine is not only beautiful but is exceptionally flexible. It will automatically set the fermenting time, detects when the process is done and keeps the yogurt cool until when you power it off.

For Greek yogurt lovers, this maker may not make this yogurt on its own and you will need to manually heat your milk and strain your yogurt once it’s ready. You can alternatively get a machine that is specifically designed to make Greek yogurt.

Features of the Cuisinart CYM 100

  • Size: 9.8x7x9.9 inches
  • Weight: 3.17kg (7 pounds)
  • Capacity: 1 ½ quarts
  • Material: stainless steel & plastic
  • In-built cooling system
  • Warranty: 3yrs, limited
  • Fitted with automatic timer
  • BPA free

Check out best priced Cuisinart CYM-100 on Amazon

2. Instant Pot DUO60

Yogurt making should be interesting and exciting and the Instant pot DUO60 guarantees that. This yogurt maker that makes more than your average yogurt offers so many functionalities acting as a pressure cooker, sauté pot, warmer, rice cooker, steamer and ultimately as a yogurt maker. It is a multi-use machine that comes with a huge programming interface. A click of the button will simply change its functioning and deliver the desired results.

Though considered to be among the expensive yogurt makers, it gives you the versatility that you may not get from other brands. The whole yogurt making process will be done in the machine making your work quite easy. Heat the milk in the pot, add your starter, set the fermenting time and wait for delicious results.

Features of the Instant Pot DUO60

  • Size: 12.5×13.4×12.2 inches
  • Weight: 5.35 kg (11.8 pounds)
  • Capacity: 6 quarts
  • Material: stainless steel & plastic
  • Warranty: 1yr, limited
  • Safety: steam release, automatic temp control, electric fuse, anti-block shield, overheat protection, safety lid lock and leaky lid detection
  • Fully programmable
  • BPA free

Check out best Instant pot DUO60 price on Amazon

3. Euro Cuisine YM80 Yogurt maker

Creativity makes all the difference in yogurt making. You may use the same ingredients but get totally different results. If you want to explore and try out different twists, the Euro Cuisine may be the yogurt maker of your choice. The inexpensive appliance has a capacity of 42 ounces and will make yogurt within 6 to 10 hours. It allows you to customize your yogurt with extra ingredients such as honey, coffee and fruits thus gives you unique tastes and flavors.

The seven glass yogurt making machine is designed to deliver fuss free delicious yogurt with the sever glass jars making it possible to prepare different flavors at the same time. It may not have many advanced features but it does most basic functions just fine.

Most reviewers have lamented about the difficulty in washing the glass containers manually but you shouldn’t have a problem cleaning with a dish washer. You may also need to inspect the lid for leaks as this yogurt maker doesn’t include leak detection technology.

Features of the Euro Cuisine YM 80 Yogurt maker

  • Size: 9.5×9.5×6 inches
  • Weight: 1.81 kg (4 pounds)
  • Warranty: 3yrs
  • Seven 6oz glass jars
  • BPA free
  • Inbuilt timer

Check out Best Euro Cuisine YM80 yogurt maker price on Amazon

4. Yogourmet 104 electric yogurt maker

The yogourmet electric yogurt machine stands out as one of the most affordable easy to use yogurt making appliances. This is a machine that quickly mixes and blends your ingredients to give you that fine finish. Its water-bath system creates an even heating wall that guarantees even yogurt incubation. The yogurt will thus be smooth and consistent. This is quite important as uneven cooking exposes you to the risk of having harmful bacteria in your yogurt.

The appliance is dishwasher safe thus easy to clean and maintain. Its plastic is made of PVC and is BPA free thus will be safe for you and your environment. You however need to have a keen eye on the machine while in operation as it doesn’t have temperature control functionality and the room temperature may affect the quality of your yogurt.

Features of the Yugourmet 104 electric yogurt maker

  • Size: 7.75×7.75×10 inches
  • Weight: 1.50 kg (3.3 pounds)
  • Capacity: 2 quarts
  • Material: Plastic
  • Warranty: 1yr
  • Innovative water bath and a cheese bag

Check out the best Yogourmet 104 electric yogurt maker prices on Amazon

5. Amazonbasics Automatic Frozen Yogurt Maker

This is a yogurt maker that was essentially designed to make ice cream, gelato, sherbet and frozen yogurt. It is equipped with an easy lock lid that guarantees safety and you can sit back as it smoothly mixes your ingredients to give out a smooth and tasty finish. It’s fully automatic and will automatically stop when the process is complete.

This is a yogurt machine that can easily prepare 1.5 quarts of sorbet or frozen yogurt regardless of the recipe in use. Just play around with the ingredients and wait for the machine to deliver. You may however have to preserver with the noise as it is considerably loud.

Features of the Amazonbasics Ice Cream Maker

  • Size: 8.78 x 7.51 x 10.59 inches
  • Weight: 2.30 kg (5.08 pounds)
  • Material: Plastic
  • Warranty: 1 yr
  • Fully automated
  • Easy lock lid

The Buying Guide: What To Look For In A Yogurt Maker

· Functionality

The ultimate goal of buying a yogurt machine is getting the desired yogurt with ease. This can only be achieved with a yogurt maker that offers the functionalities that match your needs. While some appliances will let you make traditional yogurt varieties, others will let you make both traditional and Greek varieties. Additionally, some will serve as slow cookers while others will double as slow cookers and pressure cookers.

In the current era where time is limited, you might want to get a ‘set and forget’ maker. This is a machine that practically takes care of the whole process. You only need to set the timer, temperature and power on and the yogurt making process kicks in.

· Design And Flexibility

Most makers are ergonomic and will serve you just fine. However, you need to get one designed for flexibility. This is a machine that would let you customize ingredients. This makes it possible to prepare small servings with varying tastes and flavors. Such yogurt making machine challenge you to explore and widen your culinary skills. It would be an added advantage to have one that can make small and bulk servings at the same time.

· Automation

Though we are in an era where automation is the order of the day, there are still loads of yogurt makers that aren’t fully automated. In fact most of the brands have models which aren’t fully automated. This thus should be a point of consideration when shopping for your machine. While some people will prefer the semi-automated machines that allow them to adjust different stages to suit their preference, a fully automated machine may make the work easier and save on time.

· Bowl Type And Capacity

The bowl type will determine the servings that you can prepare with the specific machine. It is the bowl type that will definitely determine the machine’s capacity. While some will have large bowls others will have serving-sized ones and others will have versatile bowls. A good decision would be going for the bowl size that meets your daily needs. The large sized bowls will be best suited for complex standard yogurt production.

· Timer

Timing is quite crucial in yogurt making and almost every high end yogurt maker will come with a timer. The fermentation process varies and may take five to eight hours. Having a timer helps you keep track of the fermentation process and allows you to prepare the next batch in time. In addition to the in-built timer, some machines will have an auto shut off feature that automatically turns off the machine once the process is complete.

· Freezing

The freezing aspect of the yogurt is of major interest not only to the user but also to the manufacture and most brands have invested in high end freezing technology. While some machines focus on frozen desserts, some require the user to freeze the bowl too. Again only go for the machine that will be convenient. Efficient freezing is not easy coming and some research will be necessary before investing in a frozen yogurt maker.

· Cleaning And Maintenance

Just like any other appliance the yogurt machine will need cleaning after every use and regular maintenance. It would be a great idea going for a machine whose parts can be removed and probably dish washed. Such a machine would make your work easy and guarantee top notch hygiene. Dish washing safety may almost be guaranteed by the high end machines but this may not be available in some brands.

· Cost

Every purchase you make is an investment and the price factor will always come into play. Most people actually make their decision entirely based on the price. This sometimes limits them when it comes to functionality but sees them stick to their budget. It is always advisable that you go that extra mile and invest in a high quality yogurt maker. This machines are considerably affordable and stretching your budget by a few dollars may see you land on the best brand.

Conclusion

Every purchase needs to be made from a point of information and clear understanding of what you are getting into. The debate about the best yogurt makers isn’t coming to an end any soon considering that new brands and models are coming into the market every day.

We have however reviewed five of the best yogurt makers and we hope this yogurt machine buying guide will help you make up your mind. You can also check out other milk preservation techniques and probably settle on a machine that will help you make your yogurt, cheese and ice cream among other milk products. Have fun experimenting with these top of the range appliances.