YM260 Yogurt Maker

12 May 2017 UPDATE 1) The plastic like insert in the lid is NOT glued in, it actually comes right out. So just remove it and throw it in the trash where it belongs. 2) I've made a few batches and checked the temp, and it consistently regulates at 105 degrees, as I reported before. This makes perfect yogurt! 3) The thermometer that comes with it seems to be consistently off a bit, but it is close enough to make great yogurt. ** NOTE ** the quality of your yogurt depends on the quality of your milk AND the quality of your culture. Look at the yogurt you are using for a culture. How many active cultures does it have in it? If I use non-fat milk and yogurt with just two different cultures (for example Wal-Mart Greek Yogurt - it's great yogurt, no artificial ingredients, but only has two different cultures), I get grainy yogurt. If I use 2% or whole milk and a yogurt with five or six different types of cultures in it, I get creamy smooth yogurt! Don't blame this machine if you are using non-fat milk and limited or dead cultures. Use 2% or whole milk, and 4 or more different cultures. Once you get a good batch of yogurt, then use it as a culture for the next batch, and be sure to use the same type and brand of milk. Check the temperature after a few hours to make sure it is correct, and you should get excellent yogurt from this machine. -------------------------------- 10 May 2017 First review. It maintains the temp at about 105 degrees, I get perfect yogurt in just six hours but usually let it run 8-12 hours, or overnight. This review is subject to change depending on how long it takes the unit to burn out, as there are a lot of reports that it only lasts a few months. We shall see. For now it works perfectly. I do notice a few things: 1) The lid of the glass jar does not stay on, and if you pick it up by the lid it could come off, dumping the jar all over the floor. There are minimal threads holding it on - where on earth did they get these jars from, and how hard would it have been to put some decent threads on the jar so the lid would stay on? 2) The lid has this plastic like insert. It looks like a perfect place for mildew and unwanted bacteria to grow. I do not use this lid because of this and # 1 above. 3) For the price of this thing, you would at least expect an on/off switch. Fifty bucks for a plastic shell and a heater element, how hard would it have been to put a power switch on the thing? 4) The thermometer that comes with it is not very accurate, and the needle sticks. The clip that it comes with holds it to the side of the pot very nicely. If you are picky, Go spend ten bucks on a nice digital food thermometer for more accurate measurement. In the end it is probably good enough, as I used to heat the milk to 185, not 180, and I get perfect yogurt doing this. The temps you heat the milk to, and cool it to, allow quite a bit of variance, so the thermometer that comes with this unit, while not a very good one, is good enough.

I love the large glass jar. Half-gallon size makes it worth the thirty minutes to get the mix ready to do whatever it does in the yogurt maker. The little thermometer is marked in red for the high temp (so you heat your milk just enough) and the low temp (green) when it is safe to add your cultured starter. Wish I'd gotten one of these years ago! No squinting at the tiny little marks on the dial. Just red and green. We have a special child. His yogurt needs to be extra creamy so it is easier to keep on the spoon. This recipe works every time for me: Assemble: Yogurt maker & thermometer, 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup, small ladle, one 6 oz. container of plain or vanilla store-bought yogurt with live culture, one envelope Knox unflavored gelatin, honey or sugar, milk, powdered milk, some kind of double-boiler set-up, something to stir the milk 1. Measure 56 ounces of any kind of milk into a double-boiler. I use a large saucepan seated in a short stew pot. Add two or three tablespoons of sugar or honey. Stir in about a half to two-thirds cup powdered instant milk if you want more protein in your yogurt. Makes it a little thicker, too. Stick the yogurt thermometer on the side of the saucepan. Begin heating. 2. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of about 1/3 cup of cold water in the measuring cup and let it soften. 3. Stir the milk gently. When the thermometer reaches the red mark (about 180), remove from heat. Pour out the hot water and add cold to cool the milk. I do this twice to speed things up. Stir the milk just a little while it's cooling. 4. Ladle about a cup of the warm milk into the gelatin in the Pyrex cup and stir to thoroughly dissolve the gelatin. Pour the gelatin mix into the milk and stir to mix. 5. Scrape the yogurt into the Pyrex cup. When (and not before!) the milk mixture cools down to the green mark (about 110), add several ladles of the cooled milk to the yogurt and stir to get the lumps out. Now add this thinned yogurt to the milk mix and stir gently. 6. Ladle/ pour the yogurt mixture into the glass jar. (Note: I removed the styrofoam liner in the top of the jar). Gently screw the lid on. Fits a little wonky, but it works. With one hand on top and one hand under the jar, move the glass jar to the yogurt maker. Plug it in. Figure eight hours for warming, and set the reminder using the marker on the lid. 7. At the end of the eight hours, unplug the unit. Remove the jar of yogurt and stick it in the frig to cool. I always make sure I get a good grip on the jar because the jar lid just has a personality of it's own. Not bad, just a little tiny cantankerous about getting in the groove - though not enough to be a complaint. This makes a creamy, smooth yogurt. Always works. My guys like it with a squirt or two of Nestle's Nesquik chocolate or strawberry syrups (no HFCS). Serve with some Fiber One cereal on top for crunch. Wonderful! You may also put jam in the bottom of the little wide-mouth 8 oz. canning jars and spoon yogurt on top. Seal with the plastic jar lids. You'll have single servings ready to go. Some folks save several ounces of the batch they've just made to start the next batch, but. . . . . it would get lost in my frig. Just easier to buy a 6 ounce container and know it's fresh.

Pros: * I really wanted to like this as the form factor and amount it makes is ideal for our counter space. * Great temperature and time controls. * Made great yogurt, despite the extreme temp gradient mentioned below. Cons: * Poor Actual Control. Temp gradient was extreme and varied from about 115ºF at the bottom to 85ºF at the top. These measurements were taken after steady state should have been reached after more than 10 hrs and taken at the same time. * Unit stopped working after about 3 weeks of making yogurt returning an E01 error code. * Error Codes are not mentioned in the manual nor could I find during internet searches. I also tried contacting the company but couldn't get through during normal office hours. The manual says this is out of Los Angeles...so I am going to say this may be related to the fires and I can let this go...but it is still going back because my return window is closing!

I found a web site with pretty good directions that said to only use 1 tablespoon of yogurt to inoculate 1-2 quarts of milk, so I followed that one. however, I left the first batch (my last 5 cups of milk) too long, and it separated and was a little lumpy. funny, I had checked it at 6 hours, and it seemed fine, but I thought it was still too soon, so I went to sleep and didn't wake in time to unplug it when I should have. truth was that it was already done in 6 hours, because I made another batch today and checked it at 6 hours, and it was firm ... still left it for 7 hours and it is still very firm, so I unplugged the machine, this time, and put this last batch in the fridge. guess i'll find out in the morning, if it turned out as good as I think it did! also, I added a heaping tablespoon of raw honey to the second batch, while the milk was cooling and about 150 degrees. another thing I did was heat the milk hotter this time ... to over 190 degrees which really scared me, so I quickly did a search and found that some sources actually recommend heating the milk that hot! I added the heaping tablespoon of yogurt at about 115-120 degrees. you can find the web site I'm referring to by googling "foolproof homemade yogurt science" ... it's 'girls guide to butter' in the address, and the site is quite informative and very interesting. from all I've read, the problem with the first batch could be that with a yogurt maker that gets fairly hot, it would take less time (and I left it way too long the first time). also, I read that adding too much yogurt to the milk could make the finished yogurt too thin, as too much bacteria would be too crowded and not have enough room to ferment and grow. I'm still a novice at this, and I just hope my 2nd batch comes out better (not that the first one wasn't good). I did have to pour the first batch into a bowl and whip it with a whisk to smooth it out, tho. I've thought about adding a teaspoon of pectin to the hot milk but decided to see what happened without it first. if I learn more, i'll be back. I haven't made yogurt in over 20 years, so I'm having a lot of fun (and saving money)!! :) I'm making a bit of a mess of this review, but I wanted to get it in as quickly as possible (it's getting late). I forgot to add that because of reading reviews about how hard it is to remove the lid and raise the yogurt container out of the machine, I left the lid loose and then put the clear top on with a terry towel folded over it, to try to keep any extra heat from escaping the top. I thought that might make the yogurt maker run a little warmer? I don't know, but it seemed to work. sorry my review seems so jumbled (guess that's the way my mind works! lol) but I think I included most everything, except that I used a 1200 watt microwave at 60% power to heat the milk (approx. 10-12 min.??) in a 2-quart anchor measuring cup/batter bowl (pretty sure that's how it got so hot without starting to boil). also, I used 6 cups of whole milk and stonyfield organic whole milk plain, unflavored yogurt for the starter. :) I should come back to try and clean this review up some so it's easier to understand, but I've no time right now. lol as an aside, I really do question why a simple yogurt making machine would cost twice as much as my cone-filter coffee maker? and I love my simple, no-bells-and-whistles, coffee maker and think it's very well made. UPDATE 06/14/14: I had some yogurt for breakfast this morning, and both batches are delicious! the first, slightly separated and lumpy, batch that I had to whip smooth is mild flavored and totally awesome (seems very fluffy!), and the second batch is very firm, mild flavored, and only slightly (a tad) sweet. i usually always pour the separated whey off my yogurt every time i open the container ... saves from having to strain for greek style, and it works for me. i might end up buying a strainer, but i already have too many kitchen appliances as it is (and not enough counter space). right now, i would say that both batches of yogurt are perfect ... just slightly different, but both batches have a flavor that leaves me with a craving for more!! this IS the perfect yogurt flavor, especially the batch without the raw honey ... just love the "natural" yogurt taste! :)

I got this yogurt maker mainly for its larger volume and single-container design (I had a 1-quart one before that, with 7 tiny jars that were too much of a hassle). I wish it was even bigger, but I couldn't find anything over 2 quarts. But, 2 quarts is still better than 1. So far it has been holding up well; I make yogurt once or twice a week, every week. Here are my thoughts so far: Pros: - large volume - single container (no more tiny jars to juggle!) - easy to use & convenient - easy to clean (you only clean one single container) - consistent, works well (so far at least) - water bath heating system, which is supposed to be more even and efficient - no timer or auto shut off. This is also a "con", but can be a "pro" depending on how you look at it. Other units that do have this feature have an upper limit, and can't go beyond it. For example you can only set it for up to 12 hours, but if your recipe calls for 13 or over, you have to be there to restart the timer. So you can't leave it overnight or while you're at work for a longer cook time, so the forced shut off can be limiting. I need my yogurt to sit there for at least 13.5 hours, so I like that there's no upper limit. A timer would've still been nice though... Cons: - price! I don't see what exactly is worth all that money. It doesn't even have a timer! It's a very basic temperature-maintaining device, and nothing else. - no timer and no auto shut off. The "timer" thing they advertise is a bunch of numbers stamped on the edge, and a tick on the lid; you rotate the lid to align the tick with a number, and it's up to you what that number means. You still have to go and turn it off, else it goes on indefinitely. - no temperature indicator, though this is common with yogurt makers. You have no idea what temperature your yogurt is cooking at. It does come with a separate thermometer, but it's not very useful for monitoring, since the lid of the yogurt container is opaque and you wouldn't see the thermometer through it (duh). Maybe if you don't use the lid...? As long as the unit works properly, this isn't an issue for me. If it starts overheating or otherwise malfunctioning, then knowing the temperature would be useful... - plastic container. I would've preferred glass as a safer option. - getting the yogurt container out of the yogurt maker is awkward and inconvenient. It fits too snugly and there's nothing to grab it by; I'm a small-handed woman and even I can't fit my fingers between the main body and the yogurt container. The only way to pull it out is to hook your fingers under the lip of the lid and pull up, which has the risk of the lid coming off and you spilling warm yogurt all over yourself. Hasn't happened yet, but it takes some care and patience to lift it out, and can get annoying. Recently my unit has developed a strange electrical-sounding buzz, which sounds sporadically throughout the whole cooking process. Freaked me out at first, as I thought it was coming from something about to short out elsewhere in the house. It has gone through two cycles with the noise now and so far is still working properly, so hopefully it's nothing serious. Overall, I like this yogurt maker. It has a bunch of negatives, but they aren't enough to drop it lower than 4 stars for me. Also, there isn't really anything much better out there, at this size and in a reasonable price range, so... not much to compare it against. If the above-mentioned negatives aren't too much for you, I'd definitely recommend it. Update: I have now been using this yogurt maker for 3 months, making yogurt once or twice a week, every week. It's still holding up well. The buzzing is still going on, but after a couple of months of that I'm going to assume it's nothing critical, as it hasn't blown up yet. I actually got a second unit recently, because half a gallon is just not enough for our household and I don't have time to make yogurt every other day. The second unit hasn't had the buzzing issue yet. However, its lid does not fit over the plastic container properly - it's way too loose, and just sort of sits around the edge! This is a major issue since there's no other way to pull the container out of the yogurt maker, other than lifting it by the lid! So with this one, the lid comes right off, and you have nothing to grab the container by, as it fits too snugly in the yogurt maker and is about the same height, too. This is really annoying. I have to leave the yogurt level low enough below the rim that I have enough room to grab the container by the edge without dipping my fingers in the yogurt, so I can gingerly pull it out like that. Very, very annoying. I wish they'd given it a handle over the top or something!

Easy to use! Makes great yogurt! Simple! I used the recipe in the reviews of this product. It’s so easy to make good yogurt. Here’s the recipe again! Super creamy and simple! dfalco ***** Verified Purchase Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2018 bought ultra pasteurized whole milk. It's my favorite for plain Greek yogurt. I read that ultra pasteurized couldn't be used, but I'm here to tell you it makes delightful yogurt. I don't preheat it. No need, since the pathogens are already dead and the proteins already cooked in ultra pasteurized. And I don't buy fancy cultures online. I use about a cup of store bought 2% plain Greek yogurt as my starter, whisking it into about a cup and a half organic whole milk (don't even measure that precisely) right in the glass yogurt jar. Then fill the jar to the top with milk, no preheating required. Place it in the yogurt maker in the morning, and approximately 12 hours later, pour it into my Euro Cuisine Greek Yogurt Strainer, and place in the frig overnight. The next morning I have about 5 cups of thick and creamy yumminess. I like to add in frozen fruit and a touch of honey when I serve it. Absolutely outrageously thick and creamy...no preheating then cool down then timing and fussing. Just milk and yogurt, from the frig to the yogurt maker to the strainer to the storage container. Simple.

I have had a red one just like this one for years, and wanted to make a double batch sometimes, so I got this one. I have owned many other yogurt makers over the decades, and this is my favorite because of the size of the jar, and how easy the jar is to clean. I like being able to scoop out exactly the size of serving that I want instead of being limited to 6-oz. jars that other yogurt makers use. I like that the jar is glass instead of plastic. I am proficient at making yogurt, having learned as a child to do so with an aluminum pan on a hot-water radiator, so take this into account when I claim that every batch that I made with this yogurt maker has been perfect. That indicates to me that the temperature stays consistent year-round regardless of the room's temperature (90s in the summer and 60s in the winter). Tips: * I heat the milk in a glass pot over medium heat. I just got myself a thermometer with a probe for meat. It has an alarm that rings when the temperature reaches whatever I set it for. That has been great for preventing me from overheating the milk! * I mix the yogurt starter in with a few spoonfuls of the heated and cooled milk, and stir it occassionally for 15-20 minutes so the starter completely dissolves. * After mixing the starter with the cooled milk, I strain this through a fine mesh to remove any lumps from incompletely mixing the starter, or from overheating the milk. * I place a kitchen towel over the transparent dome to keep any light from affecting the yogurt's qualities. I think this also makes the appliance more energy efficient. * During the past couple years, instead of "brewing" the yogurt for a few hours, as directed by Yogourmet Yogurt Starter and others, I now brew it for 24 hours to get a tarter result. Then I let it sit at room temperature for an hour, then chill it in the refrigerator. Then I strain it in a Greek Yogurt Cheese strainer in the refrigerator for several hours until it is the thickness that I want. My plants benefit from the whey that collects in the bottom.

I bought this yogurt maker because my son cannot tolerate any dairy products, and I was tired of paying an arm and a leg for dairy free yogurt. The instructions were very clear, the thermometer that is included is helpful, because I don't have to refer back to the directions to remember what the temperatures I need to reach are, as they are marked on it. Since I was using canned coconut milk instead of cow's milk, I searched for tips online and left my yogurt in for a longer time than recommended, somewhere around 12 hours. Pros: Size- I can make enough yogurt for the week in this, and since my son is 7 and in school, making it in small glass containers that the other style of yogurt makers have would create more work for me, as I would have to transfer it to a plastic container anyways. Thermometer- As I stated above, it has lines marked to the highest temperature you need to heat your milk to, and the temperature you need to let it cool to before you place it in the yogurt maker. Cons: Bowl included- I was excited that there was a bowl included thinking I could use it to separate the 2 cups of milk and add probiotics/yogurt starter after it was heated and cooled, but its too small to fit the amount needed and mix. I'm sure it would make a nice bowl for eating the yogurt, though. "Timer" listed in description- Its really the numbers 1 through 12 on the base with an arrow on the lid so you can turn it to point to the number of the hour when your yogurt will be done. While it serves its purpose and I have no problem with it, it wasn't what I expected when I read the word "timer" in the description. I haven't used the cheese cloth, so I can't comment on that, but I have learned a few things in my trials that can help with better results: -Use either a yogurt starter, a capsulated probiotic, or plain unsweetened yogurt as your starter. If you use flavored yogurt, either store bought or from a previous batch, it will not turn out well. -Make sure you follow the directions and DO NOT mix in your starter before your milk cools to the right temperature. If its too hot, it will kill your starter, and you won't get yogurt. -If you need to use a milk substitute like I do, I recommend canned coconut milk. Almond milk doesn't seem to thicken at all, so you end up with a very runny yogurt, and coconut milk that comes in a carton doesn't seem to thicken as well either. I use 6 cans of coconut milk, and since the milk separates in the can when it sits, I only shake 3 of them, and the 3 that I don't shake I only scoop out the cream that sits on the top. I know some people strain theirs in a cheese cloth to thicken it after they make it, but only using the cream from 3 of the cans removes the excess liquid from the beginning. -Adding flavor such as pure vanilla or almond extract causes it to thin. I would recommend either flavoring right before consumption or using vanilla powder which you can buy online.

I needed to find a yogurt maker where the temperature and time can be set, so I settled on this one. For anyone who wants to make L. Reuteri “Super Yogurt”, you know it needs to be kept at 99f for 36 hrs. This can do that and after several attempts, I’m getting very good results. My first attempt separated into curds and whey very badly, so I wanted to see if it was because of this maker. I have a wireless meat thermometer, so I taped it to the edge of the jar. What I noticed was, every time I messed with the settings, it would get hotter. What I think is happening is this does not have a thermostat, so its not kicking in/off based on the content’s temperature. When you set the temp and time and hit “start”, its assuming the contents is cold, so it does some heating right away. So, even though I had it set to 100f, and the contents was at 100f, if I then turned it down to 98f, the contents would rise to 104f. ✳️ When I set the temperature and didn’t mess with it at all, it kept it right in range…and I watched it closely…until the battery in my thermometer ran out. ✳️ I was going to return it after the first batch but going on what I learned, I tried a second time (using the curds and whey from the first batch) and the second batch still separated a little, but much less. The 3rd, and subsequent batches, were perfect. L. Reuteri needs to be awakened and it might take you a few batches. What you see in my picture is my 5th batch. ✳️ I suggest when you make a batch, fill it up all the way (just under 2 quarts of scaled half and half – very important) and make sure its around 80f. Set it, forget, and harvest a perfect yogurt 36 hrs later. ✳️ Other comments. The thermometer it comes with is useless, but I used the cheese bag and that worked well. I love the size and convenience of this. It doesn’t take up much counter space and if I’m going to make a batch, I’m going to make 2 quarts every time. I was also very successful making this yogurt in my Sous Vide and InstaPot but I’m afraid of burning out my Sous Vide and the Instapot takes up too much room. That’s why I’m keeping this.

Buen producto a buen precio. Lo único negativo fue que al ser un producto importado, tardó más de dos meses en llegar

Great product and great yogurt. Very easy to use.

I made the right choice in ordering this Yogurt Maker! Its yields a nice 2qt. Volume and takes up little space on my kitchen countertop! Very user-friendly and produces a nice yogurt which I put in a fine mesh strainer to make Greek Yogurt! I highly recommend this product!!

Have used this twice and I'm so happy with it. I leave it for 8 hours. My kids are now in love with homemade yogurt and I'm in love with the fact that I get to give them the healthy stuff and leave the crap out