Yogurt is a huge part of many peoples’ diets, and with good reason. As well as being delicious and versatile, it is healthy and good for your digestion, making it an excellent choice to eat daily, and a great snack for those who want to lose weight or just stay healthy. The best way to have full control is to buy one of the best yogurt makers on the market and produce your own at home, this means choosing the ingredients, being able to experiment with flavors and recipes and of course make sure you have the freshest yogurt. Here on our site we have tons of yogurt maker reviews which are in place to help you make a decision on what to buy, whether you’re on a budget and looking for a great cheap model or you’re just looking for the absolute best of the best. Our writers are full of recommendations.

How to Choose A Yogurt Maker

There are many factors to consider when making your choice, as with any kitchen appliance. You need to think about the brand and features as well as price. Our recommendation for the main considerations are as follows:

• Capacity. This is a big consideration, how much of it you’re going to need to make. If you’re in a commercial kitchen you might need to make huge amounts and are looking for as big a capacity as possible. If you don’t need that much of it or have a small family you can grab one of the smaller models and be absolutely fine.
• Glass jars or not. Many of the top yogurt makers come with glass jars and containers, meaning that instead of being made as one big batch, you’re encouraged to make lots of smaller yogurts, this is great for a few reasons, you can make more than one type or flavor in the same batch, plus they will go in your fridge individually and are great for packed lunches and snacks.
• Quality. The build quality of an appliance of any sort is always a big deal, and there is no denying that some companies do a better job than others. The quality you buy often depends how much you’re looking to spend, but you don’t have to part with a fortune in order to get something good.
• Looks. It isn’t the main thing our reviews of yogurt makers tend to focus on, but it is a big deal! Nobody wants something ugly sitting on the counter in their kitchen, and you need something that’s going to suit your decor.
• The cost. You can expect to part with anywhere between $20 and $250 for one of these products, which means a big spectrum of quality and difference between the low end and the high end of the market, some aren’t even electric and use more old fashioned methods of preparing your yogurt, so the price is inevitably going to play a part in what you eventually decide to purchase.

Types of Yogurt Maker

It isn’t too confusing, but there are a few types of yogurt maker out there for you to keep an eye out for, with subtle variations. They are made with the different methods of preparing different types of yogurt in mind.

You can buy non-electric versions, which may use boiling water or other methods to get the temperature right. If you go for one of these you are compromising a lot on the control you have, and though they can be useful for those who don’t do a lot of yogurt making, we’d recommend something electric.

That leads us on to the next type which you will most often see here on the site, the standard electric maker. These have a wide range of features but work as a standalone appliance that you can simply put on and forget about until it is done. Often made by Cuisinart and Euro Cuisine, these are normally what we’d recommend if you’re going for a standard product.

Greek Yogurt Makers. Making Greek yogurt (which is highly popular due to the health benefits) is a process which is slightly different, and people have made specific models to help with this. Straining is the main difference and this can be done by certain yogurt makers out there.

Crock Pots and All-in-Ones. Occasionally you’ll find a crock pot or similar product advertise themselves as yogurt makers too, which is not incorrect, many of these appliances have inbuilt functions to make yogurt which is excellent, and they provide a good option for those of us who can make good use of them as slow cookers and for preparing other dishes.

Frozen Yogurt makers. One of my personal favourites, frozen yogurt is absolutely delicious and though it can be store bought, it is an excellent alternative to ice cream and is even easier to make at home with specific appliances being designed to help with this.

Benefits of Yogurt

Eating yogurt is good for you, not just in the sense that it is low in fat and calorie content. It has probiotics which are extremely helpful when it comes to your digestive system and keeping you regular! The fat content in yogurt is largely down to the ingredients you put in, and if you start with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk you’ll end up with a healthier end product. Yogurt is also full of vitamins which are great for everyone!

Many studies have shown that Yogurt can have other benefits, with many believing that it has a positive effect on everything from your skin complexion to your metabolism. Nobody knows exactly how much of this is true, but it is universally agreed by medical pros that yogurt is very, very good for you.

Fortunately, yogurt can be found in many places, it is, as well as being a snack in its own right, it is an ingredient too, and can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, from curries to cakes! As well as this, it can be used as a substitute to high fat products like dressings or even mayonnaise, yogurt is a good accompaniment to wraps, salads and more.

Recommended Model: Euro-Cuisine YM100 Automatic Yogurt Maker Review

The first of the recommended models is one that’s pretty affordable, it’s usually available under the $50 mark. It has seven individual containers which allow you to make multiple yogurts in the same batch, and are great for packing up in lunches.

The YM100 is really simple to use, and although the interface isn’t the most hi tech, it is easy to read and operate. It’s made even easier by the fact that you can use all sorts of different types of milk, whole, skimmed, semi-skimmed or even powdered, whatever is easiest.

It is definitely quick and easy, and yogurt can be ready within 6 hours, which is really fast for a process that is never exceptionally quick. The automatic shut-off feature is one of the key selling points of this model. Obviously the preparation takes a long time and you can’t always give it that much attention, fortunately it will turn itself off when it is prepared, which means you don’t have to be there to do it right on time, and you don’t risk it overcooking, which will really ruin yogurt.

The see through design means you can oversee the process, which is great because observation is the main way we can see whether everything is going okay, and you can’t take the lid off because that would risk spoiling the end product.

Cuisinart CYM-100 Electronic Yogurt Maker with Automatic Cooling Review

The other big player in terms of brands is Cuisinart, and their CYM-100 model is perhaps our favorite of all. It is around double the price of the above, so it is a bit of an extra investment, but long term it will pay for itself as you save on store bought yogurt. The Cuisinart CYM-100 has a huge capacity and allows you to make around 50 ounces of yogurt at once. It is a bit more high tech as it offers an LCD display and different settings, which are super simple to use and get to grips with. Comes with numerous recipes and ready for you to experiment to your hearts content, with the ability to make enough yogurt for a large family to enjoy. There is, however, one feature which really sets this apart from its competitors. Auto Cooling.

The automatic cooling feature is so important that it is even included in the title of the product, and rightly so. Even the makers with an automatic shut off can still sometimes overcook yogurt with residual heat if you don’t quickly get the yogurt out and refrigerate it, this is not an issue with the CYM-100, which straight away puts a cooling mode on to make sure this does not become an issue. Perfect yogurt every time. On top of this, it looks good! Not one of the main draws, but lets face it, it helps, the suave stainless steel look will go in any kitchen!

Conclusion

I’m sure by now you do not have to be told why a yogurt maker is a great choice for your kitchen, and hopefully the guide above has given you a couple of ideas as to which is the best to purchase. Fresh, homemade yogurt is a must for a healthy family and now it can be at your fingertips all the time!