YM80 Yogurt Maker

Great, perfect yoghurt all the time.

I bought the Euro Cuisine YM80 yogurt maker about 9 months ago. I wanted to really try it out before leaving a review. Disclaimer – I never made yogurt before owning this yogurt maker so I can not compare it to other yogurt makers or making it in a oven or crock pot. I love this yogurt maker and have been using it once to twice a week since I got it. I find that whether or not homemade yogurt is cheaper than store bought depends on your ingredients that you are using ie: organic milk vs. regular store brand milk. I was eating brand name and store name yogurt daily and it was getting costly. This really cuts down on the cost and tastes a lot better. (Partly tastes better since I am not using skim milk – I use either whole milk or 2% and it is wonderful.) The instructions with the yogurt maker are not necessary perfectly clear for a beginner. The area I found to be a little confusing is how long to incubate the yogurt. Example - Softer yogurt without boiling times: 8 hours for whole milk, 10 hours for 2%, and up to 12 hours for skim milk. Then under instructions it states: set time for yogurt – 8 hours for whole milk, etc. They do not give any time difference for using boiled milk or non-boiled. So that being said, I decided to boil my milk and use the times listed: 8 hours whole, 10 hours 2% and 12 hours for skim. (Haven’t bothered making the skim so I can’t say if that is accurate.) The yogurt maker has a hours reminder on the device. It does not turn off the yogurt maker and I am not sure if it was supposed to move during the incubating process but mine never did anything. I don’t bother with it. I just put a little sticky note in front of the device of my shut off time and set an alarm on my phone. I have been making yogurt with a 6 oz container of plain yogurt from the store. Then I make the next batch with a jar of my plain yogurt. I tried using a probiotic capsule that was a disaster and I ended up throwing out that batch. I have not tried using the freeze dried yogurt starter yet. I just priced it out and bought some that would equal $0.70 a batch and I would be able to reuse my yogurt at least once and maybe twice. I will update my review later after using it. Now after having this for awhile I have noticed I could not find any recipes for Coconut Yogurt which was my favorite. I came up with a recipe that has consistently delivered great results Coconut yogurt • 1 13.5 ounce can of Coconut Milk (I have used Goya) • Whole milk or 2% milk ( 4 cup measuring cup filled with contents of coconut milk – add the milk so that it comes up to the 4 cup point) • 1 scoop (1/3 cup) of dried instant non-fat milk (I have used Carnation milk) • 6 oz container of plain yogurt or yogurt starter • ½ teaspoon of coconut extract • 8 packets of Stevia in the Raw (or sugar) Add coconut milk, regular milk and dried milk to the saucepan and heat till the milk starts boiling and climbing up the pot. I place the pot in the sink with an ice bath to cool down faster. Cool to 95 degrees F (stir a few times to reduce hotspots – use a thermometer to check the temp). Then pour some of the liquid in the 4 cup measuring cup and add your starter. Blend til smooth and add back to the pot. I then add the coconut extract and sweetner. I put in the Eurocuisine containers and place in the yogurt maker. Incubation times depend on milk used – Whole milk is 8 hours and 2% is 9 hours. (The fat content in the coconut milk is similar to whole milk so I used that as a judge when deciding the times.) Please let me know if my review was helpful or if you enjoyed my recipe. Click the button below if this helped you at all. Thanks

This makes a great yogurt. I love the individual cups very easy to use. Each cup holds about 6 oz of liquid for yogurt. The containers are small but easy to clean they're about the size of a Yoplait glass yogurt container. I can't speak to the temperature or durability. I actually ended up returning this because I found my mother's old yogurt maker which was actually a thermos that she used for soup and it worked very well. I'm trying to save money.

I SO LOVE this yogurt maker! I don't even like yogurt but love this yogurt maker and I use it weekly.! Super healthy and I will never buy yogurt in a store again!! I use plain half and half without flavoring and its wonderful.. I will buy for gifts in the future. The cost is super affordable and very worth the $ Very happy I purchased. Perfect yogurt every time. Directions are easy too. One of my favorite purchase for sure.

This review is for the YM-80 model. I had previously owned the YM-100. It performed very well for a number of years but recently gave out on me (started heating unevenly). I do feel I got my money's worth from that yogurt maker, because it got used hundreds of times. However, I realized I had not been using the shut-off timer feature, so I decided to go with the cheaper YM-80 unit this time around. After having used it, I believe this one was the right choice for me. The YM-80 is very similar to the YM-100, with the exception that it does not include a timer. You will see numbers on the side of the unit; these do not really serve a countdown purpose. There's a notch in the lid that you can position at one of the numbers, the idea being that the number represents the time you want to turn the yogurt maker off. So if you are doing something that will take 12 hours and you start at 8 in the morning, you'd put the little notch at 8 to remind yourself to take the yogurt out at 8 PM. I am not using this feature, but it's there if you want it. The jars are the same for the YM-80 and YM-100, so now I have an extra set of jars. I do like the jars. I find that they are a good serving size (6 ounces) and I'm very happy that the yogurt never touches plastic (the lids are plastic but you do not use them while you are incubating the yogurt). You should wash the jars prior to the first use and after every subsequent use. If you use a non-heated dry, you can put the lids in the dishwasher as well (I use the silverware basket for the lids). The lids screw on and off and are very easy to put on and take off, but are also fairly secure when on (though I would not suggest turning the jars upside down -- that would be pushing your luck). Here is the procedure I typically follow for making yogurt (I always make dark chocolate/cherry yogurt): 1) Heat 5 cups of skim milk to 185 degrees Fahrenheit (this kills any bacteria already present in the milk) 2) Chop up 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate (I use the Bakers baking chocolate) and put it in a heat-proof bowl 3) When the milk is hot, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate; mix with an immersion blender or hand mixer (a spoon is not really enough) 4) Stir in a packet of nonfat milk powder (wherein one packet is equivalent to one quart, rehydrated); again use an immersion blender or hand mixer 5) Let the milk/chocolate mixture cool (you can speed this up by setting the bowl it's in, in a container filled with ice) 6) In a medium frying pan, put half a bag (about 5 ounces, I think) of frozen tart cherries; squeeze agave nectar over them (can also use honey, or even sugar) 7) Heat the cherries and sweetener on high heat; you'll essentially be making a chunky syrup; stir with a heat-proof spatula (and smash the cherries, while you're at it, removing pits if you find any) 8) When your syrup thickens, distribute it among the seven yogurt jars 9) When your milk/chocolate mixture has cooled to approximately 110-115 degrees, stir in a packet of yogurt starter (I like to use the Yogourmet yogurt starter); again, use the immersion blender or hand mixer 10) Distribute the milk/chocolate mixture into the jars on top of the cherry syrup 11) Put the jars into the yogurt maker and turn it on 12) Shake one or two jars periodically (wait at least 5-6 hours before doing this) to see if the yogurt has set 13) Once the yogurt has set, put the lids on the jars and put them in the refrigerator for a few hours The instruction manual says it can take 10-12 hours to make yogurt with skim milk. I'd say this was fairly accurate. So leaving this running overnight is one option. I usually just run it on Sundays, when I'm home all day. All sorts of things can alter the incubation time, from add-ins to starting milk temperature, so I find that it is better to just check on the yogurt periodically than to assume an exact number of hours will get the job done. Also, don't keep homemade yogurt longer than about a week, for food safety reasons. Please note: This could, indeed, be used for making non-dairy yogurt. You would want a non-dairy yogurt starter (there's one from Belle + Bella) and you'd probably need to seek advice elsewhere on the web regarding incubation time, thickeners, etc. I have only used this to make dairy yogurt. Anyway, the YM-80 seems to have all the features I need. I'm happy with the purchase and looking forward to several years (at least) of heavy use.

I eat a lot of yogurt - I have been buying Fage at Costco and I can polish off a 1kg container (that's 35oz) in about 2-3 days. Even though I reuse the containers and recycle them when I can't use them anymore, I still worry about whether all the plastic I put in my recycle bin actually gets recycled. I have heard that a lot of it just goes to landfills anyway. So I wanted to make my own yogurt. I bought this particular yogurt maker because of the number of good reviews, and the price. It doesn't have a timer, and, like another reviewer, I like to have more control over the process. Having said that, I just opened up the lid of my first batch of yogurt and it is outstanding! I have tried making yogurt before: in the oven on low with the door open, with different fat-content milks, in my food dehydrator (it has a pretty precise temp control), and in a pan of warm water inside an ice chest. Nothing gave me yogurt - all I had was milk that tasted like it had a spoonful of yogurt in it. This batch is so good! I had intended to leave it for 12 hours, but I couldn't wait and just ate some after 8 hours and it's delicious. I'll leave the rest in for another few hours and see if it gets a little more tangy. Here's what I did: I poured 7 jars' worth of fat-free milk from a local dairy (not organic) into a large saucepan, added 1/2 cup (120ml) of dry, non-fat milk powder (I used Bob's Red Mill, a local company in Portland, Oregon) and heated this mixture to 185F degrees (85C). I let this mixture cool to about 95F degrees (32C) and added one jar's worth of Nancy's (another local company) non-fat yogurt. I mixed it well and poured it into the jars. I turned the maker on and tried not to hover over it! I did put the probe of my digital thermometer inside the compartment, next to the jars of yogurt and the temp was about 105-110F (40-43C) I thought the volume might be too much and the jars would overflow, but it all went into the jars and, like magic, I have yogurt! I read a blog last night about using some of your last batch of yogurt as a starter for the next batch and the blogger said (and I am paraphrasing here) he found that freezing a little of the previous batch to use as starter keeps the bacteria fresher and they work indefinitely. In microbiology terms, this makes sense - you just keep propagating the bacteria in the yogurt, but they can get "tired" if they have been in the fridge too long, and they can't do their buggy thing and reproduce like crazy. I probably eat enough yogurt, that mine will be ready for the Ironbacteria competition, but I will try the freezing thing if my yogurt comes out too runny. As with all my reviews, I will post an update after several months of use and let you know how the product is holding up. Update 5/20/2012: I am still making yogurt at least once a week from the same batch I started with and it still tastes good and is definitely not runny; the last batch was made from a jar that sat in the fridge for over a week before I had time to make another batch and the yogurt still turned out fine. I haven't had to try the freezing method. I am so happy with this purchase, I can't recommend it highly enough.

I purchased this unit, and have made 2 batches of yogurt with it. It works, and I have had no problems with it. I recommend that you DO NOT purchase one. Read why... I used to have an old Salton unit that I used every day, and I wanted to start making fresh yogurt, again, so I purchased this one. It was highly recommended. This unit makes almost 1 quart, split into 7 cups. The cups are small. They are not smooth inside, so are difficult to clean - they require a bottle brush and a lot of work to get clean. They are like baby food jars, with an indention around the bottom and an overhanging rim. Hard to explain, and hard to clean. leaves too much waste in the jar. It takes about 12 hours to make a batch. That's a long time. You have 2 good choices for making the yogurt.... 1 way is to use hot water (100degrees F), dry milk powder (1 1/4 the amount to make regular milk), and some plain yogurt from a previous batch (a couple of tablespoons will do.) Stir and or shake. pour into the cups, and put into the turned on machine. I like to have the lids on the jars (loosely), but they don't fit very well. Another review says to put a cloth under the cups and plastic wrap over the jars, then the top on the machine. Then wait 12 hours. Chill, add fruit when it's chilled. The other way is to heat milk to 180 - 200 degrees F, cool (put pan in cold water in the sink and stir works quickly), add plain yogurt to start (a couple of tablespoons is plenty, from a previous batch or fresh from store - both work fine.) Then pour into cups .... blah, blah, blah ... wait 12 hours, cool, presto - more yogurt. Oh, yeah, a meat thermometer works great to know the temperatures.. This is the easier, and in my opinion, THE WAY BETTER WAY -> -> -> Now, it turns out, (Thank you interweb searcher :) - that you can do either of these processes, and make larger quantities, for about the same energy cost. I like the second process - heat the milk (to 180-200F), cool (to 118F), add a bit of yogurt to start, pour into QUART Wide mouth Mason Jars (how many do you want? 2, 3, 4? 10? , put the tops on loosely, put them into the oven that you preheated to 200F then turned off while you were warming the milk. Put a full jar of HOT water into the oven with them (To keep them company? not really, to give more thermal mass so they stay warm). To have the yogurt come out super thick, I stir each jar at about 2 hours, and turn on the oven (at 200 degree setting), to warm it up a bit (for a minute or two only) I replace the HOT water in the water Jar, make sure the oven is really turned off, and wait another 2 hours. After a total of 4 hours (from when you first added the started yogurt), put the mason jars of yogurt into the fridge. When they are chilled, spoon out some of the best yogurt you have ever had. No fuss, no muss, no unhealthy additives, just pure yummy. Enjoy. Oh, sure, there are other ways, and the machines work, but this is my review, and this is MY opinion, and this WORKS GREAT, for me.

I have been looking for ways to "heal the gut" via cultured and fermented foods. I bought this Euro Cuisine YM80 based on the helpful Amazon reviews. I have not been disappointed. Lack of a timer or shut off was not a problem for me. I used store bought yogurt as my starter (Fage 2% plain) and it worked great. My first batch was an 8 hour culture, done in the jars that came with the unit. I used non-homogenized local milk. The result was sweetly creamy, not sour at all. Pretty tasty. I was pleased. The second batch was a 24 hour culture, using the same Fage starter and same milk. I used a Pyrex bowl, rather than the little jars. This batch was also very good, and was a bit tangier, which I liked. I chilled it for a day, and then decided to go Greek - straining it. (I saved the resulting whey for a smoothie.) I've read that a 24 hr culture produces a higher "good" bacteria count, and that it is nearly lactose free as a result of the long culture. (see SCD or GAPS diet references). Because that long culture needs to be at a fairly low temperature, and I've read that this unit runs hot, I followed the advice of those who have gone before me, and at the time of purchase, also bought a Lutron TT-300H-WH Electronics Plug-In Lamp Dimmer. I adjusted the slider on the dimmer down just a smidge, and the resulting temp was maintained at about 105 degrees F. So, thanks to those who recommended that. I do not agree with some reviewers who thought that the plastic lid on this thing is unattractive (they substituted an inverted glass bowl). I think it looks nice. I do agree that the lids don't screw on tightly, and they will probably leak if they travel in a lunch box and don't stand upright. Yes, there is condensation, and the lid does concentrate the drips onto the center jar, or center of a large batch bowl. No big deal, I just touch the corner of a paper towel to the little puddle, and it goes away. I think the ideal yogurt maker would be the Brod and Taylor folding bread proofing box, but I didn't have $149 to spend. With that unit, you could make large batches of yogurt, or even kefir (as well as bread, of course), set the desired temperature, and fold it flat for storage. BUT, for the money, this Yogurt Maker is a great buy, and the lamp dimmer is under $10 on Amazon, if you want to go that route.

El producto es muy bueno, solo me gustaría saber dónde puedo conseguir más frascos cuando se rompe uno.

Product arrived in excellent condition. The only thing I didn't realise, was that it won't work on the UK electrics. If it had worked with our electrical system it would have been just what I wanted.

This product doesn't work in Singapore voltage and it shouldn't even be listed here. Questions & Answers was misleading stating it would work, but it was a total failure when it came as it is designed for 110V. I tried to contact the seller with no success.

I purchased this yoghurt maker only to find it will not work in AUSTRALIA. I contacted the seller who agreed for me to return the item. I printed out the sellers return label and went to the Post Office. At the Post office i was informed that it would cost more to return the item than I paid for it. Contacted the seller asking would they refund the postage charges. NO REPLY FROM SELLER, THEIR YOGHURT MAKER NO CONSIGNED TO GARBAGE BIN. BE AWARE.

I received my Euro Cuisine yogurt maker two days ago. I bought the milk and a greek yogurt with no additives to use as a starter. So yesterday I made my first bath. I was super easy. The user guide explains how to do it. So my batch finished last night and I put in the fridge overnight. This morning, it was like pudding. It was soooo delicious and creamy. I did not add anything to it to eat it. I ate right out of the jar provided. 10 out of 10 for sure. Do not hesitate if you want to make your own yogurt. I need to start make my own, sugar-free, no additives yogurt to try to heal an autoimmune disease I have. This makes it so easy.