Yoghurt maker?

As long as you buy live yoghurt as a starter it is easy to make your own with no special equipment required.
Google it or use YouTube.
Even if you don't intend making your own please always buy live yoghurt. Waitrose does the delicious Collective range and Lidl do the exact same product at half the price under their Deluxe Gourmet title.
Live yoghurt helps balance your gut biome. Do Google that. With a good gut biome your health is immeasurably improved.

I know some like the reliability of a yoghourt maker, but this is my method:
I buy Yeo Valley yoghourt, maybe once every 4-6 weeks. Inbetween I do this:
Heat 500ml. semi / skimmed milk to 82 degC.
Whisk in 3 tablespoons dried milk to thicken it
Cool to 43 degC - I do this whilst doing other cooking or kitchen tasks, so not onerous.
Whisk in 3 tablespoons yoghourt.
I rinse out a wide-neck thermos with boiling water to warm and sterilise the thermos, then pour in the yoghourt mix and leave for 12-15 hours.
You can keep doing this for quite awhile, but eventually you may find the yoghourt gets tainted - that's why I buy a fresh yoghourt when I do a Co-op shop.
As I have a thermometer and wide-mouth thermos to hand, and use dried milk to make porridge, this is easier for me than having another gadget - it may not be the same for everyone.

Luckygirl

Does anyone have one of these? Are they any good.

Yoghurts are my main source of calcium as I do not like ordinary milk and cannot have cheese because of migraines. I am always running out of yogs and it might be helpful to be able to make my own.

I agree with other posters that they aren't necessary but I use one. All it actually does is heat the milk to correct temperature, but if you use UHT milk (so there is no need to sterilise the milk before starting) all you need to do is mix the UHT with a bit of live yoghurt (which can be from the previous batch) and leave it for 8 hours/overnight roughly.

I'm not normally a fan of the taste of UHT, although that seems to have improved, but I've been doing it this way for years now.

I bought one from Lakeland a few months ago after asking the same question here and love it .
Simple to use and clean . I make 1.5 litres of Organic yogurt from Duchy full fat milk using a new Yeo pot as a starter every 4th time .
Thicken with a couple of heaped spoons of dried milk at the heating stage .
Personally I didn’t like the UHT milk version , thinner consistency, but it does save the heating process.

I have a Yoghourt maker which I very rarely use. It is Vonshef and has 7 glass jars to make the Yoghourt in. You need 1 litre of whole or low fat milk which you need to boil first, then let it cool before using. You add powder milk if you want it thicker. For a starter culture you can use a tub of natural Yoghourt with a live lactobacillus culture.

I found 7 jars too much really and I can’t get it as thick as I would like. I am now into thick Greek Yoghourt. Also I found it difficult to flavour it - using jam, juice, drink etc never tasted as nice as boughten ones.

I also bought the Lakeland yogurt maker and recommend it. I make it to the Greek yogurt stage as I prefer it to be thick and creamy. I much prefer taste to bought ones. I do find it a pain heating and cooling to correct temperatures though. I buy a new live yogurt about every 4 weeks.

I have had the same one - seven little glass jars for about 20 years and use it all the time . I use Long life organic whole milk , “Moo” I think tastes best (other makes available ) add a teaspoon of a live full fat organic natural yogurt to each jar and top up with the milk ,no need to heat . Put it in the machine and switch on for 7-10 hours -simple! I have it every morning with fruit and muesli . You can use the yogurt to make the next batch 4-5 times then buy a new pot . DGC love it having their own little jar with fruit or jam added .

I've got the Easiyo maker and it's great. Dead simple to use and delicious yoghurt next morning.

I have purchased an Easiyo - I will see how I get on with it. The mixes look a bit pricey, but I will try to begin with and then try it without the mixes.

Thanks for all the ideas - much appreciated.

I have a much-used Lakeland yogurt maker. I use Moo organic full fat milk. As a starter I’ve found that Fage full fat yogurt is the best. I sometimes strain the resultant yogurt through a muslin and that makes it thicker still.

I have got an easy yo too and its great. yes the mixes aren't ceap but they have a long shelf life and you don't have to worry about not having milk to make it. The plain greek is my favourite, very creamy and tasty, not low fat but lower than the full fat greek in the supermarket and once made it keeps well in the fridge. I use it as a condiment and a savoury food ingredient as well as a dessert.

I have both the Easiyo and the Hansells yoghurt makers. I use both the Easiyo and hansells dried yoghurt sachets greek varieties.

Hi I have an Easiyo yogurt maker and it’s wonderful. So easy and quick to do and yes initially the prices of the mixes seem a bit pricey, but when you work it out (as long as you only have the normal amount that you’d get in a shop bought yogurt ) it’s not bad. It’s easy to have a larger amount as it’s tasty. There’s no messing around with it and they’re tasty

We use both EasyYo and Hansells powder in an EasyYo container we have had for years. To be honest, if you're just making the plain variety, you only need a fraction of the quantity it says on the packet (most of it is milk powder anyway) so I would just suggest experimenting. You can also add extra (cheap) milk powder to get a thick greek style yogurt.

I don't know why anyone bothers to mess around with thermometers etc, when the EasyYo and Hansells containers make excellent yoghurt using only a sachet of mix (mostly milk powder + starter powder) a top-up with cold water and some boiling water for the outer container, then leave overnight. The Greek Yoghurt with honey is delicious, but the others are good to.

I lived on St Helena before they had an airport. Goods came by boat every 6 weeks and the yoghurts ran out in the shops after a week. So, I was gifted an easiyo and made my own. Simple process, great yoghurt. I gifted it to another expat when I left the island.

I endorse the Easiyo yoghurt maker. I 'discovered' it while visiting my sister in NZ twenty years ago and was delighted to find it available in Lakeland. I always use the un-flavoured sachets and add my own mix of fruit - usually banana and/or blueberry.

I love the Greek yoghurt with coconut and have always stirred in a generous extra spoonful of coconut, at the beginning. Delish!

Me too, I have an easyYo now. Very easy to use compared to the electric ones with little pots, which I used to have…

I love my Easiyo - first tried it years ago in the Falkand Islands where food deliveries could be limited. The sachets are a bit pricey but once made it lasts in the fridge for over a week. They have lots of types. We've just finished a creme brûlée flavour. Yummy!

Luckygirl I have been using an Easiyo yogurt maker for 4 years. My main tip is have a digital thermometer and once you fill the container half way with water before adding the powder take the temperature of the water. The yogurt mixes will not be work unless the temperature is between 15-20°c. In the summer the tap temperature is usually ok. But in the autumn,winter and spring you will need to add a bit of boiled water to raise the temperature. I have tried the flavoured mixes don't like them. So always use Greek style unsweetened low fat mix. Each mix makes kilo of yogurt and can keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. I have yogurt everyday for pud after dinner. I stew frozen or fresh fruits usually a kilo at a time and sweeten with low cal granular sweetener. It keeps in the fridge and stir some into my yogurt.