The Best Yogurt Makers

Yogurt is a fun, healthy snack. If you are health conscious and would rather skip the preservatives in yogurts that are sold in stores, a yogurt machine is one of the best appliances you can purchase for your kitchen. Not only can you make a healthier finished product, but you also will gain control over the flavors and ingredients you want to use. What you’ll end up with is a yogurt that is creamier, has more protein and none of the GML’s, artificial flavors or extra sugars you want to avoid.

Making Yogurt Isn’t A Fast Process

When you make yogurt, you have to think of it in the same way you think of a slow cooker. You can’t make a batch of fresh yogurt in an hour, so you have to plan ahead. A large batch of yogurt can take half the day or longer. Yogurt making machines are designed to keep the milk and starter mixtures you use to make the yogurt at a constant temperature at all times as it ferments.

So we can promise you you can’t expect instant gratification when it comes to making yogurt at home, but the wait is worth it.

There Are Many Types of Yogurt Makers

Yogurt Makers Come In Different Sizes

One of the key differences in yogurt making machines is their size. Most yogurt makers are designed to make one batch of yogurt at a time. The average size of each batch is 1-2 quarts. This is something that is important to take into consideration when you look for a yogurt maker. By definition, the product you are making doesn’t have preservatives, so if your maker makes too large of a batch, you may end up in a situation where some of your yogurt ends up spoiling and going to waste.

For that reason, if you don’t eat a lot of yogurts, you won’t want a large yogurt maker. On the flip side of that equation, if you have a large family and they eat lots of yogurts, you certainly don’t want to get too small of a unit, as your family will always be frustratedly waiting for the next batch of yogurt to finish.

There Are Many Designs Of Yogurt Makers

There are also many designs when it comes to Yogurt Makers. When you look for the perfect yogurt maker for your household, one thing you may want to consider is a yogurt maker that is made for flexibility. For instance, if you buy a machine that lets you put small-batch jars into it for heating and fermentation, you can prepare smaller services of different flavors all at once. This gives you the ultimate ability to get flavorful variations. 

There are also a few designs of yogurt machines out there that give you the choice of making a large batch, or smaller batches, as you desire.

You Can Choose Automated Of Manual

This may seem like an obvious choice in machines, but it does warrant some consideration. You can get an automated “set it and walk away” machine, or you can choose a more manual model that gives you the ability to take part in the yogurt marking process. For instance, you can choose the temperature the yogurt will be made at, how long you want it to ferment, etc.

You Can Do More Than Just Yogurt In A Yogurt Maker

Lastly, as an added bonus, there are even yogurt makers that are designed to not only make great yogurt, but also can dobule as pressure cookers or slow cookers. If you want a versatile machine, or have limited space available in your kitchen, one of these versatile machines might be just what you need.

The Best Yogurt Makers

So with that in mind, let’s get started on our list of the best yogurt makers.

Cuisinart CYM-100 Electronic Yogurt Maker

This yogurt maker is great because it is self-cooling. That means if “life happens” and let’s say for instance you get stuck late at work, your batch of yogurt you had going for hours won’t go bad sitting in the machine while you rush to get home. Additionally, it also allows you to set the fermenting time that your specific recipe requires. This makes this machine both versatile and convenient.

Price-wise, this yogurt maker is a little bit on the high end of the pricing scale, but it’s large (you can make 1 ½ quarts per batch), and as with all Cuisinart products, it is very aesthetically pleasing and works exceptionally well.

Simply add your ingredients, push the start button and the machine does the rest. It makes perfect yogurt, every time and keeps it cool until you shut the machine off. Even better, after you are done making your batch of yogurt, the unit is exceptionally easy to clean as well.

Dash Greek Yogurt Maker

If your goal is to only make the perfect Greek Yogurt, this unit is perfect for exactly that purpose. An Amazon’s Choice product, this unit is not as automatic as other models on the market, but it will produce a great product. You need to heat up the milk first before you start the yogurt making process, and once the yogurt is done and chilled, you’ll have to straining out the yogurt’s whey. They were keen on functionality though and the whey strainer attaches directly to the Dash’s container, making it simple.

This unit is small and much less expensive than many other yogurt makers on the market, so it makes for a very attractive option. One drawback you may encounter is each container (the unit comes with two) holds only roughly 1 ½ quarts and you will lose some during the whey straining process. It does have convenient, adjustable timers and a great set of instructions to get you started and on your way.

Instant Pot DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Maker

As noted at the beginning of this article, one great versatile feature of yogurt makers on the market is that some do more than just yogurt. The Instant Pot is just that. It’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, sauté pot, steamer and warmer. Basically, this pot does it all.

To make yogurt you just heat the milk inside the pot, add your starter and set the fermenting time, just as you would with any other unit. You will get awesome delicious results every time. This unit is amazing. The only downsides to it would be it’s size if you have a small kitchen, and it’s price, as it’s a little bit on the expensive side. Other than that, this unit truly does it all.