Yogurt maker - how to choose the best? Selection criteria, rating

Yogurt maker is a household appliance designed for the manufacture of dairy products at home. With it, you can get delicious and nutritious yogurt, kefir or sour cream with lots of vitamins and beneficial lactobacilli, and most importantly - their composition will always be completely natural, without harmful dyes and preservatives. How to choose a good one will be described in this article.

Today, such a useful technique as a yogurt maker is gaining more and more popularity among people who monitor their health and try to eat properly. The stores have a wide range of different models of these devices, and if you are thinking of buying one of them in soon, but have not yet decided which one you need, we will be happy to give you tips on how to choose and what is important to know for of this.

What is a yogurt maker and how does it work

Any yogurt maker is a bowl with thick walls and a transparent lid, inside which there are containers for finished yogurt or other sour-milk products. Warm milk is poured into special cups that are included with the device, and ferment containing live bacteria is also added there. Then you need to turn on the yogurt maker, after which it will warm the mixture to 40 degrees and will maintain this temperature until the product is completely cooked. It is important to know that the best models never violate the cooking technology and always comply with the set temperature.

What is needed for

Modern people who prefer a healthy diet, enjoy using a yogurt maker for various reasons:

• almost all fermented milk products in the store contain dyes and preservatives that can cause an allergic reaction, therefore, many decide to use cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir of their own making and resort to the help of this household instrument;
• in a good yogurt maker, very healthy and tasty foods are prepared for the nutrition of children of any age;
• if a person has diseases of the digestive tract, using this apparatus you can produce high-quality food that will not harm health;
• those who want to lose weight can prepare low-calorie yogurt for themselves, for this it is enough to simply choose milk for the future delicacy with a low percentage of fat content;
• for people with diabetes, a yogurt maker is an indispensable tool in cooking fermented milk products that you can subsequently safely consume and not worry about health.

What are

These devices are divided into two types of work:

1. Yogurt makers thermoses. Here, the product cups slowly heat up to the required temperature, usually around 60 degrees. After that, the device turns off, and since it has a strong thermal insulation of the case, heat remains for a long time inside, due to which the growth of sour milk bacteria occurs. The product is cooked in such a yogurt maker quite quickly, in about 5 hours, and in apparatuses of another type in 8-10 hours. The only negative is the high cost of such models.
2. Devices at a constant heating temperature. After starting work, the temperature in the yogurt maker quickly reaches 40 degrees and lasts until the shutdown. The advantage of units of this type is that it can be placed in any size cups or jars. Unfortunately, the drawback of these models is the rapid heating, because of which the temperature of the cooked product can increase significantly, and its quality will not meet your expectations. In addition, there is no timer for automatic shutdown.

Units differ in the number of containers included in them:

1. 
   A yogurt maker that comes with several cups. The apparatus may contain from 4 to 15 cups. Such a device can be useful in the house where a large family lives, and in each of the containers you can cook yogurt of different composition and taste. This variety is considered a big plus, and the disadvantage of such models is the long washing of dishes after use;
2. An apparatus containing one container. The capacity of the bowl of this device is from 1 to 1.5 liters. This model is suitable for those who plan to cook a large amount of yogurt, cottage cheese, cream and quickly use it for eating or making confectionery. The advantage of this yogurt maker is the receipt of a large amount of product, the disadvantage is the inability to prepare different recipes in one session.

Yogurt makers can also have cups of different materials, which are:

• glass - such dishes exclude the possible likelihood of the release of substances harmful to health during the preparation of the product. But if the glass breaks, you have to replace it with some other one, because they are not sold separately from the yogurt maker;
• plastic - these cups are made of food-grade plastic, which is completely safe when heated and can withstand low and fairly high temperatures. Plastic containers are convenient and lightweight, unlike glass ones they do not break and wash well.

How to choose a good model and what is important to know

Before you go to the store to choose such a household appliance for yourself, it is important to study the main parameters in order to choose the best and most convenient yogurt maker that is right for you.

Here's what you should pay attention to before buying an electrical appliance:

1. Power. Despite the fact that all yogurt makers work the same way, the most reliable device with a capacity of about 8-18 watts will be the most reliable. It should be remembered that the power of the device does not affect the quality of the finished product, its taste and shelf life, this only indicates the degree of energy consumed.
2. Management method. The mechanical control method is presented in the form of two rotary switches on the front of the device. Using the first, you can adjust the cooking time, the second usually controls the maintenance of a certain temperature. On a model with electronic control, you must first set a certain operating time on the scoreboard, in addition, here there is a timer, thanks to which the device can turn off automatically when cooking approaches the end. A yogurt maker without control starts working immediately after connecting to the network, and when the yogurt is ready, you just need to unplug the plug.
3. Capacities for products. You can choose a model without glasses with one large container with a volume of about 1.5 liters. But nevertheless, a device having a certain amount of containers will be more convenient to use. In most cases, the kit includes 5-8 containers with lids, their volume can be different, from 100 grams to 200 grams. The material of the dishes is preferable to choose from plastic rather than glass, since such cups will be much more convenient to use.

Additional functions

It is important to pay attention to the options of the device to determine whether you will use them or not, since the price of an electronic device may be higher due to the presence of any special functions.

This home appliance may have the following additional services:

• Depending on the cost and the manufacturer’s company, the electronic device may contain functions: automatic shutdown, sound signal about completion of work, light indicators;
• Many cup models have lid compartments. Here you can mark the date of manufacture of the product, the expiration date, storage temperature;
• there are devices in which the cord is folded into a separate storage compartment, it is very convenient when using;
• if you choose a device where cottage cheese is additionally cooked, a large bowl will go to the kit for convenience of cooking;
• if desired, you can buy a yogurt maker-ice cream maker. In this machine you can cook two versions of different dishes. There are also models that work as double boiler.

Useful tips when choosing

1. Before choosing a good device that meets all expectations, you need to decide which of the additional features will really be necessary for you. Do not overpay for a model that contains many different options that you will never use.
2. If you choose inexpensive equipment, there is the opportunity to face a frequent problem of overheating of the product.
3. The device with automatic shutdown is very convenient. Here it is possible to start the cooking process in the evening, and then in the morning a freshly prepared product will be waiting for you. But do not forget that the finished yogurt should not be in the appliance for a long time, since all useful sour-milk bacteria can die, so you need to store it in the refrigerator.
4. A timer is a necessary function, thanks to it the product is obtained the way it should be - thick, delicate and tasty.
5. The shape and color of the device can be selected in accordance with your preferences, this is only an aesthetic indicator.
6. It is best to purchase a model with cups and an additional container, especially if you plan to cook cottage cheese and liquid products.
7. It should be borne in mind that such a multifunctional device as an ice cream yogurt maker is very convenient in use, but it is likely that when you try to combine two different dishes, they may suffer quality.
8. When buying, try to give preference to well-known brands such as Philips, Vitek, Mulinex, because devices made by unknown manufacturers may not be the best quality.

Browse Popular Models

Moulinex YG 1001

One of the most popular and high-quality models, which has a fairly high rating on the home appliance market. Moulinex yogurt maker is very popular among buyers, many housewives trust this brand.

This device with electronic control and constant heating, 7 glass cups of 160 ml each are included. There are 3 cooking modes - 8, 10 and 12 hours, as well as an additional function for cooking cottage cheese.

Pluses of the model - the presence of a timer up to 12 hours, cons - the lack of a screen. The price is about 3 thousand. rubles.

Tefal YG 260132

Tefal brand models are very popular among buyers in our country. This appliance has a relatively low price and very good quality. You can choose and buy such a yogurt maker in both regular and online stores.

The unit has mechanical control, the volume of its bowl - 1750 ml, power - 40 W, 2 cooking modes (yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, kefir).

The advantages of the device include the presence of a large container with a very convenient shape, display and timer for 12 hours. The disadvantages include the lack of glasses for yogurt. The cost of the unit today is 3290 rubles.

REDMOND M5401

The REDMOND brand yogurt maker also does not lag behind competitors. This quality model can often be found in the sale of household appliances stores.

The device has a metal case, electronic control with a display. Power - 50 watts. The kit also includes 8 containers of 180 grams.

The advantages are the ability to set the date on the cups and the presence of a timer for 12 hours. Cons of the device - jars with a small volume. The price of the device is about 2800 rubles.

Vitek VT-2602

Devices of this brand are widely known and are in great demand among buyers of household appliances. Vitek yogurt makers are among the highest quality and most reliable.

The body of the unit is made of plastic, power - 12 watts. There are 6 glass jars of 165 ml each. Electronic control, there is a timer up to 19 hours.

Pluses of the model - 4 additional containers for the preparation of cottage cheese, a book with recipes is also attached. Of the minuses - the possibility of overheating of more than 50 degrees. The price of the appliance is about 5 thousand. rubles.

Philips HD 9141/00

The unit is very good quality from a trusted manufacturer. This model is universal and quite easy to manage.

The device is very powerful and multifunctional, equipped with a double boiler function, has 5 cooking modes, a timer, and an automatic shutdown. The set includes 6 glass cups of 150 ml each, as well as a filter. Here you can also prepare yogurt in a bowl with a volume of 2 liters.

With the help of such an electrical appliance you can always cook fermented milk products and a variety of desserts, spending a minimum of your time. The price of this device is about 8 thousand. rubles.

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