I recently decided to start making my own yogurt, but my first few tries yielded pretty disappointing results.
That all changed this week, when Easiyo sent me their yogurt maker and a packet of starter for their Natural Yogurt Base and Culture. Thanks to the Easiyo Yogurt Maker, I am finally making yogurt that I actually want to eat!
At first, I was dubious about making yogurt with a packet of powder, but then I did a little research and read the ingredients. Turns out that the Easiyo packet included only powdered milk (from happy, pastured New Zealand cows, no less), yogurt starter bacteria, and a tiny bit of soy lecithin to help the milk powder dissolve more easily. Easiyo makes a whole range of flavored yogurt bases, all gluten and wheat free.
I was impressed with how easy it was to make yogurt with the Easiyo machine. When making yogurt in the traditional manner, you need to heat up milk to 180 degrees, then cool it down before adding yogurt cultures. With the Easiyo, you just shake up a container of yogurt base and cold water, place it in a big, insulated container, and then cover the whole thing with boiling water and leave it alone for 8 to 12 hours. At this point, the yogurt must be chilled in the fridge for a few hours, and then it’s ready to eat.
As for how the yogurt tastes? I’ve never had anything better, and I think I’m hooked! It is more tart and flavorful than store-bought, and turns very creamy when stirred. I topped mine with honey and blueberries for a light and simple breakfast.
Sounds like a great way to make your own yogurt! Does it come with ideas and ways to add flavors, or do you just add it after the yogurt is made?
They do sell vanilla and fruit-flavored mixes, as well as shelf-stable fruit add-ins that are to be added after the yogurt is made. If you were packing your yogurt into small jars or tupperwares, you could certainly put a spoonful of jam on the bottom, for a “fruit on the bottom” style treat.
I would love to try to make my own yogurt! How much was the maker?
The Easiyo Yogurt Maker is available on Amazon.com for $24.95. The mixes are a little pricey, but you can use a half cup or so of the yogurt with fat free powdered milk for subsequent batches! I tried it last night for batch #2 — worked great.
Ok, I am really thinking about getting one of these but I was worried about the price of the mixes, I might just try your way. Is it worth the money to just get the maker part though? Is it that much easier than just doing it on the stove (if I dont buy the mix).?
Hi Guys we moved to NZ (home of easi-yo) a couple of years ago. They are everywhere all the supermarkets carry them. But it is actually really easy to use the easi-yo maker without having to rely on the sachets which are pretty expensive. If you lightly boil a litre of Milk (this kills off any bacteria in the milk) Then allow it to cool till its lukewarm Between 32-42C is what your aiming for if you have a thermometer. till its blood warmth if you don’t stick in your little finger it shouldn’t be hot or cold. Then add a tablespoon or two of natural yoghurt (this introduces the bacteria you want in yoghurt in to the mix). Then use the easi-yo as you would normally and you get yoghurt. Remember to keep 2 tablespoons as the starter for your next batch. I tend to find that after 8-10 batches the bacteria seem to die off, so i just buy a nice new small tup (150g) of natural yoghurt and I’m off again.
Natural yoghurt is relatively runny, not like the shop bought ones as they add thickners. If you want a thicker yoghurt mix a little of the warm milk with a few table spoons of whole milk powder and then stir it in to the milk. The more milk powder you use the thicker the yoghurt.
You can do the same with goats or sheeps milk but due to the structural differences it doesn’t thicken as well.
There you go easy, cheap, and natural. My kids love with a spoonful of stewed fruit or jam
Hi, I hope you get this question!! You said to use the easiyo the same way as normal once you have heated the milk and added the starter. Do you mean you still add boiling water to the easiyo? I have tried so many times and it just won’t work. Any advice would be really great thank you.
Tania (UK)
hi sorry no just warm the milk add the yoghurt when its lukewarm and then add the hot water to the yoghurt maker not to the milk. Sorry.
This is so cool! I never even considered it! For making something like vanilla or chocolate yogurt, when would you put the flavoring in? Or would you just use a flavored packet?
Thanks for sharing this information, totally makes me want to go out and get one. I’ve had enough of those little cups and their carbon cup-print.
http://www.thebitchstoppedcooking.blogspot.com
I think for making a flavored yogurt, the best thing to to would be to add the flavoring :after: you make your plain yogurt. Just make a simple syrup and steep it with a vanilla pod, or make homemade chocolate syrup and mix it into the yogurt to taste. Thanks for the yummy flavor ideas!
I am planning on using goat milk and store bought full yogurt – do I still need to add the powdered milk and is there a recipe out there for milk and store bought yogurt – thanks – Goatlady
As I said the goats yoghurt doesn’t thicken as easily as the cows milk. So add 3-4 tablespoons of dried milk powder to the warm milk before making and that will help a bit. Shop bought goats yoghurt often use gellatin to thicken. The goats milk yoghurt does make great frozen yoghurt though!!!!
Julie the actual maker is pretty basic as an insulated tub. Its easy to clean so check ut ebay as you may find a second hand one there. They have no parts to break so you can by without too much worry. The only thing you will need is the 1litre screw top jar to go inside it. See my comment about using without the sachets. then it only costs you the price of the milk (and the milk powder if you want a thicker yoghurt).
I just bought one NEW on eBay for 22.96 shipping included and other goodies thrown in! In SEARCH on ebay put in: Easiyo yogurt maker and you can buy it new for 10.00 plus 12.96 shipping.
I just looked again on eBay and they (bbmdirect10) have ‘more than 10 available’. I assume they have lots because when I bought mine it said ‘more then 10 available’ and the number didn’t go to 9 after I bought mine. It is also a kit so it doesn’t hurt to check it out.
I have been reading tons of reviews on yogurt makers and after much consideration I decided to go with the Easiyo. Also, at this price, I can’t go wrong!
I also just ordered a soy milk/rice milk maker – super cool products!
Good to know, liz, sounds like you got a great deal! I still use my Easiyo all the time.
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