Cuisipro Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker
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List Price: Our Price: $49.91 You Save: $0.09 (0%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $40.00 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisipro Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker
Customer Review: If I could change my rating now, it'd be 3 stars....
Summary: 5 Stars
EDIT:// OK. So it's been about two or three months now. And the general conclusion is that it works, but the big clear plastic cover for the machine is now like a foggy white and feels sticky. Most likely, it is a chemical reaction between the plastic, the yogurt, and the heat. Whatever it is, it is DISGUSTING and impossible to clean. It doesn't necessarily hinder the overall functioning, but the machine is NOT worth $50 if it is going to get dirty so fast. I cannot recommend buying this for $50 until this issue is fixed.
//:EDIT
I've used it three times now in the past month and I think it's pretty fabulous.
PROs:
They include extra lids which was thoughtful because I ended up needing one later.
The instruction manual is short, simple and easy to follow (had english and french translations).
It works. The yogurt tastes better and fresher than the commercial yogurt I used as a starter.
CONs:
The caps are hard to open (although it is easier when you run water over the cup/cap)
The first batch you make will not be perfect; my first batch was not solid enough because I used just 2% milk and culture. The second try, using whole milk and Stonyfield Organic Plain Whole Milk Yogurt (as starter), was perfect.
The thermometer included is useless, so I just used a regular kitchen one.
The temperature in the maker apparently isn't ideally consistent, but it hasn't affected the quality of the yogurt so far.
Definitely a good buy. I use it twice a week now. I haven't used this long enough to judge the long-term worth of this yogurt maker, but I like it so far and will review it again maybe at the end of the year. We'll see if it's still as good then.
Customer Review: Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt maker
Summary: 4 Stars
After 4 unsuccessful batches: from sour to runny texture, I hit the sweet spot and here is the foolproof method of making yogurt:
Ingredients:
Depending on the type of yogurt you want to make: either sour or sweet (Activia Vanilla style)
For sour yogurt use whole milk.
For sweet yogurt, use Condensed Milk (1 can) and 1 to 2 cup of Dry powder Milk.
I like sweet yogurt so I used Condensed milk.
Process:
Boil water (I use tap water). Take it off the stove and add the condensed milk and 1 to 2 cups of powder dry milk. Stir well. Place the included thermometer in and wait until the red line falls between the 2 vertical red settings on the thermometer. Now add the cultured yogurt (either from old can or the Activia Vanilla). Stir well. Fill all the containers and place them in the maker wells.
Now comes the important facts which will make your yogurt either firm or watery: set the timer for 14 hours (yes 14 and not 12). Place a towel over the top lid to keep the heat inside and uniform.
Voila after 14 hours you will get good and yummy yogurt.
What did I get wrong the first times:
1. Using whole milk make sour yogurt ( make sense because the yogurt is sour by nature, and whole milk is either plain or very mildly sweet). Condensed milk is sweet would fix that.
2. Set too little time: any period below 14 hours will not make the texture firm. I set either 10 to 12, and that led to failure.
3. Place a towel over the top lid of the Donvier maker will both keep the heat inside, and spread it more evenly.
Once you follow these steps making yogurt is very easy.
The tight lids lose 1 star: they are so unnecessary tight that it takes strong hand to pop them.
Customer Review: The gift that keeps on giving!
Summary: 5 Stars
A friend got me this yogurt maker for Christmas, after thoughtfully remembering that I'd been fantasizing about making my own yogurt for a while. I'd read all the online literature on how to make yogurt without an electronic maker, but from what I'd read, it seemed results varied widely using a low-tech method. Needless to say, I was thrilled to peel back the wrapping paper and find this shiny new incubator!
I wasn't sure how my first batch would turn out. I made it with 1% milk, no milk powder, and used an organic brand of yogurt (the kind i spent almost $4 a week buying in quarts) as starter. It was easy enough to prepare, though I didn't stir the milk enough when it was heating and cooling, so a few skins formed on top, which I then stirred back in. In the future, I'd recommend stirring (as the directions state) occasionally. The labeled thermometer eliminated guesswork. I poured the milk mixture into the eight little cups, set the timer for 10 hours, and by the evening, I had eight thick cups of yogurt to put in the fridge to cool.
The texture was great! Perhaps a bit looser than commercial brands, but certainly not runny. The yogurt was delicious and fresh, and I'd hazard to say it's the best I've had! I've since made several successful batches, and because it's "my" yogurt, I'm finding more creative uses for it in cooking. Last night I used it to make a creamy roasted red pepper pasta sauce. Delicious!
If you love to cook or spend almost $4 a week buying yogurt, this is a great addition to your kitchen! It will pay for itself in no time at all!
Customer Review: The BEST yogurt I've ever tasted!
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit, I was skeptical. Over the years, I've eaten so much yogurt; in the last two years, I've switched to plain yogurt as most others have so much sugar. It's hard to find plain yogurt that tastes great--both the taste and the texture have to be just so. The best-tasting option I've found is a brand sold at Whole Foods; it's expensive, and it seems that the full-fat version is the only kind with the right texture.
When I read the book "French Girls Don't Get Fat", I thought I'd give homemade yogurt a try and save a little money (sort of like buying an espresso machine, rather than buying a $3 latte at Starbucks every day!)
Yesterday I made my first batch with the Donvier Yogurt Maker. First of all, it's SO simple. Three ingredients: Milk, milk powder, and starter (I used 2T of my regular brand). Four simple steps:
1. Stir the milk powder into the milk (I used non-fat milk, and the non-fat milk powder makes the yogurt creamier)
2. Heat the milk until it almost boils
3. Cool the milk till it reaches 110--simple to gauge, using the thermometer included with the machine--then add the starter
4. Pour into the cups, and let the machine do its work!
I mixed the batch up in the morning, and by the evening I could move the cups to the fridge to chill. This morning I was treated to fresh yogurt; the creamiest, freshest tasting yogurt I've ever had, and it was non-fat with NO additives!
I highly recommend this machine. If you like yogurt, you'll love what you can make at home with the Donvier!
Customer Review: Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Maker is great! I love it!
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this unit last week and have now made two batches. The first batch was with 1 Qt 2% milk, 1/3 C instant non fat dry milk and 2 rounded tablespoons of Publix brand plain yogurt (had 5 active cultures). After reading through all the reviews I decided to incubate 11 hours instead of the manufacturers recommended 10. The yogurt was very smooth, creamy and firm. I found it very tart, but with honey and jam mixed in it was very good! Both my children enjoyed eating the yogurt. I also want to note that the above recipe only filled 7 of the 8 containers.
I read more reviews and did some on-line research and found that the longer you incubate the yogurt the more tart the yogurt will be. So I decided to try a different approach with my second batch...
The second batch was made with 1 Qt non-fat milk, 8 0z whole milk, 1/3 C instant non-fat dry milk and 1/2 C Stoneyfield Farms Plain Yogurt (which has 6 active cultures). I set the timer to 9 hours and the results were great. The yogurt was still smooth, creamy and firm (which I was worried about because of the lessened cooking time) and it was noticeably less tart. Because I had added the extra amount of milk all the yogurt containers were full this time around.
I am very pleased with this yogurt maker, and am excited to keep fine tuning the recipe to find just the right combination.
I did go ahead and order two additional sets of the yogurt containers as the yogurt didn't last long and it will be nice to make batches when the supply starts depleting.