Salton YM9 1-Quart Yogurt Maker
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Our Price: $169.95 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Salton YM9 1-Quart Yogurt Maker
Customer Review: Makes excellent yogurt but doesn't have a timer!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this based upon the excellent reviews, low price, and the fact that my kids seem to think eating yoplait is cost-free and their birthright. My kids can devour a case of yoplait in about 2 days if I let them, or 3-4 if I ration it, so I needed some way to control the costs and also improve the nutritional value. There are no fillers or unhealthy added ingredients when you make it yourself.
This yogurt that I made was so incredible and great that my husband who does not eat yogurt at a big bowl, and my kids asked me to make more for tomorrow. We mixed in some berry jam and natural sugar free sweetener (stevia), then topped it with fresh sliced strawberries. It was the most amazing dessert. It tasted like an exquisite French dessert and I can see why immigrants to the USA complain about the yogurt... there is no comparison between store bought and what I made.
Although the instructions state that you need a flavor-free yogurt, my first yogurt did turn out very well using Stonybrook Farms French Vanilla yogurt. I don't know why you are supposed to only use plain yogurt as a starter, but mine worked fine with the french vanilla.
Here's the rundown on how this machine works. First, you have to heat up 4 cups of milk and 1/4 cup of dry powdered milk in a saucepan over medium to medium high until it reaches around 180 degrees. This DOES NOT come with a thermometer so you may need to order a candy thermometer when you order the yogurt maker if you are not good at guaging temperatures. It's very important to NOT boil the milk. Then you have to let it cool at room temp or in the refrigerator until it reaches 100-110 degrees. Anything over that will kill the yogurt cultures that you are about to add. Below that, they won't activate. Then you take 1/2 cup of starter or plain yogurt with live active cultures and a bit of the milk and stir. Then that gets added to the saucepan of lukewarm milk and the entire thing is placed into the preheated yogurt maker. At that point you let it sit plugged in for anywhere from 4-10 hours. I went with 5 hours and 50 minutes since I do like it just a bit tangy & well set. I also used whole milk, so you may need more time with non-fat milk. Then you unplug the yogurt maker since there is no "off" switch, and then take the plastic quart tub out and place it in the refrigerator for several hours. I would recommend overnight but do not disturb it as it will not set as well if you stir it and add your mix-ins at this point. Be sure to save 4-5 ounces of this for starting your next batch of yogurt. There is no need to buy starters if you do this and use your homemade starter within 5 days. You can also freeze your starter in an ice cube tray for future use, just be sure when re-heating it to never let it exceed 110 degrees or the cultures will be killed. You can also just defrost the starter in your refrigerator or at room temp. After a few batches the starter will lose it's potency and you may need to restart with a fresh cup of plain yogurt from your grocery store.
After it is set the next day just add your flavorings (at each serving) such as stevia, splenda, sugar, jam, fresh fruit, granola, vanilla, maple syrup, etc and have fun experimenting! I have not tried it, but I have read you can add vanilla extract & 4 tablespoons of sugar to the heated milk before you let it incubate.
The biggest downside to this yogurt maker is that it's basically an incubator without any bells and whistles other than the ability to hold a temp of 110 degrees. There is no timer (just a sliding wheel at the top so you can put the dial on what time you would like to check on it). I currently use my oven timer to let me know when time it will be done. Additionally, it would be nice if it just changed temps from 110 degrees to refrigerator temp automatically but it doesn't and certainly wouldn't at this price point. There was also no recipe book, which I was really expecting as all my small appliances come with recipe books.
Customer Review: I Love It ... Too Bad I Still Don't Like Yogurt!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a kitchen gadget junkie ... that being said (or admitted), I am always looking for more things to cram into my already packed to the rafters kitchen. Somehow I stumbled on the Salton Yogurt Maker, probably by browsing Amazon... that's how addicted I am. My husband loves yogurt and eats about a quart or so a week - Brown Cow Cream Top is his favorite. He was perfectly content with the little containers until I discovered this brand new project.
I was going to get the Salton with the individual little jars, but I took a reviewers recommendation and got this one quart model instead. I am so glad that I did. I can scoop out the amount I need to make yo-cheese or my husband can have the exact amount that he wants to eat. Plus no little jars to wash.
I have never liked yogurt, except for the highly sweetened soft stuff in the mall. I have tried and tried to like it because I thought/think that I am supposed to, and that somehow it is connected to world peace. So far, hey I've only had it for 4 days, I have made two batches, with excellent results. I took everyones' advice and used a good quality organic milk - Strauss Creamery.
The first batch was made with whole milk, fermenting for 7 hours. Good consistency according to my husband, but a little on the tart side. The next batch was 2% organic milk, fermented for 6 hours. A teeny bit tart and very thick - which is OK. I just made another whole milk batch - 5 hours, and it was perfect -taste and texture-wise. I am beginning to feel like Madame Curie or Louis Pasteur! Next I am going to try 1%. Don't forget to preheat the unit while you are preparing the milk mixture - about 20 minutes or so.
The BEST thing about all of this, is that I have discovered yogurt cheese. I had never heard of it before. I LOVE it. I have used it as a spread on toast, and as a salad dressing with spices and a bit of balsamic vinegar. I adore cream cheese and have the hips to prove it. This seems like a good healthy, low fat alternative - in moderation (a word that is NOT in my vocabulary).
The Salton is easy to use and clean - although I now believe that yogurt is related to plaster of Paris. For the ease and price, this unit can't be beat. I use Yogourmet Starter which for me is easier than saving 1/2 cup from my last batch. Including the milk, powdered milk and the starter, it costs about $3.00 per quart to make. The plastic insert that you make it in, is not airtight so I don't want to store the finished yogurt in it. When the batch is done, I put plastic wrap over the container, put the top on it, and leave in the refrigerator to cool and set. Don't stir until it is set. Then I give it a good stir and store it in a Mason jar in the fridge - after removing some to make my yogurt cheese. I have been told that a batch of yogurt can be kept in the fridge for a week and than it gets tarter. The yogurt cheese can be kept for two weeks.
It would have been nice if they had included some recipes in the instruction book. Recipes are very easy to find, but you can never have too many.
After being my guinea pig, and with some prodding, my husband 'admitted' that he likes my homemade yogurt, as much as his favorite store bought brand - which is a huge compliment because after much searching and tasting, he had finally found a brand that he really liked. He didn't know it was 'broke' until Salton and I fixed it!
Customer Review: "OMG, CREAMMY YOGURT SO EASY"
Summary: 5 Stars
I BOUGHT A DIGITAL COOKING THERMOMETER FOR ABOUT $7.00 AND OH MY GOD THIS YOGURT IS SO EASY TO MAKE AND SO MUCH BETTER THAN STORE BOUGHT, NO EXTRA SUGAR OR STUFF!!!!!!! I USED THE POWDER TYPE CULTURE, TRIED TWO DIFFERENT KINDS, NOT MUCH DIFFERENT, SAME TASTE AND TEXTURE. THE SALTON 1 QT IS SO MUCH BETTER AND EASIER THAN THE OTHER LARGER MODELS WITH ALL THOSE STUPID LITTLE CUPS TO WASH AND STORE. THIS IS HOW I DO IT....... PUT A LARGE BOWL IN THE SINK WITH 20 ICE CUBES AND A LITTLE WATER. PUT ONE PACKET OF POWDER CULTURE IN A ONE CUP MEASUREING CUP AND SET ASIDE. PLUG IN YOUR SALTON YOGURT MAKER. PUT A 2 QT SAUCE PAN ON THE STOVE. PUT 4 CUPS OF LOW FAT MILK IN THE PAN. PUT A DIGITAL THERMOMETER IN THE MILK, (BALANCE ON THE HANDEL OF THE PAN). TURN THE HEAT ON HIGH. STIR, ONCE EVERY 20 TO 30 SECONDS JUST SO THE MILK IN THE PAN IS ALL THE SAME TEMPURTURE AND WONT SCORTCH ON THE BOTTOM. (IT STICKS A LITTLE BIT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN, NO PROUBLEM, JUST DON'T LET IT BURN," AND DON'T WALK AWAY", THIS HEATING PROCESS ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES!) WATCH THE THERMOMETER AND WHEN IT REACHES 200 DEGREES, TAKE IT OFF THE STOVE AND PUT THE PAN IN THE ICE BOWL IN THE SINK. (CAREFUL, AND DON'T DROP THE THERMOMETER ON THE WAY TO THE SINK, I TAKE IT OUT OF THE HOT MILK WHILE IT'S STILL ON THE STOVE, AND THEN PUT IT BACK IN THE MILK ONCE THE PAN IS IN THE ICE BOWL) STIR THE MILK TO COOL AND EVEN THE TEMPUTURE. WHEN THE MILK COOLS TO 115 DEGREES, TAKE THE PAN OUT OF THE ICE. POUR ABOUT 1/2 CUP OF THE COOLED MILK INTO THE MEASUREING CUP OF POWDER CULTURE. STIR THIS AND MIX REALLY GOOD. DON'T WASTE TIME DOING THIS, THE MILK IS STILL COOLING. (IT NEEDS TO BE WARM ENOUGH TO ACTVATE THE CULTURE TO MAKE IT GROW, AND NOT TO HOT TO KILL IT) NOW POUR THE 1 CUP CULTURE MIXTURE INTO THE PAN OF MILK, STIR, AND POUR ALL THE MILK INTO THE YOGURT MAKER. PUT THE LID ON AND LET STAND FOR 10 HOURS. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A LOT TO DO, BUT IT IS REALLY REALLY EASY. I DO THIS ABOUT 9 PM, AND PUT THE FINISHED YOGURT IN THE FRIGE AT 7AM THE NEXT MORNING. IF YOU WANT CREAMMY GREEK STYLE YOGURT THAT WILL SEND YOUR FRIENDS INTO NEXT WEEK, TRY THIS...... AFTER YOUR YOGURT HAS THOURALLY COOLED IN THE REFRIGTOR, TAKE IT OUT AND PUT IT IN A MESH STRAINER AND LET STAND FOR APX. 1 HOUR. ABOUT 1/2 TO 3/4 CUP OF CLEAR WHEY LIQUID WILL DRAIN OUT OF THE YOGURT AND LEAVE THE BEST AND CREAMMYEST TREAT IN THE STRAINER. I USE IN SALAD DRESSING, AS SOUR CREAM, IN DESERTS, AND WITH FRESH FRUIT FOR BREAKFAST. TRY A WEDGE OF AVACADO ON ANY LETTUCE WITH TWO SCOOPS OF HOME MADE GREEK STYLE, A DASH OF CURRY POWDER, SOME MANGO CHUTNEY, AND TOP OFF WITH A LITTLE BALSAMIC...... WHAT DO YOU
*DON'T FORGET TO KEEP 1/2 CUP OF YOUR GREEK GOLD SET ASIDE IN THE FRIGE AS THE STARTER FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL BATCHES OF YOGURT. YOU CAN MAKE ABOUT 4 TO 6 BATCHES FROM ONE PACKET OF POWDER CULTURE THAT YOU USED ON THE FIRST BATCH,( AFTER THAT IT GETS TIRED, AND IT'S TIME TO USE NEW CULTURE) JUST SUBSTITUTE 1/2 CUP OF YOUR YORGUT FOR THE POWDER CULTURE, MIX INTO THE 1/2 CUP MILK, AND POUR INTO ALL THE MILK, AND CONTINUE ." ENJOY"
Customer Review: revolutionary
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the first time I've ever been moved enough to comment on something I bought on Amazon. And in a way, it's more of a comment on homemade yogurt than it is on this simple little machine; yet, this yogurt maker is what enabled me to experience that, so they are inextricably tied.
Lest I sound just entirely too earth mother to believe, let me say that I have long believed in the healthy benefits of yogurt. My husband had an attack of diverticulitis, and his doctor recommended yogurt. The problem was, that I just didn't LIKE YOGURT. I tried. Sometimes I could eat it two or three days in a row and be happy. And then there would be a gap of twenty or thirty days while I psyched myself up again to get back with it. I just wasn't a fan of the sour taste, which to me, overpowered fruit, flavor, texture, and everything else.
So, with hubby's condition in mind, I thought I'd research making yogurt from scratch. I read every single review for this machine on Amazon, plus some for other machines. I was convinced this was the right thing to do. I bought it. A blizzard delayed it, and I actually got it after Christmas and revealed it to my husband. He was skeptical. It sounds like a lot of work.
It is now nearly a couple of months later. I have to admit, I am hooked. It bothers me a little bit to admit this, but I actually crave the taste of plain yogurt, as I make it in this machine. Thanks to the many hints I have read in these reviews, I have refined my process to this routine: I use ultra pasturized organic whole milk (no need to heat to boiling and then cool down - just warm to about 110 degrees). I put it in the microwave for about 3 minutes. I pour it into a quart ziploc container with the screw top lid, along with about 3 tablespoons of either plain yogurt from the store, or of my last batch - both work equally well. I set the reminder time for 4 hours. When the time is up, I take the container out, and put it in the fridge. That's it. It's insanely simple. Someone else had reviewed it, and commented on the "sweet smell" of the yogurt. Privately, I thought they were insane, or at the very least, exaggerating. Well, it really does smell very good, although hard to describe. I smell every batch, and then sort of roll my eyes, because I remember my skepticism before I "did it myself."
Ironically, I think my husband prefers store yogurt. He eats the homemade kind, to which I add splenda and blended frozen fruit, without complaint. However, I think he likes the tangier blend of commercial yogurts, which is fine with me. I will continue to make my own for me. My encouragement is for those of you who really are not crazy about store brand yogurt. Give this a try. It's easy. It tastes really great, and it's good for you.
I have also strained my yogurt through a "gold" coffee filter and made yocheese, which is good all on its own, or topped with fruit, or spread on a bagel.
Customer Review: Easy and tasty yogurt
Summary: 5 Stars
It is so easy to make your own yogurt with the Salton YM. We eat a lot of yogurt, and I was feeling guilty about throwing out all of the plastic tubs from the grocery store. Compared to store-bought yogurt, homemade yogurt tastes better (fresher, sweeter, smoother, softer), has no artificial ingredients, and I can control the amount of sugar. It is thinner than most store-bought yogurt, but the milk powder helps to give it some body. It is perfect for eating with fresh fruit and granola!
Here is what works for me:
1. Mix 4c organic 1% milk + 1/3 to 1/2 c dry milk powder in 4c glass measuring cup. (note: use slightly less than 4c milk so that it will fit into the 32oz plastic tub later)
2. Heat for 8 min in microwave. (I measured the temp and it was ~175F the first two times I made yogurt - I no longer do this each time.)
3. Let cool for 45-60 min. (Again, I measured the temp the first two times and no longer do this.)
4. Add 2 to 4 Tbsp (store-bought or homemade) yogurt to the milk as the starter (mix a little milk into yogurt first then add back to the larger milk container).
5. Pour into a 32oz plastic yogurt tub (leftover from previous purchases of store-bought yogurt), put the lid on and place into the Salton YM. (I do not use the plastic container, lid and weird spoon that came with the Salton YM. The 32oz plastic yogurt tubs fit into the YM and are great for storing in the refrigerator. I tend to make several batches in sequence, so it is easy to put the next batch into the YM once each batch is done.)
6. Leave in the Salton YM for 4 to 16 hr, depending on how tart you want the yogurt.
7. It's done for plain yogurt! For sweetened yogurt - Add 1/4 c sugar (or more if you like it sweeter) and a couple teaspoons vanilla or almond extract when the yogurt is still warm so that the sugar dissolves easily. Maple syrup or various flavors of fruit jam/preserves could also be added.
UPDATE on 4/20/05:
I tried making the yogurt without heating the milk to scalding first and it worked fine! I use organic milk that states "Ultra-Pasteurized" on the carton. I have made 5 batches without heating the milk first (use right out of the frig) and they all turned out great! This makes it even easier to have fresh yogurt, with fewer dishes to wash. Just mix up everything in the plastic yogurt tub and let it "cook".
UPDATE on 11/28/05:
I tried regular "Pasteurized" milk without first scalding the milk and the yogurt did not thicken. It appears that only "Ultra-Pasteurized" works to go directly into the yogurt maker without heating. I have since learned a bit about pasteurization and the ultra-pasteurized is heated to higher temps to kill bacteria and extend shelf life to months-long. I will only use the "Ultra-Pasteurized" now since it is most convenient and does not dirty any extra dishes. I still use the yogurt maker weekly and love it!