Today, a he althy lifestyle combined with proper nutrition is in vogue. Anyone who takes care of their appearance and well-being knows the role that fermented milk products play for the functioning of the body.
Unfortunately, store-bought kefirs and yogurts, in addition to beneficial bacteria, often contain various dyes, preservatives and other harmful additives. When you buy a similar product, you are not always sure that it is of high quality. And if you buy it for the first feeding of your child, then there should simply be no doubt about its useful properties.
Recently, more and more people prefer to make fermented milk products on their own, especially since it is very easy if you have a yogurt maker at home. How to choose the best model among the variety of offers?
Standard yogurt maker
A device for preparing fermented milk products is a small container with heat-resistant walls, a transparent lid and a set of glasses. The yogurt maker is powered by electricity. Its main task is to ensure a constant temperature during the entire cooking process.
Depending on the model, the appliance is equipped withvarious additional features. The capacity of the cups varies. If there are several of them, then each is designed for 120-150 ml. Cups can be either plastic or glass. They also have lids.
Questions when choosing a yogurt maker
In order to make the right choice, you need to answer a few questions. For how many people will the yogurt maker be used? How to choose the best container for preparing fermented milk products for children? Can you always keep track of the cooking time? What, besides yogurt, would you like to cook in a yogurt maker? How to monitor the expiration date of the product? How much to expect when purchasing equipment?
If you answer all these questions for yourself, there are not so many options left to determine the best yogurt makers. In this case, the rating of devices can be compiled independently by identifying the best option.
Number of people
At one time in any yogurt maker you can cook from 0.7 to 1 liter of yogurt. However, pay attention to the number of cups. An unpleasant situation may arise if you decide to prepare a dessert for 7 people, and there are only 6 jars. After all, cooking takes a fairly long period of time from 6 to 12 hours, so it will not be so easy to quickly fix the situation.
Material
There are plastic containers for fermented milk products and glass ones. Both options have their pros and cons. The undeniable advantage of plastic is that it is lighter than glass. Such a glasscannot be broken, which is very important when feeding young children. However, glass is a more environmentally friendly material. And many people prefer it due to the fact that such glasses can be boiled.
Cooking time
Fermented milk products have different cooking times. From how accurately and correctly this item is observed, its taste and benefits depend. For example, to prepare bifivit or symbilact, it will take 6 hours. And for the preparation of acidophilic milk - 12 hours.
In order not to keep track of the fermentation time, most modern yogurt makers are equipped with timers. After the set time has elapsed, it turns itself off and cools down. Many models have an audible signal that notifies you when the product is ready.
What else is cooked in the yogurt maker
In addition to the yogurt itself, you can cook a lot of fermented milk products. For example, acidophilic milk, bifivit, immunovit are very useful for children. To maintain the immunity of an adult - symbilact, vitolact. Athletes - kefir and yogurt. Those who want to lose weight - phyto-yogurt and kefir.
Everyone, without exception, will need a yogurt maker with the function of making cottage cheese. There are also devices that combine the functions of a yogurt maker and an ice cream maker. Their merits in the preparation of desserts can hardly be overestimated.
Expiration date
Homemade yogurt keeps in the refrigerator for 5 days. It is believed that on the third day of storage, lactic acid bacteria reach their maximum activity. If you don't want to hammer your headnumbers, buy a yogurt maker that has special markers on the cups. With their help, you can fix the date of preparation of the product.
More expensive - better or not?
Numerous reviews on the Internet help you choose the best yogurt makers. Their popularity rating suggests that more expensive does not mean better. First of all, you need to decide how much you need the additional features that more expensive models are equipped with. For example, if you do not plan to make ice cream, then you do not need this function. Consider whether a timer is important to you. Not to mention all sorts of design and lighting options.
Pay attention to the firm. Everyone knows that you have to overpay for a popular brand, this does not mean at all that the quality of an unpromoted company will be lower. Choose not by name, but based on the characteristics that the yogurt maker has. How to choose the best? It is enough to compare the parameters that are significant for you, discussed in this article.
Is it possible to do without a yogurt maker
In order to make yogurt at home, you need to take warm boiled milk (37–40 degrees), sourdough and a saucepan. Pour milk into a container, mix with sourdough, cover with a lid and wrap in a blanket for 8 hours. After that, homemade yogurt will be prepared.
The disadvantage of this method is that it is impossible to maintain the same temperature in the blanket all the time of cooking. As a result, you may not get exactly what you expect. For example, whey will detach, or a productperoxide. Fortunately, today there are devices that allow you to forget about such issues. How to choose the best yogurt makers? The rating of popular models, based on their characteristics and user reviews, will allow you not to make a mistake when planning a purchase. This device will be indispensable for those who care about proper nutrition.
The best yogurt makers. Rating of popular models
Mulinex and Tefal are recognized leaders in the production of household appliances. Yoghurt makers of these brands meet European quality standards, but are quite expensive.
In the first place in popularity among Russians is the Redmond yogurt maker. This device has won the trust of customers due to the ratio "price - quality". The set includes eight glass jars of 180 grams (quantity may vary depending on the model) with lids, on which the date of bottling of the fermented milk product is set. Yogurt maker "Redmond" is equipped with an electronic control with a display, a countdown timer and automatic shutdown. Instruction manual with recipes included.
If you need a model with one bowl, then the Ves VYM yogurt maker is what you need. This device has an intuitive control interface. An audible signal will notify you when the cooking process is complete. The yogurt maker will also allow you to prepare baby cottage cheese for the first feeding.
And finally, the company "Dex" - from the series "cheap and cheerful". The yogurt maker contains plasticcups. There are no timers and displays, but the variety of functions allows you to cook all kinds of fermented milk products. The owners of the model of this company claim that the product prepared in it is not inferior in quality to yoghurts obtained in more expensive devices.
Cooking
In order to prepare a fermented milk product, you need to take super-pasteurized milk, sourdough and the yogurt maker itself. You can use homemade and pasteurized milk, but first you need to boil it and cool it to 37-40 degrees. In addition to dry starters ("Vivo", "Goodfood" and others), you can use regular yogurt or kefir from the store.
Mix super pasteurized milk with sourdough, pour into cups (separate container) and place without lids in a yogurt maker. Install the desired program or set a specific amount of time. After the expiration date, cool the yogurt and put it in the refrigerator for storage. One starter can be used for 1-3 liters of milk.
