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(More customer reviews)The Aroma AYM-606 8-cup Digital Yogurt Maker was delivered to my house this morning. I put it to work about 2 this afternoon, and am very pleased with the results. This being my first batch, I expect some adjustments will be necessary. I used whole milk, but did not heat it to 180 F as the instructions suggest, as I'd read in several other sources that such isn't necessary. I took the milk down to 110 F (the instructions said 115, but I heard that higher temps could kill the bacteria,) added a couple tablespoons of sugar to the milk, and then added 3 tablespoons of Greek Yogurt (sans gelatin, etc.) along with a couple tablespoons of cold milk (as the instructions suggest) and mixed the lot thoroughly. A ladle made quick work of putting the mix in the cups, and I felt certain that they would be well heated by the design of this unit.
The interface couldn't be easier. Power it up, the digital display comes on. Add hours and minutes desired, and press the Start button. The countdown begins, the unit keeping it at the right temperature, then shuts itself off when it's done. (This last is what is lacking in many other units under $50.) Next time, I'll set it for 10 hours instead of 9:15, to firm it up a bit more, and probably add vanilla extract to some of the cups.
That there are 8 cups is a pleasure. The tops screw on quite readily. I will probably want to get another set of cups so I can make a new batch before the old one is gone, but that's the case with any yogurt maker.
It's been a couple of months that I've been looking at the various models, wanting automatic shut-off and preferring some sort of active interface over the standard "oh, just push the power button and then come back to it when the time is out." This model has given me everything I wanted, and at $30 including shipping, I couldn't be more pleased. What's more, I'll now be enjoying natural, healthy yogurt, instead of the gelatin and extra "stuff" in commercial yogurt. The first batch was quite creamy and tasty. Seems pretty certain it'll just get better as I get better at it. Thanks, Amazon and Aroma!
P.S.
1) Cook for LESS time, not more, to set the yogurt up and have a smooth, less tart taste. So, using EuroCuisine's extra firm starter (and bringing the milk up to 180 this time, why not follow the directions) I got very thick, creamy yogurt in just 7 hours.
2) I phoned Aroma, got a woman who told me that the extra set of cups is backordered, and will be available in a month. That's just about now. They are $10 a set, from Aroma's office in the States.
3) The Full line can be exceeded successfully. Otherwise, use half a cup less milk so as not to waste it.
Still luvin' it!
EDIT: Aroma did eventually contact me and I ordered two extra sets of cups. (One would have been enough, but with consolidated shipping, I didn't mind.) The cups are BAPA-free, which makes me happy, and I woudn't want to risk not being able to get them again. It still works great, gives me thick, creamy yogurt with nothing in there that I didn't add myself. I've enjoyed experimenting, adding a bit of vanilla or coconut or almond extract as the last thing, after all else is done, before ladling it into the cups. I see the price has gone up a bit, but it's still worth every penny! 3-28-2011
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Aroma AYM-606 8-Cup Digital Yogurt Maker
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