Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

EDIT (3/27/16) I have owned the Dash Greek Yogurt Maker for two and a half years now. With it I have made more than 100 batches, or more than 600 store-size single servings. Nothing has changed: I get the results I expect every time, from every batch. That choice of words - "the results I expect" - matters because quality yogurt makers should produce final results that vary only according to the temperature to which you heat the milk, how long you keep it at that temp, to what temp you let the milk cool before inoculation (i.e. introducing starter yogurt), and how long you incubate (let the yogurt stay in the machine). By that measurement, the Dash unit is a very high quality yogurt maker. Since I last posted, I have made some adjustments to my recipe. Here's a summary of my current approach (to save time and effort I currently use two Dash units to process a gallon of skim milk each time, but these instructions assume you're using a single machine; the method scales perfectly): 1. In a double-boiler, heat 1/2 gallon of milk to 195 degrees - hold it there for 10 minutes 2. Cool milk to 110 degrees 3. Gently whisk 1/2 cup of the cooled milk into 1.8 oz (by weight) of starter yogurt, then gently whisk the starter yogurt-milk mixture into the rest of the cooled milk 4. Pour the inoculated milk into the WHITE (not blue) container of a Dash Greek Yogurt Maker which has been pre-heating for at least ten minutes 5. Cover the yogurt maker, set its timer to 9 hours, start the machine, place it where the unit won't get jostled, and go live your life 6. When the machine powers off, remove the container, cover it, and refrigerate for at least six hours 7. Pour cooled yogurt into a bowl, then whisk thoroughly 8. Pour whisked yogurt into the machine's fine mesh filter to remove some of the whey (the liquid that separates from the milk solids during the incubation process) Plan for a two hour filtering process. 9. Whisk the newly created Greek yogurt in a bowl and store as you wish, making sure to set aside 1.8 oz (by weight) as the starter yogurt for your next batch. Use, store, or discard the whey. Some notes about the process: 1) I heat the milk via a double-boiler. There are faster ways to accomplish the task, but those faster methods have risks. Research and experiment with the alternatives to discover the method that works for you. 2) Most recipes call for the milk to be heated to 180-185 degrees. Heating to a higher temp creates a creamier final result. Again, experiment to see what works best for you. 3) The white container holds more than the blue one, which allows you to process nearly all of the half gallon of milk that's left after the evaporation caused by heating and cooling the milk. Because the white container holds more, not all of the finished yogurt will fit into the fine mesh strainer at once. You will have to let the yogurt strain for 15-20 minutes before enough whey filters out to allow the rest of the finished yogurt to be poured into the filter. 4) As for incubation time and most other variables in the process, the rule is experiment until you find the values that create yogurt that you like. It's your yogurt. Make it your way...... - Incubation: The longer the incubation, the thicker and tangier the yogurt, and vice versa - Filtering out the whey: The longer you filter, the thicker the Greek yogurt, and vice versa 5) There are lots of uses for the whey. I store it in the fridge and drink it over ice, with some added sweetener. It's a tangy, refreshing, and modestly nutritious drink. 6) I vacuum seal my starter yogurt in a Food Saver canister during the two weeks between batches. I don't KNOW that vacuum sealing lengthens the life of starter yogurt (and the Food Saver company tells me they haven't done any research on the matter) but it makes sense to me that it would help. Contrary to the counsel offered by most online yogurt makers - who say new starter yogurt should be introduced every few months - I have purchased new starter yogurt exactly twice in 30 months, and one of those two times was for the very first batch I ever made. One person who commented on my review described her desire to make her own "brand of yogurt." I love that phrase because it speaks to the heart making your own. You can shape the method so that it creates exactly the yogurt you desire. And if your tastes in yogurt change over time, as mine have, so can your method. Commercial brands will not ask you how you want to change the flavor or consistency of their yogurts. The Dash Greek Yogurt makes says, change whatever you want and I will give you the yogurt you expect from those changes. To me, that's still the best reason to buy this remarkable machine. EDIT (3/24/15) I've owned a Dash Greek Yogurt Maker for just more than a year now, which makes this a good time to add an edit to my review. The other 2,200 words of this review (!) in unfolding fashion report my experience with the machine, so there is no reason to repeat any of that content. Instead, I offer you the most blunt summary possible of my year with the Dash machine: Using the three Dash units that I own, I've made 65-70 batches in this first year. Not once... a pause to emphasize that phrase... not once has the machine functioned in a way I did not expect. I've changed my recipe - adjusted milk and starter yogurt amounts, incubation times, and the process I use to finish the process - so the results have been varied, but those variances were ALWAYS because of changes I made, and not because of the unit's operation. I don't know what more you could ask for from a yogurt maker. Yes, you could desire a machine that heats the milk, adds the starter yogurt, then cools and strains the result for you, leaving your role to clean up the mess and package the product. But if your interest is a machine that works, that gives predictable results and allows you complete control of the taste, tang, thickness, and texture of the yogurt, this Dash machine cannot be beaten. And what's more, I think, will not be beaten. There was a time when I thought this machine would be my starter, my entry into the practice of homemade yogurt that ultimately would be replaced by a more technologically advanced, larger-sized, and cooler-appearing machine. I no longer think that. I process a gallon of milk every time I make yogurt, and I use only two of my three machines. Were I so inclined, I could make up to 18-19 store-sized individual servings of Greek yogurt (5.3 oz) every time out, plus starter for the next batch. For my eating habits, 12-13 servings per session are enough, especially when all of them taste the same and taste exactly the way I want them based on my recipe, a recipe I KNOW will work the same every time because my Dash Greek Yogurt Makers work the same way every time. This review now totals 2,600 words. I admit that that's a lot of words to recommend that you buy an inexpensive yogurt maker. I believe the machine's worth the words. I hope the words prove worth your time. Blessings, Bill Coley NOW BACK TO PREVIOUS EDITS AND THE ORIGINAL REVIEW....... EDIT (1/9/15) I've now made three double batches using two Dash yogurt makers, and the results have been great. As noted in my 11/28/14 edit, my 9/10/14 recipe scales well so I am processing a full gallon of skim milk each time. The new finding that I want to report to you is that though I am no longer making yogurt every 4-6 days, my starter is remaining fresh and vigorous, I think because I vacuum seal each new starter. From each finished Greek Yogurt double batch I set aside 3.6 oz (by weight) to be the next double batch's starter. I then vacuum seal and refrigerate that starter in a FoodSaver container (NOT a bag, but one of their containers with a lid). The first starter went 12 days before I made new yogurt. The latest starter stayed in the fridge 14 days. Both starters produced perfect yogurt. Conventional wisdom is that starters stay usable for 7-10 days. My results so far suggest to me that vacuum sealing extends that lifespan. If you have access to vacuum sealing technology, give it a shot. EDIT (11/28/14) I've reached the 50+ number of batches made with my Dash unit; all is still great. Two learnings from my recent experiments: 1) Heat the milk to 195 (rather than 185) and keep it there for ten minutes for a thicker, creamier final product. I first read about this approach on another website and then decided to try it myself. I am VERY satisfied. 2) Because I now own more than one Dash maker, for my last two batches I doubled the recipe reported in my 9/10/14 edit. Basically I heat a full gallon of milk to 195 in a large double boiler setup, keep it there for 10 minutes, let it cool to 110, introduce a cup of the cooled milk into 3.6 oz of starter yogurt (from the previous batch) then pour that mix into the remaining cooled milk, which I then divide between two white containers from the Dash units. I then incubate those two containers in separate machines for 8 hours each. Result? Perfection...and twice as much of it! Bottom line: My recipe scales well. All the best, Bill EDIT (9/10/14) Because the Dash yogurt maker and its reviews are suddenly getting a lot more attention on Amazon, I have decided to add another edit to my original review. I place this latest addition at the top, simply because you might not have the patience to read it by the time you get to the bottom of my other edits of the original review! I have now prepared more than 40 batches with my Dash Greek Yogurt Maker; and I still unconditionally recommend the product. The other content in this review will cover all the basics, so for this update I only add my current recipe and a couple of observations. CURRENT RECIPE -- 67 oz (by weight) of skim milk - heated to 185-190; kept there for 10 minutes to increase creaminess; cooled to 110 [After the evaporation caused by the double boiler method I use to heat the milk, the 67 oz is reduced to about 56-58 oz, which fills the white provided container almost to its top. The longer you keep the milk at 185-190, the creamier the texture of the final product will be; but don't keep it there longer than a half hour. You may certainly use the milk of your choice - whole, 2%, 1%, goat, soy, etc. To my tastes, soy milk yogurt has a marvelous nutty, slightly sweet flavor before adding any flavorings, and is a great host for all kinds of additives. I recommend that you try it (same recipe - I use starter from my dairy yogurt; work fine), but know the final yogurt will taste very different and will not be as thick as dairy yogurts - in fact, soy yogurt flows through the strainer intact, so what you have after cooling is as thick as soy yogurt is going to get.] -- 1.8 oz (by weight) of yogurt starter, which has been allowed to reach room temperature [I reserve 1.8 oz from each new batch to serve as the starter for the next. Some say starters weaken after several uses. I have not had that experience, BUT I make new yogurt every four to five days and I vacuum seal each new starter portion, both which might extend the starter's life. I've been making yogurt regularly for six months and have purchased new starter yogurt once.] -- 1/2 cup of the 110 degree milk - stirred into the yogurt starter, then introduced into the rest of the milk. Whisk lightly in both instances -- Pour starter-innoculated milk into white container, which has been pre-heating in the lid-covered Dash machine for at least 10 minutes. Should almost completely fill the container [If you used a faster method of heating the milk, you may experience less evaporation, which means you might have milk left over.] -- Set timer on Dash unit for 8 hours; make sure the timer is running; get the unit out of the way so it's not jostled during incubation; then go live your life. [There is NO "right" amount of time to incubate. You will find the incubation time that works for your taste. Less time for milder yogurt; more time for tangier yogurt.] -- After 8 hours remove the white container from the machine, cover, and refrigerate for at least six hours. When thoroughly cooled, process the yogurt as reported in one of the previous edits to my main review below. [Expect to find whey (yellow/green liquid produced during incubation) around and at the top of your yogurt. I cool everything, then whisk the whey into the yogurt before straining it back out; but you certainly can pour it off before you whisk the remaining yogurt. The key is to find the method and straining time needed to produce Greek yogurt that satisfies you.] Using this recipe I consistently produce six 5.3 oz servings (the size of individual servings produced by commercial manufacturers), 1.8 oz for use as my next starter, and sometimes, a little leftover for immediate consumption. All the best as you choose your yogurt maker! Bill Coley - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOW, THE ORIGINAL REVIEW - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - As other reviewers have reported, user action is required by this maker. Milk (and dry milk solids, if added) must be warmed to 185 degrees (though since most every other homemade yogurt recipe found online asks for 180 degrees, I heat the milk to 182), then cooled to around 110, after which starter yogurt is whisked in before adding the finished mixture into one of the two provided containers for a several hour sauna. For equipment, I use sauce pan on top of which sits a steamer pan in which I rest a metal mixing bowl containing the milk. To track the milk's temperature I use a good quality candy thermometer. I can also use a digital thermometer in the milk that alerts me by audible alarm when the milk reaches or falls to the next desired temp so I don't have to run out to the kitchen every five minutes. Since I enjoy the creative adventure of this process, I don't mind it being so labor-intensive. So yes, this maker requires hands-on involvement, but the results -- at least through my first three batches -- are magnificent. To-date, for two of those batches I added 1/2 cup of nonfat dry milk to the liquid milk, a step that created a thicker end product. For the third batch, I did not add the dry milk; the result was a bit thinner, but just as satisfying. I have not measured the unit's operating temperature during the yogurt-making process, but it must be okay because the results have been superb. Compact. Easy to use, once you get the hang of the process. Predictably good results. I strongly recommend this maker to people not put off by the prospect of hands-on involvement. EDIT (3/25/14) -- Having produced additional batches with this maker I offer further comments: 1) Different strokes... of course, but I'm impressed by the results when I use 5 cups of skim milk, 5 oz of starter Greek yogurt from the previous batch, and a nine hour inoculation cycle. I've also increased the top temperature to 185 degrees from 182. I can't single out the effect of that change, but my yogurt is better now than before. 2) I highly recommend that you pour your finished yogurt from the machine into a mixing bowl where you whisk the warm product until smooth. When you pour it into the strainer (if making Greek yogurt) you'll think it's no thicker than a thickened cream soup, but two hours of draining in the fridge will produce a marvelously thick and creamy end result. I read about this mixing idea online, but only in my latest batch employed it. The mixing cools the yogurt faster and improves smoothness. 3) I calculate that my homemade plain non-fat Greek Yogurt costs 60-70% less per ounce than store brands, the savings varying according to whether you compare it to national or value brands. 4) As I make more yogurt, I'm liking this machine more and more. My only grievance is that it's not larger. Still, a big buy recommendation from me. EDIT - (4/17/14) Another update on my experience with the Dash Greek Yogurt Maker. I have now made about a dozen batches, all of which were satisfying; but that doesn't mean I haven't improved my results. The most significant changes I have made since the last update have been to increase the batch size, maintain the milk at a high temp for ten minutes, and to decrease both the incubation time and the amount of starter yogurt. BATCH SIZE: The instructions say pour five cups of milk into the blue container, which is the smaller of the two provided containers. I now use seven cups of milk in the white container. The resulting yogurt is just as good and I get 40% more of it (after straining, I end up with 27-30 oz of greek yogurt when I start with seven cups of milk - your mileage may vary). I strongly recommend this change. HIGH TEMP MAINTENANCE: Once the milk rises to 185 degrees, I keep it there for ten minutes to increase the creaminess of the final product. Many online sources suggest keeping the milk at 195 or even 200 degrees for ten minutes for the same purpose. I haven't done that yet, but I bet the result would be an even creamier yogurt. INCUBATION TIME: I have reduced incubation time to nine hours (from 10, then 9-1/2 hrs). Because of the larger container and greater milk volume of my current approach, I have been reluctant to cut it any further, but will no doubt try shorter times to see how I like the less tangy result. STARTER YOGURT: In my seven cup recipe I now use 1.6 oz of Greek starter yogurt, which is probably 2-3 tablespoons. It works great, especially since I seem to be making yogurt every couple of days, a pace that doesn't allow the starter cultures to weaken. I still love and highly recommend the Dash Greek Yogurt Maker. EDIT - (5/6/14) One final amendment to my review. For my last several batches I have used 7.5 cups of skim milk in the larger (white) of the two provided containers, along with 1.6 oz of starter yogurt. I have continued my practice of raising the milk to 185-190 degrees and keeping it there for ten minutes before cooling to 100-112, at which time I introduce the starter yogurt. I have reduced the incubation period to eight hours, a change that has not affected the texture of the finished product, but, because the lactic acid has less time to form and act, has resulted in a milder yogurt. Everything I read tells me that I could reduce the incubation period further (perhaps to as low as five hours), but I am satisfied with tang of the eight hour yogurt. I then cool the yogurt completely before straining. My straining process is two steps, but perhaps not what you think: I thoroughly whisk the entire batch of cooled yogurt, then fill, cover, and refrigerate the provided strainer for 45 minutes or so (as well as the yogurt yet to be strained, of course). I then remove the strained whey and thoroughly whisk the thicker yogurt into the yogurt that has not been strained. I then refill the strainer, cover, and refrigerate for another 45-60 minutes. I can usually get all of the yogurt strained to my satisfaction in those two steps. From this process I obtain somewhere between 28-32 oz of Greek yogurt after straining, depending on how long I strain (currently an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours) I have now made close to twenty batches of yogurt with the Dash maker. I... ...have been thoroughly satisfied with every batch ...have had no problems whatsoever with the machine ...wish the strainer were large enough to hold the contents of the larger container ...have not had to purchase a second batch of starter yogurt (I make new yogurt every three or four days, so the starter remains vigorous) ...still heartily recommend the Dash yogurt maker.