kitchen gadgets

[mom61508]

What"s the best yogurt maker out there?

What's a good size stock pot 7qt?

what are your fave cookware?


I got raw yogurt today from my farmer and it's pretty runny is that normal?

[Magelet]

I like a 12 quart stock pot. Its pretty huge, but it also means that if I need a big pot, I have one. Its easier to not fully fill a big pot than to run out of room in a small one.

To be perfectly honest, my favorite pans are the 2 mm mauviel copper pans. they're crazy expensive and I only have a couple but they're amazing. Other than that, my fave pans are my all-clad stock pot (12 quart, aluminum disk bottom), and my lodge cast iron skillets ( 8 and 12 inch).

IME, yogurt raw or pastureized runs the gamut from really watery to really really thick.

[JamieCatheryn]

I'm pretty simple as far as cookware goes, I love my cast iron pans and my stainless pots. Homemade yogurt is often very runny. Storebought tends to have pectin, cornstarch, or something added for thickening, and there must be some trick to get it to thicken naturally even moderately when you make it. See all the posts on here of people complaining about their runny yogurt.

I've made yogurt in a thermos, no machine, but were I to do it again I'd get a room temp loving yogurt starter.

[swood]

I have two stock pots, one is a 12qt, I believe... it's really big! but I'm so glad I bought it now b/c when I actually make stock, I have enough room. Also great for doing double batches of chili or whatever (and when it takes so much extra time to prepare everything, making double is a good thing!). I also have an 8qt which came with a SS cookware set which gets used a lot too. I probably use that pot almost more than anything, but I am glad to have a really big one when I need it too. I just bought that one at marshall's I think.

I've heard raw milk yogurt is runnier than pasteurized milk yogurt. I started my pasteurized yogurt with stonyfield, and I think it is decently thick. DH likes custard style yogurt though, and I just tried adding powdered milk for the first time (which I know has it's own issues) but it did make it very thick. I don't think you need a yogurt maker. With my old oven, just leaving the light on, the oven was at 111 degrees - perfect! My new oven gets too hot with the light though, so I need to do something else. If you have a thermometer you can check the temp with, that is an easy way to go, IMO.

[Magelet]

you can also strain yogurt to make it thicker. If you strain it for a long time, you'll get yogurt cream or yogurt cheese (same thing, different name) and whey (50%/50%), if you strain it less you'll get thick yogurt and some whey.

[brightonwoman]

I ruined a few batches of yogurt in my oven and gave up and just bought a yogurt maker It was kinda spendy (I didnt know how spendy till later cuz I'd mentioned it to my DH as a possible birthday item fo rme and he just got it...if I'd seen the price I probably wouldn't have spent the $$, but I sure do love it!) I have a yogourmet yogurt maker and makes up to 2 quarts at a time. It comes with a book and directions for doing it with their freeze dried starter, but I'm sure with your own live culture you could do it too... Basically it has an inner jar with a snug lid (yogurt goes in that) and then an outer jar that holds a little water and plugs into the wall. The outer part heats, the water between them keeps the temperature consistent, and it turns itself into yogurt...it takes 8-15hrs depending on how thick and how big a batch and whether you use the plain starter or a live culture (live takes longer). I usually do it 12ish hours--overnight. We've had some darn good yogurt this last year though!!
one downside is that it IS plastic...I wish it weren't cuz I try to not have plastic in my kitchen...but I guess that's how it goes

[mom61508]

Thanks ladies! I'm trying to buy quality cookware and boy i did not realize how pricy it is!!!!!!!!