Severin JG 3519 Yoghurt Maker with 14 Glass Jars

I bought this yoghurt maker last week (on the Amazon 4for3 Home/Garden sale) and am pleased with it - it has made very acceptable yoghurt with little fuss. For me, the provision of a second set of jars is the clincher with this item, especially as they're essentially the most expensive part - the machine itself is not THAT complex !It means you can have a new batch of yoghurt on the go straight after the first, if you wish, or not have to wait until the first batch is finished before making a new batch.... Each jar holds about 150ml, so as 1 jar will effectively always be 'off-limits' (for use as the starter culture for the next batch) you are essentially getting the equivalent of 2 x large pots of shop-bought yoghurt.This means that as far as economy goes once you allow for the cost of milk and bit of electricity (standard yoghurt needs 8-9hrs 'cooking' time in the machine) this way is about half the price of shop-bought yogurt. My results have always produced thick/creamy yogurt which is, after a bit of a stir, as expected straight from the jar - no water or lumps etc.I used a process amalgamated from a few tips gleaned from other Amazon reviews, which may be pointless but I'll carry on doing them nonetheless - 'just in case !' :1. I tsp of culture from previous batch per jar.2. 1 tsp of milk powder (Tesco Value) per jar (no mention of this in the User Guide - It appears to prevent a water build-up on the surface once made).3. 1l of room-temp semi-skimmed UHT long-life milk divided amongst the 7 jars.4. Stir the contents.5. Leave jar lids off (no mention of this in the User Guide) for the 8-9hrs 'cooking' time, place unit lid on top and turn on !*** An update after regular use :I believe that it is essential to let the made yoghurt cool completely with the lids removed before covering/storing.This is because when I first didn't do this the still warm yoghurt 'sweated' and left condensation on the jar lids, which as they don't seem to be food-quality plastic allowed the red die colouring in the lid plastic to 'weep', fall onto the yoghurt surface and hence colour/flavour it = not good ! I prefer to make during the day as the result needs some cooling time before then going into the fridge - this way the yogurt is ready for breakfast ![I also add about 2tsp of chopped fruit per jar (usually the fruit is 'processed' from a tin of drained fruit) - so you have enough for at least 2 batches.]Buy and enjoy !

After endless press conjecture about excessive sugar in so-called fat-free yogurt, we decided to make our own. This Severin system is compact, easy to use and, so far, has produced thick, tasty yogurt every time. For us, a great buy.Our "recipe" after some experimenting, is to mix 1 litre of semi-skimmed UHT milk with 2 tablespoons of milk powder and the starter yogurt. You don't need to heat UHT milk, so use it straight from the packAdd around 2 tablespoons of starter yogurt, the milk powder and about 200ml of UHT milk in a large jug and whisk until the milk powder is dissolved. Then add the rest of the milk and stir well to distribute properly. Pour this mixture into the pots. If you fill the pots the last one won't be completely full - you could eat it but we keep this one to use as the starter for the next batch.We generally do this around 10.00 in the morning and by teatime the mix is set and we turn the power off. We found laying a tea towel over the unit helps to keep the heat in (our kitchen can be draughty). We leave the lids off during the heating process. Moisture then collects on the lid of the device rather than in the pot lids, and is easily drained off. It's all left to cool down and then, by bedtime, the lids are screwed back on the pots and it goes in the fridge ready for use from the next day.The result is thick, creamy yogurt. By thick I mean you can stand a spoon upright in it - and this is a lot thicker than some we have bought from certain supermarkets. And in case you're wondering, it does NOT taste like UHT milk!As for portion control, we find that one pot makes a generous serving, along with some fruit and/or a sprinkle of granola, for two people. A great start to the day or a tasty dessert.Based on our experience, this is a thoroughly recommended product

I read all the reviews and was kind of undecided as there were a lot of positives and a lot of negatives too. I've never owned such a machine before and never tried to make my own yoghurt before but I'm really glad I went for this. It's a bargain at the price and using the advice gained from reading other reviews, it's simple to make delicious yoghurt.I bought a tub of fat free yoghurt and 1 litre of semi skimmed UHT milk. I put one heaped teaspoon of yoghurt into each of 7 glass jars (If your yoghurt is a little runny for your liking then put 2 heaped teaspoons of yoghurt into each jar next time) and poured the litre of milk in even amounts into the 7 jars and gave it a quick stir. I put the lids on the jars, put them in the machine, left them for 8 hours then put them in the fridge overnight. It's that simple!I read some differing reviews on whether to put the lids on the jars or not as putting them on seemed to cause liquid to build up on top of the yoghurt. Yes, that happens but it's just the whey. Yes, it's mainly water but it also contains a little bit of protein, potassium, and calcium. Stirring in the whey not only adds nutrition to your yogurt but also offers a creamier consistency.As with most other reviewers, we eat 6 of the jars of yoghurt and use the seventh to start our next batch. I did read some reviews which have said that your batches will eventually not work doing this and you will need to buy a fresh pot of yoghurt but I've made 12 (maybe more) batches now and each has been as good as the last.I've had none of the issues reported by others (such as overheating) so presumably those people were unlucky and got faulty products. The reviews suggest there have been quite a high percentage of faulty products but even so, I'd say it's definitely a chance worth taking.

I was very happy with this product and used it for 22 months before it broke. I've no idea if this is its expected lifespan but it's pretty disappointing. I'd buy this with caution as other reviewers have stated that the item stopped working very quickly.