What Is the Difference Between an Electric Yogurt Maker & a Yogurt Incubator?
When milk comes in contact with the right kinds of bacteria, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus (or L. acidophilus) and Streptococcus thermophilus, and rests in a warm enough environment, yogurt is born. You could let nature take its course, but controlling the way the milk and bacteria meet is the key to better-tasting yogurt. An electric yogurt maker, which is a type of incubator, can take the guesswork out of yogurt making. Does this Spark an idea?
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Power Source
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The milk and bacteria must be incubated for a certain amount of time to ensure that the bacteria multiply properly, converting the lactose in the milk to lactic acid. The incubator can be as simple as a small cooler filled with warm water and monitored periodically to keep the water temperature consistent. This is a simple solution that requires no power source. However, many electric yogurt makers are available. If you have an electrical outlet nearby, such a yogurt maker might be your best option.
Ease of Use
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The essence of electric yogurt makers is that you plug them in, set the timer and wait. There's no monitoring or gauging the water temperature during fermentation. These devices do all that work for you. Without a yogurt maker, though, you can still make yogurt fairly easily. For both methods, you must heat the milk to a specific temperature and add the yogurt starter and any other ingredients you like. With a homemade incubator, you just need a warm spot to keep the yogurt during fermentation.
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Cost
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Electric yogurt makers cost $25 to $100 in 2011 -- prices vary depending on brand name, capacity and features. If spending that much is not an option, you can use items you might already have in your home as a yogurt incubator. The small cooler mentioned earlier works well, as does using a slow cooker or a roasting pan in an oven with the pilot light left on. Some people simply wrap their yogurt containers in towels or place them on top of a heater or radiator.
Time
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The controlled nature of electric yogurt makers makes the process ultra-efficient because the milk is kept at a constant, ideal temperature during fermentation. This allows the optimum environment for the bacteria to grow, which means the lactose will be converted to lactic acid sooner. However, if you monitor a homemade incubator well enough, your results will be similar to those obtained with an electric yogurt maker.
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References
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