Reddit reviews Euro Cuisine GY60 Greek Yogurt maker with Stainless Steel Strainer

Yup I bought the strainer she recommended in the recipe (Euro Cuisine Greek Yogurt Maker with Stainless Steel Strainer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IMH7SJY?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf). I had to strain in 2 batches but it worked great. I let each batch strain for about 3 hours and got a mason jar full of clear whey. Bonus that the strainer bowl works great to store the yogurt too!

My tried and true method is as follows:

Pour 1/2 gallon of milk (I use skim, but I think it will work the same for any type) into 6 Qt. Instant Pot.

Close lid, and press "Yogurt" button till "boil" is displayed.

Once Instant Pot beeps to indicate milk is ready, remove lid, and check temperature to confirm it's at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove inner container from IP, and put in a huge bowl with ice water. Stir around so that it cools off, and check temperature every minute or two (I bought a digital thermometer from Amazon for only about $5.00, and it works great). When temp is between 110 and 115, remove from ice water, and wipe dry outside of container, then put back in IP housing. (it only takes about 5 minutes to bring the temp down, if you keep stirring it, and use a big bowl of ice water).

Pour in a couple tablespoons (I never measure...just eyeball it) of whey from my last batch of yogurt (you can also use yogurt from last batch, or store-bought plain yogurt with active cultures). Stir it up for a couple seconds to mix it.

Close IP lid (can be on sealed or unsealed--doesn't matter, since it never gets hot enough to make steam), and push Yogurt button till time is displayed, and set it to 9:00 (9 hours).

After 9 hours (I typically start the whole process at 8:15 pm, so that it starts the 9 hours near 9 pm, and is then done at 6 am the next morning), remove inner IP lid, and remove inner pot (it's not too hot to touch with bare hands), and put inner pot in the refrigerator (I don't even cover it). At this point, the yogurt will be pretty well "set" and should jiggle if you shake the pot.

I leave it in the fridge while I'm at work all day, and I think that helps it solidify a bit more.

When I come home, I strain it. What I originally did for a number of batches, was to use a glass mixing bowl, with a strainer set in it, and then two 12" x 8" pieces of "cheesecloth" draped over it (one in one direction, the other crossing it in the other). I'd then pour the yogurt into that, and put this whole setup into the fridge for another 8 hours or so. That was kind of a clunky setup, and because the strainer had handle things on the side, it took up a lot of space in the fridge. I then bought a yogurt strainer (I think it's cheaper elsewhere, at the moment), which I now use. I simply pour the yogurt from the IP pot into the strainer, snap on the lid, and stick it in the fridge. I still leave it in for about 8 hours, and by that point, pretty much all of the whey that will drain out has done so.

I then take off the strainer lid, invert a plate onto the top of the strainer, flip the basket part of the strainer with the plate on it, then sort of forcefully set it down on the countertop. That makes the yogurt all come out onto the plate in one big mass, and barely leaves any clinging to the strainer. I then let it slide off of the plate into my yogurt container (which is just a big plastic container with a lid), and put it in the fridge.

About every 3 or 4 batches, I'll pour out my reserved whey (the starter I use for my next batch of yogurt), and refill the container with whey from my latest batch. I sometimes mix water in with some of the whey, then water plants, but it sometimes makes the plants turn yellowish (the color of the whey)! From a half gallon of milk, I get at least 3 or 4 cups of whey--so I'm straining off a lot, but I like really thick yogurt. I've starting setting aside another 1.5 cups to use in a no-knead bread that's suuuuuuper easy to make!

So that was a really long answer to your question, but I thought it might be helpful to you or others, as it's a method that works every time for me.

I should also add that while I like the yogurt strainer I'm using now, as it's just a neater solution, and takes up less refrigerator space, the cheesecloth method I originally used worked absolutely perfectly, as well, and I'd never hesitate to go that route, if necessary.

Not op, but I save all of my whey when I make yogurt. I fill ice cube trays and freeze it. Then I use the whey later to make smoothies, to use in stocks, or in marinades. You can use the whey almost anywhere in cooking that a recipe calls for water or liquid.

Also, for those that can’t handle the lactose but don’t want to ferment for 24 hrs, I regularly make yogurt with Lactaid whole milk. I also tend to strain mine for days in the refrigerator with the euro-something or other yogurt strainer... I’ll see if I can find the link.

Edit: found the link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IMH7SJY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_rQKZBb4QNQHVC

Oh yeah, one gallon of milk equals one gallon of yogurt. It's kind of breathtaking the first time you do it.

To make "proper" Greek yogurt, you need to strain that to let the moisture/whey drain out of it. I use this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IMH7SJY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But still, at the end of the day, you end up with a lot of yogurt. :)

I use this: https://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-GY50-Greek-Yogurt/dp/B0091XNL0I

Works great, half gallon capacity.

This version has a metal screen instead of plastic:

https://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-Yogurt-Stainless-Strainer/dp/B00IMH7SJY

We use this and it's really convenient https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00IMH7SJY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_awdo_jMPACb5G8PNAT