we got one a few months ago, and wouldn't you know it makes the best yogurt we've ever eaten. could we make the same yogurt without a yogurt maker? sure. would we have to constantly monitor the temp to make sure we weren't making a science experiment? yes. so, buy one! they are relatively inexpensive and make it easy to create the best yogurt ever! and it's easier to make than it is to go to the store and buy it...as ron popeil would say, "set it, and forget it!"

Totally unnecessary. Here's Harold McGee on homemade yogurt using kitchen items you already have (i.e., a pot and thermometer)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/dining/15curi.html

I have a small kitchen and try to avoid unitaskers, too. We make yogurt every week with just a pot, thermometer, jar, and towel. It really only takes about 10 minutes of hands on time and we get amazing yogurt. Try it a few times before committing to a yogurt maker. This is our process:

http://eatlocal365.com/2010/10/25/how-to-make-all-natural-yogurt-at-home/

I initially bought mine to use with chocolate, I melt white chocolate - add a paste-type food coloring - and the yogurt maker keeps it at the proper temperature while I'm painting chocolate molds or finished chocolates, but it ALSO happens to make great yogurt! Now is it necessary to have, for making yogurt, absolutely not. Would I take the time to monitor temperature while making yogurt without one? Nope. So for me it's a handy dual-use appliance and it was cheap ($15 at a discount shop).

I've made yogurt a few times without a maker. I could never quite get the right consistency when I made it in larger jars. It did come out perfect when I let the yogurt set up in half-pint mason jars, for some reason. Although it feels like a lot of trouble with multiple jars. I've been wanting to make a batch of yogurt, but I keep thinking, "ohh I don't want to pull out all those jars and crap and set everything up".....so whiny, I know. :)
I've been thinking maybe a yogurt maker will make it seem like a less-involved process so that I'll do it more often.

People have been making yogurt for thousands of years without yogurt makers. All you need is a pot, thermometer and a jar. And if you are feeling wild, a towel.

I've made yogurt successfully in quart sized jars. I have insulated bags for food shopping and I just use that to help keep yogurt at the right temp. (I don't make a ton of yogurt so I'll add clean dishtowles to help insulate as well.)

OK, having just read Harold's NYTimes article, I'll share that I make mine using nonfat milk but NO added milk solids and depending on how I'll use it afterward I occasionally blend in some carrageenan (purified seaweed available in powdered form) to mimic the mouth feel of full fat yogurt. Carrageenan will make you think there's added fat or gelatin, when there isn't, I started using it when making frosting for a vegan wedding cake (because it gave the frosting body and mouth feel). There isn't a time I'm having homemade yogurt that I think it's nonfat, or reduced yogurt, it's as lush as full fat.

Also, is it cheaper to make at home? Yes. If your grocery store has club cards, you can usually stock up during their sales on milk, so I'm often making double batches of yogurt for about $1.25.

I'd try it without a few times, and then get a yogurt maker if you fail more often than succeed. (That's what I did -- I tried ten times to make it using just mason jars and a towel, as people describe above, but only succeeded one out of the ten times. I figured a 90% failure rate was a good sign I should invest in a yogurt maker. ...although I got one off ebay rather than paying full price.)

It is so much fun to make without a maker - why bother with the gadget. My oven with the light on makes a perfect temperature environment for the development phase. Also, if you make a large quantity, you can drain some of it in cheesecloth and make some great soft yoghurt cheese.

I had a maker once and thought the portions it made were too small and the results were no different than using a crock pot. And personally, the yogurt you make can be excellent when you do it on your own, but these days there are so many good yogurt choices in the store I decided to stop making my own.

I just made yogurt for the first time this weekend. I used a crockpot and it worked fantastically! All I used were: crockpot, milk, Stonyfield yogurt (as the starter), and towels. A crockpot gets the job done - and is obviously a multi-tasking appliance.

I have the Donvier machine in the image above. With the yogurt maker, you STILL have to scald the milk to the right temperature in a pot on the stove, cool it to 110 with a thermometer inserted, add starter, then put in the little cups that come with the machine. You then put the cups in the machine, plug it in, and wait 10 hours.

I've heard that the pilot light in the oven mimics the slight warmth of the machine, thus rendering the machine pretty useless.

However, I like the yogurt containers it comes with and the fact that I know it is heated to the right temperature.

I've never made yogurt in the oven, so I can't compare flavors.

I think this is one of the easiest ways I've made fail proof yogurt. the appliance seems a little... big! although if you don't have a crock pot.... then there's that.
http://girlsguidetobutter.com/2010/02/crock-pot-yogurt/

I make it with a crock pot and it is SO easy and yummy. And no thermometer monitoring. So I would never buy a yogurt maker! Plus, I make 1/2 gallon at a time in the crockpot!

Chiming in to recommend the crock-pot method. I do it this way: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

I have been experimenting with cultures from here: http://www.cheesemaking.com/ and I'm very happy with the results.

It makes a TON - for me that means I drain some of it to make "greek" yogurt.

We do the crock-pot-in-an-oven-set to warm- overnight-thing and we've had no problems.

I make yogurt with a pot, thermometer, and a one gallon insulated jug. And the only part I use the thermometer for is the cooling. It doesn't matter how hot your milk gets so long as it gets above 190 degrees, so I usually just let mine come to a boil. Then I cool it down to 110, mix in starter (tempered, of course), and pour into the jug and put it on top of the refrigerator. Did I mention that I make it in gallon batches? and it costs no more than $3.50 for a gallon of delicious yogurt? I strain mine because I like that consistency, but that's still significantly cheaper than any yogurt I could by off the shelf - especially the no-filler variety.

I had a yogurt maker for a while, but it was fussy and I had to do almost all of it anyway. And it only made 8 six oz servings. And it was a bear to clean.

So no, I don't think you should buy one.

No way I'd ever buy that gadget. I've made yogurt successfully using several different ways, some easier than others, some taking less time, some requiring less attention...just choose the method that best suits your life/schedule.

If you want to save money, don't buy stuff you don't need. :)

No need for a yogurt maker, crockpot, thermometer, or oven. I've been making Caspian Sea Yogurt for maybe 6 or 7 years now, and the last time I started over with fresh starter culture was about 5 years ago.

Every couple of weeks or so I take out the starter I saved from the previous batch, mix it gently into a half gallon of milk, then cover and leave it on the counter for about a day while it turns into yogurt. When it's done, I save some yogurt from the middle of the container as the starter for the next batch. The rest is mixed together then eaten over the next week or two (saved in the refrigerator for that time).

Yup - you'll save money within a week or two... they're not that expensive. I just leave a bit in the bottom of the jars, refill with plain soy milk (Costco brand), shake or stir, put them back into the yogurt maker for the day, then into the fridge at night. On days you only use a small container, you can do the same by leaving the refilled jar on a warm shelf or counter for 12 hours. Then refrigerate. ENJOY

I love mine. You can absolutely make your own yogurt without a yogurt maker. Yes, it's a one-trick pony. However, you plug it in and forget about it for 4-12 hours. It's ridiculously convenient, and that's why I got it.

I agree with the others--try making it a few times without the appliance, and then see how you feel. I made yogurt a few times the old fashioned way, and it was easy and turned out great the first time. If it seems like a pain, spring for the maker, no big deal.

I LOVE my yogurt maker. Of course you could do without it, but I don't really have the time or patience. And it doesn't take up that much space or energy.

Making your own is very easy and you don't need loose place in your kitchen for that.

Here is what I think of unitasker appliances: Is it going to promote your doing what you want? In this case, find a yogurt maker and read the instructions. Also read the instructions for making your own without one. Which makes you want to do the action more or keeps you doing the action repetitively? If you know you are more likely to follow through on a regular basis with a unitasker then go for it. Sometimes it's not all about saving time specifically but getting the job done. I make better bread than my bread maker, but, there are many days where if I want fresh bread that being able to throw ingredients into the breadmaker and set it to be done at a certain time makes it a great unitasker for me. Otherwise I wouldn't make fresh bread so often. If the yogurt maker in this case helps you achieve your goal more often, making yogurt regularly, then it is a great buy for you regardless of whether you can make it with things you already have.

Crockpot yogurt all the way.