Here's What Happened When We Tried EasiYo’s Fresh Homemade Yogurt For The First Time

They use milk from Irish cows — so you know it's gonna be unbelievably creamy.

As someone who's always on the lookout for new ways to make meals at home more fun and delicious, I've been intrigued by the DIY-yogurt phenomenon for quite some time.

EasiYo

Making my own yogurt always sounded like something I should totally be on board with — if for no other reason than that my little people smash through so much of the stuff. Grown-ups too, actually — I mean, it's insane!

But, to be honest, it did strike me as a bit of a fantasy. Like baking your own bread or making your own granola — great in theory, but in reality, way too time-consuming and fiddly.

So I just carried on in my normal way, buying yogurt from the shop, wincing at the price (and plastic packaging) and hoping I'd up my game eventually and take some action.

I had heard a little bit about EasiYo's amazing yogurt-maker — which has been getting a lot of buzz for its genius simplicity, so I thought I'd finally bite the bullet and give it a go.

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The yogurt-maker itself is beautifully sleek and minimalist and the process involves doing — honestly — next to nothing.

I ordered one online, opting for the black (it comes in red and there are mini makers in pink and green) and it arrived the next day. At which point excitement levels were off the scale.

I truly had no idea that making my own Greek Style yogurt could be so easy.

Zoe Smith

Inside the box was the yogurt-maker and a jar. I'd also ordered some sachets (I'd gone for Greek Style Natural) which luckily arrived the same day. 

The powder sachets come in all kinds of flavours, from Vanilla and Blueberry, to Salted Caramel and Cappuccino, plus there are plant-based and reduced-sugar options. I opted to make the Greek Style Natural yogurt first, as it's the most versatile and I wanted to see how many different ways I could use it throughout the week.

I was beyond happy (and relieved) to find there were only three steps to the process. It really was as simple as it looked. The first step was to mix a sachet of yogurt powder with room-temperature drinking water (15-20°C) in the EasiYo jar — by giving it a good shake.

Zoe Smith

(Checking thoroughly the lid is properly screwed on, obvs!)

Then I had to add boiling water to the yogurt-maker and place the jar inside. After that, it was just a case of leaving it to do its thing and set for 8-12 hours, before placing it in the fridge to chill.

Zoe Smith

There's really not a lot to it!

And...ta-da! There you have it: thick and creamy Greek Style yogurt. As if by magic.

Zoe Smith

It's a special moment, let me tell you. I'd finally made yogurt at home, after all this time! And it felt effortless. This was cause for celebration.

Not only that, it tasted AMAZING. Similar to the Greek yogurt I buy from the store, only nicer. Fresher-tasting, slightly creamier and with a touch more tanginess. 

What also stuck me was the volume of yogurt I'd got from just one sachet.

Zoe Smith

From a single 170g sachet I'd made 1kg of yogurt. Plus, it's obviously as fresh as it comes.

I was desperate to see how I could use all of my freshly made yogurt and after browsing the EasiYo recipes, one thing became clear: Yogurt is ridiculously versatile. You can use it in so many meals — both sweet and savoury.

EasiYo

So I picked a few that I knew my kids would demolish. And then got to making.

In total, I made five meals with my Greek Style yogurt — all using recipes from EasiYo's website. I made some crispy chicken burgers, which featured a satisfyingly crunchy coleslaw made with the yogurt, heavenly mushroom fettuccine, unbelievably creamy banana smoothies, a super simple pizza base — and even pancakes.

Zoe Smith / BuzzFeed

Brinner (breakfast x dinner) anyone?

The verdict? I don't think I'll be making a recipe that doesn't include Greek Style Yogurt for a while.

Zoe Smith / BuzzFeed

I was surprised at how many meals I could make with just one round of yogurt — which sucked, because all I could think about was feeling like a food scientist again and making another batch.

Beyond the simple recipes that I went for, you can use yogurt in so many salads and dips, cookies and tarts, and various types of home-made bread like focaccia, garlic and herb knots, or this courgette bread, which I'm 100% making next...

EasiYo

The possibilities are endless.

It's also worth noting — you have less pressure around use-by dates, which can sometimes be an issue if you buy yogurt from a store. The sachets have a shelf-life of 18 months, so they can sit in your cupboard until you need to bring them out for a particular recipe. 

Did I mention the yogurt-maker requires no electronic parts or power, so you can keep it anywhere on your bench-top and move it around freely? Another bonus!

EasiYo

No one needs more kitchen appliances to plug in, let's face it.

Give it a try for yourself. If you like things kept super simple and easy, head over to EasiYo and learn more about making delicious, fresh yogurt at home — it's definitely got the feel-good factor.