In August 2008, Waring released the Professional Yogurt Maker model YM350. This is a very smart looking appliance with it's black base and stainless steel accents.
The YM350 allows you to make yogurt at home in varying quantities since it comes with both 8 ounce and 16 ounce jars. The incubator unit consists of the heating base and a see-through cover for use during operation. Built into the base is a 19 hour blue LED timer display. There is an audible alarm (beeping tones) which goes off when fermentation is complete. The unit also comes with a one year warranty.
The Waring YM350 Yogurt Maker comes with six 8 ounce plastics jars with lids and two 16 ounce plastic jars also with lids. You can order replacement jars of both sizes and also a replacement cover for the unit from the Waring website. The extra jars may come in handy if you want to start making another batch before you have finished eating the last one.
Customer feedback about this Waring yogurt maker has been mostly positive. Since Waring is known for making quality products, customers seem happy to go with a name they trust.
The temperature control with the heating base was noted as a positive feature as well. One satisfied owner had measured it at a constant 115 F degrees - the perfect temperature for making yogurt. Some of the YM350's competitors have a reputation for inconsistent performance when comes to temperature control.
The only real concern raised was in regard to the polycarbonate plastic jars. For those not familiar with the BSA (Bisphenol-A) scare, there is some debate over the safety of plastic made with BSA (but I'll let you do your own research into the merits of the various viewpoints). To negate this issue, some concerned customers have simply substituted glass jars or stainless steel pots for the polycarbonate containers.
The Waring Pro YM350 Professional is available from various online merchants for around $50 plus shipping.
Read more about the Waring Yogurt Maker.