I love yogurt. But store yogurt made my gut grumpy. Too sweet. Too thin. So I bought the Luvele yogurt maker with my own money. After skimming through pages of glowing feedback on Trustpilot, I felt confident hitting the checkout button. And I’ve used it a lot at home. In my tiny kitchen. With kids asking, “Is it ready yet?”
Here’s the thing: I didn’t expect to care this much about temperature and time. Now I do. Weird, right?
What it’s like to use
The Luvele uses a warm water bath. You set the temp and timer on a little screen. Mine lets me pick 36, 38, or 40°C. The timer on my unit goes up to 24 hours. If I need longer, I just start another cycle. Not fancy, but it works.
It came with glass jars and BPA-free lids. The jars feel solid. I like that I can ferment in small jars and grab one for work. Less spoon drama in the morning.
Filling the water bath is easy. I use my kettle and cold tap water to hit warm, not hot. Then I place the jars in and close the lid. It’s quiet. Like, whisper quiet. The panel light is bright at night, so I tuck it in a corner.
First batch: simple “Greek-style” win
I started with whole milk and a basic starter. I used Fairlife 2% once too. That one didn’t need scalding first. If you've ever wondered whether the Instant Pot yogurt function is easier, spoiler: it has its own quirks — here’s what actually happened when I tried it. When I use regular milk, I heat it on the stove, then cool it. Old-school, but it gives a thick set.
I set the Luvele to 40°C for 8 hours. The yogurt came out soft and clean-tasting. My daughter stirred in honey and raspberries. I strained a couple jars overnight in a mesh bag. Boom—thick Greek-style. Lunches for two days, done.
Taste? Mild tang. Not sour. The kitchen smelled warm and milky. Cozy, like baking day, but easier.
Real talk: my coconut yogurt saga
Batch one was a mess. Full-fat canned coconut milk, starter, no thickener. It split into layers. I stared at it like it had betrayed me.
Batch two: I whisked in 1 teaspoon gelatin for four cups. Set at 38°C for 12 hours. That held firm, like a soft custard. I added a spoon of maple syrup and vanilla. Now it’s my go-to dairy-free snack. Not super sweet. Just right.
The nerdy one: L. reuteri yogurt
I wanted a long ferment for my gut. So I crushed a few BioGaia tablets and mixed with inulin powder and whole milk. I set the Luvele at 36°C. The timer maxed at 24 hours, so I ran another 12. Yes, I babysat the button. Worth it. If you’ve ever suspected that mainstream nutrition rules are upside-down, Dr. Berg explains why in this eye-opening blog post about how “everything you’ve been taught is backwards” (read it here).
It came out extra tangy and a bit stretchy. Funny texture, but I like it. I eat a small jar in the evening. My stomach feels calm after. Placebo? Maybe. But I’ll take calm.
Little details that matter
- The jars go on the top rack of my dishwasher. No chips so far.
- Condensation gathers under the lid. I wipe it when I peek.
- The cord is a bit short. I had to shuffle my coffee maker over.
- The beep is soft. I missed it once. I now set a phone timer too.
Waiting for milk to cool or for a 24-hour ferment to finish leaves plenty of downtime. If you’d rather spend those hours exchanging playful messages than just watching a timer tick down, explore this in-depth list of the best platforms for discreet, fun online flirting at sexting sites. It compares top apps, outlines their safety features, and shows how to get started so you can keep things spicy while the yogurt cultures stay cozy. For readers in East Texas who’d prefer to skip straight to an in-person meet-up, check out Longview hookups—the guide highlights the most active local spots and dating apps so you can quickly connect with nearby singles and maybe bond over homemade yogurt instead of boring small talk.
What I love
- Stable temp with the water bath. No hot spots.
- Glass jars. Safe, sturdy, easy to store.
- Control. I pick the temp and time for each culture.
- Quiet. It hums along while we sleep.
What bugs me
- The 24-hour limit. Long ferments need a restart.
- Water bath means fill and empty every time. Not hard, just… splashy.
- Jars are tall. One shelf in my fridge doesn’t fit them standing up.
Still, compared with wrestling stiff sourdough starter, yogurt feels like a breeze—my recent test of a bread maker taught me all about not stressing over sticky dough.
A few tips from my kitchen
- Don’t overfill the water. It rises when you add jars.
- Leave the jar lids loose while fermenting. Tighten after.
- Let yogurt chill a full 6–8 hours before judging thickness.
- Label jars with a dry-erase marker. Date, temp, culture.
- If it’s runny, add time or use a mesh strainer. No drama.
- Want prettier labels than my scrawled marker? In under five minutes you can design and print slick jar stickers with CoverMaker.
Who will like it
- Parents packing lunches. It’s cheaper and better tasting.
- Folks who want SCD/GAPS style yogurt with longer ferments.
- Anyone picky about texture. You can make it mild or tangy, thin or thick.
Final take
I didn’t buy the Luvele to “get fancy.” I bought it to stop guessing. Now I get yogurt that fits my taste and my belly. Is it perfect? No. The timer cap is annoying, and I do spill the water sometimes. But it makes reliable, silky yogurt on my schedule.
Would I buy it again? Yep. I use it three or four times a week. My fridge is full of small jars with white lids and little scribbles. It makes me oddly happy.
And you know what? A spoon of fresh yogurt at 6 a.m., before the house wakes up—quiet, cool, and a little tangy—that’s my kind of win.