So, my attempts at making yogurt are going well.  I have a culture going that when we almost finish eating a batch I save out a few tablespoons and use it for the next batch.  And making the yogurt into Greek style yogurt also is working, at least from the standpoint of ending up with a very thick, good tasting yogurt.  I still like using whole milk best (it obviously just happens to taste better) but have been alternating with lower fat milk, and it works (but just isn’t quite so rich tasting).  

But here’s the part that is bothering me.  Whether I use a thin kitchen towel (as a replacement for cheesecloth) or a coffee filter, I just don’t seem to be able to scrape all that good thick yogurt out and know some of it is going down the drain.  

I did some searching on the internet, wondering how I ever managed before we had it.  Well, I do remember how we managed.  Little instant gratification with answers to questions, no ability to search for products and find the best price.   Not being able to write silly blogs and send them into cyberspace.  

So, in my search, with just putting “yogurt drainer” into the search engine, I located product, called a yogurt cheese maker

Much as I try hard to not bring more gadgets and junk into my kitchen, this one looks like it has real merit. No more kitchen towels or paper filters covered with thick yogurt, much less mess. And much better recovery of the the yogurt. Well, now it sounds like work…. I spend a lot of time at work trying to improve yields – how much juice we can get out of fruit. Still, I think I’ll give this “tool” a try.