Euro Cuisine GY4 Yogurt Maker Expansion Tray, Additional Tier for Yogurt Maker Machines, BPA-Free, Dishwasher Safe, Compatible with YM80, YM100, YM650

I've used the Euro Cuisine yogurt maker to make home-made yogurt for about 7 years and it works well. This extender ring doubles the number of 7 oz jars from 7 to 14 during one heating session. The complete system keeps the heat around 100 degrees (+-) and the yogurt comes out just fine. I like to do 20 jars at a time, so I throw the additional 6 jars into the microwave oven over my stove with only the surface light turned on high and it keeps the temperature about 100 degrees also. I can't tell the difference between the taste of the jars that came from the Euro Cuisine machine (14 of them) and the jars that were warmed in the microwave (six of them), with only the surface light turned on high to provide heat. The surface light is basically to provide light to the stove top so you can see what you are cooking, but in the process of doing that, it also heats the inside of the microwave oven to about 100 degrees!There are any-number of 'recipes' to make home-made yogurt and I have settled on a way that makes yogurt that I know is full of good-bacteria and tastes great. I like to let my yogurt 'cook' in the Euro Cuisine machine and microwave over night for about 12 hours. This gives it the tangy taste I desire. I like being able to control the final yogurt product and only purchase store-bought yogurt when an emergency pops-up. The 20 jars last 3 weeks and isn't painful at all. Home-made yogurt is part of the process to maintaining a solid immune system by keeping the 'gut' healthy and full of 'good-bugs'.

I've been making yogurt every week for four years with the Euro Cuisine YMX650 Yogurt Maker. Each batch turns out firm and smooth, with no whey (liquid) in the jars. I find that the second tier provides a time-saving way to make two batches quickly.Because there have been quite a few reviewers who experienced difficulty with the second tier - I thought I'd post my process. I hope this helps, and good luck with your yogurt.* I use 49 ounces of whole milk with 2 TABLESPOONS of plain Greek yogurt as a starter for each 7-jar batch of yogurt.* To prepare the mix for the yogurt maker; USING A COOKING THERMOMETER, I gently heat the milk to 182° f for 2-3 minutes stirring periodically. I then cool the pot of milk to 104°-105° f. Next I mix 1/4 cup of the cooled milk into the yogurt in a separate bowl to temper it, then gently stir that mixture into the rest of the milk and skim off any foam that develops. Finally, I pour the milk/yogurt mixture into the jars and wipe off any drips.* When processing a single 7-jar batch - I put the jars into the COLD yogurt maker and let them process for 6-hours. Since the yogurt maker heats to a steady 120° f, more time than that causes the whey to separate from the curd and leaves the yogurt cracked and watery.* When processing both tiers (14-jars) - I PREHEAT the yogurt maker, put a warm towel on top then cover the towel and the outside of the top tier (only) with a soft insulated "cooler" bag to keep the heat in. The top layer is slightly cooler than the bottom at about 114° f.Because I can't make all the jars at once, I put the first batch of jars in the TOP layer. I re-warm the towel and replace the "cooler" bag on top while I work on the rest of the jars. (It takes me about 10-minutes to get the second batch mixed and in the jars) I put these jars on the bottom layer, check that the towel is still warm and the cooler bag properly in place. After processing 3 1/2 hours, I switch the jars from top to bottom, re-heat the towel and replace the "cooler" bag on the top tier of the yogurt maker. I then process the yogurt for an additional 3 1/2 hours. A total of 7-hours.For me, using this method, the yogurt from both tiers comes out firm and creamy.

Update: I have been using this for several months now. . .and one VERY important thing to note: You really need to rotate the jars half-way through. Put the bottom on the top. . . and the top on the bottom. Otherwise your top jars may not "set". It's warmer on the bottom than the top. . .but by rotating the yogurt turns out fine.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~What a GREAT addition to my Euro Cuisine yogurt maker! Great quality. Reasonable price. It fits snugly. It's just great. Make sure you use authentic Euro Cuisine jars, which fit perfectly. Though you can find less-expensive jars on Amazon, I recommend the ones listed below. I purchased from seller "stores123". They are "authentic" Euro Cuisine jars with the "date lids".Euro Cuisine Set of 8 Glass Jars for Yogurt Maker GY2640

Works to double yogurt production. Instructions say add 2 hour’s incubation time, but that didn’t seem long enough. Bottom level yogurt came out firm, but top level with the expansion tray was much softer. The bottom sets directly on the heat, it takes much longer for the top rack to set. No difference in anything other than the firmness.

I purchased this because I go through a lot of yoghurt. I have tried everything to get the top layer to be successful but only the bottom layer works. I have tried covering it with a towel thinking it wasn't getting to or staying at the correct temperature, but this didn't work. I have tried different incubation times and sizes of containers without success. This was a bummer purchase and a waste of money.