Rachel from Tauranga asks, “How do you feel about soda stream machines and yoghurt makers? Do they save money – are they worth it?”
17
Apr
Rachel from Tauranga asks, “How do you feel about soda stream machines and yoghurt makers? Do they save money – are they worth it?”
4 Comments
Charmaine from Whangarei writes, “I just love my soda stream, but am also extremely careful not to purchase sweet drinks. I use mine mainly to carbonate plain water which is so much nicer to drink than ordinary water, which I don’t like much. To this I can also add fresh orange, lime, lemon, or any natural juices – much nicer. So Rachael go get your soda machine – if used wisely they are great!”
Caroline from Wellington says, “I am able to make a healthy, lightly sparkling drink for next to nothing. Called Water Kefir, it is made with just water, sugar and Kefir grains. The grains are pro-biotic and eat the sugar, creating the fizz as a by-product. Once made, the grains are re-used, and the drink can be flavoured with vanilla, fruit or drink syrups. I also make Viili, which is similar to yoghurt. The main difference is that it doesn’t need to be kept warm for it to ‘set’ the milk. Just leave milk with a tablespoon or two of your last batch on the kitchen counter, and in a day or two it is ready. To get started, ask around in your community. Many people make these products, and are often happy to donate some to a newbie!”
Penny-pincher from Taihape has this suggestion. “My husband uses his yoghurt making machine – it only takes 1/3 of the packet to have great yoghurt! Instead of using the other 2/3, substitute with whole milk powder. It is a lot cheaper than buying it at the supermarket and you can become creative adding different flavours and experimenting with it.”
To do a quick check to see what savings can be made by making your own yoghurt we went online and compared the cost of buying a powder sachet to make 1kg of strawberry yoghurt and a 1kg tub which cost $5. At the everyday price the saving was 31c, but the day we checked the powder was on special so the saving was $1 a kg – a saving of 20%. There are other advantages too. One oily ragger says they like the convenience of making their own. “We live out of town so it’s great having sachets on hand to make it when we need it. And the kids seem to love it even more, when they are engaged in the process of selecting a flavour and making it!”