This DIY yoghurt maker aims for less plastic and more choice

If you've ever tried to make your own yoghurt, you'll know it can be hard work. But Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Ashok Jaiswal wants to make it simple, and eco-friendly to boot.

The entrepreneur's Yomee machine takes the fuss out of making yoghurt, and while there are other machines in the market that can do this, Jaiswal's Yomee aims to be better for the environment and give you more choice.

Rival yoghurt makers work with K-cup-style milk packets that contain yoghurt culture, which you have to use before a certain date. But Yomee has compressed the culture into self-contained soluble pods that dissolve into milk. Assuming Yomee is packing multiple pods per package, this should leave you with less plastic waste to worry about. 

It also means you get to choose the type of milk you use. So if you're lactose intolerant, you have the option to make yoghurt from almond, coconut, soy or even rice milk.

The Yomee heats your milk to 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 Celsius) with a ceramic heating element to pasteurize it. It's then cooled down to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) and the culture pod is dropped in to turn the milk into yoghurt before it's chilled to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). The main downside: Each serving takes about six hours to make and is enough for two.

The Yomee comes with a companion app that lets you select from three different styles: Greek, traditional or smoothie. It also includes recipes with calorie information and lets you order a pod refill.

Of course, if you commit to Yomee, you're also committing to those proprietary pods -- a bargain of convenience that's familiar to any K-cup coffee fan. It also means you're betting on Yomee to stay around and continue making compatible pods. Ten pods of 20 servings will cost $9.90, while a monthly subscription model of 20 pods of 40 servings is likely to go for $15. They have a shelf life of six months.

The Yomee is currently live on Kickstarter for $99 (which converts to about £75 or AU$125) and comes with 20 pods. Yomee plans to sell the machine in countries including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand. 

Early pledges can get three months' worth of pods for free. The Yomee is expected to ship in April next year.

As always, please note that CNET's reporting on crowdfunding campaigns is not an endorsement of the project or its creators. Before contributing to any campaign, read the crowdfunding site's policies -- in this case, Kickstarter -- to find out your rights (and refund policies, or the lack thereof) before and after a campaign ends.

Update, 1:08 p.m. ET: Added more context and crowdfunding disclaimer.