How to Make Yogurt in an Instant Pot (Step by Step)

Q: Which Instant Pots can make yogurt?

Any model with a dedicated Yogurtbutton, which includes the Duo, the Duo Plus and several others, but not every model — some newer and air-fryer versions drop it. The Yogurt program is what holds the milk at a steady incubation temperature, so a pressure cooker without it cannot really do this. Check your model, or see what the buttons mean.

How to Make Yogurt in an Instant Pot

An Instant Pot with a Yogurt button turns homemade yogurt from a fussy stovetop project into a set-and-forget one: it holds the milk at a steady incubation temperature for hours so you do not have to babysit it. Here is the full method, the two temperatures that matter, and which models can actually do it.

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Why an Instant Pot is good at yogurt

Yogurt is just milk held at a warm, steady temperature long enough for live cultures to thicken it, and that steady hold is exactly what an Instant Pot's Yogurtprogram does. It is one of the genuinely useful functions hiding behind the button panel — we run through the rest in what the Instant Pot buttons mean and what you can cook in an Instant Pot. First, though, check your model actually has it: the plain Duo, Duo Plusand several others include a Yogurt button, but some models (and most no-name pressure cookers) do not. No Yogurt button, no temperature hold — and this method needs it.

Step 1 — heat the milk to about 180°F

Pour your milk (whole milk makes the thickest yogurt) into the stainless inner pot, set the Yogurt function to its boil / high stage, and let it bring the milk up to around 180°F. This step is not about safety so much as texture: heating the milk to 180 denatures the proteins so they set into a firm, spoonable yogurt rather than a thin one. Stir now and then and watch it does not scorch on the bottom. When it reaches temperature, the pot beeps; if yours has no thermometer, an instant-read one is the single most useful yogurt tool you can own.

Step 2 — cool it to about 110°F

Now the milk has to come down to incubation temperature, roughly 105–115°F. This matters a lot: too hot and you kill the cultures you are about to add, too cool and they will not get going. You can let the pot sit with the lid off, or speed it up by resting the inner pot in a sink of cold water. Around 110°F is the target — warm to a clean fingertip, not hot.

Step 3 — add the starter and incubate

Whisk in your starter: a couple of tablespoons of plain store-bought yogurt with live active cultures, or a scoop from your last batch. Stir it through gently so it is evenly spread, put the lid on (sealing or venting, it does not matter here since there is no pressure), and set the Yogurt function to hold for 8 hours as a starting point. Longer gives a tangier, firmer yogurt; shorter, a milder one. The pot keeps the milk at the ideal warm temperature the whole time, which is the entire reason this is easier than the stovetop.

Step 4 — chill, and strain if you want it thick

When the cycle ends, move the pot to the fridge and let it cold-set for at least a few hours— it firms up considerably as it chills. For thick, Greek-style yogurt, strain the chilled yogurt through cheesecloth or a fine sieve for an hour or two to drain the whey. Save a few spoonfuls as the starter for your next batch. One honest caution: keep everything clean, use fresh milk and a live-culture starter, and refrigerate promptly — homemade yogurt has no preservatives and is best eaten within about a week.

The hardware

The cookers this page is about

The cookers referred to above, with prices pulled live from Amazon and dated on every card. Full rankings live in the roundups linked from this page.

1,000 W
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart
The multicooker that made the category, and still the right default. Instant Brands publishes the wattage, the working pressure range and a stainless (not nonstick) inner pot, which is more than most of the field manages — and it costs less than almost all of them.
$104.67on Amazon
1,000 W
Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Multicooker, 6 Quart
The Duo with two functions added that people genuinely use — sous vide and sterilize — plus a quieter WhisperQuiet steam release. Same 1,000 W, same stainless pot, same published working pressure, at a price between the Duo and the Pro.
$139.99on Amazon

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Questions

Frequently asked

Which Instant Pots can make yogurt?

Any model with a dedicated Yogurtbutton, which includes the Duo, the Duo Plus and several others, but not every model — some newer and air-fryer versions drop it. The Yogurt program is what holds the milk at a steady incubation temperature, so a pressure cooker without it cannot really do this. Check your model, or see what the buttons mean.

What temperature do you heat and cool the milk to?

Heat the milk to about 180F first, which sets the proteins so the yogurt is thick rather than thin. Then cool it to roughly 110F (about 105 to 115F) before adding the starter, because anything much hotter kills the live cultures. An instant-read thermometer makes both steps foolproof.

How long does yogurt take in an Instant Pot?

Plan on roughly 30 minutes to heat and cool the milk, then about 8 hours of hands-off incubation on the Yogurt setting, then a few hours chilling in the fridge to firm up. Incubate longer for a tangier, firmer yogurt or shorter for a milder one.

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