The Best Instant Pot Yogurt

1. Stage

Boil the milk in the Instant Pot: Pour the milk into the Instant Pot’s insert. Lock on the lid. It does not matter if the steam vent is open or closed. Press the “Yogurt” button, then press “Adjust” so the digital readout says “Boil” or "HIGH." (The readout will depend on your model. Refer to the yogurt section of your Instant Pot manual if you need clarification.) After this, on some Instant Pot models, you'll need to press the "start" button. Eventually it will bring the milk to 180° F (this kills off undesirable microorganisms). It usually takes about 30 minutes. When it's done, the Instant Pot will beep and its readout will say “Yogt.”

2. Stage

Cool the milk: Right after the Instant Pot beeps, turn it off and lift out the insert of hot milk. Put the thermometer in the milk and wait until it’s 116° F. This can take as long as an hour. To speed down the cooling, set the insert of hot milk in a bath of ice water and stir the milk; the temperature will drop in about 5 minutes. (If it dips below 110°F, pop the insert back in the cooker, press “Yogurt,” then “Adjust” and monitor the thermometer until it’s back in the right zone. Remove the insert from the cooker.) Remove the thermometer. There will be a film of coagulated milk on the surface of the milk; carefully lift this off with a spoon and discard (this film won’t ruin your yogurt, but it creates a distracting texture once it’s finished).

3. Stage

Temper the starter: Put the starter in a medium bowl and add about 1/2 cup of the warm milk. Whisk until smooth, then pour into the insert of milk and whisk to combine.

4. Stage

Incubate the yogurt: Set the insert of milk back in the Instant Pot, lock on the lid (once again, the steam vent may be open or closed), and press YOGURT. On some models, such as the Ultra, you'll need to press "adjust" and change the setting from "HIGH" to "MEDIUM." After that, if the readout does not say “8:00,” add time using the + button until it does. The Instant Pot will incubate your yogurt for 8 hours before switching itself off (the display will read “Yogt” once the 8-hour default programming is complete). You can use the +/- button to adjust the incubation time. Note that, when incubating yogurt, the timer counts up (when pressure cooking with your Instant Pot, the readout counts down ). So, when readout says “2:45,” it’s been incubating for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

5. Stage

Check your yogurt: Start checking on your yogurt after 4 hours. As the yogurt incubates, you don’t want to jostle the Instant Pot too much—it can keep the yogurt from setting well. It can take anywhere from under 4 to over 12 hours for your yogurt to set. A lot of it has to do with how active the cultures in your starter are—fresher starter takes a lot less time to incubate. Be patient and don’t lose hope! Open the lid carefully when you peek; a lot of condensation forms around the gasket and you want to minimize it dripping back onto the yogurt. The yogurt is set when it jiggles all as one unit if you carefully nudge the insert, and it does not run if you tip the pot a bit. You may see some clear liquid (the whey) floating on the surface and at the edges.

6. Stage

Cool the yogurt to room temperature without stirring: Once your yogurt is set, gently lift the insert from the cooker. Pouring it out or stirring at this point can make your yogurt runny, which you don’t want. You can set the insert on a rack to help it cool faster, but don’t pop it right in the fridge, since rapid temperature changes can also thin your yogurt. Once it’s at room temp (about 2 hours), set it in the refrigerator.

7. Stage

Chill at least 6 hours: The yogurt might seem lumpy after it's been chilled, but a vigorous whisking will smooth it out. At this point, you may strain it or transfer it to sterile containers (I like quart glass jars).

8. Stage

Store the yogurt: For smooth yogurt, whisk like heck. For thick, rich yogurt, strain it . The yogurt should be good for up to two weeks. As it sits in your refrigerator, it will get tangier and lose some of its body.