Best Yogurt Maker (7 Picks for Jars, Big Batches and Greek Yogurt)

Yogurt only needs two things to set: live cultures and a steady warm spot for several hours. Your kitchen rarely offers the second one, which is the whole job of a yogurt maker.

The right one depends on how you eat yogurt. Single cups for lunch boxes, a big tub for the week, slow probiotic batches, or thick Greek yogurt all point to different machines. And if you own an Instant Pot, you may already have what you need.

The short version: The Euro Cuisine YM260 is the best yogurt maker for most homes. You set both the temperature and the time, and it comes with a strainer bag for Greek yogurt. The one rule that matters most: buy adjustable temperature if you want anything beyond plain dairy yogurt.

Our Picks at a Glance

• Best overall: Euro Cuisine YM260 Yogurt MakerJump to review ↓
• Best for single-serve jars: Euro Cuisine YMX650 Digital Yogurt MakerJump to review ↓
• Best for big batches: Luvele Pure Plus Yogurt MakerJump to review ↓
• Best if you want a multicooker: Instant Pot Duo 6-QuartJump to review ↓
• Best for bakers: Brod & Taylor Folding ProoferJump to review ↓
• Best Greek yogurt strainer: Euro Cuisine GY50 Greek Yogurt MakerJump to review ↓
• Best thermometer for yogurt: ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2Jump to review ↓

Yogurt Makers Compared

Pick	Batch size	Temperature control	Timer	What sets it apart
Euro Cuisine YM260	2-quart glass jar	Yes, 78°F to 132°F	Up to 99 hours	Thermometer and strainer bag included
Euro Cuisine YMX650	7 jars, 6 oz each	No, fixed	Up to 15 hours	Date dials on every lid
Luvele Pure Plus	2-liter glass container	Yes, 78°F to 122°F	Up to 36 hours	Water-bath heating
Instant Pot Duo 6 Qt	Up to the inner pot	Preset yogurt range	Adjustable	Also heats the milk for you
Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer	Eight 1-quart jars	Yes, 70°F to 195°F overall	Not a feature	Folds to under 3 inches thick
Euro Cuisine GY50	Strains up to 2 quarts	Not needed	Not needed	Turns any yogurt into Greek yogurt
ThermoPop 2	Any pot	Reads, doesn’t heat	Not needed	2 to 3 second readings

1. Euro Cuisine YM260 Yogurt Maker: Best Overall

Most yogurt makers hold one fixed temperature. The YM260 lets you pick the number, and that decides what you can make.

Standard dairy yogurt is happy around 110°F. A slow, mild probiotic batch may want 100°F for a day and a half. Some plant-based cultures prefer it lower still. With a 78°F to 132°F range and a 99-hour timer, this one machine covers all of those.

It also comes with the two extras most beginners end up buying anyway. The thermometer tells you when the heated milk has cooled enough to add the starter. The cotton bag lets you strain the finished batch into Greek yogurt or soft yogurt cheese.

Who should buy it: Anyone who wants one machine that can grow with them, from plain weekday yogurt to probiotic experiments and Greek yogurt.

2. Euro Cuisine YMX650 Digital Yogurt Maker: Best for Single-Serve Jars

The YMX650 is built around portions. You pour the cultured milk into seven small glass jars, set the timer, and come back to a week of single servings.

You can flavor each jar differently, say vanilla in two and plain in five. And since nobody digs into a shared tub, each jar stays untouched until it is eaten.

The date dial on every lid is a small, smart touch. Homemade yogurt has a shelf life, and you will not remember on Saturday which jars came from Monday. It pairs nicely with an organized small fridge, where seven matching jars stack in one neat row.

Who should buy it: People who eat one cup of yogurt a day and like it portioned, plus anyone cooking for one who hates watching a big tub go sour.

3. Luvele Pure Plus Yogurt Maker: Best for Big Batches

Luvele is a specialist brand that makes little besides fermenting gear, and the Pure Plus shows it. Most makers warm the air around the jar. This one sits the glass container in a bath of warm water.

Water holds heat far more evenly than air, so the milk stays at the same temperature from top to bottom. That matters most on long batches, where small swings add up.

Many owners buy it for long batches. People on the SCD diet ferment yogurt for 24 hours so the cultures use up more of the milk sugar. The 36-hour timer and fine 2-degree steps make that easy to repeat.

Who should buy it: Families, high-protein eaters and anyone on a long-ferment diet who makes a big batch every week.

4. Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart: Best If You Want a Multicooker

For many readers the answer is simple: if an Instant Pot is already on your counter, start there. The Yogurt button on the Duo holds the milk in the right range for standard yogurt, which is the main thing a yogurt maker does.

It can also do the step most makers skip. The More setting on the Yogurt program heats the milk for you, so there is no pot to watch on the stove. You heat, let it cool, stir in the starter, and switch to Normal.

You can culture straight in the inner pot or set small jars on a rack inside. Any of the trivets and baskets in our guide to the best steamer basket for Instant Pot will keep jars off the bottom. If you are still choosing between machines, our Instant Pot vs pressure cooker comparison covers the cooking side, which is a separate decision from yogurt.

Who should buy it: Anyone who wants yogurt once or twice a week and would also use a pressure cooker. Our explainer on what an Instant Pot is walks through every button.

5. Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer: Best for Bakers

This is the odd one on the list. The Brød & Taylor is a warm box built for rising bread dough, and it also holds jars of milk at yogurt temperature.

Eight 1-quart mason jars fit inside at once. That is about twice what any dedicated maker here can hold. And because it uses ordinary jars, you are not limited to the containers that came in the box.

The fold is the clever part. When you are done, it collapses to under 3 inches thick and slides beside a baking sheet. That makes it one of the easier appliances to fit when you store small appliances in a small kitchen.

Who should buy it: Bread bakers who want yogurt as a bonus. Pair it with the picks in our best bread proofing basket reviews and you have a full proofing setup.

6. Euro Cuisine GY50 Greek Yogurt Maker: Best Greek Yogurt Strainer

Despite the name, the GY50 doesn’t make yogurt. It turns yogurt you already have into Greek yogurt. You spoon plain yogurt into the fine mesh basket, close the lid, and leave it in the fridge for a few hours.

The whey, the thin yellow liquid, drips into the container below. What stays in the basket is thick and creamy. Leave it longer and you get a spreadable yogurt cheese, close to soft cream cheese.

It works with homemade or store-bought yogurt, so it pairs with every maker above. It is also tidier than cheesecloth over a bowl, and the lid keeps fridge smells out.

Who should buy it: Anyone who loves thick Greek yogurt and wants to stop paying extra for it. Euro Cuisine also makes the GY60, a version with a stainless steel mesh basket.

7. ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2: Best Thermometer for Yogurt

Most failed batches come down to one number, not the machine. Milk that is still too hot when the starter goes in kills the cultures. Milk that is too cool sets slowly and thin.

A fast thermometer fixes both. You check that the milk reached about 180°F, then check again as it cools toward 110°F. The ThermoPop 2 reads in a couple of seconds, so you are not standing over a pot waiting on a slow dial.

The waterproof body means you can rinse milk off the probe under the tap. Our guide on how to clean a meat thermometer covers the rest.

Who should buy it: Anyone using the YMX650, the Luvele or the proofer, where you heat the milk yourself. For clip-on options that watch a pot for you, see our best candy thermometer list.

How Does a Yogurt Maker Work?

A yogurt maker is a small, low-power heater with a thermostat. Its only job is to keep milk warm and steady for hours.

The cultures in yogurt are bacteria that eat lactose, the natural sugar in milk. As they eat, they make lactic acid. The acid makes the milk proteins tighten and set into a gel, and it also gives yogurt its tang.

Those bacteria work fastest between about 100°F and 115°F. Below that they slow down. Much above it they start to die. So the machine holds the milk in that window for 6 to 12 hours, and the cultures do the rest.

That is why any steady warm spot can work, including a food dehydrator set low. A dedicated maker just makes it repeatable.

How to Make Yogurt in a Yogurt Maker

The steps are the same in almost every machine:

1. Heat the milk to about 180°F. Use a heavy pot over medium heat, or a double boiler if you don’t want to stir constantly. Hold it there for a few minutes.
2. Cool it to about 110°F. Set the pot in a sink of cold water to speed this up. Check with a thermometer.
3. Add the starter. Stir a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt with live cultures into a cup of the warm milk, then stir that back into the pot. A freeze-dried starter works too.
4. Pour into the jar or jars and incubate. Six to twelve hours is typical. Longer gives a tangier, firmer yogurt.
5. Chill it. Move the yogurt to the fridge for at least a few hours. It firms up more as it cools.

A stockpot with a good lid that is heavy on the bottom makes step one much less likely to scorch.

Why Heat the Milk First?

Heating to about 180°F does two things. It kills stray bacteria that would compete with your starter. It also changes the milk proteins so they hold more water, which gives you a thicker, smoother yogurt.

Some people skip this step with ultra-pasteurized milk. The yogurt still sets, but it is usually thinner.

Stirring in a little nonfat dry milk before heating also helps. More milk solids mean a thicker yogurt with no other changes.

What to Look For in a Yogurt Maker

Feature	Why it matters	Who needs it
Adjustable temperature	Lets you match the heat to the culture	Probiotic, plant-based and specialty yogurt makers
Long timer (24 hours or more)	Slow ferments and SCD-style yogurt	Long-ferment fans
Auto shut-off	Stops a batch from going too sour	Overnight makers
Glass containers	No plastic touching warm yogurt, no stains	Most people
Single jars	Ready portions, mixed flavors	Lunch packers and solo cooks
One large container	Fewer pieces to wash, easy to strain	Families and Greek yogurt lovers

Jars or One Big Container?

Jars give you portions. You can flavor each one, and you never contaminate the batch with a used spoon. The downside is washing seven small jars and lids.

One big container is faster to fill, pour and strain. It suits Greek yogurt, since you can tip the whole batch into a strainer. If you meal prep for one in a small kitchen, you can always portion a big batch into airtight food storage containers afterward.

Do You Need Temperature Control?

For plain dairy yogurt, no. A fixed setting around 110°F works fine.

You do need it for three things. Specialty probiotic cultures like L. reuteri often call for around 100°F for 36 hours. Some plant-based starters prefer lower heat. And if you want to fine-tune the tang, a few degrees up or down makes a real difference.

Timer and Auto Shut-Off

A timer is the feature that lets you sleep. Without one, a batch started at 10 p.m. keeps fermenting until you wake up, and it can get very sour.

Shut-off is not cooling, though. Plan batches so they finish when you are home.

Yogurt Maker vs Instant Pot: When Is the Yogurt Button Enough?

If you already own an Instant Pot, the Yogurt button is enough for most people making plain dairy yogurt. It holds the right range, and the More setting heats the milk too. Our Instant Pot vs Ninja Foodi comparison shows which current multicookers include a yogurt setting.

A dedicated maker makes more sense in four cases:

• You want single-serve jars without fiddling with a rack.
• You want to choose the exact temperature for specialty cultures.
• You make yogurt often and need the Instant Pot free for dinner.
• You want a quieter, lower-power machine for very long ferments.

On power, the gap is small for a normal batch. A yogurt maker draws 13 to 25 watts. An Instant Pot only heats in short bursts on its Yogurt setting, as our guide to how many watts an Instant Pot uses explains. Both are among the most energy-efficient small kitchen appliances you can run for hours.

How to Make Greek Yogurt at Home

Greek yogurt is regular yogurt with much of the whey drained off. No special culture is needed.

Spoon chilled, set yogurt into a fine strainer, cover it, and leave it in the fridge. Two to four hours gives a thick Greek-style yogurt. Overnight gives labneh, a tangy spread. Either way, expect to lose a good share of the volume as whey.

Save the whey for smoothies, soaked oats and bread dough. A blender from our best blenders for smoothies list will mix it in without a trace.

Very thick strained yogurt can stand in for cream cheese in dips. Like cream cheese, it turns grainy after freezing, as covered in can you freeze cream cheese.

Can You Use Plant-Based Milk in a Yogurt Maker?

Yes, but expect a different result. Dairy cultures feed on lactose and set by tightening milk proteins. Most plant milks have little of either.

Soy milk is the easiest, since it has the most protein. Almond, oat, cashew and coconut milks usually need help. Use a starter made for plant milks, and add a thickener like agar, tapioca starch or pectin before heating. Our guide to what to use instead of cornstarch explains how those thickeners behave.

Plain, unsweetened milk with few additives cultures best. If you are choosing a dairy-free milk, our lists of the best substitutes for whole milk and the best coconut milk substitute are a good start.

A maker with adjustable temperature, like the YM260 or the Luvele, gives plant milks the best chance.

Is Homemade Yogurt Safe?

Yes, with basic care. Yogurt’s own acid protects it once it has set. The risky part is the hours before that, when the milk is warm and still mild.

A few habits keep it safe:

• Start clean. Wash jars, lids and spoons in hot, soapy water, then rinse and let them dry.
• Use fresh starter. A starter yogurt that is near its date or has been opened for a while may be weak. Weak starters set slowly, which gives other bacteria time to grow.
• Don’t add the starter to hot milk. Above about 115°F, you risk killing it.
• Chill it promptly. Move set yogurt to a fridge at 40°F or colder.
• Eat it within about one to two weeks. Like any leftovers in the fridge, it doesn’t last forever.

If a batch never sets, throw it away and start again with fresh starter. Do the same with any batch that grows mold, shows pink or orange spots, or smells yeasty or off.

You can also freeze yogurt in small portions for smoothies. The texture changes, but the flavor holds. Our guide on how to freeze single portions covers the containers and labels that work best.

How Much Do Yogurt Makers Cost?

Prices fall into clear bands:

Price band	What you get
Under $40	Strainers, thermometers and basic fixed-temperature jar makers
About $50 to $80	Digital jar makers and adjustable-temperature makers
About $100 to $130	Premium water-bath makers and multicookers
$200 and up	Multi-use proofers and larger appliances

If you own an Instant Pot, a strainer and a thermometer cover plain and Greek yogurt for very little.

Where to Keep a Yogurt Maker in a Small Kitchen

A yogurt maker is out for 6 to 12 hours, then idle until next week. So it doesn’t need prime counter space.

Run it on a back corner, away from the oven and sunny windows. Then store it with the other once-a-week gear. Our countertop organization ideas for a small kitchen cover which appliances deserve to stay out.

In a studio apartment kitchen, the Instant Pot route saves the most space, since one machine replaces several. The jar makers are small and light, and the folding proofer goes flat. All three fit tight kitchens in their own way.

Which Yogurt Maker Should You Buy?

• You want one machine that does everything well: the Euro Cuisine YM260.
• You eat one cup a day and like it portioned: the Euro Cuisine YMX650.
• You make a big batch every week or follow a long-ferment diet: the Luvele Pure Plus.
• You want one appliance for dinner and yogurt: the Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart.
• You bake bread and want yogurt too: the Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer.
• You only want thicker yogurt: the Euro Cuisine GY50, with any of the above.

Start with your habit, not the machine. Count how much yogurt your household eats in a week, then pick the container style that matches. For more ideas on gear that earns its spot, see our small kitchen gadgets worth buying when you cook for one.

Related Guides

• Instant Pot vs Pressure Cooker: Which One Should You Buy?
• What Is an Instant Pot? How It Works and What Every Button Does
• Best Steamer Basket for Instant Pot
• Best Bread Machine
• How to Cook for One Without Wasting Food
• How to Reduce Kitchen Energy Use in a Small Apartment
• Coolest Kitchen Appliances to Buy

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a yogurt maker worth it?

It is worth it if you eat yogurt most days or want control over the milk, the tang and the thickness. A dedicated maker holds the milk at a steady warm temperature for hours, which is the hard part at home. If you already own an Instant Pot with a Yogurt button, try that first. Many people find it does the job and never need a separate machine.

What temperature should a yogurt maker be set to?

Most yogurt sets well between 100°F and 115°F, and about 110°F is the usual target. Lower in that range gives a milder, softer set. Some probiotic cultures, such as L. reuteri, need a lower temperature and a much longer time, often around 100°F for 36 hours. That is why adjustable temperature matters if you want to try specialty cultures.

Is a yogurt maker better than an Instant Pot for yogurt?

For standard yogurt, an Instant Pot does about as well as a basic yogurt maker. Its Yogurt setting holds the milk around 97°F to 109°F and can also heat the milk first. A dedicated maker wins when you want single-serve jars, a precise temperature you choose yourself, or very long ferments. It also leaves your Instant Pot free for dinner.

How long does homemade yogurt last in the fridge?

Homemade yogurt keeps about one to two weeks in a fridge at 40°F or colder. Chill it as soon as it finishes setting, keep it covered, and use a clean spoon each time. Throw it out if you see mold, pink or orange spots, or if it smells yeasty or off rather than pleasantly sour.

Can you make plant-based yogurt in a yogurt maker?

Yes, but plant milks set differently. They have less of the protein and natural sugar that dairy cultures need, so they often stay runny. Soy milk sets most easily. For almond, oat or coconut milk, use a starter made for plant milks and add a thickener such as agar, tapioca starch or pectin. A maker with adjustable temperature helps.