Picking a yogurt maker, instant pot or dedicated

Some people might already own an Instant Pot that has a yogurt feature, this can work great if it is the right model, some models have a more “basic yogurt feature”, with unknown temperature settings like low and high, you can test these with a digital thermometer, most of the yogurt strains on this site prefer 99-100 degrees, or 106 degrees (no hotter). Once you find what exact temperatures your model provides (sometimes a single setting has a wide range), you can select which bacteria strains fit in that range.

The Instant Pot Pro, Pro Plus, and “Next-Gen” Duo Plus (V4) offer precise digital temperature control, that can make any variety of yogurt on this site.

I use the 8QT Instant Pot Pro, I already owned it, but its preferred because it lets me process up to 4x quart (32oz) mason jars in 1 batch, the biggest yogurt maker lets me use 2x quart bowls, the height is limited, so that I cannot use quart mason jars. Mason jars just fit better in my fridge on a shelf or the door. I have never done more than 2 quarts at a time, but just the fact that it has the height for a mason jar is my criteria.

Other people might prefer easy single serving jars which the Ultimate Yogurt Maker does well, it can do 8x 6oz jars, or 2x 32oz bowls. I prefer the option that means I wash less dishes (I rarely wash my yogurt jars since they are perpetually passing culture from one batch to the next).

Another thought to consider is, currently I eat once a day, about 1~2 tablespoons of each strain: L. Reuteri + L. Gasseri from a single jar, B. Subtilis, and L. ParaCasei Shirota (all separate jars), and often I will drop in a spoon of plain greek yogurt which has 4-6 more strains. That can be hard to do with little 6oz containers. We might eat that for breakfast, lunch, or evening desert with some fruit or vanilla + cinnamon in it. I could also dump that in a protein shake for the road with a bit of protein powder. My goal is to get over 10 strains of probiotic bacteria per day, other people might have different goals.