How to Make Instant Pot Cheese – Beginner Guide + Free Checklist
Yes, You Can Make Cheese in Your Instant Pot—Here’s How to Get Started
If the idea of homemade cheese sounds dreamy but the thought of standing guard over the stove fearing the dreaded boil over has stopped you from trying, you’re in the right place. Your Instant Pot does the steady heating, the timing (it beeps!), and avoids scorched milk leaving you to focus on applause and fun get togethers.
In this beginners' guide you’ll get:
-
The styles of cheeses you can make in your Instant Pot: cultured cheeses, high-heat cheeses, and direct heat and pulled-curd cheeses.
- An invite for a free self-paced, Instant Pot Cheese Challenge so you can try all four styles with step-by-step guidance (by the cheesemaker who literally wrote the book on Instant Pot Cheese, not kidding.).
-
The easy cheeses you’ll make in this free guide AKA challenge: ricotta, cultured goat cheese or fromage blanc, quick mozzarella, pot-in-pot paneer.
- A guide to the best Instant Pot for the job (spoiler, you need a yogurt button).
I'm Claudia Lucero, author of Instant Pot Cheese and founder of Urban Cheesecraft. I developed these methods so you can make real, delicious cheese with the appliance already on your counter—yes, even if you're busy, unsure, or new to the world of DIY. I've developed this fun free challenge to show you how it's done!
Ready to join me? Sign up for my free Instant Pot Cheese Challenge and get a PDF checklist, recipes, and tips all in your inbox. Do it at your own pace, no stress.
Why Make Cheese in an Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is basically a mini dairy vat like they use in dairy facilities right in your kitchen. It holds temperatures with accuracy (enough for our purposes), avoids scorching (with my pot in pot technique), and, my favorite part, it turns cheesemaking into something you can do in the background while you do other things (like toast your baguette, pour wine and chat with your friends!),
Here’s what it does for you:
-
Reliable heat – No more worrying if your milk’s too hot or too cool. We will keep a thermometer around just for peace of mind but remember, the settings are made to be reliable and I know them ALL, Soon, you will too.
-
Hands-off cooking – The pot's pre-sets are designed to hit certain temps and the thing beeps, keeps milk warm and turns itself off! Now, that's relaxed cheesemaking.
-
No new tools – If you have a pot, you already own the gear. The Instant Pot does it all (they should really be paying me, I know!). If you don't, they are easy to find used.
-
Faster results – Many cheeses take half the time of traditional methods or just feel way easier because you're not babysitting.
-
Less mess – My pot-in-pot method means you can skip babysitting the stove for those high-heat cheeses like paneer and ricotta that can boil over or scorch the bottom of the pot leaving a big mess for you to clean up.
If you’ve used your Instant Pot for soups or beans, you’re halfway there.
But which Instant Pot model do I need?
I usually make cheese with a gallon of milk both with the recipes in my first book, One Hour Cheese and with my DIY Cheese Kits.
That makes the 6-quart Instant Pot perfect for my household. One gallon of milk will result in over 1.5 lbs of mozzarella, or three large balls of cheese. More than enough!
Beyond the size, I considered features. New models come with tons of specific buttons for all types of food. What intrigued me initially about making cheese with the pot was the yogurt button though.
Once I grilled the folks at the company on the pre-set temps, studied all the manuals, confirmed temperatures with four different models and three thermometers, I set out to make cultured and aged cheeses with success. I knew I just had to recommend the yogurt button to cheesemakers.
So, any Instant Pot model that is 6-quart capacity and has a yogurt button is great for this challenge and my book, Instant Pot Cheese.
Joining this challenge will give you all kinds of detailed info like this!
The 3 Main Instant Pot Cheesemaking Styles
To keep things simple and successful, we sort cheeses by the kind of heat they need and whether they’re cultured (fermented). Here's the breakdown:
1. Cultured Cheeses (Low, steady heat using the Yogurt setting)
These cheeses use live cultures—like yogurt or buttermilk—to ferment milk and add tang.
-
Requires a model with a Yogurt function (which actually has three helpful settings!)
-
Great for those who love the depth of flavor in cultured cheeses.
-
Includes Fromage Blanc, Goat Cheese, Cream Cheese and tasty dairy products like sour cream.
2. High-Heat, Acid-Coagulated Cheeses (Pressure Cook with Pot-in-Pot)
These use direct acids like vinegar or lemon juice and heat to form curds quickly.
-
Great for beginners but you do need an additional 3-quart inner pot.
-
Includes Paneer and Queso Blanco.
-
Hands-free compared to the stovetop recipes because of the sealed pressure method (set to 0 minutes!).
-
CAUTION: It is important to let this style naturally release for 15 minutes to avoid milk geysers! Ask me how I know this?!
3. Direct Heat Cheeses
These are direct-heat cheeses that simple use the pot as a burner on the stovetop.
-
Use the Sauté, Slow Cook or BOIL mode.
-
Requires active cooking the entire time but they are the faster cheeses (like my One Hour Cheese recipes).
-
Includes Quick Mozzarella and Ricotta.
Once you know which style you’re working with, everything else falls into place.
Why Join my Instant Pot Cheese Challenge?
Now that you know the basics, it’s time to do it but with support and in a way that is broken down and self-paced. I created the Instant Pot Cheese Challenge to walk you through four beginner-friendly cheeses step-by-step so there is no overwhelm. You’ll get:
- A checklist right after you sign up to help you prepare.
-
Clear recipes and instructions in your inbox every two weeks.
-
Expert tips by me, Claudia Lucero. I literally wrote the book on Instant Pot Cheese!
-
A delicious payoff! Cheese that fits into your modern lifestyle.
- Another job for your Instant Pot and a life skill.
Here’s what you’ll make:
Whole Milk Ricotta
Type: Direct-heat, acid-coagulated
Instant Pot Mode: BOIL yogurt setting
This is the creamy, spoonable cheese that stars in lasagna, dollops beautifully on pizza, and makes a dreamy lemon ricotta cheesecake. Unlike traditional ricotta (which is made from whey), this version uses whole milk for a luscious texture.
Serving tips:
-
Sweet: Mix with honey and spread on toast. Make ricotta pancakes.
-
Savory: Stir into scrambled eggs or baked pasta.
Cultured Goat Cheese or Fromage Blanc
Type: Cultured
Instant Pot Mode: Yogurt function
If you’ve ever paid top dollar for fresh chevre at a farmers market, this cheese is your answer. Fromage Blanc is the cow’s milk version, with a creamy, tangy spreadability. Both are mild, easy to digest, and so satisfying to make. They are the cheeses I make on repeat. Like clouds!
Serving tips:
-
Roll into logs with chopped herbs or edible flowers.
-
Spread on crackers or baguette with fig jam.
Quick Mozzarella
Type: Rennet-coagulated, pulled curd
Instant Pot Mode: Yogurt Mode and Microwave
This one’s for the pizza and caprese lovers. Quick Mozzarella stretches into shiny, bouncy curds that you can shape into balls or stretch into string cheese. It’s all about learning the rhythm—and the Instant Pot helps you nail the temperature. To really keep it easy and modern we will use the microwave to stretch and shape the cheese in just 2 minutes.
Serving tips:
-
Slice for margherita pizza.
-
Tuck into a grilled cheese with pesto.
Pot-in-Pot Paneer
Type: High-heat, acid-coagulated
Instant Pot Mode: Pressure Cook with Pot-in-Pot
Paneer is a non-melting cheese you can cube, fry, or simmer in curry. It’s hearty, mild, and incredibly versatile. It's been a vegetarian staple for centuries and the original meat placement, in the best way possible. Under pressure, you can infuse it with pepper, turmeric, or herbs for added flavor. Pot-in-Pot refers to adding a small 3-quart inner pot inside the 6-quart pot on top of the metal trivet and in water.
Serving tips:
-
Pan-fry and add to tacos, grain bowls or salads and the best croutons that ever lived.
-
Simmer in tikka masala or tomato-based sauces.
Why These Four Cheeses?
Each one introduces a key technique. Ricotta shows you the beauty of acid + high heat. Cultured goat cheese develops depth of flavor overnight with the magic of probiotics. Mozzarella teaches you the helpful temp settings ideal for rennet action and cut curd cooking. Paneer introduces the pot-in-pot method and firm curd formation under pressure.
By the end of the challenge, you’ll not only have four delicious cheeses in your fridge, you’ll also understand the different cheesemaking processes and the Instant Pot’s different modes. Just think of all the happy faces when you show up with homemade cheese. NBD!
Your Next Small Win Starts Here
Cheesemaking isn’t about perfection or stress. It’s about joy, awe, creativity and sharing. With your Instant Pot and a few simple ingredients, you’ll unlock a new kitchen skill that’s fun, relaxing, and brings people together.
It’s also a small act of rebellion against the overwhelming digital world. Making cheese is a deep breath for your brain. It is deeply satisfying even if we use modern kitchen gadgets ;). We're not luddites, after all. See you in your inbox!