Milk Kefir vs Yogurt: What's the Difference?
If you've been thinking about making your own cultured dairy products, you've probably come across both milk kefir and yogurt. At first glance they seem very similar. Both are made by fermenting milk, both contain beneficial bacteria, and both have been enjoyed for centuries.
Although I've made milk kefir for many years, filmjölk for several months, kombucha for years, and regularly make traditional kefir farmer's cheese (tvorog), I've never made true yogurt. Rather than pretending otherwise, I thought I'd compare them based on my experience with kefir and the characteristics of each fermentation.
For me, milk kefir has to be one of the easiest and most reliable fermented foods to make at home.
Although this article focuses on milk kefir and yogurt, I'll occasionally mention filmjölk because it's another cultured milk that I've been making regularly.
In this article
What milk kefir and yogurt have in common
The main differences between kefir and yogurt
Which is easier for beginners
Which one I prefer
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| My Milk Kefir Grains |
Equipment I Use
For Australian readers I recommend:
Adhesive thermometer strips (optional)
For US and international readers, don't use Amazon Australia as the postage is too high, instead you should consider the same items from International Amazon:
| Feature | Milk Kefir | Yogurt |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Culture | Living kefir grains | Yogurt starter culture |
| Fermentation Temperature | Room temperature | Warm incubation (typically 40–45°C) |
| Time | Usually about 24 hours | Usually 4–12 hours |
| Microorganisms | Bacteria and yeasts | Mainly beneficial bacteria |
| Equipment Needed | Jar and strainer | Often a yogurt maker or other way to keep milk warm |
| Reusable Culture | Yes, grains usually grow and multiply | Yes, can often be re-cultured for several batches |
| Texture | Drinkable to thick, depending on fermentation | Usually thick and spoonable |
| Ease of Making at Home | Easier for most beginners | Straightforward if you have a warm place to culture it |
What is Milk Kefir?
Milk kefir is a fermented milk drink made using living kefir grains. These aren't cereal grains, they are small clusters of bacteria and yeasts living together in a natural symbiotic culture.
The grains are added to fresh milk and left to ferment at room temperature, usually for around 24 hours. Once the kefir has thickened, the grains are strained out and reused indefinitely.
Read my guide: Making Milk Kefir at Home
If you're new to kefir, you may also find these helpful:
What is Yogurt?
Traditional yogurt is made using specific bacteria, most commonly Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Unlike milk kefir, yogurt doesn't use reusable grains.
Instead, a small amount of yogurt containing live cultures is mixed into warm milk and held at a fairly constant warm temperature until it thickens.
This means yogurt generally requires more temperature control than milk kefir. My house gets too cold to make yogurt without an incubator, the added cost of buying and running an incubator or yogurt maker, as well as the bench space they take, are largely why I don't make yogurt at home.
Milk Kefir vs Yogurt
1. Starter Culture
The biggest difference is the starter culture.
Milk kefir uses living kefir grains that continue growing and multiplying over time. I've had my kefir grains for years.
Yogurt uses bacterial starter cultures. Many people simply reserve a little yogurt from each batch to inoculate the next, although the culture may eventually need refreshing.
Because my kefir grains have been with me for years, I rarely think about buying starter cultures anymore.
2. Fermentation Temperature
One reason I enjoy making milk kefir and filmjölk is the simplicity.
I simply leave it on the kitchen bench and let it ferment at room temperature.
Yogurt usually needs a consistently warm environment while it cultures. Many people use a yogurt maker, insulated container or another method of maintaining temperature.
That extra step isn't difficult, but it is another thing to manage. It also takes more space than a jar of kefir.
3. The Microorganisms
Milk kefir contains both bacteria and yeasts. While the exact species vary over time, kefir often has a far greater microbial diversity than yogurt.
Yogurt contains a smaller number of species of beneficial bacteria but generally no yeasts.
This gives kefir a more complex fermentation and a slightly tangy flavour that changes as it ferments.
4. Taste
Yogurt is common in supermarkets, most people reading this would know what it tastes like. Yogurt is generally milder and creamier than milk kefir.
In my experience, fresh milk kefir has a pleasantly tangy flavour. If it's left longer, it becomes more acidic and eventually separates into curds and whey.
I sometimes leave a batch of milk kefir fermenting for a week or so, it gets very sour at times. I also deliberately over ferment milk kefir and use it to make fresh farmer's cheese.
I've experimented with longer fermentation times in both milk kefir and filmjölk. For example, I deliberately left one batch of filmjölk fermenting for four weeks just to see what would happen. The result surprised me.
Read the experiment: What Happens if You Ferment Filmjölk for 4 Weeks?
5. Texture
Fresh milk kefir usually pours easily, although it thickens depending on temperature, milk, and fermentation time. At certain times of year my kefir is slightly bubbly, this is from yeasts being very active.
Yogurt generally has a thicker, spoonable consistency.
Filmjölk is a Scandinavian fermented milk that sits somewhere between the two. Like yogurt, filmjölk is never effervescent.
Related article: Kefir vs Filmjölk: Which Is Better for Beginners?
6. Looking After the Culture
One thing I enjoy about milk kefir is that the grains contain living organisms.
As long as they're fed regularly with fresh milk, they continue growing. Over time you'll usually have extra grains to share or use in additional batches. I've found them surprisingly resilient.
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| Straining milk kefir grains |
Which Is Easier for Beginners?
For most beginners, I think milk kefir is easier to make consistently.
Once you have healthy kefir grains:
- no special equipment is needed
- room temperature usually works well
- the grains can be reused indefinitely
- they often multiply over time
Yogurt certainly isn't difficult, but it generally requires maintaining the correct temperature during fermentation.
Equipment I Use
If you'd like to make milk kefir, I sometimes sell kefir grains when I have extra. If you need kefir starter culture and I don't have any for sale, you can order kefir and other equipment from Amazon along with other items I genuinely find useful.
For Australian readers I recommend:
Adhesive thermometer strips (optional)
For US and international readers, you should consider:
Adhesive thermometer strips (optional)
I've found that wide-mouth jars are much easier to clean than narrow-neck bottles, particularly if the kefir thickens more than expected. Thermometer strips are optional, but they are fun and surprisingly accurate, plus once you have them you find a heap of uses for them.
For Australian readers who decide yogurt suits them better, you will need a good yogurt maker. This 6 jar yogurt maker is meant to be ideal.
For US and international readers, this 6 jar yogurt maker is the one I would recommend.
Which Do I Prefer?
Although yogurt is extremely popular, I've never felt the need to start making it because milk kefir and filmjölk already suits my family so well.
Milk kefir is easy to make, forgiving if life gets busy, and the grains continue producing batch after batch with very little effort.
It has also become the basis for several other foods I regularly make, including fresh kefir cheese.
If you're deciding between the two, there's no wrong choice. Both are traditional cultured dairy foods with long histories. For my kitchen, though, milk kefir has become the clear favourite.
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| Milk kefir separating, good for tvorog |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is milk kefir healthier than yogurt?
Both are nutritious fermented dairy foods containing beneficial microorganisms, but they use different cultures. Milk kefir generally contains a wider variety of bacteria and yeasts, while yogurt is usually made using a smaller number of bacterial species. Rather than asking which is healthier, I think it's more useful to choose the one you'll enjoy making and eating regularly.
Is milk kefir easier to make than yogurt?
In my experience, yes. Milk kefir ferments happily at room temperature and the grains can be reused indefinitely. Yogurt usually needs to be kept at a consistently warm temperature while it cultures, which often means using a yogurt maker or another method of incubation.
Can you make milk kefir without kefir grains?
Traditional milk kefir requires living kefir grains. Powdered starter cultures are available, but they don't usually grow and multiply in the same way as genuine kefir grains. That's one reason I prefer using live grains.
Does milk kefir taste like yogurt?
They taste similar but not identical. Fresh milk kefir has a tangier flavour and is often slightly fizzy because it contains both bacteria and yeasts. Yogurt is usually milder, creamier, and often has a more consistent flavour.
Can I use yogurt instead of milk kefir?
It depends on the recipe. Both are fermented dairy products, but they behave differently because they contain different cultures and have different textures and flavours. In recipes specifically developed for milk kefir, I usually recommend using kefir for the best results.
You might also enjoy
Books That Helped Me Learn Fermentation
Ferment For Good: Ancient Foods for the Modern Gut: The Slowest Kind of Fast Food - is a practical introduction to traditional fermentation, covering everything from sauerkraut and kefir to kombucha and sourdough, with a focus on improving gut health through homemade fermented foods
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