Kit Complexity: 3
(1=Easy, 5=Difficult) Is the kit easy, moderate, or challenging to build for its most likely target audience? Kits clearly aimed at children would, for example, be rated differently from microcontroller kits.
Mozzarella Cheese Kit
I would happily eat my weight in cheese, so the idea of having fresh mozzarella whenever I want has very strong appeal. This kit makes it as easy as buying a gallon of (not ultra-pasteurized) milk. The clear instructions take any mystery out of the chemistry, and I went from hot milk to perfect curds […]
Premium Berliner Gramophone Kit
Constructed from a motor and various bits of wood, plastic, and styrofoam, this retro gramophone kit offers the allure of carving grooves into compact discs and Dixie cups with a sewing-needle-based pickup and playback assembly. Illustrated instructions in both Japanese and well-translated English are included, and the hour-long assembly only requires a screwdriver, some scotch tape, and a […]
Water Bath Canning Kit
There’s nothing like prying open a jar of gleaming, homemade strawberry jam in January. This kit is a classic and contains everything you need to get started. It’s worth it for the magnetic lid lifter alone! (How many times have I burned myself fishing around the pot for lost lids?) For smaller batches, I like steam […]
Corned Beef and Pastrami Kit
I’ve made corned beef every St. Paddy’s day for years now, and have finally perfected my cocktail of pickling spices. Turns out I could have just gotten Leeners’ Corned Beef and Pastrami Kit; theirs is just as good. The kit comes with absolutely everything you need except the brisket (including a scarily effective meat tenderizer), […]
Food: corned beef, food, meat, pastrami
Bacon Curing Kit
Bacon is enjoying the limelight these days, showing up in everything from chocolate to donuts! If you really want to hop on this fat fad, brine your own. It takes a week, but is incredibly simple and delicious. This kit’s recipe book covers bacon, Canadian bacon, and pancetta. Note to the truly dedicated: invest in […]
Food: bacon, bacon-curing, food, meat
Perfume Science
Learn about the sense of smell with eight perfume oils and a variety of jars, mixers, and pipettes. Experiments range from fragrance extraction to composing your own perfume scents. My friend and I enjoyed one experiment where we prepared test strips of all the fragrances and then guessed which we were sniffing. I got two […]
Schacht Mini Loom Weaving Kit
Beginners can learn how to weave their own bags, mats, coasters, and more with this portable weaving kit. The plastic mini loom comes with two shuttles, a beater, a weaving needle, five colors of yarn, and project instructions. Perfect for kids!
LED Video Light
Have you tried taking video using your digital camera but never seem to have enough light? Does your camera have trouble focusing in the dark? LEDs are cheap, and so are resistors, so why not make your own LED Video Light? With this second-generation kit from ProdMod, you’ll transform a simple battery holder into a […]
