Make: Kit Reviews » Category: Food

Mozzarella Cheese Kit

Jake Spurlock — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:38:35 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Mozzarella Cheese Kit

$25

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 1
Completeness: 5

TAGS: cheese, cheese-making, food

Reviewed: November 13th, 2011

Make Kit Reviews

Mozzarella Cheese Kit

$25

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 1
Completeness: 5

TAGS: cheese, cheese-making, food

Reviewed:

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 […]

Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit

Jake Spurlock — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:17:46 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Mayan Magic

Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit

$25

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 2
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 2
Completeness: 5

TAGS: chocoholic, chocolate, food, Mayan

Reviewed: November 12th, 2011

Make Kit Reviews

Mayan Magic

Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit

$25

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 2
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 2
Completeness: 5

TAGS: chocoholic, chocolate, food, Mayan

Reviewed:

Chocoholics, take note! This kit allows you to make your flavor fantasies come true. It’s got everything you need to make basic, agave-sweetened chocolate, but I used honey instead and added lemon zest to create something out of this world. Ruffled paper cups are included, so the presentation is worthy of your sweetheart. After a […]

Spirulina Growth Kit

Jake Spurlock — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:27:16 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Algae Lab

Spirulina Growth Kit

$249

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 2
Components: 3
Documentation: 4
Community: 4
Completeness: 5

TAGS: food, spirulina, superfood

Reviewed: November 11th, 2011

Make Kit Reviews

Algae Lab

Spirulina Growth Kit

$249

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 2
Components: 3
Documentation: 4
Community: 4
Completeness: 5

TAGS: food, spirulina, superfood

Reviewed:

You don’t have to depend on commercial growers or expensive powders to get your spirulina fix. With this kit, you can have it fresh and alive, anytime. I made a few modifications to help mine grow faster and prevent clogging, like replacing the intake line with rubber tubing and swapping the bubble wand for a […]

Pre-Activated Shiitake Mushroom Mini Farm

Jake Spurlock — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:22:54 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Far West Fungi

Pre-Activated Shiitake Mushroom Mini Farm

$20

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 2
Components: 5
Documentation: 3
Community: 3
Completeness: 5

TAGS: food, mushroom farm, mushroom growing, Shiitake

Reviewed:

Make Kit Reviews

Far West Fungi

Pre-Activated Shiitake Mushroom Mini Farm

$20

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 2
Components: 5
Documentation: 3
Community: 3
Completeness: 5

TAGS: food, mushroom farm, mushroom growing, Shiitake

Reviewed:

Who’d believe a sawdust log in a plastic bag could turn into a magical mushroom forest before your eyes! My first harvest was bounteous and the shiitakes delectable, but careful attention to growing conditions was required to yield multiple crops of mushrooms rather than mold. If you get 3–5 harvests, the kit is a bargain; […]

Bread Making Gear

Jake Spurlock — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:11:30 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Cultures for Health

Bread Making Gear

$13 starter, up to $50 for other tools

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 4
Completeness: 2

TAGS: baking, bread, bread-making, food, sourdough

Reviewed:

Make Kit Reviews

Cultures for Health

Bread Making Gear

$13 starter, up to $50 for other tools

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 4
Completeness: 2

TAGS: baking, bread, bread-making, food, sourdough

Reviewed:

While not exactly a “kit,” Cultures for Health has everything you need for making sourdough bread: 15 starters from all over the world, clear instructions, and a great selection of useful bread-making tools, like cookbooks, dough scrapers, bread bags, and baker’s blades for scoring that classic ridge down the middle of your loaf. I experimented […]

Vegetable Fermenting Gear

Jake Spurlock — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:05:25 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Cultures for Health

Vegetable Fermenting Gear

$20 starter, plus $62 for cookbook, mandoline, and jar

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 1
Components: 5
Documentation: 4
Community: 4
Completeness: 2

TAGS: fermentation, food, sauerkraut, vegetables

Reviewed:

Make Kit Reviews

Cultures for Health

Vegetable Fermenting Gear

$20 starter, plus $62 for cookbook, mandoline, and jar

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 1
Components: 5
Documentation: 4
Community: 4
Completeness: 2

TAGS: fermentation, food, sauerkraut, vegetables

Reviewed:

To make sauerkraut, all you really need is cabbage, salt, and a jar with a lid, but you can make your life much easier with a mandoline slicer, vegetable starter culture, and fermenting crock from Cultures for Health. (A copy of Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz will only help the cause.) They carry charming crocks […]

Water Bath Canning Kit

Jake Spurlock — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:56:13 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Granite Ware

Water Bath Canning Kit

$50

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 4
Documentation: 2
Community: 1
Completeness: 5

TAGS: canning, food, jam

Reviewed:

Make Kit Reviews

Granite Ware

Water Bath Canning Kit

$50

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 4
Documentation: 2
Community: 1
Completeness: 5

TAGS: canning, food, jam

Reviewed:

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

Jake Spurlock — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:51:21 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Leeners

Corned Beef and Pastrami Kit

$30

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 1
Completeness: 5

TAGS: corned beef, food, meat, pastrami

Reviewed:

Make Kit Reviews

Leeners

Corned Beef and Pastrami Kit

$30

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 1
Completeness: 5

TAGS: corned beef, food, meat, pastrami

Reviewed:

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), […]

Bacon Curing Kit

Jake Spurlock — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:46:32 +0000

Make Kit Reviews

Leeners

Bacon Curing Kit

$20

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 1
Completeness: 4

TAGS: bacon, bacon-curing, food, meat

Reviewed:

Make Kit Reviews

Leeners

Bacon Curing Kit

$20

Company Website Buy now!

Complexity: 3
Components: 5
Documentation: 5
Community: 1
Completeness: 4

TAGS: bacon, bacon-curing, food, meat

Reviewed:

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 […]