The 10 Best Fermenting Kits

The Masontops Complete Kit turns four wide-mouth mason jars into fermenters, so it suits anyone with a cupboard of canning jars. Each jar gets a silicone lid with a one-way valve that lets gas out without burping, plus a glass weight to keep vegetables under the brine. An acacia wood tamper and a printed recipe book round it out. The jars aren't included, and the weights can sit loose in some jars.

The Seeutek Fermentation Crock holds a bit more than a gallon, enough for a few heads of cabbage at once. Fill the channel around the rim with water and gas escapes while air stays out, so there's no burping. Stone weights and a wood tamper come with it, and the seller says the glaze is free of lead and cadmium. It's heavy once full, and the water channel needs topping up on long ferments.

Cooks who want a crock to hand down should look at the K&K Keramik Kerazo, which holds almost two gallons. It's shaped by hand in Germany from one piece of clay, fired at very high heat, and the maker states it's free of lead and cadmium. A deep water gully vents gas, split stone weights hold the cabbage down, and handles on both sides help with lifting. It's heavy, and the price is steep.

If you already own weights, the Masontops Pickle Pipes handle the other half of the job for little money. Each of the four flat silicone lids has a small one-way valve that lets gas out and keeps air from getting in, so there's no water to fill and nothing to burp. They're low enough to stack jars in the fridge and go in the dishwasher. You can't see bubbling the way you can with a water airlock.

For a full start with nothing else to buy, the Jillmo Fermentation Jar set includes two thick glass jars with clamp lids, glass weights and classic water airlocks. The wide mouth makes packing cabbage and scrubbing out the jar simpler, and the glass goes in the dishwasher. Each jar holds about a quart and a half, a handy size for peppers or a small batch of kraut. A few jars and weights have cracked.

Small households that want a real crock without the bulk can start with the Humble House Sauerkrock, a half-gallon water-seal crock that makes about four jars of kraut. It comes with glazed weights that won't stain and a long wood tamper, and the maker says the glaze is lead and cadmium free and backs it with a lifetime warranty. It was sold out when we checked, and a few crocks have cracked early.

Beginners who'd rather pull the air out than wait for it to escape can try the Nourished Essentials Easy Fermenter. Three wide-mouth lids each have a small valve, and a hand pump draws the air out once the jar is sealed. A glass weight with a grip handle comes with each lid, along with a recipe guide. Jars aren't included, and some lids lose their seal over time.

Big batches of dill pickles fit in the Picklemeister Jar, a gallon glass jar with a plastic lid, a silicone grommet and a classic S-shaped airlock. It is made in America, and the color instructions walk through pickles and sauerkraut step by step. There's no weight in the box, so you'll need a plate, a bag of brine or a glass weight. The airlock can work loose, and the glass is fairly thin.

Families who put up a garden's worth of cabbage each fall can lean on the Ohio Stoneware Crock Set, a three-gallon crock with the classic blue stripes. Stone weights and a lid come with it, and the maker says the glaze is lead free. This is an open crock, not a water-seal design, so you skim the surface now and then and keep the lid on against dust. It's very heavy once full.

Kimchi fans who want the smell to stay in the box should look at the E-Jen Kimchi Container, a Korean-style tub made of plastic blended with natural clay. An inner lid presses down on the cabbage to push out air, and latches hold the outer lid tight. It goes in the dishwasher and comes in sizes from a small tub to several gallons. With no airlock or water seal, it needs checking now and then.