Looking for a new challenge in the kitchen?
Whether you’re brewing kombucha, pressing pasta, creating cheese, making beer or rolling sushi, these cooking kits will make you feel like a pro chef in no time.
Cooking kits that make you feel like a pro chef
Cheese-making kits
Making cheese is a skill that has been around for nearly as long as humans have cared for farm animals, so in theory it should be a relatively simple process that even us 21st-century humans can figure out.
And it is!
Making cheese doesn’t require all that much equipment or, surprisingly, time. Hard cheeses like gouda, cheddar, Swiss and Jack take a little more effort and precision, for sure, but still well within an amateur’s ability to test it out. If you are looking to start out with something on the easier end of the spectrum, then soft cheeses like mozzarella, cottage, paneer, ricotta and cream cheese are great places to start.
For soft cheeses, try out this DIY Fresh Cheese Making Kit. For hard cheeses, go for this Handmade Hardwood Cheese Press Kit.
Kombucha-making kits
Never pay for this fruity, fermented favorite again!
Making kombucha at home is simple, easy and fairly quick, meaning you could get a new batch of fresh kombucha every week if you wanted. Brewing your own kombucha allows you to control the flavors, sweetness and strength of your brew, so you can fine-tune your process until it’s exactly how you like it!
All you need is a SCOBY (the sourdough starter equivalent of the kombucha world), black tea, sugar, a bit of pre-fermented kombucha and an airtight glass jar. Once the initial brewing is complete, you will need individual bottles and any flavoring you want to add.
You can read our article on brewing kombucha at home to get all the details you need to figure out if this is for you, but don’t be intimidated by the process! You can buy everything you need in this Kombucha Homebrew Kit, which includes instructions, ingredients, tools and containers.
Beer-making kits
One popular urban legend states that Texas once banned the sale and possession of the entire Encyclopedia Britannica because it contained, get this, a recipe for making beer.
Though it’s not true, it’s still pretty funny to think about, and it makes brewing beer at home all the more adventurous.
Making beer follows a similar process as making kombucha, whereby bacteria is introduced to nutrients which, as the bacteria eats away, creates carbon dioxide and fermentation.
Test out the craft beer waters with this 2 Gallon Beer Making Starter Kit and see how you like it!
Butter-making kits
Fulfill your countryside cottage dreams by churning your own butter right at home with this Butter Making Starter Kit!
Pro tip: for extra effect, stare into the sunset and wonder when your lover will return from the fields.
Herb-growing kits
Growing your own fresh herbs at home has quite literally never been easier.
With the many advances in technology and the wave of interest in indoor gardening, kits like the Aerogarden have made it easier than ever to cultivate herbs with little to no work at all.
Grow herbs like basil, dill, thyme, mint, lavender, wheatgrass, microgreens and more using these seed kits from Aerogarden, and watch your culinary exploits burst with fresh flavor and color!
Hot sauce-making kits
Are you a fan of spicy foods but can never quite get the results you’re looking for? Well, look no further!
This Homemade Hot Sauce making kit from Williams Sonoma is the perfect kit to get you started on your heat-seeking exploits.
Pasta-making kits
Unlock your inner romantic or Italian (is there really a difference?) by making your very own pasta right at home.
Pasta dough requires very few ingredients and minimal effort, and it cooks even faster than store-bought pasta, too, so the commitment level for simple pasta making is relatively low.
Use this Pasta Kit from Williams Sonoma to level up your next date night or culinary adventure!
Sushi-making kits
Making sushi isn’t extremely complicated, but it does require a decent amount of prep work beforehand to get everything ready to rock and roll (*ba-dum tss*).
Depending on whether you want to make simple rolls, shaped rolls, nigiri or maki, you’ll need to get a few tools to help roll, shape and fill your sushi. Check out these sushi-making kits that come equipped with everything you need for your ideal sushi-making experience!
Is there anything else you’re dying to make on your own? Whatever you want to try, there’s probably a kit out there just waiting for you to get your hands on it and give it a go.
Have fun!
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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/Oldmermaid
Colleen Ford is a South African who now lives on Oahu in Hawai'i. She loves to travel, camp, spearfish and hike. She's also part of a super cool canoe club and is pretty decent at it. Colleen enjoys Star Wars and also not being cold ever.
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