Basic Hard Cheese Kit

cheesemaking.com

Product Features

• Make 8 delicious cheeses at home
• Treat your friends and neighbors to a cheese fest with this tasty new hobby.
• Making your own cheese brings the oldways right into your kitchen.
• A detailed recipe booklet will demystify the cheesemaking process.
• This kit has enough ingredients for you to make up to 30 pounds of cheese.

Product Details

• ASIN: B00014EGWI
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,131 in Kitchen & Dining (See Bestsellers in Kitchen & Dining)

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Product Description

Product Description

This kit includes: A Recipe Booklet, Cheese Mold, Cheese Cloth, Calcium Chloride, 10 Starter Culture packages, Dairy Thermometer and Vegetable Rennet Tablets.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I had hoped for, February 19, 2006

By	C. Schmidt (Mid-America) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First, you need to understand that this kit does not contain all that you need for making hard cheeses. As it says in the introduction to the instruction booklet, if you are making hard cheese, you must also have cheese wax. I don't know why they would sell a kit that doesn't contain all the necessary items, but at least you are now warned.

Second, the instructions are not written clearly. You would be MUCH better off getting your instructions off the Internet, and save your money.

The items in the kit are of fine quality, however, and if you do not really need instructions for cheese making, then this might be fine for you.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Kit is sparse, but provides the basics, January 14, 2008

By	Ultar (Spokane, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This kit provides the bare basics for making cheese. The few implements and ingredients are sufficient.

I agree with the first reviewer - the instructions and recipes are not very specific. While a foundation of information is provided - often in snippets throughout the photocopied pages - I found it lacked a cohesive how-to that prepared you before diving into the recipes.

I also found that I had to go to the Internet to find out if what I was seeing in the process was what I should be seeing.

I do disagree with the first reviewer's assertion that wax is required for making hard cheeses. Wax is required only if you plan to age the cheese longer than 3 or 4 weeks. Aging longer is preferable for the hard cheeses.

I'm 2 weeks into aging my first cheese - one with a three-week minimum aging period (gouda). So far, it looks and smells like cheese. I'm looking forward to it.

The instructions could have done a better job of describing sanitization practices. There is much direct handling required of the cheese product from start to finish. There's a definite difference between the standard of clean hands and the standard of sanitized implements (as is required for brewing beer).

No matter what you do, you'll find that your first few batches are somewhat hit and miss. The amount of enzyme and the need to use or not use the included calcium chloride is impacted by the milk you use. I had to toss my first batch. My second batch came together pretty well.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is an introduction to cheesemaking, April 15, 2008

By	V. Bitowf - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It contains the basics only, but it is enough to try cheesemaking without spending a lot of money. The website has plenty of photos and free information that supliments the included booklet. You will have to improvise a cheese press, but that is simple and information can be found on the internet about this.

If you are sure you want to go into cheese making, then skip this and spend the money to get the right equipment.