Customer Reviews

Harsch Gairtopf Fermenting Crock Pot - 5 Liter - ME7409

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I have had this Harsch Gairtopf Fermenting Crock Pot on my wish list for years. I at long last finally made the purchase when I found the 7.5.Litre size recently through an Amazon link for $119 and free shipping!!! It is the German fermentation stoneware crock by Harsch Steinzeug and has no labelling for Miracle (the sole importer) as it is shown at Amazon. (Mine just arrived from Germany. It was on back order for some time).

This fermentation crock pot is highest quality as you might expect from German craftsmen. It truly is the Mercedes Benz of stoneware fermentation pots. It is made of stoneware and covered with a lead-free glazing. It is beautiful and easy to handle, clean and use.

The unique Harsch method of fermentation is proven. The crock includes 2 stoneware weighing stones which replace the wooden board and cloth of other methods. (If you've ever done fermentation that way, you know the problems you can have). Furthermore the lid has a deep water groove which provides an airtight sealing that prevents undesired yeast from forming. Clear instructions are included as well as some basic recipes.

I debated for a long time between the 5 litre and 7.5 litre crocks. I ended up choosing the 7.5 litre size. (There are also larger ones ranging from 10 to 50 litres). I was a little afraid that I had chosen a crock much too large for just a single person like myself but I'm very glad I settled on the 7.5L. It's perfect although I would still like the 5L too so I can being doing a smaller batch of some other food such as kimchi or pickles fermenting at the same time.

I do have 4 large heads of organic cabbage, about 12 lbs, filling the 7.5L to capacity and fermenting beautifully right now. Considering how much I have to spend each week on store-bought organic, unpasteurized sauerkraut or other cultured vegetables ~ my Harsch crock is going to pay for itself in no time! I am anticipating 8 one quart Mason jars of finished kraut

I love my beautiful Harsch crock, definitely would buy it all over again and hope to do just that soon!

This may be my favorite all time purchase and I have never tried fermenting before! Within two days of receiving it I was at the farmers market looking for victims! I now have a great crock of pickles that didn't last in my house more than a week as my husband inhaled them. I then went back to order a second one to try Kim Chee while I start another group of pickles.

I would recommend if possible that you fill the crock where it will stay to ferment as it is heavy when filled. I also concur with another review that it can scratch your surfaces if you're not careful so I placed it on a cork trivet.

If you are at all interested in fermenting buy it!

Traditional design keeps your veggies from growing mold on the top while they ferment. Weighting stones included. Get at least two so you can always have something going!

I also had this crock on my wish list for years before I finally broke down and spent the money. I got the 15 liter size. I wish I would have had this when my kids were still at home - but it's still okay because they come and get saurkraut from me anyway. I get my cabbage from the Farmer's Market (it has to be fresh and juicy.) I slice it really thin on an electric slicer and pack it in the crock with pickling salt as directed. It holds about 5 or 6 cabbages. You have to punch the cabbage down well to get the juice to flow. I can't do it, so I get my son to do it. Then put on the stones, put on the lid and then just keep the canal around the lid filled with water. That's it. Leave it for 6 weeks. No smell in the house or anything because it's airtight. In 6 weeks you will have perfect saurkraut to bottle. I got 24 pints, which is a year's worth for myself and my kids. It's too easy. It is well worth the money. I am planning on my daughter inheriting it from me so that generations to come will use it, and therefore we will get our money's worth out of it. :) Now I am going to get the small one to do pickles in.

So glad I ordered this from Amazon ~ I hesitated a bit due to price but after receiving it, it was well worth the price! The way the crock is designed, it seals and keeps the fermenting foods from contamination. I currently have a batch of sauerkraut fermenting and it was SO much easier than making in jars! Highly recommended.

I ordered my Harsch Gairtopf Fermenting Crock (5 liter) one day and three days later it was on my doorstep! It's beautiful - I don't mind it sitting on my countertop because it fits with my decor. I have my first batch of sauerkraut brewing, but it's not finished yet. My husband and I are eagerly awaiting the taste test in a couple of weeks. The seller is great, very fast delivery (other places had a wait of 5 weeks), and the item was very well-packaged to avoid any damage to the crock. There was also free delivery which is important in such a heavy item. I would highly recommend both this seller and this crock.

I took a tour of Europe in 1993. One day in Salzburg Austria, while waiting to take the "Sound of Music" tour, I wandered down a side street where I purchased a street vendor's bratwurst on a bun with mustard and sauerkraut. I went back later that day for another, and had two the next day, too. It was the best sauerkraut I had ever had in my life. When I returned home to Seattle, I tried to find sauerkraut like I had in Salzburg. No can do. Every time in the past 18 years that I have bought sauerkraut, I have tried a different brand name, different style, glass jars, tin cans, fancy, Bavarian Style, store brand, generic, etc. All the same, but nothing like what I had in Salzburg Austia from that street vendor. All my life my father has told me how he and his mother used to make sauerkraut in a crock pot with an old wood lid and a rock to weigh it down in the dark corner of their cellar. He also tells me of the head cheese, the tripe, the blood sausage, and other nasty things he and his parents would eat that they had had back home in Ljubljana. Thanks Dad, but no thanks, I thought)

Fast forward 18 years. I am surfing amazon.com and see the Harsch Gairtopf Fermenting Crock Pot that will make sauerkraut without that scum on the top. I buy one, the 5 liter size, and prepare a batch of sauerkraut the first day. Six weeks later I open the lid, gingerly try some of this fermented cabbage, and am immediately transported back to 1993 Salzburg. Woo Hoo! This is what I have been searching for. It's the real deal. I now make several batches a year. So easy. I keep jars of the kraut in the fridge at all times. It gets heavy usage during Seafair parties with bratwurst and hot dogs of course, hamburgers too, but I also eat it straight out of the jar. Now if I can just find that mustard...

this crock is awesome! this sat on my kitchen table the entire month that the cabbage sat in it, no smell, i wondered if it was even fermenting. its heavy indeed but very easy to use. if you like saurkraut and plan to make it more than once this crock is a must have. yes its pricey and worth every penny :)

This is a very nice pot. I wish they came in a smaller sizes too.

I have just opened the crock after 6 weeks with a batch of sauerkraut and it is WONDERFUL. Very easy to do and almost idiot proof....