KNEADACE Sourdough Starter Jar Kit, 24 Oz Wide Mouth Glass, Thermometer

I recently delved into the world of sourdough baking and purchased this starter kit. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the set, especially the jar and the under-neck design, which makes handling the starter a breeze. The elastic feeding day band is a thoughtful addition that helps keep track of the feeding schedule, and the thermometer provides mostly accurate readings. However, the spatula left me a bit disappointed. Its short length becomes a hindrance when scraping the bottom of the jar to mix the starter. I found myself getting starter on my knuckles during the feeding process. If only the spatula had a longer handle, it would have been a perfect addition to the kit. I ended up resorting to one of my old spatulas for a more comfortable mixing experience. Despite this minor setback, I still appreciate the overall quality of the kit. The jar, thermometer, stretchy lid, and band all contribute to a successful sourdough baking experience. For anyone starting their sourdough journey, this kit is a solid choice, with the potential for a 5-star rating if the spatula gets an upgrade.

High quality product with the tare weight on the jar, which makes it easy to measure! Love the band so you know when you fed the starter and where it started.

At time of purchase, I was a total newbie. I've now been working with this starter for over a year, and learned a lot along the way. And the wonderful thing is my starter is just getting stronger all the time. At first, even if it looked fluffy in the jar, my dough was always wet and hard to handle. Now, I can shape it just like those annoying people on the YouTube videos do. I feel that it started really getting stronger when I began putting it in the fridge. Now, I use the starter I need and then put the jar with its screwtop lid in the fridge. The night before I want to use it again, I take it out, give it a "snack" without discarding anything, and leave it on the warming mat (I bought a seed tray warming mat) with the muslin top overnight. Then I feed in the morning (probably without discarding), use when ripe (usually around 4 hours) and put the jar back in the fridge. I usually feed it a little every 2 weeks, but this allows me to avoid the "feed everyday" panic if you keep it at room temperature. I've settled on a starter feeding mix of 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat with a bit of rye, and a dough mix of 400g bread flour, 100g whole wheat and 50g rye with 390.5g water and 11g salt. I made 2 loaves this time (splitting into two bowls) and will freeze one. I also use the starter in my regular whole wheat breads (100g starter replacing 50g each of the flour and water in the recipe). Because I'm often making 2 loaves at a time, I bought a larger starter jar, but very happy I bought this kit to begin with.

Great product! Just started my sourdough journey. The only thing I don’t quite love is how narrow it is, hard to mix and not make a mess around the glass while mixing and removing discard. But overall it works great, I like the cloth top that allows sourdough to breathe but doesn’t quite seal it. Highly recommend.

This is no ordinary sourdough starter jar. Not only is it beautiful and perfect for the task, but functional in lots of ways! For “starters” it has a temperature gauge on the jar allowing you to monitor the temperature of the starter. Secondly, the removable elastic ring allows you to keep track of the last time your starter was fed, and even the day of the week. The jar itself has helpful information printed on the jar. The weight of the empty jar, and lines for volume. And two different lids that make starter maintenance a breeze…a solid metal lid and a fabric lid with venting. And lastly, the solid spatula that’s included makes it a breeze! I can’t recommend this enough for someone learning to make sourdough starter, or a “seasoned” professional! The only thing I wish I had done was order two, making it easier to switch to a clean jar as needed.

the jar arrived quickly & very securely packaged. it is Very well designed with many Cool features; it is glass of a generous size, so there are NO plastic leaching concerns, & round, so it is easy to use & clean. there is a ml scale printed on the side, along with the tare weight of the jar to make measurements easier, there is a last fed line next to the scale & an elasticized band with days of the week & times so you easily keep track of when it was fed, & that band can be placed at the level of the culture so you can see it's rise. the jar also includes a screw top for when you store your starter in the fridge, & an elasticized porous cloth cover so your culture doesn't dehydrate when the culture is 'proofing' on the counter. finally, the included spatula has a nice wooden handle. Also, there is a stick on thermometer strip, which is a handy touch. the Knead-ace sourdough starter jar is an excellent product, i already have a 2nd one on the way so i can split my starter into a rye flour based one in addition to my wheat based one, & i will recommend this product to my friends.

This has been a great experience. The process in the past starting in my own has been a complete fail.

There is a lot to like about these, but also a lot to dislike. The most annoying thing about these from my perspective is that the mouth of the jars is not wide enough. When it's time to clean the jar I cannot fit my hand in to wash it. When it's time to feed the starter I tend to spill flour on the counter because the mouth of the jar is not wide enough to easily pour the flour in. When it's time to use the starter I have trouble fitting a ladle into the jar to remove the desired amount of starter. They could also be larger. They're fine for the amount of starter I want to maintain between bakes, but if I'm baking more than one loaf they will not hold the amount of starter I need for larger bakes. I like the measurements on the sides of the jars that make it easy to tell when your starter has doubled, tripled, and peaked. I like the stick on thermometer to help determine temperature of your starter for optimum fermentation time. I like the little band to put around the jar and mark when it was last fed. The cloth covers are useless. The spatula things are ok for stirring the starter, and they do help scrape down the sides, but if you really want to get as much out as possible a small rubber spatula is better. Although I do use these and there are things I like about them, I recommend repurposing other jars with wider mouths if you are wanting to get into sourdough. Talenti ice cream containers are perfect sourdough homes, as are empty GardenCups (that's a pre-made salad brand). Old peanut butter jars also work well if you aren't cooking for anyone with a peanut allergy. If you are concerned about microplastics, then look for mason jars, reuse empty glass jars from pasta sauce or jam... there are a lot of options. Overall, these are nice, but I would prefer them to have a wider mouth and (like much equipment that is marketed to beginning sourdough bakers) they are entirely unnecessary - you can make excellent bread without them.

The product arrived in good condition and looks exactly like the photos. Its not too large but perfect for your starter. It’s really helpful to have the feeding band and the stick-on thermometer included. This is a solid product for both the sourdough novice and the experienced enthusiast. No regrets on our purchase!

After 3 weeks I already have a good starter, I am hoping it will get even better with time. And Meni from Kneadace has been so kind to give me tips to do even better. Thanks again

Very good quality, comes with walkthrough instructions. Most of all, excellent customer service. A real person answers your questions quickly and shares tips. Very professional. Rare these days.

Great to start and maintain my sourdough starter. Comes with everything you need.

I love this sourdough jar!! The band with the dates and hours is such a brilliant idea , I don't have to remember when I've last fed my starter it is just there in front of me. The two covers are great , I use the cloth cover when I feed my starter and the other metal lid for storage. The net weight indication of the jar is also a simple idea yet helps to know how much starter I actually have in the jar so it is easy to know how much to feed with.The starter guide is easy to follow and worked great for me. I will recommend that product to anyone who works with sourdoughs. Came safe and well packaged!