How much does home cheese making cost?

$79 buys all 4 essentials.

4 priced items · checked 10 Sept 2026 · retailer prices, we earn a commission

Everything essential, cheapest sensible pick

$79

4 items, nothing rented

Against 247 hobbies

Below median

Cheaper than 54% of them. Median hobby: $84.

What each thing costs

Every essential item, cheapest sensible option first. Mid-range and top picks alongside.

Stainless Steel Stockpot essential

mid $120top $250

$33

Cultures and Rennet essential

top $28

$20

Cheese Making Kit essential

mid $20top $55

$16

Cheesecloth and Butter Muslin essential

mid $10top $23

$10

All 4 essentials

$79

What you need

$79

Everything you need to start home cheese making. None of it is a big commitment.

Cultures and Rennet

$20

Mesophilic and thermophilic cultures for different cheese families. Vegetable rennet for most beginner cheeses.

Cultures for Health Mesophilic Starter Culture

top $28

Cheesecloth and Butter Muslin

$10

Coarse cheesecloth for draining curds; fine butter muslin for retaining smaller curds (ricotta, fresh cheese).

Cheesecloth, Grade 90, 36 Sq Feet, Reusable, 100% Unbleached Cotton…

mid $10top $23

Stainless Steel Stockpot

$33

Heavy-bottom stainless steel pot for milk heating without scorching. 8+ quart for batch cheese.

IMUSA 16 Qt Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Riveted Handles for Soups

mid $120top $250

Cheese Making Kit

$16

Mozzarella + ricotta + fresh cheeses are the right entry — quick, forgiving, no aging required. Kits give you cultures + rennet + thermometer + cheesecloth in one box.

New England Cheesemaking Supply Company Lipase Powder for Cheese Making

mid $20top $55

Later, if you stay

Not needed to start. These are the upgrades that matter once the habit has stuck.

Cheese Press

$40

For aged cheeses (cheddar, gouda, parmesan). Mozzarella and fresh cheeses don't need a press — start with those.

Mad Millie Stainless Steel Cheese Press

mid $130top $345

Startup cost · all 247 hobbieslog scale

$1Blogging

$84median

$1245Kite Surfing

$79

Home Cheese Making costs more to start than 46% of the 247 hobbies we price. The median is $84.

Cost questions

How much does Home Cheese Making cost to start?

About $79 for the 4 essential items, taking the cheapest sensible option for each.

What does each thing cost for Home Cheese Making?

Stainless Steel Stockpot: from $33. Cultures and Rennet: from $20. Cheese Making Kit: from $16. Cheesecloth and Butter Muslin: from $10.

Is Home Cheese Making an expensive hobby?

Home Cheese Making costs about $79 to start, dearer than 46% of the 247 hobbies we price. The median hobby costs $84, so this sits around the middle.

What should I buy first for Home Cheese Making?

cultures and rennet, cheesecloth and butter muslin, stainless steel stockpot, cheese making kit — $79 together. They are the cheap half of the kit and the half you keep whatever you decide about the rest.

Hobbies that cost about the same

The 6 nearest to home cheese making by startup cost, out of 247.

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Home Cheese Makingyou are here$79

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Start home cheese making Home Cheese Making beginner guide