Independent buying guides for home fermentation

Best Fermentation Jars

Updated How we research

Our top pick

JILLMO Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Airlock and Glass Weight, 2L (64oz), Pack of 2

JILLMO's wide mouth 2L glass fermentation jars with airlock and glass weight, pack of 2, for watching kraut and pickles bubble.

Our score8.6/10

Best budget

ETITSA 2.5 Liter Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Water Seal Airlock Lid for Pickles, Kimchi, Sauerkraut

ETITSA's 2.5 Liter wide mouth glass jar with water seal airlock lid, a roomy jar for kraut, pickles and kimchi batches.

Our score8.1/10

Most vegetable ferments never need a crock. A wide-mouth glass jar holds brine, takes a standard lid, and lets you watch the ferment instead of guessing at it. What varies is glass thickness, shoulder shape, mouth diameter, and how well the threads accept aftermarket airlock lids. Straight-sided jars pack tighter and clean easier than shouldered ones, and a wide mouth is the difference between packing cabbage comfortably and fighting it. We favored jars with consistent thread tolerances, since a lid that seals on one brand can weep on another. Thick bases and properly annealed glass matter for jars washed hot week after week. Quart jars fit a single batch of pickles or a small kraut and still sit in most fridge doors. Half gallons suit a weekly kraut habit. Pick the wide mouth unless you only ferment hot sauce mash or brine drinks.

The short version

We compared 7 picks. Our scores range from 7.6 to 8.6 out of 10.

Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score

  1. 1.JILLMO Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Airlock and Glass Weight, 2L (64oz), Pack of 2
    8.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
  2. 2.ETITSA 2.5 Liter Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Water Seal Airlock Lid for Pickles, Kimchi, Sauerkraut
    8.1/10See on AmazonCheck price
  3. 3.FastRack 1 Gallon Mason Jar Wide Mouth & Twin Bubble Airlock for Fermentation, Pickling, Brewing & Dry Storage - BPA-Free One Gallon Glass Jar with Lid
    8.0/10See on AmazonCheck price
  4. 4.50OZ/1.5L Glass Fermentation Jars Kit - 2 Pack Kimchi Wide Mouth Fermenting Container with Airlocks, Sauerkraut Fermenter Making Set for Pickling Canning Sauce, Includes Recipes
    7.8/10See on AmazonCheck price
  5. 5.4-Pack Mason Jar Fermentation Kit With Four 32 Oz Jars And Plastic Lids
    7.8/10See on AmazonCheck price
  6. 6.Haeljard 1.5L Glass Fermentation Jar with Water Seal Airlock Lid for Pickles, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kombucha
    7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
  7. 7.Dwbligt Large Fermentation Jars with Airlock, 2 Gallon Glass Jar with Lid
    7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
Tick up to 3 picks to compare them side by side.
JILLMO Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Airlock and Glass Weight, 2L (64oz), Pack of 2#1
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JILLMO's wide mouth 2L glass fermentation jars with airlock and glass weight, pack of 2, for watching kraut and pickles bubble.

Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10

  • + Clear glass lets you check brine level and color without opening the jar
  • + Each jar includes an airlock and glass weight, so both are ready to use
  • + 64oz size fits a head of cabbage and still slides into most fridges
  • - Glass lets in light, so jars should sit in a dim spot while fermenting
  • - Glass jars can break if dropped or hit with cold water while warm
ETITSA 2.5 Liter Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Water Seal Airlock Lid for Pickles, Kimchi, Sauerkraut#2
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ETITSA's 2.5 Liter wide mouth glass jar with water seal airlock lid, a roomy jar for kraut, pickles and kimchi batches.

Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10

  • + 2.5 Liter capacity is a sweet spot for a generous cabbage or cucumber batch
  • + Wide mouth lets you pack and pull out vegetables by hand easily
  • + Water seal lid keeps the ferment anaerobic with minimal fuss
  • - Water seal must be refilled as it evaporates over longer ferments
  • - Weights are not part of the listing, so plan on buying a set
FastRack 1 Gallon Mason Jar Wide Mouth & Twin Bubble Airlock for Fermentation, Pickling, Brewing & Dry Storage - BPA-Free One Gallon Glass Jar with Lid#3
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FastRack's 1 gallon wide mouth glass jar with a BPA-free grommeted lid and an Econolock airlock, a simple single-jar fermenter for kombucha, pickles or small brews.

Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10

  • + Jar, lid with built-in grommet and airlock arrive together, so it is ready to ferment out of the box.
  • + Glass is described as about 20% heavier than many standard 1 gallon jars, for a thicker and sturdier feel.
  • + Plastic lid does not rust the way metal gallon jar lids can, per the listing.
  • - No weights are included, so vegetable ferments need a separate weight sized for a gallon jar.
  • - One gallon, single jar: smaller than the 2 gallon option in this guide and not a multi-jar set.
50OZ/1.5L Glass Fermentation Jars Kit - 2 Pack Kimchi Wide Mouth Fermenting Container with Airlocks, Sauerkraut Fermenter Making Set for Pickling Canning Sauce, Includes Recipes#4
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KOMYLON's kit of two 50 oz (1.5L) wide mouth glass jars with clamp lids, silicone gaskets and one-way airlocks, a low-priced matched pair for kraut, kimchi and pickles.

Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 9/10

  • + Two 1.5L jars in one kit, each with its own airlock, so two different ferments can run side by side.
  • + 3.34 inch wide mouth for packing vegetables by hand, and the listing says all components are dishwasher safe.
  • + A silicone plug closes the airlock hole after fermenting, so the same clamp-lid jar can move on to storage.
  • - Glass weights are not named in the title, so check the contents and plan on a weight to hold vegetables under brine.
  • - Clamp-lid jars from a lesser-known brand, so screw-on mason lids and airlock lids from other kits will not fit.
4-Pack Mason Jar Fermentation Kit With Four 32 Oz Jars And Plastic Lids#5
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IceFun's kit of four 32 oz wide mouth mason jars with plastic fermentation lids, airlocks, glass weights and silicone stoppers that convert each jar to storage.

Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10

  • + Four quart jars with weights and airlocks in one box, so four small ferments can start the same day.
  • + Plastic lids avoid the rust concern of metal lids, and a stopper swaps in for the airlock when a batch is done.
  • + 3.4 inch wide mouth with ml and oz markings on the glass for measuring brine and tracking fill level.
  • - 32 oz per jar is small for a full head of cabbage, so big kraut batches need to be split up.
  • - Lids are plastic, not stainless steel, a point to weigh if you want an all glass and metal setup.
Haeljard 1.5L Glass Fermentation Jar with Water Seal Airlock Lid for Pickles, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kombucha#6
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Haeljard's 1.5L glass jar with a water seal airlock lid, a single versatile vessel for pickles, kimchi, kraut or kombucha.

Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10

  • + Water seal airlock lid lets gas escape without letting oxygen back in
  • + Clear glass shows exactly when the brine turns cloudy and the ferment is active
  • + Listed for pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha, so one jar covers many projects
  • - Single jar only, so running two ferments at once means buying another
  • - No glass weight is mentioned, so floating pieces need a separate weight
Dwbligt Large Fermentation Jars with Airlock, 2 Gallon Glass Jar with Lid#7
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Dwbligt's set of two 2 gallon (256 oz) square glass jars with fermentation lids, 3 airlocks, steel handles and silicone base covers, a large-batch option priced as a pair.

Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 7/10

  • + 256 oz per jar with a 4.3 inch mouth, room for bulk kraut, whole pickles or a big kombucha batch.
  • + Stainless steel carry handles and non-slip silicone base covers help when moving a full, heavy jar.
  • + OZ and ML scale on the side of the clear glass makes it easy to read fill level and brine volume.
  • - Sold only as a 2-pack, so the price is higher than a single 2 gallon jar if you need just one.
  • - At 12.2 inches tall and 2 gallons each, two jars need real shelf space, and no weights are listed.

Before you buy: trade-offs we flagged

No pick is perfect. These are the main compromises we noted for the top products in this guide, so you can check they will not matter for you.

Frequently asked questions

›What is the best choice among fermentation jars?

JILLMO Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Airlock and Glass Weight, 2L (64oz), Pack of 2 is our top overall pick. JILLMO's wide mouth 2L glass fermentation jars with airlock and glass weight, pack of 2, for watching kraut and pickles bubble. It earns our score of 8.6/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.

›What is a good budget option?

ETITSA 2.5 Liter Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Jar with Water Seal Airlock Lid for Pickles, Kimchi, Sauerkraut is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. ETITSA's 2.5 Liter wide mouth glass jar with water seal airlock lid, a roomy jar for kraut, pickles and kimchi batches.

›How much should I expect to spend?

Picks in this guide span See on Amazon price bands (roughly: $ = under $30, $$ = $30 to $100, $$$ = over $100). We never display exact prices because they change constantly, so the buttons above always show Amazon's current price.

›How were these products chosen?

We shortlist products that fit the job this guide solves and compare their published specifications, such as size, capacity, materials and what is included. Each pick gets an editorial score out of 10 for fit, features, build and value, and we write the pros and cons from those details. Our score is not an Amazon customer rating. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never affects the ranking.

Ferment Nest independently selects every product; we may earn a commission from links above.

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