Best Pickle Pipes and Fermentation Airlocks
Updated How we research
Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Regular Mouth Mason Jar Fermenter Caps
Masontops' Pickle Pipes waterless airlock lids for wide and regular mouth mason jars, a mixed size set of caps.
Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Small Combo Sauerkraut and Pickle Kit
Masontops' Pickle Pipes airlock fermentation lids in a wide and small combo sauerkraut and pickle kit.
Active ferments produce carbon dioxide, and something has to let it out. A silicone pipe or valve lid vents pressure while keeping oxygen and fruit flies from getting in, which saves you from burping jars twice a day. Designs split into simple domed valves, three-piece water airlocks, and pump-down lids. They vary in silicone thickness, how well they seat on the jar rim, whether they work with metal or plastic bands, and how long the valve stays supple after repeated washing. We weighed seal reliability, ease of setup, cleaning, and whether the valve stayed flexible over months of use. Domed silicone valves are the simplest choice and suit most vegetable ferments in wide-mouth jars. Water airlocks make sense for long, slow ferments where you want a visible barrier. Multi-packs are the practical buy for anyone running several jars, and the pump-down system is for fermenters who prefer removing headspace air outright.
The short version
We compared 8 picks. Our scores range from 7.2 to 8.4 out of 10.
- Best overall:Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Regular Mouth Mason Jar Fermenter Caps. Highest overall score in this guide at 8.4/10.
- Also great value:Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Small Combo Sauerkraut and Pickle Kit. Value score of 8/10, overall 8.4/10.
- Solid build:Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Kit for Wide Mouth Mason Jar Sauerkraut and Pickles. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.1/10.
- Feature-rich:Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids Regular Mouth Mason Jar Fermenter Caps. Features score of 7/10, overall 7.8/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
- 1.Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Regular Mouth Mason Jar Fermenter Caps8.4/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 2.Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Small Combo Sauerkraut and Pickle Kit8.4/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 3.Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Kit for Wide Mouth Mason Jar Sauerkraut and Pickles8.1/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 4.Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids Regular Mouth Mason Jar Fermenter Caps7.8/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 5.Wide Mouth Mason Jar Fermentation Lids - Silicone Fermenting Caps with Waterless Airlock, Self-Burping Fermenter Tops for Pickles, Kimchi, and Probiotic Foods, 3 Pack Grey (Jars Not Included)7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 6.Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Kit for Small Mouth Mason Jar Sauerkraut and Pickles7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 7.Kinggrand Kitchen Fermentation Lids Silicone Waterless Airlock Fermenting Lids for Regular Mason Jars 3 Pack Mint7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 8.Masontops Pickle Pipes - Airlock Fermentation Lids - Fermentation Kit For Wide Mouth Mason Jar Sauerkraut & Pickle Kit - Fermentation Jar Not Included (Pack of 2)7.2/10See on AmazonCheck price
#1Masontops' Pickle Pipes waterless airlock lids for wide and regular mouth mason jars, a mixed size set of caps.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Wide and Regular Mouth sizes cover the jars most kitchens already own
- + Waterless airlock avoids spills compared with water trap airlocks
- + Mixed set gives flexibility for small and large ferments
- - Fewer caps of each size than a single-size pack
- - Rings for each jar are still required to hold the caps on
#2Masontops' Pickle Pipes airlock fermentation lids in a wide and small combo sauerkraut and pickle kit.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Wide and Small Combo covers both jar sizes in one purchase
- + Pickle Pipes release gas automatically, so no daily burping is needed
- + Combo kit suits experimenting with kraut and small hot sauce ferments
- - Split sizes mean fewer lids for whichever jar you use most
- - Check the listing photos to confirm exactly what ships with the lids
#3Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Kit for Wide Mouth Mason Jar Sauerkraut and Pickles
Masontops' Pickle Pipes airlock fermentation lids kit for wide mouth mason jars, aimed at sauerkraut and pickles.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Kit format suits beginners converting their first wide mouth jars
- + Pickle Pipes vent gas while blocking air from entering the jar
- + Masontops is a known name in mason jar fermentation accessories
- - Pair it with glass weights if your kitchen does not already have some
- - Silicone nipple can pick up strong odors from kimchi or garlic
#4Masontops' Pickle Pipes waterless airlock fermentation lids for regular mouth mason jars, a smaller jar option.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Regular Mouth sizing converts pint and quart jars into fermenters
- + Waterless design needs no refilling of a water chamber
- + Good for small-batch hot sauce or garlic ferments
- - Only fits regular mouth jars, not the wide mouth jars most kits use
- - Narrow mouth jars are harder to pack than wide ones
#5WENQING 3-pack of silicone waterless airlock lids for wide mouth Mason jars. A one-way valve vents gas without water or daily burping.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10
- + Three lids in a pack, the same count as the original Pickle Pipe set
- + One-way waterless valve vents gas automatically, with no water or daily burping needed per the listing
- + Listing says the one-piece silicone design is dishwasher safe and low profile for cupboard storage
- - Not the original Pickle Pipe brand, so it is an alternative design rather than the patented original
- - Wide mouth jars only, and jars and rings are not included
#6Masontops' Pickle Pipes airlock fermentation lids kit for small mouth mason jars, for sauerkraut and pickles.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Small mouth kit fits common narrow mason jars
- + Airlock lids stop mold-causing air from getting in
- + Masontops kit keeps a consistent system across jar types
- - Small Mouth jars limit how easily you can pack whole vegetables
- - Does not fit wide mouth jars, which many ferment recipes assume
#7Kinggrand Kitchen's 3 Pack of mint silicone waterless airlock fermenting lids for regular mason jars.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10
- + 3 Pack of lids suits several small ferments at once
- + Mint color makes them easy to spot among other jar lids
- + Silicone waterless valve works without water or small parts
- - Regular Mason Jars only, so wide mouth jars need other lids
- - Newer brand has less history than the established Masontops design
#8Masontops Pickle Pipes pack of 2 waterless airlock lids for wide mouth Mason jars. Same brand as the earlier listing, now sold as a two-lid pack.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 5/10
- + Same Masontops brand as the discontinued listing, with a one-way waterless valve that vents gas on its own
- + One-piece silicone airlock needs no water, burping or maintenance, per the listing
- + Low profile design is described as easy to store, and the silicone is dishwasher safe
- - At about $48 for a pack of 2 it costs far more per lid than the other pickle pipe sets in this guide
- - Wide mouth jars only, and jars are not included
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.
- Fewer caps of each size than a single-size pack (Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock...)
- Split sizes mean fewer lids for whichever jar you use most (Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation...)
- Pair it with glass weights if your kitchen does not already have some (Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation...)
- Only fits regular mouth jars, not the wide mouth jars most kits use (Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock...)
- Not the original Pickle Pipe brand, so it is an alternative design rather than the patented original (Wide Mouth Mason Jar Fermentation Lids -...)
- Small Mouth jars limit how easily you can pack whole vegetables (Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among pickle pipes and fermentation airlocks?
Masontops Pickle Pipes Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Regular Mouth Mason Jar Fermenter Caps is our top overall pick. Masontops' Pickle Pipes waterless airlock lids for wide and regular mouth mason jars, a mixed size set of caps. It earns our score of 8.4/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
Masontops Pickle Pipes Airlock Fermentation Lids Wide and Small Combo Sauerkraut and Pickle Kit is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. Masontops' Pickle Pipes airlock fermentation lids in a wide and small combo sauerkraut and pickle kit.
›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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