Masontops Complete Mason Jar Fermentation Kit with Pickle Pipes, Pebble Weights and Vegetable Tamper Review (2026)

Who this kit is built for

This is a nine piece accessory kit from Masontops that turns ordinary wide mouth mason jars into small batch fermentation vessels, rather than a standalone crock or vessel system. It includes four Pickle Pipe silicone airlock lids, four glass Pickle Pebble weights, one acacia wood Pickle Packer tamper, and a printed recipe book. That makes it a good fit for anyone who already has a shelf of wide mouth mason jars and wants to start fermenting kraut, kimchi or pickles without buying a dedicated crock or committing counter space to a large vessel. It is less suited to someone using regular mouth jars, oddly shaped containers, or a full size ceramic crock, since the pieces are sized specifically for wide mouth mason jar openings.

How the pieces work together

The Pickle Pipe is a silicone lid with a built in one way valve, so fermentation gas escapes on its own without the jar needing to be burped or an airlock refilled with water. The Pickle Pebbles are non-iridized soda glass weights, about 2.75 by 1.2 inches and roughly 6 ounces each, shaped with a finger grip so they can be lifted in and out of the brine without tongs. The acacia wood Pickle Packer is a 10 inch tamper with a wide 2.5 inch end and a narrower 2 inch end, used to pack shredded cabbage or vegetables tightly enough that they release brine quickly at the start of a ferment. All three pieces are food safe glass, silicone and acacia wood, and none of them require batteries, refrigeration or electricity to work.

Setup and everyday use

Getting started means packing salted vegetables into a wide mouth mason jar with the tamper, pressing a Pickle Pebble on top to keep everything under the brine line, then sealing the jar with the Pickle Pipe instead of a standard metal lid. From there the jar can sit on a counter out of direct sunlight while the valve vents gas as it builds, which removes the daily habit of loosening a lid to release pressure. Because there is no airlock chamber to fill with water, there is also nothing to top off or spill during the ferment. The included recipe book gives seven starting points, which is enough to get a first batch of kraut or pickles going without hunting for a separate recipe source.

Trade-offs and how it compares

The main downside reported with silicone airlocks generally, including this style of valve, is that strong smelling ferments like garlic heavy kimchi can leave an odor in the silicone over time, so a dedicated set for stronger batches is worth considering for anyone who ferments often. The kit is also mason jar specific, which means it will not help someone set up a crock or a large batch system, and buyers considering that route should look at a full crock instead. Against The Art of Fermentation, which is a reference book rather than equipment, this kit is the hands on complement, giving you the hardware while the book supplies the background on why each step matters, and together they cover both sides of getting started.

Verdict and who should pick something else

For small batch fermenting in mason jars, this kit earns its place near the top of gift and starter lists, reflected in our score of 9.0 out of 10. The waterless valve design, glass weights and tamper cover the three jobs a beginner actually needs solved, and the recipe book removes the guesswork on a first batch. Anyone planning to ferment in large crocks, oddly shaped jars, or high volumes should look past this kit toward a crock based system instead, since the pieces here are built specifically around the wide mouth mason jar opening and will not adapt to other vessels.

Frequently asked questions