Kerazo - 5L (1.3 Gal)K&K Keramik German Made Fermenting Crock Pot, Kerazo F2

A Kerazo (K&K Keramic) 5 liter fermenting crock is a well made utensil of convenient size. It fits on the bottom shelf of most undercounter dishwashers for thorough cleaning. After making a few batches of fermented vegetables, we're happy with the "Form 2" crock we use. The curved shape is somewhat slimmer than the "Form 1" versions. The water moat is not as deep. Practical capacity is about 2-1/2 kg (5-1/2 lb) of shredded cabbage..Kerazo workmanship was flawless, and the shipping container provided good shock resistance. The design, emulating Harsch Steinzeug stoneware from the 1920s, is excellent, with no crevices inside to trap debris and a profile shaped to allow thorough cleaning and rinsing. However, the produce weights need a design improvement..Unglazed surfaces of the half-circle weights retain microbes and small particles of produce and can support mold growth. Instructions fail to warn of the problem. The crock, lid and weights must be thoroughly washed and dried after a batch is harvested..Our solution to prevent mold growth: scrub and thoroughly rinse the surfaces of weights, and dry weights in an oven--starting cold and setting 120 C (250 F) for a half hour. Store weights and lid separately from crock. If stored more than a few days before the next use, wash everything again before starting a new batch.

I've tried everything I can think of and every possible "solution" I've seen online from people with similar issues, and nothing has worked -- EVERY SINGLE TIME, water gets sucked into the crock at the beginning of the ferment, diluting the ferment and thereby ruining it. I've controlled for temperature, I've used oil instead of water (which is a real mess, impossible to remove from ferment after it's sucked into the crock!), I've tried lifting up the top, swirling the top, burping it manually, but nope . . . nothing works. On top of this, I'm unable to return it, so I've got an ugly expensive vase, I guess. What a waste of money.

Product is defective. There is a hairline crack about an inch from the bottom that wasn’t visible until the crock was filled with liquid. It was noticed when I kept finding brine on my counter within a few hours of filling. Despite being purchased within the last 30 days, amazon says this is ineligible for return. I guess I just threw away $120 and a bunch of sauerkraut.

The fermenting crock arrived today; it looks great; and I am looking forward to making radish kimchi this weekend. Holy moly, the packaging was INSANE. The crock was wrapped in seven layers of bubble wrap, and put in its own box, as were all the components. Those boxes were then placed inside a large box with a couple inches of bubble wrap on all six sides. The delivery guy could have thrown the box out of the back of the truck, and I'm pretty sure nothing would have broken. If the quality of the fermenting crock is anything like the quality of the wrapping, it should last my lifetime and well beyond. Highly recommended.

The packaging was amazing. I was impressed, the was no way this was going to get broken in the mail.The day after receiving my crock I started a batch of sauerkraut, that was 3 days ago, and it is on my counter happily burping away. Sounds like it will be a great batch.The size is perfect for my small family, I did two cabbages and could have got four easily.Years ago I bought a three gallon crock but my family size is smaller now that children have grown and husband passed away. This crock is perfect.

Absolutely love these crocks. These are a work of art. Beautifully made and work wonderful. I love the rim on the top that creates an airlock. We have been making wine in our bigger one, but wanted to try some sauerkraut and pickles. So, I bought the smaller one for that. It made the best sauerkraut we've ever tasted. I'm trying pickles now.

This is the best fermenting crock on Amazon.I got this size because the 10L was too big for my needs. for instance I made a batch of curtido with 2 large cabbages and some carrots and onions, and it only filled this crock to about 1/3. I think you could do 5 heads of cabbage and still have enough head room. Maybe 6.This crock (not the TSM) feels solid, like the clay is fired at a higher temperature (which it is,) which makes me less paranoid that I might break it in the sink or something. I also have the 10L TSM, which feels fragile to me. I think the shape is beautiful--I also think this shape is better for fermenting, as opposed to the wider straight sided ones, but that isn't based on scientific research, just a gut feeling.What I like about ceramic, as opposed to plastic, glass, etc., is that if you place it on the cement floor of an unheated room, it will conduct the cool temperature, which is more optimal for fermenting. Also, it's old-school and non-gimmicky. The water trough works great as an air lock, but if you live in a dry climate (I do) you should check it every few days for evaporation.At my work, I make sauerkraut and kimchi in 6 gallon plastic buckets, which works fine at that volume (about 30 pounds), but I haven't had good luck with small batches in plastic at home.If you are shopping for a ceramic fermenting crock, and think you will use it enough to justify the cost, this one is the best (on Amazon.) It's totally worth the extra few dollars, and will become an heirloom if your offspring don't hate you for making them eat fermented food.