Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home SH-100

Brand: Brød & Taylor

A small cabinet that holds a starter jar at a chosen temperature anywhere from 41 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 5 to 50 Celsius. It both heats and cools, so the same box slows a starter in a hot August kitchen and keeps it lively in a draughty winter flat. Set it to a low temperature and the starter can go days between feeds; set it warm and it peaks on schedule, which makes timing a bake far less of a lottery.

The appeal is repeatability: same temperature, same rise, same flavour week after week. It is overkill for anyone baking once a month, and the base unit is sold without jars in most configurations, though a bundle with a starter jar exists. Counter space and a free socket are required, and the price sits in appliance territory rather than accessory territory.