Choosing your kefir: a plain guide to the Natural Probio range
In short
Want something creamy and sour for breakfast and the kitchen? Milk kefir grains: 10 g for roughly half a litre a day, 20 g for roughly a litre. Prefer a fruity, fizzy drink with no milk in it? Water kefir. Fond of tea and deeper flavours? The kombucha SCOBY. Keen on both kefirs? The milk and water kefir duo. Want to try everything? The complete kit, which costs less than buying the three cultures one by one.
Whatever you choose, it reaches you alive, it comes with a step-by-step guide and it is backed by the same promise. So the decision really comes down to two things: what you enjoy drinking, and how many people are at your table.
Every option, side by side
You love dairy and a proper breakfast
Milk kefir grains
Thick, sour, pourable kefir to drink on its own or cook with.
- First glass the day after you start
- 10 g for roughly half a litre a day, 20 g for roughly a litre
- Guide and recipe collection
You're after something fruity with bubbles
Water kefir grains
A light, fizzy homemade drink, flavoured with whatever fruit you fancy.
- Ready the day after
- 30 g for roughly a litre a day, 60 g for roughly two
- No milk involved
You'd never say no to a cuppa
Kombucha SCOBY
Sparkling tea that balances sweet and sharp, flavoured however you like.
- Ready in about a week
- Posted in its own liquid
- Guide included
Your household can't agree
Milk and water kefir duo
Creamy kefir in the morning, fizzy kefir from lunchtime on.
- 20 g of milk kefir grains plus 30 g of water kefir grains
- A guide for each
You want the lot, or a generous present
Complete kit
Milk kefir, water kefir and kombucha in a single box.
- Three cultures, three guides
- Cheaper than buying them separately
The range in a table
| Option | Flavour | Ready | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk kefir | Creamy, sour | The day after | Breakfast, smoothies, cooking |
| Water kefir | Fruity, fizzy | The day after | Swapping out cans of pop |
| Kombucha | Sparkling tea, deeper | In about a week | Tea drinkers |
| Milk and water kefir duo | Creamy plus fizzy | The day after | Homes with mixed tastes |
| Complete kit | All three | A day to a week | Trying everything, presents |
10 g or 20 g of milk kefir grains?
Picture your fridge. If you are the only kefir drinker and fancy a glass most mornings, the 10 g pouch, giving roughly half a litre a day, is plenty, and it is a gentle way to find out whether kefir is for you. If there are two or more of you, or you plan to put kefir in scones, soda bread and marinades as well as in a glass, take the 20 g pouch for roughly a litre a day. A handy rule of thumb: match the pouch to how much milk your household already goes through.
Milk kefir or water kefir?
Two cultures, two quite different drinks. Milk kefir grains thicken milk into something sharp and creamy, nearer to a runny yoghurt. Water kefir grains turn sweetened water and a bit of fruit into a light, fizzy drink that many people compare to homemade lemonade. Dairy lover? Milk kefir. Want fizz without milk? Water kefir. Can't choose? The milk and water kefir duo spares you the decision. Everything else is in milk or water kefir.
Where kombucha fits in
Kombucha is brewed from sweet tea with a SCOBY and needs about a week to develop its sparkle and gentle sourness. For a nation of tea drinkers it is a natural companion to kefir, bringing an entirely different flavour to the table. You will find it in the complete kit, or on its own in the shop.
Coming from yoghurt or bottled kefir?
Lots of people find their way to kefir grains via homemade yoghurt or a bottle of kefir from the shops. We have compared both even-handedly: kefir or homemade yoghurt and homemade or shop-bought kefir. If you have never fermented anything in your life, the beginner's guide shows exactly what lies ahead.
For lovers of ginger
Natural Probio also sells the ginger beer plant, the traditional culture behind a homemade ginger beer that is lively, warming and fizzy. It sits with the rest of our cultures on the Natural Probio shop.
Choosing questions
Which is simplest for a first-timer?
Milk kefir and water kefir are both ready the day after you start, so you see results fast. Go for the one whose flavour tempts you more; both guides are written for beginners.
Can I add another culture later on?
Certainly. Plenty of customers start with one and order a second a few weeks on. The duo and the kit just let you begin together.
What exactly is in the duo?
A 20 g pouch of milk kefir grains and a 30 g pouch of water kefir grains, each with its guide, sent as one order.
Still torn? Order the duo
Milk kefir for breakfasts and baking, water kefir for a fizzy glass at lunch: two homemade drinks, two guides, one parcel.
- 20 g of milk kefir grains plus 30 g of water kefir grains
- Cultures from time-honoured methods
- Real people answering your emails
- Your money back if it isn't right
Grains from time-honoured methods, unique and resilientDispatched within 24 to 48 hours, trackedLifetime guarantee on your grains' activityOver 20,000 customers worldwide
