Homemade or shop-bought kefir: a fair comparison
In short
Bottled kefir is convenient and consistent: you pick it up, open it and pour. Homemade kefir takes about five minutes a day, but it is fresh every morning, made with the milk you choose, adjusted to your taste and costs little more than the milk once your grains are working. If you drink kefir now and then, a bottle is fine. If it is part of your daily routine, or you cook with it, homemade usually makes more sense.
- Bottled
- Zero effort
- Homemade
- 5 minutes a day
- Homemade costs
- Little more than milk
Many people discover kefir in a bottle. They enjoy it, buy another, then another, and at some point wonder whether they could make it themselves. You can, and it is easier than most expect. But bottled kefir has real qualities too, and we would rather give you a balanced picture than a sales pitch. Here it is.
Convenience
This is where the bottle wins. There is nothing to do: no jar, no sieve, no routine. If you go away a lot, drink kefir only occasionally or simply do not want another thing to think about, bottled kefir is a perfectly sensible choice.
Homemade kefir asks for about five minutes a day: strain the jar, put the grains back into fresh milk, pour the kefir into a jug. Most people fit it into the morning kettle routine and stop noticing it after a week or so. When you go away, the guide explains how to let your grains rest in the fridge.
Freshness and taste
Bottled kefir tastes the same every time, which many people like. Homemade kefir tastes of the day it was made: fresh, lively and, if you wish, milder or sharper. You decide how you like it, and you can change your mind next week. Some customers love a gentle kefir for the children's breakfast and a thicker, tangier one for themselves.
Choosing the milk
With a bottle, the brand decides which milk goes in. At home, you do. Your grains go into whatever milk your household already uses, and the guide tells you which give the creamiest results. You know exactly what is in your jug, because you poured it in.
Everyday cost
Each bottle of kefir has a price, and a family that drinks it daily soon notices. Homemade kefir costs you the milk and very little else: the grains are reused from one jar to the next, so after your first order you are mostly buying milk you would buy anyway. The current price of the grains is shown on the official shop.
Side by side
| What matters | Shop-bought kefir | Homemade kefir |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | None | About five minutes a day |
| Freshness | Check the date on the label | Made yesterday |
| Taste | Consistent | Adjusted to your liking |
| Milk | Chosen by the brand | Chosen by you |
| Everyday cost | The price of each bottle | Little more than the milk |
| Quantity | As many bottles as you buy | About half a litre (10 g) or a litre (20 g) a day |
| Packaging | A bottle each time | Your own jar and jug |
Which suits you?
Bottled kefir
If kefir is an occasional treat, a bottle when you fancy one is the simplest answer.
Homemade kefir
Fresh every morning for little more than the cost of the milk.
Homemade kefir
Always a jug ready for scones, pancakes, marinades and dressings.
Homemade, the 20 g pouch
About a litre a day, enough for breakfasts and baking alike.
Making the switch
Switching is easy. Order milk kefir grains in the size that matches what you drink: 10 g for about half a litre a day, 20 g for about a litre. When the parcel arrives, follow the leaflet and you will have your first homemade kefir the following day. The guide covers everything else, and our team is there if a question comes up. Read our beginner's guide to see exactly what the first days look like, and seven reasons people make their own.
Montse put it simply on Trustpilot in October 2026: “Both the delivery and the quality of the product: brilliant!” (translated from Spanish).
Common questions
Does homemade kefir taste like the bottled kind?
It belongs to the same family, creamy and tangy. Homemade tends to taste fresher and you can make it milder or sharper.
Can I start homemade kefir from a bottle of shop kefir?
Kefir made at home comes from live kefir grains. Natural Probio sends them live with a guide, so you can start the day your parcel arrives.
Is homemade kefir hard to keep going?
No. Five minutes a day, and the guide explains how to pause your grains in the fridge when you are away.
Make your kefir at home
Live milk kefir grains, a step-by-step guide and recipes: fresh kefir every morning for little more than the milk.
- Ready the day after you start
- 10 g or 20 g, to match what you drink
- A team that replies, usually the same day
- 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
