Onggi Fermentation Crock with Half-Moon Weights

Onggi are millennia-old traditional Korean crocks used to store and ferment kimchi, soy sauce, jangs and makgeolli (rice wine). Most onggi are made from earthenware that develops seasoning over time, like a cast-iron skillet, but that porousness makes the material trickier to clean and more likely to absorb unwanted smells and flavors. Glazed porcelain, however, is completely non-porous and easy to clean with soap and water. (And unlike glass, it’s opaque, so you don’t have to worry about finding a dark spot to stash your projects.) In addition to its superior material, this crock has a clever design that does away with a fermentation fear: explosion from gas buildup. There’s a wide lip around the mouth that holds a small amount of water like a moat; put the lid on top and it creates a water seal that’s secure but not airtight, allowing gases to dissipate naturally. In other words, this crock burps itself. We’re including a set of half moon-shaped earthenware weights to keep your pickles and kraut fully submerged. It’s the ultimate tool for all those fermentation projects you’ve been putting off. Available in Matte Black, which doubles as a chalkboard for note-taking.

Onggi is a cafe and shop in Portland, Maine, specializing in fermented foods and everything you need to make them. They tapped local ceramics artist Troy Yoshimoto to design their signature onggi, which updates tried-and-true traditional crock design in sleek glazed porcelain.