Goldie by Sourhouse Starter Kit

Meet Goldie, the sourdough home from Sourhouse. Famously finicky, sourdough starter thrives in a certain temperature range—75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit—called the “Goldilocks” zone. The trouble is, most kitchens run cooler than that. Asheville-based Sourhouse designed the Goldie, an elegant solution to keeping starter active and healthy without heating up your whole house. The compact tool sit on the counter and plugs into any USB-to-wall adapter (not included). The base gently heats your starter; an auto-warming on/off switch does all the work, and a handy three-zone thermometer, lit up with blue, gold, and red lights, gives you a quick visual of your starter's status, helping you anticipate when it’ll be ready to bake.

Things we loved: 1) A borosilicate glass cloche shows you what your starter is doing, unlike opaque or closed sourdough systems. 2) If your starter is overheating, pull the included Cooling Puck out of the freezer to bring things down to the right temperature. 3) The Goldie works with any jar that fits inside, so either use the included Quart Jar or whatever container you prefer for your starter. The system is energy-efficient, food-safe and water-resistant, plus easy to clean with just a damp cloth or sponge.