Is it cheaper to make your own cheese?
For most people, cheese is a grocery staple and is commonly used in a lot of recipes. That creamy and sometimes tangy addition adds so much flavor to a home cooked meal.
Some of the US’s most favorite meals require cheese to truly make them what they are. Just think if pizza, cheeseburgers, nachos, or mac n cheese were made without cheese. Honestly that thought is just depressing.
Since cheese is such a common item on most American’s grocery list, it makes us wonder if it would be possible to save money by making our own cheese at home. Let’s explore this further and see if making our own cheese will be cheaper than the grocery store.
Most Common Cheeses bought in the US
For several years now, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses are the most common and most eaten cheeses in the US. Other cheeses that are consumed regularly include Swiss, provolone, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
There are an estimated 1800 different varieties of cheese in the world, so there are definitely a ton of cheeses to choose from. These cheeses come in all different tastes, shapes, and sizes.
The most commonly used cheeses in the US can be narrowed down to 5 categories:
- Fresh or unripened cheese examples – Cream Cheese, Ricotta, and Mozzarella
2. Soft cheese examples – Brie, Boursin, and Camembert
3. Semi-Soft cheese examples – Fontina, Gouda and Gorgonzola
4. Firm cheese examples – Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Provolone
5. Hard Cheese examples – Asiago, Parmesan, and Pecorino Romano
All of these cheeses are made commercially, and some like Roquefort can only be made in certain regions and with certain weather conditions.
Is cheese making cost effective?
Just like the most commonly bought cheese, Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese are the most common cheeses that can be made at home. Let’s compare the costs for buying both kinds and for making them at home.
We will start with Mozzarella Cheese:
| Source | Quantity | Total Cost | Cost per oz | Results |
| Homemade Mozzarella Cheese | 1 pound | $4.66 | $0.29 per oz | Super Close 2nd place! |
| Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (Bel Giosio) | 8 oz | $3.77 | $0.47 per oz | |
| Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Kraft) | 8 oz | $3.12 | $0.39 per oz | |
| Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Great Value) | 8 oz | $2.20 | $0.27 per oz | WINNER! |
This was very surprising results! The homemade mozzarella cheese came out cheaper than all the store bought options except the Walmart store brand. So if you are regularly buying fresh mozzarella or name brand shredded mozzarella, then making your own can save you a little money!
(All the ingredients for the homemade mozzarella were priced out at my local Walmart location, so prices may vary in different areas.)
Next, let’s check out the homemade cheddar cheese:
| Source | Quantity | Total Cost | Cost per Ounce | Results |
| Homemade Cheddar Cheese | 3 pounds (48oz) | $13.79 | $0.29 per oz | |
| Tillamook Medium Cheddar Block | 2 pounds (32 oz) | $9.98 | $0.31 per oz | |
| Kraft Medium Cheddar Block | 1 pound (16 oz) | $4.83 | $0.30 per oz | |
| Great Value medium Cheddar Block | 1 pound (16oz) | $3.68 | $0.23 per oz | WINNER! |
| Great Value medium Cheddar Shredded | 1 pound (16oz) | $3.98 | $0.24 per oz | super close! |
I was also surprised that the Cheddar cheese was not a huge difference of price between homemade and store bought. You have to take into account that the process to make Cheddar cheese takes anywhere from 2-5 hours and then longer to age the cheese for flavor, your time costs money too.
The winner in the Cheddar Cheese is definitely to go ahead and buy at the store. The cost savings is just not there.
(All the ingredients for the homemade cheddar were priced out at my local Walmart location, Walmart online, and Amazon for the cheese culture, so prices may vary in different areas.)
How do people make homemade cheese?
There are two main ways to make cheese at home, one is from a ready-made kit that includes all the needed ingredients, and the other is purchasing your supplies separately.
Cheesemaking kits are typically specific to the type of cheese you want to make and can run anywhere from $30-$50.
For the above recipes I priced everything out separately because this is typically a cheaper option. If you were to find a really good deal on cheesemaking kits, you may have better savings.
Once it is time to make the cheese, the most common equipment needed is items you probably already have. For the mozzarella cheese, you will need a good thermometer, knife, spoon or ladle, large colander, and a large bowl.
The cheddar cheese does require a few more pieces of equipment like a cheese mold, muslin cloth, cheese press or weights, cheese wax, and a brush for the wax.
In both types of cheese, the milk is heated up and then curds are formed. The curds are cooked and drained. Then, the cheese is formed either by hand like mozzarella or in a mold like the cheddar.
Is it hard to make your own cheese?
Similar to making bread, making your own cheese at home, takes lots of practice and is compared to a work of art. There is a lot of artistry involved in making specialty cheeses.
Making cheese has actually become a very rare skill that very few people have let alone go on to master. The great thing about making your own cheese is that there really is no super fancy expensive equipment to buy.
The downside is that some of the ingredients like rennet and cheese cultures can be a bigger upfront expense. Please note that the bigger upfront cost is because you are buying a package of cultures or rennet, and those packages will last for lots and lots of cheese making batches.
Is making cheese cheaper than buying?
Unfortunately, at this time it is actually cheaper to buy your cheese at the store than it is to make it yourself. I was really hoping that there would be a significant cost savings to homemade cheese!
While the homemade mozzarella was very close in price, when you take into account that it takes about an hour to make it. So, this is not something you would want to make on a regular basis and the fresh cheese won’t last as long as the commercially made one will.
On the other hand, the next time someone asks what I would like for a birthday or Christmas present, I am seriously considering asking for a cheese making kit! I just really think that the process and the end result would be really cool.
Most of the kits will make more than one batch of cheese and most include a bunch of different cheese recipes as well as the starter cultures needed. Even though the cost to make one pound of cheese is more than buying it, I believe the taste could be amazing.
My whole family loves cheese, and if I started making our own, I think it would be a fun family activity. I know my kids would love to see how cheese is made and to help us start making cheese!
If you are on a DIY kick, don’t forget to check out “Is it cheaper to make bread in a bread maker?
