6 Best Small Cheese Hoops For Homesteaders For First-Year Success

You’ve done the hard work. You have fresh, rich milk from your goat or family cow sitting in a chilled jar, and the dream of a cheese cave is finally within reach. But before you can get to aging a beautiful wheel of cheddar, you hit the first real decision: the cheese hoop. This simple tool is more than just a container; it’s what gives your cheese its shape, helps expel the critical amount of whey, and ultimately sets the foundation for a successful first year of cheesemaking.

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Choosing Your First Homestead Cheese Hoop

The right cheese hoop depends entirely on the cheese you want to make first. A hard, pressed cheese like a Tomme requires a sturdy mold with a follower, while a soft, fresh ricotta needs little more than a simple draining basket. Don’t just buy the first one you see; think about your goal.

Material is your next big choice. Food-grade plastics are inexpensive, lightweight, and perfectly functional for a beginner. They are easy to clean and won’t break the bank. Stainless steel, on the other hand, is a lifetime investment. It’s indestructible, can be boiled for absolute sanitation, and will never retain flavors or odors. For your first year, plastic is often the most practical starting point.

Finally, consider the system. Does the hoop come with a "follower"? A follower is the solid disc that fits inside the hoop, allowing you to apply even pressure when pressing your cheese. If a hoop for hard cheese doesn’t include one, you’ll have to buy or make one that fits perfectly. Getting a hoop and follower together simplifies your first setup immensely.

Kadova Tomme Mold: For Classic Hard Cheeses

When you’re ready to make a classic pressed cheese, the Kadova mold is a true workhorse. These Dutch-made molds are crafted from heavy-duty plastic and feature a built-in, micro-perforated mesh lining. This is a game-changer for new cheesemakers.

That integrated mesh means for many recipes, you don’t need to use cheesecloth. The curds won’t stick, whey drains beautifully, and cleanup is drastically simplified. This one feature removes a common point of failure and frustration, helping ensure a smooth, well-knitted rind on your finished cheese.

The Tomme shape is ideal for a homesteader’s typical one or two-gallon batch of milk. It produces a manageable, wheel-shaped cheese that’s perfect for aging. These molds come with a perfectly matched follower, making them a complete, ready-to-press system right out of the box. If you know you want to make aged cheeses, this is arguably the best place to start.

Mad Millie Hard Cheese Hoop: A Beginner’s Kit

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by options, the Mad Millie hoop is designed for you. It’s often included in their all-in-one cheesemaking kits, which are a fantastic entry point into the hobby. The hoop itself is a simple, no-frills plastic cylinder with a separate follower.

The biggest advantage here is simplicity and integration. The Mad Millie hoop is designed to work seamlessly with their small, affordable cheese press and their beginner-friendly recipes. This removes the guesswork of matching components, allowing you to focus on learning the core process of heating milk, adding culture, and pressing curds.

You will absolutely need to line this hoop with cheesecloth, as the plastic is smooth and curds will stick otherwise. While it may not have the advanced features of a Kadova, its low cost and role within a complete beginner’s ecosystem make it a fantastic and low-risk choice for your very first pressed cheese.

New England Cheesemaking Ricotta Basket Mold

Not all cheesemaking involves a press. For soft, fresh cheeses, your most valuable tool is a simple draining basket, and this one is a classic for a reason. It’s essentially a small, food-grade plastic basket with plenty of holes.

Its job is simple: hold the delicate curds while allowing the whey to drain away by gravity. This is the tool you’ll reach for to make a beautiful, shapely wheel of fresh ricotta. You can also use it to drain chèvre, make paneer, or even strain yogurt to a thick, Greek style.

This mold’s value is in its versatility and low cost. On a homestead, tools that serve multiple purposes are worth their weight in gold. A few of these baskets are indispensable in a dairy kitchen, long after you’ve mastered the basics. They are the definition of a simple tool, perfectly designed for its task.

The Cheese Maker Stainless Steel Hoop: Durable

For the homesteader who knows cheesemaking is a long-term passion, a stainless steel hoop is the ultimate upgrade. This is a "buy it once, have it forever" piece of equipment. It’s an investment in durability and food safety.

The primary benefit is sanitation. Stainless steel is non-porous and can be boiled or sanitized in a hot dishwasher cycle without any risk of warping, cracking, or retaining bacteria. Over years of use, this peace of mind is invaluable. These hoops are also incredibly strong and will withstand the high pressure needed for hard, dry cheeses like Parmesan without flexing.

Be aware that most stainless steel hoops are open-bottomed cylinders and are sold without a follower. You’ll need to purchase a separate follower (either stainless or food-grade plastic) and use the hoop on a sterile draining mat. It requires a bit more setup, but offers professional-grade performance for the serious hobbyist.

Hoegger Camembert Mold for Soft-Ripened Cheese

If your dream is to make your own Brie or Camembert, you need a specific tool for the job. These molds are designed for forming and draining, not pressing. They are simple, bottomless plastic cylinders, but their dimensions are critical.

The magic of a bloomy-rind cheese happens during aging, as white mold ripens the cheese from the outside in. The cheese’s height-to-diameter ratio directly impacts this process by controlling the surface area to volume. A cheese that is too tall or too squat won’t ripen properly.

Using a dedicated Camembert mold ensures your cheese has the correct shape for this delicate process. You simply ladle the fragile curds into the mold, let them drain and settle under their own weight, and flip them periodically. It’s a specialized tool, but essential for success with this beloved family of cheeses.

Cultures for Health Small Hard Cheese Mold

This is another excellent, straightforward option for the first-time hard cheesemaker. Much like Mad Millie, Cultures for Health provides a reliable, no-fuss mold designed specifically for small, homestead-sized batches of one to two gallons.

The mold is made of durable, easy-to-clean plastic and typically comes with its own follower, creating a complete package. It’s a simple cylinder with drainage holes, requiring the use of cheesecloth, but it gets the job done reliably every time.

The key benefit is trust and compatibility. Cultures for Health is a major supplier of cheese cultures, rennet, and recipes. Buying their mold means you have a piece of equipment that is tested and proven to work with their widely available supplies and instructions. It’s a safe, dependable choice that removes variables and builds confidence.

Essential Accessories: Followers and Cheesecloth

A cheese hoop for pressed cheese is useless without a follower. This solid disc is what transfers the even, downward force from your press onto the curd mass, ensuring it knits together properly and expels whey uniformly. A poorly fitting follower results in a lopsided cheese with wet spots, which is a recipe for failure during aging.

Cheesecloth is another non-negotiable accessory. The cheap, gauze-like cloth sold in grocery stores is not what you need. Real cheesemaking cloth is a durable, washable, and reusable fabric designed to wick whey away without letting curds escape.

There are two main types you’ll encounter.

• Butter Muslin: A very fine weave, perfect for lining molds for soft cheeses or draining very fine curds.
• Cheesecloth (90 count): A slightly more open weave that is the standard for lining hoops for hard, pressed cheeses. It’s strong enough to be pulled off a finished cheese without tearing.

Ultimately, the best first cheese hoop is the one that empowers you to make the cheese you’re most excited to eat. Don’t get paralyzed by the options. Choose the mold that matches your immediate goal—whether it’s a simple ricotta basket or a sturdy Tomme mold—and dive in. The real learning happens when your hands are in the whey.