Cheesemaking can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be. I have yet to delve into making hard cheese.. but I am sure in time I will 🙂 I keep thinking about getting a mini fridge to put in the garage to make into a cheesecave. But until then I will enjoy making fresh cheeses. They take minimal time, effort, and equipment.
I’m going to break it down for you to make it simple.
As far as the equipment goes, this is what you’ll need to start:
Thermometer
Large, stainless steel pot with a heavy bottom. My favorite is one from IKEA.
Large colander (Stainless or enamel, nonreactive)
Measuring cups and spoons
Long handled spoon (I prefer a stainless steel one, dishwasher safe so easy to sanitize)
Butter muslin or nut milk bag (You can also use multiple layers of cheesecloth)
Nut milk bags are my favorite because they work well and they are very washable. The butter muslin does the same pretty much but the nut milk bags can be reused longer and don’t fray.
Some other non-necessity items you may want later:
My favorite thermometer is a long glass one, here is a similar one.
Cheese molds
Banana tree for hanging cheese to drain. (You can totally hang it from a cabinet knob too)
You might have most of this in your kitchen all ready. A good resource if you need it though is cheesemaking.com or even Amazon has some cheesemaking supplies.
As far as choosing the right milk, read this here.
