Try milk kefir first if you want something quick and easy to learn, and kombucha first if you love tea and a tart, fizzy drink. Neither is better: they are different foods, made with different cultures.
Side by side
| Kombucha | Milk kefir | Water kefir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made from | Sweetened tea | Milk | Sugar water |
| Culture | A SCOBY, a rubbery mat | Kefir grains, soft white lumps | Water kefir grains, small clear crystals |
| First batch ready in | 7 to 14 days | About 12 to 24 hours | 24 to 48 hours |
| Taste | Tart, a little vinegary, lightly fizzy | Tangy, creamy, like a drinking yogurt | Lightly sweet and tangy, gently fizzy |
| Dairy | None | Yes | None |
| Caffeine | Yes, from the tea | None | None |
| Safety rules | Most: temperature, acidity checks, glass jar, mould watch | Few: clean jar, boiled and cooled milk | Few: clean jar, chlorine-free water, sugar |
| Equipment | A jar of 1.5 litres or more, ideally pH strips and a thermometer | A jar, a strainer, a cloth | A jar, a strainer, swing-top bottles for fizz |
Choose milk kefir if…
- you want a drink you can start tomorrow and finish the next morning
- you like thick, tangy drinks such as lassi or buttermilk
- you would like the fewest rules to remember
Choose kombucha if…
- you enjoy tea and tart, fizzy drinks
- you want something with no dairy, and are happy to have a little caffeine
- you do not mind following a method exactly and waiting a week or two
Choose water kefir if…
- you want a light, fizzy drink with no dairy and no caffeine
- you would like to flavour your own drinks with fruit
Can I make more than one?
Yes, and many people do. Keep each culture in its own jar, with its own strainer and cloth, and do not let them share liquid. Milk kefir grains live in milk, water kefir grains in sugar water, and a SCOBY in sweet tea.
Start here
- How to make milk kefir at home, with Live Milk Kefir Grains
- How to make water kefir at home, with Water Kefir Grains
- How to make kombucha at home, with a Kombucha SCOBY, or just drink Kombucha Tea first
Sources: Cultures for Health, Milk kefir: how to make, Water kefir: how to make and Kombucha: how to make, opened 10 October 2026; our own guides. Written by KefirBuy.