8 Mushroom Grow Kits That Make It Easy To Forage Your Own Kitchen

Best all-around: Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Grow Kit

This kit was mentioned again and again by mushroom experts, so we went straight to Back to the Roots' co-founder and co-CEO, Nikhil Arora, to learn more about this iconic mushroom growing tool.

"We fell in love with the magic of growing our own mushrooms—it was so fast, easy, and sustainable," Arora tells mbg. "After a few years of farming them and selling them to restaurants, grocery stores, and farmers markets, we realized we could shrink down what we were doing into a tabletop experience to help anyone, anywhere discover that same wonder of growing their own gourmet mushrooms." 

Back to the Roots provides everything you need during the incubation process, and Arora guarantees there's absolutely no green thumb required to successfully grow mushrooms using this organic kit.

Back to the Root Organic Mushroom Grow Kit ($28.96)

Back to the Roots

Best for a stunning meal: Forest Origins Pink Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit

For a mushroom that's as pretty as it is tasty, try growing Pink Oyster. This mushroom, which grows quickly in clusters, starts out in a vibrant coral pink color, then fades as it becomes ready to harvest. The mushroom caps will curl as it matures, after about seven days or so. 

This kit, which comes on a "log," has to be watered frequently, particularly as the growth picks up, but once they're ready to harvest, get ready for a delicious mushroom that tastes a bit like seafood according to some spore connoisseurs. 

Forest Origins, Pink Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit ($29.99)

Forest Origins

Best for shiitakes: Root Mushroom Farm Store Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit

If you love the chewy, buttery taste of shiitake mushrooms, then this kit from Root Mushroom Farm Store is for you. The pre-inoculated log should be used as soon as it arrives, and, with water and the humidity tent properly set up, pins will begin to form fast. You could enjoy two to three flushes out of this one kit. 

Shiitakes are a favorite of home cooks, and they're used in a variety of cuisines. An added bonus: These meaty mushrooms are known for supporting immunity and heart health.

Root Mushroom Farm Store, Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit ($36.99)

Root Mushroom Farm Store

Best for families: Willow Mountain Baby Bella Mushroom Growing Kit

This easy-to-use kit from Willow Mountain is all about quantity, growing up to four pounds of mushrooms within four to six weeks. Aaditya Bhatta, editor and founder of Plantscraze, tells mbg, "The larger-than-average Willow Mountain kit produces a higher yield of mushrooms, making it ideal for a large family or for cooking for multiple dinners."

Willow Mountain custom-makes each kit and ships fresh, fully colonized substrates. If you go with their kit, you will need to follow the instructions to create a humidity tent around your 'shrooms shortly after receiving the package. You can pick the mushrooms at any point, depending on the size you want, and reviewers note that their entire substrate was covered in firm mushrooms within weeks.

Willow Mountain, Baby Bella Mushroom Growing Kit, ($29.95)

Willow Mountain Mushrooms

Best for pizza lovers: Mushroom Adventures White Button Mushroom Growing Kit

If you're someone who loves mushrooms on your pizza, salad, or sandwich, it's time you start growing white button mushrooms at home. These two to three-inch smooth mushrooms are delicious raw, and this kit from Mushroom Adventures is designed to grow quickly, producing mushrooms at full size in about seven days. 

All you need to add is water to the substrate, and with this one kit, you should get several flushes, totaling around three pounds, over the course of three months. It sounds like it's time for a pizza party!

Mushroom Adventures, White Button Mushroom Growing Kit ($39.95)

Mushroom Adventures

Best for an outdoor garden: North Spore Wine Cap Sawdust Spawn

Dorr recommends North Spore's mushroom kits and says the wine cap variety is a great choice to start with, with its mild, nutty flavor and multiple flushes. This particular kit does not come on a log but rather it should be grown in a bed with sawdust and wood chips to help the spores spawn. If you'd prefer to grow your mushrooms outside, this kit should be your go-to—you could even see these wine cap mushrooms continue to grow for several years. 

These earthy mushrooms are best when cooked, so break out your favorite grilled or sauteed mushroom recipes!

North Spore, Wine Cap Sawdust Spawn ($25)

North Spore

Best for beginners: Smallhold Blue Oyster Grow Kit

This blue oyster grow kit, also recommended by Dorr, includes a block that will serve as the foundation for your new mushroom colony. Over the course of seven to nine days, with regular twice-a-day misting of the block (but not directly on the mushrooms!), you'll have beautiful blue oysters ready to harvest. 

These mushrooms are easily harvested with a simple twist and pull. Blue oysters are often best cooked and have a meaty texture and a taste that, again, is reminiscent of seafood (hence the name!).

Smallhold, Blue Oyster Grow Kit ($34)

Smallhold

Best for basement growing: Field & Forest Lion's Mane Table Top Farm

"I have personally used kits many times, and my preferred source is Field and Forest Products in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. As to which species to choose...this may be the hardest part! Lion's mane are very easy to grow and excellent to cook with," Bunyad says.

This kit produces up to 1.75 pounds of the striking (and furry!) Lion's mane mushroom, which grows well between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit at high humidity. Lion's mane thrives in a basement setting—ideal if you prefer to keep your mushrooms out of the kitchen. Once it starts to fruit, get ready for a decadent treat. Some people describe Lion's mane as tasting like lobster.

Field & Forest Lion's Mane Table Top Farm ($24)

Field & Forest