Is It Worth Making Cheese in Stardew Valley? A Comprehensive Guide

Absolutely, making cheese in Stardew Valley is generally a very profitable endeavor, especially for players who choose the Artisan profession. However, the value of cheese production is nuanced and depends heavily on your chosen farming professions, the quality of your milk, and your access to aging casks. This article will delve deep into the intricacies of cheese making, exploring its profitability, comparing it to other artisan goods, and addressing common questions to help you make the most informed decisions for your farm.

The Profitability of Cheese: Artisan vs. Rancher

The core of the cheese-making decision lies in your chosen farming profession at level 5. This selection has a dramatic impact on your profits. Let’s break it down:

• Rancher Profession: If you foolishly opted for the Rancher profession, which increases the value of animal products by 20%, you are generally better off selling your raw milk. Rancher, sadly, causes cheese to be less profitable. The base selling price for normal milk is 125g, with the gold star milk worth 250g. Rancher brings these up to 150g and 300g respectively. However, normal cheese has a base value of 200g, with gold star cheese at 300g which is further increased by the Rancher perk to 240g and 360g. Selling raw milk at 300g vs turning it into gold star cheese at 360g doesn’t make much of an increase, which is not worth the additional time needed.

• Artisan Profession: If you wisely chose the Artisan profession, which boosts the selling price of artisan goods by 40%, you should absolutely be making cheese. Normal cheese sells for 200g base, becoming 280g with Artisan, and gold star cheese starts at 300g, and is boosted to 420g. The increase in value is substantial, making the cheese production worthwhile. This is in comparison to normal milk at 125g becoming 175g with the Artisan skill, and gold star milk worth 250g becomes 350g with the Artisan perk.

The Power of Aging: Casks and Iridium Quality

The real magic of cheese happens when you have the ability to age it in casks. This requires upgrading your farmhouse to include a cellar. Aging cheese dramatically increases its value, making it a highly profitable venture.

• Normal Cheese Aging: You can age normal cheese in casks to achieve higher quality: silver, gold, and finally, iridium quality. Iridium quality cheese doubles the base selling price, reaching 400g base price, or 560g with the artisan profession.

• Goat Cheese: Interestingly, goat cheese is arguably the best cheese to age. When aged to iridium quality, Goat Cheese reaches a base sell price of 800g, or 1120g with the Artisan perk. This makes it one of the more profitable artisan goods to age. It’s especially notable because goat milk is cheaper than cow milk, making the return on a happy goat a lot higher.

• Time Investment: While aging takes time (14 days to iridium quality), the potential profit increase is well worth the wait.

Cheese vs. Other Artisan Goods

How does cheese stack up against other artisan goods? Here’s a comparison:

• Wine: Wine can be very profitable but requires more processing time and is best when using high-value fruits like Starfruit and Ancient Fruit. For most other fruits, aging cheese is often faster and yields similar profit margins. In most cases, aside from Starfruit and Ancient Fruit wine, it’s more efficient to focus on aging cheese.

• Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is also an artisan product made from eggs, and is worthwhile, though not as profitable as aged cheese. Gold star eggs make gold star mayonnaise.

• Preserves and Pickles: Preserves and Pickles are another way to use fruits and vegetables for profit and are often very worthwhile, though often lower value than aged cheese and wine.

In summary, aged cheese is a reliable and profitable artisan good, offering a good balance of production time and profit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is it better to sell milk or cheese?

It depends on your profession. If you have the Rancher profession, it is better to sell gold star milk raw. If you have the Artisan profession, it is better to make gold star milk into cheese.

2. Is it worth turning milk to cheese in Stardew?

Generally, yes. With the Artisan profession, it’s always worth it. Without it, it can depend on whether it’s a gold star milk. If you have the Rancher profession, you generally should always sell the milk.

3. How much is iridium cheese worth?

Base value of iridium quality cheese is 400g. With the Artisan profession, it is 560g. Iridium quality goat cheese is 800g, or 1120g with the Artisan perk, making it the most valuable cheese.

4. Is it worth it to cask cheese Stardew?

Yes, it is absolutely worth it to cask cheese for maximum profit. Aging increases the value of cheese significantly, especially when you reach iridium quality.

5. What is the most profitable cheese?

Goat cheese is the most profitable when aged to iridium quality. This is due to its high base price and profit when aged.

6. How long does it take to age cheese to iridium quality?

It takes 14 in-game days to age cheese to iridium quality in a cask.

7. Is cheese better than wine?

It depends on the wine and your priorities. Cheese generally ages faster than wine and can provide comparable profit and is a better option in the vast majority of cases. Starfruit wine is an exception here.

8. Should I sell gold star eggs or make mayonnaise?

Always make gold star eggs into mayonnaise for a substantial profit increase. It is approximately a 4x increase in value.

9. What is the best food to sell in Stardew Valley?

High-value meals like Fish Taco and Tropical Curry are good options, with Sweet Gem Berries as the most profitable crop if you are focusing on farming only. For consistent daily income, artisan goods such as aged cheese is hard to beat.

10. Is large milk better than cheese?

No, large milk itself is not better than cheese. Large milk is what you need to make gold star cheese, which is worth far more. The size of milk is a factor, as it determines the quality of the resulting cheese.

11. Should I put purple star milk into cheese?

Yes, you should absolutely put gold star (purple star) milk into a cheese press, to make gold star cheese and then you should age the resulting gold star cheese.

12. What is the fastest way to make money in Stardew Valley?

Early game: fishing and foraging are good starts, mid game: focusing on seasonal crops and making full use of your greenhouse, and late game: focusing on artisan goods, like aged cheese, and rare crops.

13. Should I sell my gold star eggs?

No, you should make gold star eggs into mayonnaise, which sells for more than the eggs on their own.

14. Are pigs or cows better?

Pigs are better for generating profit, as Iridium truffles sell for a lot of gold if you have a happy pig. Cows are still very profitable due to the ability to make cheese. Goats produce much less milk and are often not a good return on investment.

15. Is there a point to getting sheep?

Yes, sheep are worth it for the wool, which can also be a profitable source of income, especially if you have a Deluxe Barn.

Conclusion

Making cheese is a lucrative and rewarding aspect of Stardew Valley, particularly for those committed to the Artisan profession. While early on it may not be as profitable as simply selling milk if you chose the rancher profession, later in the game, the value of aged cheese is undeniable, especially with goat cheese, and will be a major source of income. By investing in casks and focusing on your cows and goats, you can optimize your cheese production and achieve significant economic success. Remember to consider your chosen profession and always strive for gold star milk, and then age the cheese for maximum profit.