If your online algorithm detects your having even the slightest interest in growing mushrooms, you will, at some point, probably see an ad for the Lykyn. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie—a clear box with theatrical lighting, fog, and a giant mushroom displayed like an otherworldly specimen.

After trying the Lykyn myself for a month, I can confirm that it really does look like that in real life, and as someone who has tried many different mushroom-growing methods , I was impressed by how well the Lykyn worked as a legitimate fruiting chamber. The thing you’ll have to decide for yourself is whether it’s worth $300 to showcase a process that lasts only a week or two.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Some Assembly, Some Fog

Even though the company is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lykyn manufactures all fruiting chambers in Turkey and ships them straight from Istanbul for free.…