6 Best Chemistry Sets for Adults | Explore Chemistry with a Great Kit (2024)

Let’s be honest for a minute here – chemistry is just as much fun for adults as it is for children! Often, parents are just as eager to take part in chemistry experiments as children. Plus, when you involve your child in these chemistry experiments, you’re also enjoying quality time with them.

However, many chemistry sets are created for children. It can be challenging to find a collection designed for adults or even older children.

To help you choose the best chemistry kit that is suitable for an adult, we’ve put together this list. We strongly feel that the best chemistry set available for adults is MEL Chemistry because it has the most varied and advanced experiments, plus excellent explanations.

However, this is not the typical one-off purchase chemistry kit. You can only get it as a monthly subscription (which is, as you’ll see below, one of its roaring advantages). So, read on if you’d like to find out more about it and our other recommendations.

Related post: Best Chemistry Set for 8-Year-Olds

Best Chemistry Sets for Adults

1. MEL Chemistry

As an adult, many chemistry sets are simply too basic or uninteresting. While a 6-year-old may be delighted time and again with sodium bicarbonate and vinegar, you’re no doubt looking for something more sophisticated.

The good news is that the MEL Science Chemistry Kits deliver this and more! MEL Chemistry is a subscription that begins with the delivery of a very impressive starter kit and provides a number of different experiments each month. The kits include ‘real’ chemicals – ie. stuff you WON’T find lying around the kitchen!

Read all about this science subscription box in our hands-on MEL Chemistry Review.

Each of the kits has a theme, and sufficient materials are provided to conduct the experiments multiple times. Most importantly, the experiments are fun and educational. Not only do these kits deliver the “wow factor” that chemistry is well-known for. They also back it up with excellent explanations that truly teach important chemistry concepts in an entertaining manner. We couldn’t recommend MEL Chemistry more highly!

2. Thames & Kosmos Chem C2000 Chemistry Set

Thames & Kosmos Chem C2000 Chemistry Set is technically designed for 11-year-old children and up. However, this is not a set that a 10-year-old would be able to use independently. We would not recommend this set of 11-year-olds since the chemicals and instructions require more scientific understanding and reading skills than most children this age have.

For an adult, this chemistry set is a decent choice. It comes with the equipment necessary to do 250 different experiments, though it is entirely possible to use the kit to do your own tests as well. It also includes a 128-page color manual with instructions on all operations as well as some background information on chemistry.

Do you know what’s the real difference between acids and bases? Neither did my best friend. But when I gifted her this set, she learned all of it, and asked for more! In fact, her whole living room turned into a full-blown lab with all kinds of gooey solutions, beakers and test tubes.

With all that said, this is an intermediate chemistry set. If yours or your kid’s appetites get bigger, you may want to consider the Thames & Kosmos Chem C3000 that allows you to perform more than 333 experiments. If you want a kit that is best for high school level chemistry studies and some more, the C3000 is a better choice.

3. LINKTOR Chemistry Molecular Model Kit

What is the most fundamental aspect of any chemical reaction? You’re right, it is chemical bonding. 

Yes! I still remember having a hard time understanding the mechanism of complex formation through covalent bonding. So, if you are a chemistry teacher, nothing is more helpful for your students than using 3D models to teach all about chemical bonding.

This molecular model kit comes with 444 pieces. That includes 136 atoms, 158 bonds, and 150 parts for Carbon-60 (Fullerene — an allotrope of carbon) to make 3D modeling studies of molecular geometry an easier task. The sizes of the included spheres are in scale and match closely with the size ratios of the actual atoms. Also, the ball-and-stick arrangement helps students to study and understand the bond angles.

Any chemistry student fascinated by how our world is made possible by the magic of chemical bonding will love using this kit. The colorful components are good enough to demonstrate basic bonds and also relatively complex structures in compunds like cyclic hydrocarbons. However, the ability of the model is limited, and don’t expect to use it for building larger molecules.

Overall, considering the price, the kit offers excellent value. I wish my teacher had used this kit when I learned about chemical bonding.

4. Discovery Extreme Chemistry STEM Science Kit

Feel like taking a break from work and rediscovering the scientist in you? This is a package of 20 fun experiments that you can try at home or plan for a joint chemistry session with your kids. The process will help your kids learn about collecting data from experiments and analyzing them to draw inferences.

The kit includes all the necessary components and instruments that you will need. An instruction booklet is included, and you can also find online guidance. However, the instructions are not sufficient for kids to follow and they will need adult guidance to proceed with the experiments. Starting with the basic concepts, you can move to acid/base reactions and even create stringy worms

A bonus feature of the kit is the included backlight. That helps in adding more magic to some of the experiments. A poster with some chemical facts is also included. While it is a great STEM kit for kids, it will also help adults revisit the fundamentals of professional chemistry in a fun way.

Compared to the Thames & Kosmos Chem C2000 Chemistry Set from above, this kit is a more basic option. But if you prefer occasional forays into the world of chemical wonders without an elaborate setup, this is a cheaper and more practical choice.

5. Paper Chromatography Experiment Kit

Chromatography is one of the oldest analytical techniques in chemistry for identifying the separate components of mixtures. This chemistry kit is an excellent way to learn more about the technique and use it in multiple interesting experiments.

The two main items in the kit are 50 strips of grade 1 chromatography paper and a 400 ml beaker. In addition, it contains wooden dowels, clips, and 3 water-soluble pens. The kit does not include a solvent and you will have to choose the right one based on the nature of the sample being used. However, you can always use water as the most common solvent.

The kit can be used for multiple fun experiments and also for demonstrating the close link between chemistry and biology. To start with, you can try the fundamental experiment of separating the components of an ink. One particular chromatography experiment that I enjoyed is exploring the colors of fall by using the leaves. You can even try the experiment with colorful flower petals. 

Overall, this is a versatile and simple kit that can be used for science projects for the kids as well as for conducting a few fun experiments on your own.

6. Chemistry of Food Experiment Kit

Think about it. We never know the actual amount of protein, glucose, and Vitamins present in the food we eat. By using this simple food experiment kit you can find out the basic components of your food and even manage your diet.

The kit contains 5 lab-grade chemicals including Vitamin C, protein and glucose indicators, labware, and a detailed instructional manual. While it will not allow you to identify individual components, you will be able to investigate the main components of specific items. Note, these chemicals should not be handled by kids and ensure safety while conducting experiments.

You can mix, cook, and bake using specific ingredients for better nutrition. Even better, you can compare food items, for example, homemade and store-bought jam, by using the kit.

Additionally, you can add a mortar and pestle to this kit which will help grind any solid food and make a paste to conduct the experiments. Whether you want to enjoy a few chemical experiments or are interested in nutrition, this is a great kit to have.

Which Chemistry Set Suits You Best?

Well, which set suits you depends on what you want to get out of your chemistry experimentation! Once again, we wholeheartedly recommend the MEL Chemistry kit. If you’re worried about it being a subscription, the great news is that you can pause or cancel at any time, so there’s really no obligation.

Whichever set you choose, we hope you have a great time exploring the wonders of the chemical world!

Last update on 2024-04-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API