There is nothing like fresh herbs to make food taste amazing! I must admit, I had hardly experienced the mouth watering goodness of fresh herbs until after I was married. My parents only ever used dry herbs in cooking so when my husband introduced me to fresh herbs I was thrilled.
When we bought our first house, we began gardening. One of our favorite foods to grow is herbs. That winter after having our first garden I bought fresh herbs. Compared to the fresh herbs from our garden, the store bought version was tasteless. I am sure the store bought herbs were treated with pesticides and who knows how long they had been sitting in the store. To top it off, those herbs from the grocery store were expensive!
I didn’t want to wait until summer to have excellent tasting herbs again so I decided to find an alternative. I am really good at growing plants outdoors, but strangely, I kill houseplants. If I have to make the effort to go outside to water them I can remember to water plants, but when they sit on my counter where I see them all the time I forget to water them. Go figure.
When I learned about hydroponics, I knew it was the right solution to my fresh herb problem.
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is the process of growing plants with little or no soil. The roots are either submerged in water or sprayed periodically to keep them moist. Actually, there are several hydroponic herb garden options that grow amazing herbs without much effort at all.
16 Great Countertop Herb Garden Units
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| Hydroponic Kit | Details |
AeroGarden Bounty Basic  | |
AeroGarden Bounty Elite | |
Harvest Elite 360 | |
AeroGarden Harvest Wi-Fi | |
AeroGarden Classic 6 | |
AeroGarden Harvest Elite | |
AeroGarden Sprout | |
AeroGarden Herbie | |
| Click & Grow Smart Garden 9  | |
| Click & Grow Smart Garden 3  | |
Back To The Roots Water Garden | |
BEAUTLOHAS Indoor Herb Garden | |
IDEER LIFE  | |
Mindful Design  | |
Aunifun Hydroponic  | |
DWC Hydroponic | |
Advantages of Hydroponics:
- Plants grow 5x faster than when planted in soil
- Can be grown year round
- Taste better than store-bought herbs and vegetables
- Herbs provide health benefits
- Less expensive than store-bought
- More flavorful than dehydrated herbs
- No GMOs, no herbicides, no pesticides
- Convenient
- Easy to grow
What Can You Do with Fresh Herbs?
- Put them into soups and salads
- Use them to season fish and meat
- Make sauce (basil pesto is my favorite) over zucchini noodles.
- Use a good dehydrator so you can use the herbs later
16 Best Indoor Kitchen and Window Hydroponics Herb Garden Kits
Looking for the right grow kit? Here are some that will make growing your own herb or vegetable garden easy.
AeroGarden Hydroponic Garden Kits
AeroGarden by MiracleGro makes a great line of home hydroponic gardens that are considered by many to be the best choice in countertop herb gardens.
AeroGarden Bounty Basic
The AeroGarden Bounty Basic is an excellent unit with a new design and upgraded features. This hydroponic garden can grow up to 9 plants at once. It has a wide panel of 30-watt LED lights which go on and off automatically. The pump is also automatic and is quieter than previous models.
The interactive LCD screen helps you adjust settings. You can go with the presets of the machine or customize the time you want the lights to come on and off. A vacation mode uses 50 percent less water, meaning you can leave and come home to thriving plants. The lamp arm extends up to 24″, allowing plants to grow tall.
Along with the machine, you will get 9 plant pods including Genovese basil (x2), Thai basil, curly parsley, Italian parsley, thyme, chives, dill, and mint. It also comes with plant food. AeroGarden offers a germination guarantee so if your seeds don’t start growing within 21 days, they will replace your seed pods.
Pros:
- Easy set up
- Grows up to 9 plants
- Germination guarantee
- Vacation mode
Con:
- Not as many features as Elite model
The AeroGarden Bounty Basic is a great choice for growing herbs and vegetables. You won’t be disappointed with this unit. If you want an kitchen herb garden with even more features, check out the AeroGarden Bounty Elite below.
AeroGarden Bounty Elite
If you want the top of the line herb garden, look no further! The AeroGarden Bounty Elite is the best of the best. It has incredible features including Wi-Fi and Alexa capabilities. This means you can control your vegetable growing from wherever you are from either the app on your phone or your Alexa device! Although there are a lot of features, this unit is easy to use.
You can grow up to 9 plants in this machine. It comes with seed pods containing Genovese basil, Thai basil, thyme, mint, curly parsley, chives, and dill. Also included is a bottle of plant food.
Unlike other options, this one allows you to dim the lights with the Sunrise/Sunset Mode. You can choose to have the lights lower at night or in the morning if you want. Or allow the machine to use the preset lighting modes.
The Bounty Elite also comes with a trellis system, which is great for when your plants get taller. This is a great addition to this unit.
You can easily remove the pump for cleaning without disrupting the roots, and it’s easy to refill the water in this machine.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi and Alexa enabled
- Grows 9 plants
- 50-watt LED light hood
- Dimmable lights
- LCD screen
- Trellis system
- 1-year warranty
Con:
- More expensive than other options
There are good arguments to be made for this being the best indoor hydroponic garden.
AeroGarden Harvest Elite 360
This option is different than other AeroGarden units because it is round. It has a smaller footprint than similar products but still has the same water capacity. The Harvest Elite 360 holds six plants. The machine comes with six seed pods–Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint. It also includes a 3-ounce bottle of plant nutrients.
The automated LED lights can extend up to 12 inches as your plants grow. These lights are quite bright, but I find if I leave the unit in my kitchen I don’t mind the brightness. This unit has a vacation mode to keep your plants growing while you are away.
Pros:
- Grows up to 6 plants at once
- 20-watt automated LED lights
- Lights extend to 12 inches
- Digital display control panel
- Shows days since planting
- Comes in 5 colors
Con:
- Light is very bright
Overall, the Harvest Elite 360 is an excellent product that yields great results. It looks sleek and nice on a countertop. I highly recommend it.
AeroGarden Harvest Wi-Fi with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit
The AeroGarden Harvest Wi-Fi hydroponic herb garden allows you to grow 6 plants at once. Included seed pods are Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint.
Pros:
- Automated 20-watt LED lights
- Controllable with smart devices
Cons:
- Wi-Fi can be hard to set up
- App doesn’t give notifications for water or nutrients
- Results are similar to less expensive units
Overall, this is an excellent machine. It will give you high quality, large plants. The Wi-Fi is good in theory, but it really doesn’t add much. I recommend saving some money by going with a machine without Wi-Fi. You will get the same results.
AeroGarden Classic 6 Indoor Growing System
This home hydroponic herb garden allows you to grow a variety of herbs, vegetables, and flowers. Grow up to 6 plants at once. The results are terrific and require little effort. This kit comes with the machine, liquid nutrients, and six herb pods (Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint).
Miracle-Gro (AeroGarden) offers additional pods you can purchase for later. You can also buy empty pods and plant your own seeds. I’m in love with this indoor herb garden. It produces large, delicious tasting herbs and vegetables and it couldn’t be easier to use. If you keep the plants trimmed they’ll last for several months. It’s not as fancy as some of the others on this list, but it performs very well.
Pros:
- Automated LED lights
- Lights extend up to 12″
- 20,000 hours life for lights
- Easy to use
- Nutrient, water level reminders
- 1-year warranty on machine
- Germination warranty
Cons:
- No smart capabilities
- Lights only extend 12 inches
AeroGarden Harvest Elite with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit
This cute hydroponic herb garden kit is great for small spaces. Grow up to 6 plants with this unit. Included with the machine are pods of Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil and mint as well as 3 ounces of nutrients.
Pros:
- Digital control panel
- Automated LED lights with 20,000 hour rating
- 1-year warranty
- 4 color options
Cons:
- Much smaller than other units
- Shorter light height means shorter plants
The AeroGarden Harvest Elite is a good choice if you want to try hydroponics on a smaller scale than with the larger units. It is of the excellent quality you expect from AeroGarden.
AeroGarden Sprout Home Garden Kit
This is another great indoor home option from Miracle-Gro that is capable of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers. It has many of the same great features of the Classic AeroGarden, but on a smaller scale. This model allows you to grow up to 3 plants at once. It comes with three seed pods—Genovese basil, curly parsley, and dill as well as nutrients.
Pros:
- Good for small spaces
- Automated LED lights
- 20,000 hours of life
- 1-year warranty on machine
- Seed kit warranty
- Nutrient reminder
Cons:
- No water light indicator, only view window
- Only holds 3 plants
- Light only extends to 10″
AeroGarden Herbie Kids’ Garden
Here is a fantastic way to give your kids a green thumb. Made for kids ages 6 and up, the AeroGraden Herbie Kids’ Garden allows kids to plant seeds and watch them grow into delicious herbs. The Herbie takes kids through a 12-week process of growing oregano and basil and then using those herbs to make a pizza at the end of the process.
This hydroponic herb garden comes with all needed supplies, including seeds. Set up is easy. The lights are operated manually.
Pros:
- Fun and easy for kids
- Lights don’t get hot
- Includes 32-page manual about hydroponics and experiments
Cons:
- Grows only 2 plants
- Lights aren’t as powerful as others
- Manual lights
Is the Herbie as good as other kits on this list? No, but it is a great way to get kids excited about gardening and about trying new flavors.
AeroGarden vs Click & Grow
If you are looking for the best indoor hydroponic grow system, you would be wise to go with one of the two best brands in this space–AeroGarden or Click & Grow. While other brands offer good options, these two are far and away the best. So, how do you know which is right for you? Here are some comparisons to help you choose.
AeroGarden Basic Information
- Requires nutrients to be added
- Can reuse plastic pods and domes*
- Have to buy replacement sponges, seeds, nutrients
- Large LED light panels with many height options*
- Pump to increase oxygen and circulate nutrients*
- Makes a minimal noise when pump cycles
- Over 50 different seed pod options
- Can purchase seed pod and add own seeds
- Over a dozen hydroponic grow system models*
Click & Grow Basic Information
- Slow-release nutrients contained in seed capsule
- No additional nutrients needed*
- Must buy new seed capsules every time
- One strip of LED lights with few height options
- No pump
- Silent machine*
- Over 50 seed capsule options
- Can purchase seed capsule and add own seeds
- 2 hydroponic grow system models
You will notice an asterisk (*) next to the areas where each of the brands excels over the other. Overall, these two brands have some similar good features. As far as costs of supplies, the AeroGarden offers the option of reusing some materials but requires purchase of nutrients. Click and Grow requires buying all new materials for each growing season. The costs between the two are pretty similar, with a minimal advantage going to AeroGarden. AeroGarden has many more models, each with varying features. I would definitely recommend the AeroGarden brand as the best indoor hydroponic garden brand. See our reviews about to see which one would be best for you.
Click & Grow Hydroponic Herb Gardens
Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 Indoor Gardening Kit (Includes Plant Capsules)
Click & Grow Smart Garden 3 Indoor Gardening Kit (Includes Basil Capsules)
This herb garden is a countertop unit which costs roughly 6-7 dollars per year to run. It allows you to grow three plants at one time; the kit comes with three basil pods. In the pods is “Smart Soil”, a secret blend of nutrients. The time-release of the nutrients doesn’t work well.
The name of this product is misleading. The timed light is the only thing that makes it “smart”. You can get info on your phone about this hydroponic herb garden, but is not interactive.
Pros:
- Automated LED lights
- Inexpensive to run
- 2 extension settings on lights
- 100% replacement warranty
- Only needs water every 2-3 weeks
Cons:
- No pump, can lead to mold
- Can’t customize timer
- Only water indication is a float
- Hard to add water
- Lights get hot
Back to the Roots Water Garden Fish Tank Home Grow System
This is a unique herb garden that doubles as a fish tank. It uses aquaponics, the combination of fish (which supply waste to feed plants) and the plants (which clean the water). The tank is on the bottom, and the plants grow out of the top. The kit includes a 3-gallon fish tank, a coupon for a betta fish, fish food, wheatgrass and radish sprout seeds, fertilizer, a pump, gravel, and grow stones. This unit is cat proof.
Pros:
- Looks good
- Fun for kids
Cons:
- No lights to help plants grow
- No pump
- Yields smaller plants than other options
- No heater for fish tank
Although the company claims this is a self-cleaning system, you will likely need to buy snails or even do some cleaning of the machine yourself. This comes at a cost similar to the AeroGarden systems on this list; I would recommend one of those over this one.
BEAUTLOHAS Indoor Herb Garden
The BEAUTLOHAS Indoor Herb Garden has two growing cups that can grow up to 9 seeds each, although it is best to grow only one type of seeds in each cup at one time. It has an adjustable LED arm light. The lights go on and off automatically, with 16 hours on and 8 hours off. Compared to other options, the light on the BEAUTLOHAS unit is quite small.
Set up on this unit is quick and easy. An indicator light tells you when the water level is low. There are no seeds included and no pods are needed. The unit comes with Vermiculite, a planting medium which helps retain the water and provides nutrients. You will have to replace the Vermiculite every time you plant new seeds.
Pros:
- Automatic lights
- Easy set up
- Water indicator light
Cons:
- No seeds included
- Grows mold easily
- Works best with only 2 types of plants at once
- Small light strip
The idea of this unit is pretty good, but it does tend to grow mold. Personally, I would spend the extra $30 or so and get an AeroGarden or Click & Grow.
IDEER LIFE Hydroponics Kit
The IDEER LIFE Hydroponics Kit can grow up to 7 plants at once. Like the AeroGarden line, the IDEER LIFE machine uses planting sponge pods and liquid nutrients to grow plants. However, the IDEER LIFE doesn’t measure up to AeroGarden (and the cost is similar). This unit has a 25-watt LED lighting system, and the lights can be extended to 13.25 inches. There are 3 different growth modes. Set up is easy, and automatic lights and touch screen controls make it easy to use.
Pros:
- Holds up to 7 plants
- Touch screen control panel
- Easy set up
- 25-watt LED lighting system
- 3 different growth modes
Cons:
- No seeds included
- Pump isn’t high quality
- Algae grows easily
Like with the AeroGarden units, this one requires you to replace the pods after use. It does not include any seeds. Unfortunately, the pump with the IDEER LIFE isn’t very good, which leads to algae growing easily and hinders plants from achieving their growth potential. At this price point, I would definitely look at the AeroGarden options over this one.
Mindful Design Hydroponic Kit
The Mindful Design Hydroponic Kit is a countertop herb garden that can grow two plants at once. The two planter cups each have 9 slots for seeds. You could try to plant more than two types of plants, but we find two plants works better for this setup.
This unit has an adjustable LED light arm with two different modes. The light strip is small compared to those on most other machines.
Pros:
- Adjustable light arm (from 11″ to 17″)
- 2 light modes
- Water level alert
Cons:
- No pump
- Grows mold easily
- No instructions included
- Company doesn’t sell replacement Vermiculite
Be aware that there is no pump with this hydroponics system. That means the water isn’t circulating so there is a good possibility of mold growing. The Mindful Design kit uses Vermiculite for growing plants. You will have to replace the Vermiculite every time you plant new seeds. The company doesn’t sell replacement Vermiculite, so you will have to find somewhere else to purchase it.
This option is ok but since it doesn’t have a pump, it won’t give great results.
Hydroponic Window Garden Kits
SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System Kit
This hydroponic window garden kit is different from those listed above. It is a hydroponics system, but it does not include a lighting system. That means you can choose what you want to do for lighting. You can either just leave it in your window or on your porch or you can purchase a lighting system.
Pros:
- Grow 6-11 plants at once (depending on unit you choose)
- Quick and easy set up
- Includes pump
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with lighting system
- No instructions included
- Stones float instead of sinking
- Stones often break during shipping
- Doesn’t include seeds or nutrients
If you have a lot of time and patience to figure out this system, this might be a good choice for you. It can yield some great plants, depending on what you do for light. However, if you choose to purchase a lighting system, seeds, and nutrients, it would be roughly the same price to buy one of the best quality hydroponics systems on this list (AeroGarden or Click and Grow).
Aunifun Hydroponics Grower Kit
This hydroponic grow kit is another window garden kit. No lighting system is included, so you will have to either use the light from your window or purchase a lighting system separately. A lighting system will make the plants grow considerably faster.
Pros:
- Grows up to 6 plants
- Easy to put together
- Inexpensive
- Includes box, planting baskets, planting sponges, buoy, and tweezers
Cons:
- No lighting system
- No nutrients included
- No seeds included
- Pump is noisy
- Unit is size of a shoebox
This unit has some decent components, but it is extremely small. It is supposed to have the capability to grow 6 plants at once, but because of the size of the box, the plants can’t grow very big. It would be better to grow only 1 or 2 plants in this unit at one time. While this unit is less expensive than others on this list, it is much lower performing.
Our Recommended Hydroponics Herb Garden Kits
If you want a hydroponic garden that comes with a lighting system (as well as seeds and nutrients), I highly recommend the AeroGarden Bounty Basic. It is of exceptional quality and produces fantastic plants at a lower cost than some other units on this list.
For a window hydroponic unit that does not include a lighting system, I would go with the SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System Kit.
