Cooking with fresh herbs makes all the difference. When I was growing up, my parents only cooked with dried herbs. I never knew how delicious food could be until I was an adult and started experimenting with herbs. The freshness and flavor of fresh herbs can’t be matched by dried herbs.
During the summer, we love growing several rows of herbs so we can eat them fresh through the summer and fall. This winter I was craving fresh herbs so I went to our local grocery store to buy some.
I experienced sticker shock, but I bought the herbs anyway because I knew how delectable our food would be. It was a total disappointment to find that the store-bought herbs were tasteless compared to the homegrown ones I was used to. I decided to find a solution.
For some reason, I have great success growing plants outdoors, but I have a black thumb when it comes to indoor houseplants. I forget to water them or they get over watered because my family knows I’ll forget so several people end up watering them.
I’ve tried growing herbs indoor before, but they died. I needed a solution that would allow me to grow delicious herbs at home without having to think about taking care of them.
Sounds impossible, right? No! Once I learned about hydroponic herb gardens, I knew they were the answer for me.
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.
15 Best Indoor Hydroponic Grow Systems and Garden Kits 2019
| Hydroponic Kit | Details |
|---|---|
AeroGarden Ultra LED  | |
AG Bounty Elite Wi-Fi | |
AeroG Harvest Wi-Fi | |
AeroGarden Classic 6 | |
| AeroGarden Harvest Elite  | |
AeroGarden Herbie | |
| Click & Grow Smart Garden 9  | |
| Click & Grow Smart Garden 3  | |
| Backtotheroots Water Garden  | |
AIBIS System | |
IRSE Garden Kit | |
Finether Hydroponic | |
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
15 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 Ultra (LED) with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit
This hydroponics garden allows you to grow up to 7 plants at once. So, what is the difference between this AeroGarden and others on this list? This one comes with an interactive LCD screen. Simple prompts appear on the screen to tell you how to set up the machine. Then, it reminds you when you need to add water and nutrients. The lights are automated so you don’t have to remember to turn them on and off. You can customize the settings.
With this machine comes seeds for Genovese basil, Thai basil, thyme, mint, curly parsley, chives, and dill. It also includes 3 ounces of nutrients, which will last for one season of growth.
Pros:
- Grows up to 7 plants at once
- Interactive LCD screen
- Automated 30-watt LED lights with 20,000-hour rating
- Lamp arm extends up to 24″
- 1-year warranty
Cons:
- With power outage, goes back to factory settings
- LCD screen is sometimes hard to see
Overall, this is a very good option for a indoor hydroponic garden kit. It has excellent quality lights, a lamp arm that extends up to 24″, and an interactive LCD screen. The AeroGarden Ultra is every bit as good at growing plants as the units with Wi-Fi capability, and this one is less expensive.
There are good arguments to be made for this being the best indoor hydroponic garden.
AeroGarden Bounty Elite Wi-Fi with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit
Ok, this is the king of hydroponic gardens. It has all the bells and whistles as well as a very large capacity. You can grow up to 9 plants at once in this machine. It has a 45-watt set of LED lights and an arm that extends 24 inches for maximum growth.
Included in this kit are seeds for Genovese basil (x2), Thai basil, curly parsley, Italian parsley, thyme, chives, dill, and mint.
The AeroGarden Bounty Elite Wi-Fi system has an interactive LCD screen. The screen tells you when lights go on and off, how many days until nutrients are needed, and gives tips.
A trellis for growing larger plants like tomatoes and peppers is included. Since this unit is larger than most, it is better for growing larger plants than smaller units are.
Pros:
- Grows up to 9 plants at once
- 45-watt automated LED lights
- Lights extend to 24 inches
- Controllable with smart devices
- Trellis for larger plants included
- Harvesting and pruning tips
- Comes in black plastic or platinum options
Cons:
- Wi-Fi is hard to set up
- Not much different than less expensive models
What really sets this unit apart is the Wi-Fi capability. You can change the settings and see all info from the LCD screen on your device. However, there have been some glitches with the Wi-Fi and the LCD screens on these models. The concept is good, but it needs some improving. I would recommend going with one of the less expensive AeroGarden options.
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 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.
AIBIS Hydroponics Watering Growing System
Here’s another good option for an electric hydroponic herb garden. This product allows you to grow two plants at once. It does not come with any seeds. An LED light provides the necessary lumination.
Pros:
- Automated LED lights
- 1-year limited warranty
- Indicator light and buzzer for water
Cons:
- Grows only 2 plants
- No height extension on light
- Doesn’t include seeds
Overall, this machine is pretty good. If you are looking for a smaller unit, I would recommend the AeroGarden Sprout Home Garden Kit or the Click & Grow Smart Garden 3 Indoor Gardening Kit.
iRSE Indoor Garden Kit Hydroponics LED Growing System
The iRSE Indoor Garden Kit Hydroponics LED Growing System can grow 2 plants at a time. It is lit by LEDs with 3 light modes (always on, always off, 16 hours on/8 hours off). You choose which mode you want. This system comes with a small bag of lettuce seeds. The light height is not adjustable, so plants don’t grow as large.
Pros:
- Easy setup
- Sleek look
- 6-month warranty
Cons:
- Light height is not adjustable
- Only grows 2 plants at once
- Comes with only a small bag of lettuce seeds
Overall, this isn’t the best indoor hydroponic garden. If you want a smaller unit, you will have better success with the Click & Grow Smart Garden 3 Indoor Gardening Kit or the Miracle-Gro AeroGarden Sprout Home Garden Kit.
Finether Hydroponic Growing System Kit with LED Grow Light
This hydroponic garden kit grows 2 herbs or vegetables at a time. It is good for small spaces and would work well in an office, kitchen, or classroom. The sleek, clean design looks good in any space. The kit does not include any seeds, and the poor instructions mean you have to learn by trial and error.
Pros:
- Low water alarm
- Sleek design
- Automated timer
- 3 lighting modes
Cons:
- Poor instructions
- No seeds included
This is a good machine, but it can be tricky to figure out without good instructions. If successfully putting things together without instructions is your forte, maybe this is for you.
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 Ultra. 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.
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