These Indoor Herb Garden Kits Make it Possible to Grow Fresh Herbs Year-Round

We’ve spent over 12 months testing indoor gardens in our homes. When we test indoor herb gardens, we assess the ease of use beginning with how easy it is to set up right out of the box. We also look at how much space it requires. When applicable, we assess how easy it is to use the growing lights and how easy any connected apps are to use. We also evaluate the overall experience, the variety of pods available and how well the plants grow. Finally, we taste the produce from each of the indoor herb gardens we test to make sure it’s flavorful.

✔️ Capacity: When choosing an indoor herb garden, consider how many herbs you want to grow. Indoor herb gardens can grow as few as three plants to over 30. Keep in mind that the more herbs you want to grow, the bigger the device and the more space it takes up.

✔️ Dimensions: Indoor herb gardens come in a variety of sizes from a three-pot window sill size to large growing systems that are over 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Make sure to check the dimensions of the herb grower to ensure it will fit in your space.

✔️ Variety of herbs/vegetables: Many indoor herb gardens can grow other produce such as lettuce or fruit, so if you want to grow more than just herbs you may want to opt for a larger device. Also, be sure to check the type of pods available for each garden since some garden kits are only compatible with their own pods.

✔️ Water and lighting timers: Some indoor herb gardens have timers to automatically water and turn on lights according to a schedule, while others require manual watering and switching lights on and off. If you’re the type to forget to water your plants, you’ll want to invest in an automatic machine.

✔️ Buying seeds and pods: Some brands of indoor gardens require the use of the brand’s seeds or pods and for others, you can buy your own seeds. If the brand requires its own seeds or pods be sure they have the herbs you want.

This article was written and tested by Jamie Kim. She’s a freelance writer specializing in product testing and reviews. For this story, she worked with the following Good Housekeeping Institute experts, who each tested at least two indoor herb gardens in their homes.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab, where she’s constantly testing new kitchen products and food items that come her way. She’s a trained cook and published recipe developer. She has a grand diplome in classic culinary arts from the former French Culinary Institute and a certificate in culinary nutrition from the former Natural Gourmet Institute, now both known as the Institute of Culinary Education.

Eva Bleyer is the reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab where she tests and writes about kitchen appliances, gear, culinary products and more. She graduated from New York University with a B.S. in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef from the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Stefani Sassos is a registered dietitian and the Deputy Director of the Nutrition Lab overseeing all nutrition content and testing. She is an avid home cook and a meal prep expert.