The Best Indoor Herb Growing Kits For Your Kitchen

Best Overall: AeroGarden Harvest Hydroponic Garden

Also available at Walmart and AeroGarden.

Why It's Great

• Top-rated brand for indoor hydroponic gardens
• Includes seed kit
• Low-maintenance

Grain Of Salt

• Pricier than other simpler options

This kit is the real deal if you want to level up your indoor herb gardening. Hydroponic growth means there's no messy soil, and a well-positioned LED lamp provides your herbs with all the simulated sunlight they need to thrive indoors. While AeroGarden offers several models of hydroponic herb growing kits, the Harvest wins our pick for best overall because of its approachable price point and comfortable size.

The kit includes everything you need to get started with growing six types of herbs at home, including dill, mint, thyme, parsley, and two kinds of basil. The easy-to-use programming system controls lighting and lets you know when to add more water or nutrients to your AeroGarden, and the lamp height is adjustable to accommodate flourishing plants. The Harvest is a fun, reliable, nice-looking setup that will produce lovely herbs for years to come.

The Details: Plastic; includes 6-pod seed kit; grows Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint

Best with Light: AeroGarden Bounty Indoor Hydroponic Herb Garden

Why It's Great

• 40-watt LEDs supply herbs with lots of light
• Automatic timers control lighting
• Programmable vacation mode

Grain Of Salt

• Pricier than other options

"My favorite indoor herb growing kit is the AeroGarden Bounty," says Joonas Jokiniemi, founder of Yerba Mate Culture and an avid grower of both indoor and outdoor herbs. "The kit comes complete with everything you need, including a grow light, seed pods, and nutrients."

Jokiniemi touts the AeroGarden Bounty's no-mess advantages thanks to its lack of soil and automated system. This hydroponic setup is well-regarded among herb growers for its ease of use and modern features like lighting timers and regular reminders for adding water or fertilizer — there's even a vacation mode that lets you tend to your herbs while you're out of town.

If all these features make the Bounty sound a bit fussy, it's actually quite the opposite: It will produce herbs five times faster than growing seeds from soil and is relatively hands-off. The LED lights are optimized to deliver a full spectrum of lighting, so once you set it up, the Bounty takes care of the rest.

The arguable downside to such a complete setup is, of course, the price tag. But if you're especially committed to your herb growing journey, the AeroGarden Bounty is the best you can buy.

The Details: Plastic; includes preselected 9-pod seed kit

Best Budget: Ivation 7-Pod Indoor Hydroponics Growing System Kit

Also available at Target.

Why It's Great

• Affordable
• Compact size
• Adjustable lamp

Grain Of Salt

• Seeds are not included

If you like the idea of indoor hydroponic herb growing but don't want to shell out for an AeroGarden, consider the Ivation indoor growing kit. Thanks to the LED lighting system, the compact size fits tidily in your kitchen — or wherever else you'd like to put it — and facilitates fuss-free herb growing.

"Herbs should generally get at least six hours of sunlight each day, but more is better," says Jokiniemi. "If your home doesn't get enough natural light, consider getting an LED grow light for faster and healthier growth."

The Ivation kit is a perfect solution for new herb growers, people with small spaces, or anyone who wants to keep just a few of their favorite herbs on hand without juggling multiple pots.

The Details: Plastic; includes sponges and nutrient powders; seeds not included

Best for Beginners: Lerachel Herb Garden Windowsill Starter Kit

Why It's Great

• Includes everything you need to get started
• Grow 10 types of herbs
• Simple setup

Grain Of Salt

• Takes up space

This kit is ideal for beginners because it truly comes with everything you need — including an excellent variety of herbs. The pots, the nutrient-rich soil discs, labels, and even a misting bottle are all included in this comprehensive kit, along with the seeds for 10 different types of herbs.

The tricky part may be finding adequate space. If you choose to plant everything at once, you'll need to find a well-let home for 10 little individual pots. On the other hand, this kit is an excellent option if you have lots of windows in your home — if not, you may have to pick and choose which herbs to grow first. Fortunately, the included instructions are thorough and will walk you through how to care for each of your new kitchen plants, whether you plant two or all 10.

The Details: Plastic; includes soil discs; grows lavender, chamomile, cilantro, basil, rosemary, parsley, dill, chives, sage, and thyme

Related: The 9 Best Knife Sets of 2023, Tested by Allrecipes

Best Vertical: SkyPots Three-Pack Hanging Garden

Also available at SkyPots.

Why It's Great

• Vertical design saves space
• Connect as many pots as you like
• Drainage flanges eliminate standing water

Grain Of Salt

• Doesn't include pots or seeds

If space is an issue in your home — or if you simply like the look of hanging pots — then SkyPots is the way to go.

"SkyPots arrangements make perfect vertical herb gardens in front of a kitchen window," says Ryan Benoit, SkyPots creator. "You'll maximize natural sunlight and save valuable windowsill and countertop space."

Though the SkyPots kit doesn't include pots or seeds, this gives you the versatility to choose pots that match your design preferences and grow the specific herbs you want. Depending on how much direct sunlight your kitchen or indoor space can offer, you'll want to choose herbs accordingly. Basil and dill, for instance, love lots and lots of sunlight, while mint and chives do well in conditions with less light.

Regardless of your sunlight situation, your herbs will receive proper drainage thanks to SkyPots' clever flange — and it's easy to unhook individual pots to water over the sink if you prefer to keep splashes to a minimum.

The Details: Stainless steel and ceramic; seeds not included

Best for Windowsills: Mindful Design Mini Window Planter Kit

Also available at Walmart.

Why It's Great

• LEDs simulate sunlight
• Narrow profile fits in slim spaces
• Choose your own pots

Grain Of Salt

• Accommodates just three or four herbs

At first glance, the Mindful Design windowsill planter looks like a hydroponic setup, but it's much simpler. The LED-topped narrow frame — just 4.8 inches wide — will sit nicely on a windowsill, a shelf, or your countertop without claiming too much space.

This kit does not include pots or seeds, so you'll need to choose your own. Depending on the size of your selected pots, you'll probably only be able to fit three or four types of herbs, but that should fulfill the needs of most home cooks. Thanks to the LED lamp that simulates sunlight, you can choose to grow either light-loving or low-light herbs.

The Mindful Design kit is ideal for small spaces or modest herb-growing requirements, and the price point is favorable — even after buying separate pots, you'll still have an affordable, versatile setup ready to keep the fresh herbs growing week after week.

The Details: Plastic; includes LED light and timer; seeds not included

Best for Kids: Dan&Darci Paint and Plant Pizza Herb Growing Kit

Why It's Great

• Interactive experience
• Kids can make it their own
• Comes with everything

Grain Of Salt

• Could get messy

It's never too early to get kids involved in cooking, and this pizza-centric herb garden is a fun way to give children their own project. The kit comes with everything they'll need, including a liner, soil, seed packets (to grow basil, oregano, and arugula), and paints that kids can use to create their own designs on the wooden plant markers and along the sides of the tin.

Combining soil, six colors of paint, and young children could prove a bit messy — but we say lay down some newspaper and let them go to town! Kids can watch their seedlings grow into fresh herbs that they've tended to by themselves, making it a learning opportunity and an introduction to gardening as much as a new source of tasty herbs.

The Details: Tin housing; includes paints, liner, soil, wooden markers, and seeds; grows basil, oregano, and arugula

Related: The Best Picnic Baskets to Elevate Al Fresco Dining Adventures

Best for Green Thumbs: Nutrabinns NutraPonics Tower Grow System

Why It's Great

• Grow herbs, fruits, or vegetables
• 48 pots offer lots of variety
• Vertical arrangement saves space

Grain Of Salt

• Comes with a learning curve
• Pricier than other options

If you're already an herb-growing pro and are up for a new challenge, the Nutrabinns NutraPonics system just might be the project you've been looking for. This 48-pot vertical hydroponic system facilitates the growth of herbs, fruits, vegetables, or flowers as you wish. The seeds sprout in a soil-free environment and are sustained with water, nutrients, and aeration supplied by the NutraPonics' pump system.

There's about 30 minutes' worth of assembly required, but aside from keeping an eye on water levels and giving the pump filter an occasional cleaning, the NutraPonics is a relatively low-maintenance setup. There may be a learning curve as you familiarize yourself with how the system works and get your seeds situated — and there's room for lots of them — so we do recommend this indoor herb growing kit for people who already have some experience with gardening and are likely to feel comfortable maintaining dozens of plants at once.

The Details: Plastic; includes sponge beds and net pots; seeds not included

Best Eco-Friendly: Urban Leaf Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

Why It's Great

• Reusable planters made from renewable materials
• Up and running in no time
• Includes seeds

Grain Of Salt

• Only fits three types of herbs

Growing your own food is already pretty eco-friendly, and this Urban Leaf kit takes it even further with sustainably sourced materials and non-GMO seeds. This is definitely a basic kit compared to some of the others on our list, but if you're just starting out or only looking to grow a few herbs anyway, this kit is a great choice.

You'll receive soil discs and seeds to sprout basil, parsley, and cilantro, which nestle into a simple and attractive wooden planter. Since there's no LED lamp, you'll need to find a sunny spot near a window for optimum plant health. Though there's only enough space for three types of herbs, it's easy enough to swap out plants as you use up the growth. It's tough to find anything to complain about with this kit — especially at such an approachable price point!

The Details: Paulownia wood; includes soil discs and seeds; grows basil, parsley, and cilantro

Best for Whimsy: Modern Sprout Glow & Grow Herb Kit

Why It's Great

• Fun concept
• Easy to use
• Low-effort upcycling

Grain Of Salt

• Long lead time

Full disclosure: This kit won't produce herbs right away — you'll have to burn through a candle first. Though it's an unconventional approach to indoor herb gardening, Modern Sprout's Glow & Grow kit is a fun way to upcycle. Enjoy a refreshingly scented candle, then grow a basil plant from the same pot! While you could technically do this with any appropriately sized candle vessel, most do not have the seeds and growth components waiting for you at the bottom of the wick.

Modern Sprout advises that it may take up to two weeks for the basil seeds to sprout, then another two months before the plant is ready for harvesting. Though this kit isn't likely to become your primary method of growing herbs at home, it's a whimsical take on a practical task and certainly makes a fun gift.

The Details: Ceramic; growing components included at the base of the candle; grows basil