Fresh sprouts are nutritious and delicious. What’s more, they’re incredibly easy to grow yourself! Sprouting seeds at home is a simple and affordable way to add healthier greens to your diet.
If you’re looking for a seed sprouter tray to start growing your own sprouts, you’ve come to the right place!
I’ve done the research for you and put together a list of the best seed sprouter trays out there. From large to small, this list has what you need to find the right seed sprouter for your space and budget.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
LeJoy Garden Seed Sprouter Tray
Complete Seed Sprouting Kit:
Handy Pantry Sprout Growing Kit
The 4 Best Seed Sprouter Trays
LeJoy Garden Seed Sprouter Tray
The LeJoy Garden Seed Sprouter Tray comes with three separate pieces. A bottom tray to catch water, a germination tray in the middle, and a humidity dome for the top. All of the pieces are BPA-free and easy to clean.
This set is a great size for growing sprouts. The outside of the trays measures approximately 9.5 inches by 13.5 inches. The middle germination tray is about two inches tall, which is all you need for seeds to sprout and grow.
The set works well with many different types of seeds. The holes in the germination tray are small so medium and large-sized seeds don’t fall through. If you plan on growing smaller seeds like broccoli, you’ll need a piece of cheesecloth on the bottom of the tray to keep seeds from falling through.
The size of the holes allows for excellent drainage when rinsing the seeds.
All of the pieces in the set fit together well without getting stuck together. The bottom tray is indented on the side, which makes it easy to lift and remove the germination tray.
Pros
- Good size
- Easy to clean
- Easy to separate the trays
Cons
- Very small seeds fall through the tray
Handy Pantry Sprout Growing Kit
This Sprouting Kit includes the handy pantry seed sprouter plus a large selection of seeds to sprout.
There are three, seven-inch sprouting trays plus four trays that can be used as bases or a lid. They’re all stackable to save on space.
The sprouting trays have small holes to allow for drainage without letting seeds fall through. The holes are really tiny, which is good for seeds, but it makes the water flow through very slowly.
All of the seeds included in this set are organic.
Like the other sets, this kit is BPA-free.
Pros
- Comes with everything you need to start, including a large selection of seeds.
- Separate trays allow you to grow multiple varieties at the same time
- Seeds don’t fall through the drainage holes
Cons
- More expensive than other options
- Drainage is slow
LeJoy Garden Seed Sprouting Shelf
If you want to grow a large crop of sprouts without taking up a lot of space, the LeJoy Garden Seed Sprouting Shelf is a great option.
This set has four sprouting trays and a rollable shelf to hold them all. The shelf is compact and sturdy, with rolling casters on the bottom. You can easily move the shelf around to wherever you need it and then put it away when you’re done.
Each of the four seed sprouting trays has a bottom tray and a germination tray to hold the seeds. The bottom trays are indented on the sides, leaving a space to pick up the germination tray easily.
The grow trays are BPA-free and easy to clean. They also function as storage trays, so you can use some of the trays to sprout seeds and some trays to store your sprouts.
Pros
- Includes shelf
- Can grow a lot of sprouts at once
- Affordable
Cons
- The trays don’t come with lids
Victorio Kitchen Crop Sprouter
One of the best things about the Kitchen Crop Sprouter from Victorio is its compact design. The set comes with four separate germination trays that all stack into one. The convenient design saves space on your counter while still giving you a lot of surface area to grow sprouts. The six-inch diameter set is the ideal size for small spaces.
With four separate trays, you can grow multiple varieties of sprouts at one time without mixing up the seeds.
It’s easy to rinse the sprouts when the trays are stacked together. Just add water to the top tray and it trickles down through all of the levels and collects in the water reservoir at the bottom.
The set is BPA-free, durable, and easy to clean. All of the parts are dishwasher-safe.
Pros
- Small seeds don’t fall through
- You can grow multiple varieties of sprouts at once
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- The set is small so it doesn’t hold as many sprouts as some other sets
Sprouts vs. Microgreens
Seed sprouter trays make it easy to grow your own nutritious sprouts from seeds like broccoli, alfalfa, and many more. They’re typically used to grow sprouts but you can also use them to grow microgreens hydroponically.
In case you’re wondering, microgreens and sprouts have many similarities, but they’re actually two different things. Microgreens are harvested when the plants are several inches tall. They have true leaves and you typically don’t eat the roots. Sprouts, on the other hand, are eaten only a few days after sprouting. They don’t have time to develop true leaves and you can eat the whole thing, roots and all.
Another key difference is microgreens need light to grow, while sprouts don’t need any light at all.
Seed Sprouter Tray Buyer’s Guide
Why Use a Tray to Sprout Seeds
Turning seeds into sprouts is simple and it has a lot of benefits! No green thumb is required to turn seeds into healthy sprouts.
Convenient
Sprouting seeds is one of the fastest ways to grow your own food at home. After you get them in the tray, sprouts are ready to eat in as little as 3-5 days.
You don’t need any extra equipment like lights or heating pads to grow sprouts, a good tray is all you need.
A seed sprouting tray keeps everything nice and contained. They’re easy to use and don’t take up a lot of space.
Affordable
Seed sprouter trays are inexpensive and so are the seeds! Once you have a good tray set up, you can grow a steady supply of sprouts repeatedly for the same price as one package of sprouts at the store.
Sprouts are Good for You
One of the best reasons to use a seed sprouter tray is that sprouts are good for you!
Sprouts have many health benefits, including improving digestion, lowering cholesterol, maintaining healthy blood sugar, and improving heart health.
Sprouts are incredibly nutrient-dense. They’re low in calories while being high in vitamins and minerals like folate, phosphorus, vitamin K and magnesium.
Sprouts are usually more nutrient dense than full-grown plants, meaning you get the same amount of nutrition in a much smaller serving.
How to Use Speed Sprouting Trays
Once you get your tray set up, the growing process for sprouts is simple and fast. All of these trays come with instructions that are easy to follow, but here’s a quick rundown to give you an idea of how to use them.
- Choose a spot to set up your seed sprouter tray
- Wash your equipment before starting and allow it to dry
- Presoak seeds in a jar of water overnight before putting them in the tray
- The morning after soaking, spread the seeds in the germination tray of your seed sprouter
- Rinse the seeds by pouring cool water over them twice a day
- In 3-5 days, they’ll be ready to eat!
Always wash your hands before handling sprouts to avoid spreading germs. After harvesting, rinse the sprouts one last time before using them.
Fresh sprouts keep well in the fridge for up to five days. Make sure sprouts are completely dry before storing them in the fridge.
Enjoy fresh sprouts on sandwiches, in salads, soups, stir-fries, or wherever else you’d like to use them!
What Kind of Seeds to Use
There are many types of seeds that you can use for growing sprouts. Here are just a few examples.
Where to Get Seeds for Sprouting
Seeds are easy to find online at places like True Leaf Market and Amazon. You can find a wide selection of seeds in different quantities to meet your needs.
If you’d like to shop in person, local health food stores are a good place to look for sprout seeds.
Get a Seed Sprouter Tray for Your Kitchen!
Growing your own food at home is rewarding and doesn’t have to be complicated! With a seed sprouter tray, you’ll be growing your own nutritious sprouts in no time.
For more information on growing your own food and other plants, check out the Seed Starting page on our website. We have several resources and ideas for indoor gardening year-round and getting ready to plant outdoors. Learn how to plant various vegetables, herbs, and flowers, plus get recommendations for soil, tools, and other products to help you along the way.