Customer Reviews

AeroGarden 900340-1200 6 Elite with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit, Black with Stainless Accents

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is my second AreoGarden from Amazon. My first one was purchased a year ago, the classic which I was thoroughly pleased. The AeroGarden Classic 7-Pod with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit, Silver. The classic model uses a drip hydroponic method. A small water pump in the reservoir that pumps water over at the top of the seed pods. This model here the AeroGarden 6 Elite uses a small and very low cfm air pump built into the base that pumps the air through a fish tank aerator stone. It creates very little splash water movement in the reservoir unlike the classic. This makes me skeptical AreoGarden may be trying to cut cost on the mechanics and dwelling more on appearance. Only time will tell the truth.

Pros:
Water temp stays cooler (water pump not in water reservoir)
Appearance-big improvement over the classic model
Grow bulbs-(better designed than classic's bulbs. Elite uses a flat more direct light coverage bulbs )
Roots and debris won't interfere with water pump performance

Cons:
Less sophisticated hydroponic method (not a drip method)
Noise- typical of air pump humming
Air pump stone replacement (but replaced for cheap)
Very likely water leaks in the near future (Grommet/hoses bottom of reservoir air line to base)
***Costly bulb replacement on all AreoGarden models***

Bottom line:
Classic has better engineering but the Elite has the good looks

Note: If you do not want to keep repurchasing expensive AreoGarden seed kits. Keep your old pods and moisture caps.
I ordered 100-1" Grodan Rockwool - 2x2x1.5in. Cubes, 50/sheetcubed off the internet. This is a great replacement alternative material that was originally used in the pods. Use your own seeds of choice. I am using General Hydroponics brand General Hydroponics MaxiGro 2.2 lbs. for herbs. I believe I am producing higher volumes of growth than with the AreoGardens nutrients and replacement seed kits.

(In my openion LED lighting would have been a better alternative choice, they can last up to 15yrs+ and may use a little less power, and "many" un-waisted bulbs. Go green AreoGarden!)But of course they want to sell you replacement parts, I guess thats what helps keeps them a float.

***GlowPanel 14 Watt LED Growing Light Panel-Plant Grow Light Rivals 60 Watt Metal Halide/HPS Full Spectrum Growth Lite or Hydroponic Lamp 225 LED Grow light Panel Red Blue 110 V, 2501MXare available on the web. I hope to try this on my older classic when it is time to replace the bulbs again.
Even though it maybe slightly ugly.
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**UPDATE** Item returned
After having this unit for a short time (used 10 days) the humming sound increasingly got much worse. This was not my only issue with the Elite. I thought I would do a test between the Classic and the Elite. Started them both on 12/10/09 but had to end the experiment 12/20/09 due to the annoying humming sound coming from the air pump in the Elite. The Classic model wins hands down in the small time frame on growth as well. I placed new bulbs in my older Classic and using my own seeds, food, and rock wool and re-used old pods. All pods in the Classic had sprouted much sooner and were full 2 ˝ tall on the Dill and Tarragon, and Basel is beautifully full. In this time frame Elite and thier Herb Kit had only three pods with tiny growth pale in comparison. The Elite was returned back to Amazon today. I will order myself another Classic or one of the unites that do not use the air pump method.

I bought my Aerogarden Elite 6 from a guy on Ebay. It was advertised as "new." but it did not include the seed packet. Since I had ordered several other additional packets from Amazon, I didn't sweat it too much. Anyway, this is one of three Aerogardens I bought within two weeks. I bought them mainly to grow salad greens and flowers. I have the classic 7-pod garden, a 7-pod Pro 100 and this Elite 6-pod. Of all three, the Elite is the noisiest. It buzzes continuously. I don't know if this is a defect, but I intend on contacting the company. I planted the scented flower pack in the Elite and cascading petunias in the Pro 100, but they haven't sprouted yet as I planted them only about a week ago and they take several days to two weeks to sprout. I planted salad greens in the classic and they sprouted in 3 days. The classic and pro 100 are relatively quiet. The only sound is that of dripping or trickling water occasionally but not nearly as disconcerting as that blasted BUZZZZZZZZZZZ in the Elite.

When I first got this model, it was unpleasantly noisy. Its pump system is different than the Aerogarden Classic's and constant vibration and a low-grade buzzing noise seemed to be the results. I contacted Aerogarden and they were very pleasant and easy to deal with, and are shipping me a replacement pump unit, so I have to recommend their customer service highly. I will update this review when I get the pump as to whether it fixed the problem.

A crop of romaine lettuce is growing beautifully, so if the noise problem can be fixed I am very happy with the purchase. I own the Aerogarden Classic also. I think you probably get as much growth with 6 pods on this model as with the 7 on the Classic, and the lights are a little brighter on this one. That said, the results are good on both. I can't seem to change my earlier 3 stars, but I think it deserves a 4 or 5 if the noise problem is solved.

uh oh i have become an aero-head I have three now!!
I have 2 classic 7 pod (brand new models so they are the upgraded ones)
i have been starting herbs and lettuce in those, and i just got the 6 elite for cherry tomatoes.

now in comparison, the newly designed 7 are very nice, the elite 6 is a model that aerogrow doesn't sell anymore, however the bulbs and pods are always going to be available and the pods are now universal and will go in any aerogrow. the company is upgrading things nicely!!

I have read a lot of other postings by other people here before i decided to purchase, and i see some concern about this unit being noisy, it all depends i think on what you think noisy is: if you dont like fish tank noise this will not be for you try the newly modeled aerogrow 7

THE AEROGROW ELITE 6 sounds like a fish tank with the aerator going, and i have it on a metal rack stand which im sure is not good at insulating noise, but its not a bit noisy at all,

why does it sound different? because is has an aerator stone inside the tank which the 7 pod units do not have, makes it a little more fishy tanky sounding but not extraneous at all.

also there are is an awesome aerogarden community with tips and tricks for gardening all sorts of veggies and they are a great support, this is easy to grow from and delicious, no its not cheaper than purchasing, i think with electricity and supplies the cost are the same, but you get to put your own energy into the grow, which is a real nice relationship between grower and food, its the way it should be, the life force from just picked lettuce, and herbs cant be beat!! so if you care about your food source, this is a great start to at least get some live vibe in your otherwise shipped out processed foodstuff.

The 1 star reviews i think just needed to adjust their selves a little bit because this is a real good garden and they have great customer support at aerogrow so there should never be a problem, except that if this unit is no longer sold on aerogrow directly, i would call them to make sure it is still a supported product rather than through the warehouse of amazon who is not the maker of the product itself. follow me??

the aerogrow 7 hums along fine, not too overly noisy.

i have a feeling that im sure this will be even more on sale as time goes by since it is no longer around on aerogrow site, they only offer the 6 space saver and classic upgraded 7, which is the same exact size as the 6 elite by the way.

oh and the silver design, its just plastic not stainless so if you are looking for stainless its not. I didn't buy it for looks though it just happened to come my way.

one last note if you have seasonal affective disorder (i dont but my dh thinks he does) this will do wonders for you with the light, i love it, its like a sunny day here every day

This is a fun family project, growing our own fresh herbs on the kitchen counter. The AeroGrow is pretty darn nice with a few minor flaws. We're looking forward to the herbs.

The unit is straightforward to assemble. A thirteen year old that hates following instructions or reading manuals, was able to put this together, insert the seed pods and fill the unit with water. He had absolutely no problems doing the complete assembly. It's not a bad idea to read the manual, we needed to set the machine for the correct type of garden and the light cycling, and there's some special care once the seeds sprout. The kit includes a crystal clear pruning and care guide.

In use, this couldn't be easier. The lights cycle on and off on a programmed schedule, you never touch a thing. There is a light to tell you when to add nutrients (this six pod garden requires two packets). There is a light to tell you when to replace the lamps - roughly 6 months of use.

The design is very nice. The black and silver is a pleasing combination. The construction is solid.

There are a few minor flaws or issues. There is some kind of pump to circulate the nutrients, and it does make a continuous buzzing sound. To me it is no louder than our refrigerator, and not at all annoying. In fact, it sounds a lot like our refrigerator when it is running. The lights are very bright. That can be good or bad, depending on where you put the garden. In the kitchen, it makes for a fabulous night light. If it were near your bedroom, or home theater, well the lights are probably not so good.

I debated the value of this machine. Is it worth the cost for the machine and then the future seed pods, nutrients, and lamps? To me, yes it is a good value. I love fresh herbs and will be so happy to cook with herbs I can cut myself. Our son loves to cook, and he will enjoy using fresh greens.

My biggest joy will be making pesto in the same manner as the birth place of pesto - Genoa, Italy. The herb kit for my garden includes Genovese Basil (the essential ingredient in pesto), dill, chives, mint, oregano, and thyme. We are roughly 3 weeks into growing and all the plants are about 3 inches tall. All germinated exactly on schedule, and are thriving. I will be so happy the day that I can harvest enough Genovese Basil and blend it with olive oil from that region.

I am very happy with this machine.

This is a bit of a toy. My wife and I really enjoy it. We purchased the first one on Black Friday 2009, and subsequently purchased a second one a few weeks later. We keep them (side by side) in the kitchen, and we don't notice the noise. Together, they are no louder than the refrigerator, which they are located next to.

They could be built of better quality materials and they are quite expensive for what they do. By the time all is said and done, I don't think they will cost less than buying at the grocery store, but they are fun, easy to operate, and do what they are advertised to do. Again, I think they are more of a toy than anything, but we like them.

Our plants (herbs and tomatoes) have grown well. My only genuine complaint is the light bulbs. After having the second one for just a couple weeks, one of the bulbs burned out. Amazon Customer Service replaced it right away, but as others have mentioned, I'm a bit concerned about the future of the bulbs. I'm willing to work with expensive kits and such, but my enthusiasm will burn out quickly if the bulbs continue with the same pattern.

If you like the idea of growing indoors and want a fun little item, I recommend this item for purchase. That said, the jury is still out on the bulb issue.

This is my first Aerogarden purchase, and will be my last for a while until they make a new model that doesn't produce as much noise as this. The noise from the pump system is about as loud as the refrigerator when it kicks in with the noise, or the water heater. I don't notice the refrigerator or water heater so much because the noise kicks off after a couple of minutes every few hours, but the noise from the Aerogarden is 24/7. The pump stays on all the time even when the lights are off as long as it is plugged in. This is not a "defect", this is simply how all machines of this model will run, so you will have to deal with the sound. I live in a really drafty, echoey 1950's ranchhouse, so sound travels annoyingly well. If in a straight line from the machine, you have to be at least 20 feet away before you get to a point where the noise isn't going to grate on you so much. If you simply close a door, the noise is locked out. I have the machine in the kitchen right outside the door to the bathroom and when I close the door to the bathroom, I can't hear the machine. I'd only recommend this machine if you have somewhere you can place it that won't bother people with the noise. Yes, you might get "used" to the noise, but it's still very hard to ignore.

On the plus side, I like this garden not just for the growing capability, but the light it produces. There are people in the household that work late hours and so it's nice to be able to set the light to be on when they come home so they're not fumbling around in the dark as it does pretty much light up the entire room. The light is also therapeutic as if you were out in the sun.

The herbs included are thyme, oregano, genovese basil, chives, mint and dill. The only ones that sprouted were basil and thyme. All the other pods grew mold on top even though they still had their paper covering on the pods. This machine would NOT be worth the maintenance + power cost to grow only two pods. Luckily, I had placed some of my own seeds in a plastic bag layered between wet paper towels and germinated them under the grow light at the same time I initially put in the Aerogarden pods and had some back-up seeds to put in the pods to grow instead so I wouldn't have to wait for replacement pods from Aerogarden to be sent (by the time I would receive them the basil and thyme would have grown too big and crowded the light for the new pods out anyway). I simply did a bit of maneuvering with tweezers and a small knife scraping out the old seeds from the grow plug and putting in my own. They seem to be doing well.

I don't believe I would recommend this model to a friend. I would probably wait until they come out with a newer model somewhere down the line that doesn't make as much noise (if possible). From what I've read, the Elite+ and Veggiepro have the same pump so would have the same noise issues as well (I wanted a Veggiepro, but will not buy due to the noise I've seen from the Elite). The included seed pods are lousy. Make sure to have your own seeds as backup. Am I happy with this purchase? Honestly, not so much (I was expecting some noise, but not the level I got), but I plan on keeping the plastic plug-holders from the original pods and replacing the grow plugs to grow my own seeds instead of buying entirely new pods, using General Hydroponics nutrients (cheaper than AG brand), and stretching the life of the bulbs as far as I can to try to make this purchase worth it.

++UPDATE++
I found the moldy pods were not a complete waste. After all but giving up on them, I dumped a bunch of water over a couple of the moldy pods from the top through the hole in the paper covering a couple of days in a row. This washed away most of the mold and gave the seeds additional moisture. After doing this, the Aerogarden seeds in the pod sprouted. So if you're having trouble with no growth/ mold, try this and give it a little extra time.

So far I've had my Aerogarden for about 3 weeks. The basil, mint, and thyme are doing great but the oregano, dill, are just sprouting. I was expecting this to be a miracle grower but dirt works just as well. Also the chives got mold in it and wouldn't sprout. The only things that are really growing are the mint, basil, and thyme so if you don't like the oregano, dill, and chives this is a great buy.

Very disappointed and sending it back. I got it on a lightning deal and it isn't a deal after further research and a defective product. First off one of the light bulbs didn't work. Switched sockets and it is for sure the light bulb.
I had no idea you need to buy light bulbs every 6 months. Does anyone realize that they are spending hundreds of dollars a year in light bulbs, nutrients and seeds to get a few sprigs of lettuce? Their lettuce alone for one growing is $19.99 and people say it doesn't taste that great. Buy organic in the grocery store.
My unit wasn't double boxed and the edges weren't even taped. This wasn't a new product...the opening tab cardboard on the inside was stained.
This product has to be the biggest ripoff in the last 10 years.

This product works as advertised. It is a bit noisy and the light is quite bright, so you might want to keep it in the basement, spare room, garage, etc.