Customer Reviews

EasyGreen EQMV sprouter

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've sprouted for years and I've bought every gadget to do it with, sprout bags, jars with screen lids, square sprouters, round sprouters... However now that I'm a mom with 2 small kids and I'm trying to juice and make meals from scratch etc. - there just isn't the time to remember to rinse and drain and all that stuff. My stuff was going bad when I'd 'forget' a rinse and then it was all a waste!!!

THEN I found the EAsygreen. At the time I couldn't afford the price (wow they have REALLY come down in price) so I bought 2 used ones online from a nice woman who was moving to Belize or something. Anyhow, I have to say it is SO SO SO SO easy.

Yes at first you think these plastic things are not very 'durable' - hey even I think they look chinzy but NEVER judge a book by its cover!! these used ones have lasted me 2 years now and so far so good.

I don't have the counter space in the kitchen no the desire to get all fancy with the hook ups (ok who am I kidding I don't know how)... so I put them on top of one another on the buffet inside the front door. I run a drainage hole from each of them into a clear gallon glass jar. you fill the reservoir at the back with the water (or water and peroxide or water and colloidal silver) and then set the timer that comes with it so that it automatically comes on at the preset times to 'water' the sprouts. The excess drains away into the drainage jar. Being near the front door in a clear jar I never forget to dump it and I fill it before I go to bed at night.

I found that I was making way too many sprouts... but it costs pennies to make so I didn't mind giving some to the chickens or dogs. As mentioned in another review you simply fill one small tray with seeds (no soaking necessary or anything) and place in the unit. Next day shift that one over and put in another one. I usually alternate clover, alfalfa, sandwich booster etc. By the 5th day the ones at the far left are now ready and I just keep adding a new tray each day. If you get too backed up with sprouts I insert a blank tray instead of one with seeds in it. Also I found the sprouts keep at least a couple days in the fridge and I just use the little tray it grows in and pop it in the fridge. This way I still can keep track of my days without having to write it all down. I tried wheatgrass in it with moderate success, but now I have purchased the actual wheatgrass tray for the easygreen and I'm going to see how that works ;-)

All in all this is the BEST, ok well I think the Vitamix was but 2nd best investment I've ever made... ok well it's above my juicers (I have an Acme, 2 champions and a jack lalane) And I should also note if you are pressed for time and a busy mom and can't figure out how to fit in juicing for your family buy the jack lalane. For $200 this cheap juicer is the answer to your prayers!!! LOL It really is just like the infomercial. I can juice and be cleaned up in 3 minutes AND my 5.5 year old can do it all by himself. The chute is so big I don't have to cut everything into itty bitty pieces. I figured even if it got us through a winter (less colds and flus etc) then it was worth it- it's 3 yrs old now and paid for itself a long time ago. Yes, I know the juicing gurus will say it doesn't produce as good a juice as the NOrwalk or greenpower etc. but hey at least I'm DOING it, it's gotta be better then not doing it ;-) When my kids are older and we have more time- we can go back to using a better juicer but for now whatever makes it possible to eat better and get more nutrients in our diet! I don't claim to sprout or juice everyday LOL... but I typically sprout for 4-6 weeks, take a break and then jump back in again. I do what I can with a busy household! LOL

We use the sprouts in smoothies for the kids, on burgers etc. I found that introducing them young enough seems to really help in their acceptance of them ;-)

hope this helps someone!

from Wendy, a busy mom in Canada

I know sprouts are really healthy and I always liked them. Then I got wary after all the bad press about the e coli and and the molds, etc. So when I saw this product I figured it was a good solution. The unit is pretty big. The idea is that it will be sitting on your counter next to the sink. It is about 18" X 22" X 8". You can put several on top of each other for growing sprouts or wheatgrass. You need an outlet nearby to accommodate the timer. You can hook it up to your sink to take advantage of the automatic water feed from your faucet. There is also a plastic tube for the discharge water that would go into your sink. However, I didn't want this big plastic thing on my kitchen counter so I have it in the corner of the living room where we rarely are. Daily, I fill the container compartment with water and empty a gallon jar I have that holds the discharge hose. The unit itself runs on 7 timed intervals during the day for about 15 minutes each cycle. Initially, it mists the sprout seeds and eventually the mature sprouts that are on 4 trays. Each day you rotate the trays, not a big deal. In about 5 days you have edible sprouts. Each week you have to disinfect the machine. You need to clean the compartment where the seeds are and then fill the water compartment with 4 TBSP of bleach (or peroxide)and let the mister run for 2-3 hours. Then they ask you to add an additional 2 liters of water and let it run until the compartment is empty. This minimizes the risk of contamination. The air filter needs to be changed every 2-3 months depending on dust. Then 3 times a year a periodic cleaning is required. You unscrew the mist generator and clean the impeller shaft holes. They recommend scrubbing the machine inside and out preferrably in the bathtub. If you intend on stopping the use of the machine for 2 days or more, the water vapor accumulated in the mist generator area may lead to rust and malfunctioning. You need to empty the water from the tank, remove the air filter and using an air dryer, blow hot air thru the air intake area for about 3 minutes. Make sure the water compartment is dry. So basically, sprouting the seeds is the easy part but there is maintenance involved on the machine. You are not going to plug it in and forget about it forever. On the other hand, if you want healthy sprouts it beats my "rinsing the jar" method hands down, especially in the humid weather. It takes a little time each day, no time if you hook it up to your sink. I would say it is worth it to have the fresh sprouts.

This EasyGreen automatic sprouter is an amazing machine! I had used the jar method with mixed results. My busy schedule prevents me from being able to attend to sprouts as needed. I decided to invest in an automatic sprouter. I am very happy with this unit. It was a good investment. I personally feel that it is worth every penny.

The set-up was easy, thanks to the clear directions provided in the manual. It is very well built. It allows you to connect several units together if you wish to expand its sprouting capacity. It is made of a few components which can easily be replaced when they wear-out without having to purchase a new unit.

The unit is connected to a timer (provided) which activates the mist generator for 15 minutes at a time. I followed their suggestion to set up the timer for 7:00am, 10:00am, 1:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:00pm, 10:00pm and 2:00am. This has produced wonderful results! You can set the timer to a different schedule if you wish.

I put my automatic sprouter next to my kitchen sink which makes drainage very easy. I had to fill the 5 liter reservoir manually every day until I decided to purchase the Automatic Water Filling System (AWFS). This accessory can easily be added (you have to purchase it directly from EasyGreen). It makes sprouting even easier than before.

The unit comes with one big tray (for sprouting a great quantity of one thing) and 5 smaller elongated trays that can be used together(each tray grows about 2 cups of sprouts) I put seeds in tray #1 and put it in the growing compartment of the machine. The next day I seed tray #2 and put it in the compartment next to try # 1. So on and so forth with each of the 5 trays. On the 5th day, tray #1 is ready to be harvested. I then re-seed it and put it back in the machine. I also sprout beans and greens which have a different growing period. (I keep track on a piece of paper of the type of sprout I am growing in each tray and what day it will be ready for harvest). This unit basically allows you to sprout something different everyday.

The EasyGreen gives you the option to sprout hydroponically or in soil. I have not tried the soil option yet.

I am totally impressed with this unit and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in purchasing an automatic sprouter.

First of all let me say that there are some reviews that you should ignore, such as the one here that says that the Easygreen Sprouter is not a quality piece of equipment! I'm a very fussy consumer and I can honestly say that THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING UNIT OF VERY HIGH HIGH QUALITY. You can also do some Google searches and you will find nothing but raves about it and what high quality it is. WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Secondly, I'm starting to believe that everone should grow sprouts to get the vitamins that we are NOT getting from the food in our grocery stores.
As far as "produce" goes in our grocery stores, you may as well eat the boxes that they are shipped in! Over and over in the media these days we are hearing them say that our soils are so depleted in the first place and by the time we get the veggies and fruits in our grocery bags they have lost what little nutritional value they had! Even the organic stuff is questionable by the time it gets to our table, let alone the fact that some organic farmers are not really following the practices that produce nutritional food. They may not be using poisonous sprays but are they replentishing the soil? Ok- Enough of that! You can find tons of info about that on your own.
IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING FANTASTIC FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY BUY ONE OF THESE SPROUTERS AND START GETTING THE NUTRITION THAT YOUR BODY BEGS YOU FOR! (No I don't work for them but wish I had designed it!)
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE ADDITION TO THE WORLD OF NUTRITION AND A HECK OF A LOT CHEAPER THAN BUYING EXPENSIVE VITAMINS THAT YOUR BODY CAN'T ABSORB VERY WELL. We have spent thousands on vitamins over the years. Who really knows what's in them anyway? You'll know exactly what's in your sprouts though. THEY ARE ALIVE A PACKED WITH EVERYTHING A VITAMIN PILL WISHED IT COULD BE BUT CAN'T!! It's so so easy you won't even believe it. It's fun to!
The sprouts are OUTSTANDING and the cleanest most vitamin packed foods you will ever put in your mouth. Load up a sandwich or toss up a salad or throw some in a smoothie. Don't forget the Brocolli sprouts are GREAT!!
I use about a half a dropper full of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide each time I fill it with water every day. (about one gallon) This is perfectly safe and actually helps oxiginate the sprouts as well as prevent mold.
I was so impressed with my Easygreen Sprouter that I ordered three more of these (actually called EasyGrass sprouters) and purchased a wheatgrass juicer so that I can grow wheatgrass, the miracle food. (Check out Ann Wigmore "The Sprout Book" and her book on Wheatgrass )
I can't say enough about THE EASYGREEN SPROUTER!! Apparently people all over the world are catching on to this "Fountain of youth" piece of incredible equipment! Do some Googling and see for yourself!

The product works very well. Using the timer I am able to have it function for up to 8 days without refilling. You will need to experiment with the on/off time periods for the product being sprouted to avoid mold. Access to the main tank for cleaning requires removing a set of screws - this could have been engineered a little better for easy access. Otherwise, I would have given this product 5 stars.

This review is being written by someone who found this product at the thrift store for a couple of bucks (and it still had the protective plastic attached to it...). I have several lunches to make daily, and one mason jar full of sprouts was never quite enough. I really like having enough sprouts to actually store some in the fridge to just grab. My daily routine for this sprouter involves starting a new tray of sprouts, adding a jug of water morning and night, and emptying the drainage jug morning and night. This product is very large (not complaining about the size, just stating it), making it impossible to sit on my kitchen counter. As people have mentioned (and were so rudely flamed for it...), there are design issues. The mist sprays right out of the holes in the front panel. I need to keep a towel hanging over the door so that my wooden table is not covered in puddles of water after each cycle. Also, you need to ensure that the drainage tubing doesn't get submerged in the drainage jug. It will vapor lock and then all the water will run out the front door. Once I cut the tubing to hang towards the top of the jug, this issue disappeared. At the moment, I am using bleach for my weekly cleaning as the manual said, but I will definitely try the food grade hydrogen peroxide when I have used this jug up. Even just using three tablespoons of bleach, my house reeks of the stuff. Another consideration that is not mentioned is how loud this machine is when it comes on to mist. I keep mine in the living room, and I find it very distracting for the fifteen minute cycle. I do believe that it uses less water than manually rinsing the sprouts, but that is just my personal feeling with no actual figures to back it up. So, bottom line, I absolutely love having lots of sprouts. The machine did take a little bit of time to get used to, I learned about its quirks and worked around it, but that is because I got it so cheaply. If I had bought it full price and it worked like this, I would have sent it back.

Edited: Two months later, I am sending this back to the thrift store. (Again, I got it from the thrift store, unopened and unused, and that is why I feel justified in reviewing it.) I just shouldn't have to babysit the machine this much to ensure that water is not left lying all around it after a cycle - this includes the holes in the front door and the tubing. I am now using bags that I made to grow my sprouts and I am more pleased with them than anything else that I have tried. Sometimes, technology just isn't worth the effort.

I purchased the EasyGreen because I work full time and rinsing sprouts throughout the day wasn't possible. I was also concerned about keeping the sprouts clean, etc. I am quite happy with the EasyGreen because it does all of the work for me and I enjoy very healthy, clean sprouts. It is large, and takes up quite a bit of counter space, but it is worth it. The timer that came with it was defective, but a replacement was sent out immediately, no questions asked. I love the fact that you can use soil if you want, which works great for sunflower sprouts. I also love that you can sprout up to five different types. I would definitely recommend this sprouter to others.

I was interested in this product because I just become vegetarian, and need something to assure good quality raw food, freshness and variety. And this is a good solution. The product is great, well made. The timer works very well, the irrigation is good for all five trays. It is very very easy and fun to use. I like to watch the change on the seeds every day :), reminds me a little about my childhood. Any way, I definitly recomend this product. The only thing I thought that was missig, was the large trays, it comes only with the five little trays. ( Not so little any way). But this is very very nice. I love my easygreen, I am thinking in buying some more later. Dont think it twice, and buy yourself an easygreen.

It's all in the name folks. This product makes sprouting really easy and convenient. Simple put it's a MASS Sprouting machine! However there are a few downsides especially for beginners.

-Cleaning
Not very difficult but if you want to clean it well and prevent molds for your next sprouting it is a little time consuming because it is a big machine.

-Mold
(Prevention Tips)
1)Make sure the machine is cleaned free of microorganisms
2)Clean water. (I wouldn't recommend Tap water)
3)Use only clean and healthy seeds.
4)Make sure the drainage tube is draining properly otherwise used water make linger and defeat the purpose of the machine's hygienic water flow system
5)Keep room temperature low. Too high will create the perfect environment for molding.
6)Make sure the room in which you are sprouting is Clean too! No dust please!
7)Don't overcrowd the seeds in the tray! Crowding may cause mold growth and also inhibit seeds from sprouting due to uneven watering.

-Water
At times it may feel like you are wasting a lot of water. You can adjust to the timer settings to 6 times a day vs 8 a day and save up water. Along with only using 1 tab vs 2 tabs. Each tab waters for about 15 mins on that cycle.

-Price
It's definitely not cheap... However you do indeed get what you pay for.

Other than that this is a great machine! And I highly recommend it :)

I've been growing broccoli sprouts in this without a hitch. If you don't have it hooked up to a watering system, you'll have to refill the water in it everyday, but other than that mild inconvenience, it is very low maintenance. 5 days to grow delicious sprouts.