How we pick products

How we work

We’re a small team writing about indoor herbs. We don’t run a test lab, and we haven’t bought and tested most of the products we recommend. So we won’t tell you we “tested 40 grow lights for 300 hours.” Here’s what we do instead.

What we’ve used ourselves

The one product on this site we use firsthand is Lost Coast Plant Therapy, the organic spray we use on our own herbs. Everything else is picked from research, and each guide says so.

How we research a pick

1. Official specs first. Pod count, tank size, wattage, light height and listed price come from the maker’s own product page or label. We note the month we checked, because prices change.
2. Labels for anything you spray or feed. For pest sprays and plant food we follow the product label: what it’s registered for, dilution, and how close to harvest you can use it.
3. Plant science from extension services. Light hours, watering and pest advice come from university extension programs, not forums.
4. Verified-buyer patterns. We read recent verified-buyer reviews looking for repeated praise and repeated problems (leaks, noisy pumps, weak lights, app trouble). One angry review isn’t a pattern; twenty saying the same thing is.
5. Fit for small kitchens. We pick for renters, beginners and tight counters: size, noise, upkeep and running costs matter as much as features.

What goes in each pick

• Who it’s for: the situation it suits best.
• What we like: verified strengths from specs and owner feedback.
• Watch-outs: real trade-offs, like small tanks, Wi-Fi needs or extra costs. If we couldn’t verify a weakness, we say we haven’t tested it rather than make one up.
• A comparison table near the top of every “best” guide, using only facts we could check.

What we don’t do

• We don’t invent test results, star ratings, prices or reviews.
• We don’t accept payment for a spot in a guide. If a brand ever sends a review unit, we’ll say so on the page.
• We don’t pick products by commission rate. Many of our links pay us nothing at all.

Affiliate links

Some links (including Amazon, where we’re an Associate) earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s how the site stays free. See our full disclosure.

Spot a mistake?

Specs change and we get things wrong sometimes. Email countertopharvest@gmail.com and we’ll check and fix it.