This is the larger size of the Sprout Master sprouter, great for larger batches of leafy sprouts or bean sprouts. The optional tray divider makes it easy to make larger batches or separate smaller sprout batches. Half of this tray still has more capacity than the whole of one of the Sprout Master small trays. If you're growing for one or two people I would recommend the "Sprout Master Mini Triple" instead. Coming with three trays the mini triple would allow you to grow a more diverse or more staggered crop.
The two "lids" that come with this tray are exactly the same. Put one below to catch any water and use the one on top if you want to block off light (this helps prevent the growth of green leaves, which is usually how bean sprouts are grown). The Sprout Master's drainage holes allow excess water to drain off very effectively.
If you've sprouted in a jar before, you'll probably find this to be much easier. Hold the tray under running cool water two or three times a day, then allow excess water to run off before putting the tray away. The sprouts should be thoroughly rinsed to prevent spoilage, kept moist at all times, but not allowed to sit in water. (By comparison, with jar sprouting you'd need to fill and drain the jar of sprouts repeatedly to rinse the sprouts well, then it's more difficult to get them properly drained.)
One minor complaint is that some of the smallest seeds can get caught in the drain holes. In my experience, broccoli is large enough to be safe, but with alfalfa or clover you might get a few seeds stuck. When you're cleaning the tray after use you may need to get a small poking instrument to knock one or two out again. The "Easy Sprouter" device doesn't have this problem, but allows slightly less light to reach your sprouts because of it's shape. Neither is a very significant complaint, and I find that the Easy Sprouter gets sufficient light for most purposes.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I bought my first SproutMaster years ago at the Dowling Orchard Market when passing through Banning, California (back when they sold them).
Through a bit pricey for a plastic tray, I cannot complain about the ease of use or the quality of the sprouts grown. The divider IS helpful to grow different sprouts, BUT it is more helpful to grow the same type of sprout in two different stages of growth. This way, you can always have fresh sprouts handy at anytime.
They do grow fast and the Sprout Master makes it so simple to care for them.
Best Deals for Sprout Master Single Sprouter
An excellent, easy-to-use sprouter that produces great sprouts. I'd give it five stars if it was dishwasher safe. Instead, after use, it must be soaked overnight in a mixture of one part bleach to ten parts water.
The removable center divider comes in handy when sprouting two kinds of plant seeds.
Honest reviews on Sprout Master Single Sprouter
The Sprout Master is made nicely and looks like it will last a long time. I disagree with those that say it is flimsy. It seems sturdy to me. In terms of quality, it seems fine. But in terms of growing sprouts from small seeds, there are 2 main problems, it seems:
(1) It has pin-size holes for drainage, and small seeds get stuck in these and grow their roots through them. I am mostly making broccoli sprouts and alfalfa sprouts (small seeds). Probably the Sprout Master would work fine with sunflower seeds, nuts, beans, wheat, or other seeds that are at least as large as a mung bean. What happens with the small seeds, such as the broccoli sprouts, is that they grow their roots through the holes, and their roots make a thick mat underneath. So then it is very hard to remove the entire sprout. The roots break off, so then we have only the tops of the sprouts. I'm able to scrape the roots off of the backside and put them in the salads too, but it's just not as nice as the whole sprout unbroken. I don't have this problem with my other sprouting system, the Tompson & Morgan Seed Sprouter Two-tiered (also available at Amazon). It works so much better because it has slots instead of pinholes.
The broccoli sprouts don't make a mat of roots underneath the tray with the Tompson and Morgan Sprouter. They just make sprouts like you would see in the grocery store. I've also noticed that my sprouts grow much faster in the Tompson and Morgan Sprouter. I've done many comparisons, and it always is like this. I am not sure why. So, all things said, I wish that I hadn't bought the Sprout Master Triple Sprouter. I would have bought several more Tompson and Morgan Sprouters instead. They look very attractive and are a lot easier for me to deal with than the Sprout Master. I'm sure the Sprout Master is great for people that are using the larger seeds. Maybe I will start doing some larger seeds/nuts/beans too, but my main interest is with broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, radishes sprouts, etc., all of which have tiny seeds.
(2) Clean-up: The other thing about the Sprout Master, as others have noted, is that it's a bit difficult to clean small seeds out of the holes. You have to use the tip of a paperclip to poke stuff out sometimes.
Once again the Tompson & Morgan is so much easier -with their slots instead of pin-size holes, the seeds and other stuff fall right out during a quick wash and rinse. No paperclips and poking needed!
And the Tompson & Morgan has gone through my dishwasher many times without harm. Sprout Master says don't put theirs in dishwasher, so I have not.
***By the way, if anyone has some ideas for how I can make the Sprout Master work better with my little seeds, I would love to read your comments. Thanks! ***
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sprout Master Single Sprouter
This is my first sprouter, so I have no basis for comparison. I looked at a lot of products when I was purchasing this one, and I feel that it's the best tray sprouter on the market for the price.
Pros:
-Easy to use
-Allows for nice aeration
-Tray system works well as bottom or lid (I switch top & bottom after every rinse to minimize bacteria & mold growth)
-Great size, perfect crop size for two people. If I get really in to sprouting I may purchase another large size and have the crops rotating.
-Holes are small enough that very few seeds get stuck
Cons:
-Small seeds can get stuck in holes
-Sprouts will grow through holes and can be hard to pull out without breaking the roots
-Not dishwasher safe, and needs to be bleached each time
-Not the sturdiest plastic, so I doubt it will last more than 2 years without cracking
I have only had one failure so far, buckwheat groats. They rotted, and I suspect that I did not rinse them voraciously enough. All other crops (salad mixes with primarily alfalfa & radish, some lentils) have been absolutely perfect with very little maintenance.
