But never mind, because according to all manner of testimonials and literature, the EasyGreen is the world's best automatic sprouter and has an abundance of revolutionary features, including a mist generator and sophisticated clean-water and oxygenation system. A scaled-down, domestic version of an industrial sprouter, it allows you to harvest and eat sprouting seeds at exactly the right time - this, experts say, is on the fifth or sixth day of germination - for maximum nutritional impact. And you can even grow wheatgrass, which is considered a nutritional powerhouse but is notoriously tricky to grow.

This is the perfect chance to grow your own fresh food - of certain provenance, indoors and in limited space. When you consider that mixed-salad bags typically contain leaves cut and washed in chlorinated water, dried by centrifuge and packed in Modified Atmosphere Packaging to slow deterioration - fresh, organic, raw, live sprouting food has even greater appeal.