I know this was about the journey, but for anyone interested in home hydroponics (without the journey of building it), I have had a Gardyn[1] for 6-7 years. It works well. It has a 6 gallon (20 liter) tank and a couple of strong vertical growth lights, in a sleek package that looks good in the home. Plants are fitted into pods, in standard-size rockwool blocks that you can get from any grower shop.

The fact that it works at all after a number of years, is surprising to me, given everything that goes on with it: You've got a moist environment with water pumped through it multiple times a day, fertilizer in the water crusting up in places, living plants with their roots growing into the pipes, algae growth, and a lot of parts that are shuffled around often.

There might well be other systems around these days that are the same or better, I wouldn't know, the Gardyn is just what I ended up with when I researched it years ago and I'm happy with it. For downsides, seeds are expensive from Gardyn, but you can plant your own. I do buy some from Gardyn because they have a big selection, and they usually come out good, which regular seeds often don't for whatever reason. They try to push their subscription service but I don't need it, so don't use it.

Hope this doesn't come off as advertisement, as I said there may well be better options (would like to hear about them), but this one works for me for a pretty hassle-free experience.

[1] https://mygardyn.com/product/gardyn-home-kit/

I don't know how much fresh food costs in the US, but I don't see how its possible to recoup the investment on this $900 setup in a lifetime!

Then you add the electricity cost and the seeds, and the maintenance time...

But it looks nice in a kitchen!