Are you looking to advance your gardening skills? Perhaps you want to reduce your carbon footprint? An easy way to accomplish this is by using an electric kitchen composter.
Going green is simpler than you think! Compost is a simple way to get started and can be achieved with an electric kitchen composter. Multiple types of kitchen composters will help you create an eco-friendly future. Whether it be a DIY composter or an outdoor composter, an excellent food recycler is necessary for a sustainable future.
Eco-friendly trends are growing year by year. In 2021 we see a massive trend in green energy and other ways to impact the world we live in. There are numerous ways to start your journey to leaving a green footprint. In this article, we will review the best electric kitchen composters along with other composting ideas.
What is A Kitchen Composter?
A kitchen composter turns peelings, trimmings, and other waste into ready-to-go soil fertilizer.
A kitchen composter helps reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and reduces landfill waste. Not to mention, a kitchen composter is exceptionally beneficial for the environment as it adds nutrients to the soil once composted.
In this article, we will be considering which is the best composting solution for you, what product is the best of each composting method, indoor and outdoor solutions to your composting needs, and much more!
Best Electric Kitchen Composter
Of the kitchen composters we reviewed, we found two products that we like the best and, depending on your needs, could be an excellent option for you.
Vitamix Food Cycler
Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 is a top-tier kitchen electric composter that is easy to use and gets you the most bang for your buck!
The Vitamix FoodCycler offers many reasons why this is our top pick. Fertilizer is made from food scraps in merely hours instead of waiting weeks. The food cycler cuts down food volume of waste by up to 90%, making the composting process very efficient.
Easy to operate, the processing time takes about 3-5 hours. The Vitamix FoodCycler holds the most capacity of 1/2 gallon of table food and refrigerator scraps.
Another ideal feature is that the Vitamix FoodCycler does not emit any odor. One of the main reasons why Vitamix FoodCycler is so popular is due to the ability to eliminate odor while the composting process takes place
bioCOMpet Home Pet Composter
Another composter we also reviewed is the bioCOMpet Home Pet Composter. This product is geared towards pets but serves as an excellent kitchen composter as well. For those that have a furry family member, this may be a perfect option for multipurpose usage.
While it’s recommended to use outdoors, we found that you can also use it indoors if used solely for kitchen composting.
Made in the USA, the composter processes up to 5 pounds of food and pet waste, and with the touch of a button is an automatic mixing and heating waste decomposer! With a sleek and compact style, it is easily storable either indoors or outdoors. Learn more about pricing and other features by clicking here.
There are very few drawbacks to this product, and it is an excellent investment for food and waste composting. If you are looking for a long-term investment, this is the product for you! With a one-year warranty, you’re sure to get what you pay for.
Best Non-Electric Kitchen Composter
Are you looking for a high-quality, less expensive option? If so, we recommend the Modern Bauhaus compost bin.
It holds 1.3 Gallons/ 4.9 L liquid of waste with 50 compost bags and six charcoal filters to prevent odor. It’s small and compact with a retro-style look for countertop placement. Priced at under $40, this kitchen composter is a favorite among Amazon shoppers with a 4 1/2 star rating.
Outdoor Composter for Everyday Life
Backyard composting is a simple method of managing household waste in an eco-friendly way.
An outdoor composter is suitable for all lifestyles. Compost is excellent for gardening but also for nice fertilized yard grass.
They are various methods to achieve backyard compost, and the easiest is using an outdoor composter. Buying one can save you time in the long run, but making a DIY composter bin is also a great way to save money.
Both ways help my environment tremendously. An outdoor composter is easily transportable to your garden or yard.
An outdoor composter also holds more capacity to store organic materials to be decomposed. It enhances yards and gardens by improving water retention in soil and increase nitrogen better than a manufactured fertilizer.
Best Outdoor Composter
Ever thought of using compost in your backyard? An Outdoor composter can easily be beneficial to your garden. Compost can easily reduce waste while providing your yard and garden soil nutrients.
Surprisingly, statistics show yard trimmings and food scraps produce 16 to 30% of waste a year of an average family household. By going with an outdoor composter, you can reuse some of that waste into valuable fertilizer.
One of the more popular composters we’ve found is Miracle Gro’s outdoor compost bin. It is easy to assemble in less than 30 minutes and stores easily in the corner of your garden of the house’s side.
Made from recycled plastic, the composter is rustproof and tightly locks to prevent pests from getting into the waste.
Indoor vs. Outdoor – Which is Best For Me?
Before deciding on a food recycler, it’s essential to consider a few things.
Time
An electric composter will break down compost in a few hours, where a typical composter could take months or years (depending on size and what you put in the composter)
Size
If you need a large composter, an outdoor composter is the best bet. While kitchen composters are convenient, they are limited to a smaller size.
Odor
While the kitchen composters we reviewed have a system for managing the odor of decomposing food, many have still opted to go with an outdoor composter simply due to not worrying about a smell coming from the kitchen.
How Does an Electric Composter Work?
An electric kitchen composter uses heat and aeration to distribute circulation with a gentle turn to sterilize waste. The aeration is vented out of the back of the electric composter.
Any odor is captured by a carbon filter when venting. An electric composter aims to speed up the fertilization process by drying the waste through circulation. The drying process is what compacts and reduces food waste volume.
Below are the three phases of a food recycler/electric composter:
Drying
Most electric compost machines heat anywhere from 120 to 170°F to kill any plant pathogens. In electric composters, aeration is distributed with heat to dry out any weeds and sterilize the waste.
In DIY composter bins, The same is achieved over time in the sun and with air holes to create circulation at the bottom of the container.
Grinding
The electric composter grinds the compost after it has dried. Natural compost begins to decay over time.
This breakdown process allows the organic waste to be broken down and act as a quick-release fertilizer.
Plants can then retain water and receive proper nutrients due to spending less time breaking down the compost. The compost is quickly released into the soil.
Cooling
The compost is then cooled by tumbling in the electric food recycler. This is just another phase of aeration and dehumidifying the heat from the previous stages.
Make Your Own DIY Composter
If you’re looking to save money and still reduce your carbon footprint, making a DIY composter may be the right move for you! A DIY composter bin does take longer to process and decompose waste but can store more than your indoor kitchen composters.
Here is what you’ll need to get started:
- A plastic storage bin 18 gallons recommended or larger.
- A garbage bag or weed cloth
- Bungee cord
- Chicken wire
- Garden stakes
- Zip ties
How to set up your DIY composter bin in 6 steps:
- Pick a location where you would like your composting bin. We recommend picking an area closest to your garden for easy transportation.
- Once you have decided on a location, lay down a garbage bag or weed cloth in the desired location.
- Select your storage container as your designated composting bin in the desired area. You should be able to fill the bin up to close the lid tightly.
- Cut the container’s bottom with a saw or drill holes in the bottom of the composter to create airflow and circulation. This will assist in the drying process.
- Finally, fill your composter bin with appropriate organic waste. If animals frequently visit your garden, you can secure the bin with a bungee cord and layer.
Protect Your DIY Composter From Pests or Other Dangers
- Measure a space around the bin. Once completed, place a stake at each corner of the compost bin.
- Cut your weed cloth to the size of the compost area.
- Hammer your weed cloth into the ground with each steak at all four corners.
- Pull and cut chicken wire around the stakes.
- Secure the chicken wire with zip ties
The finished compost should look dark and have a texture of soil. If you are unsure if the soil is ready, take a sample and seal it in a plastic bag for a few days. After a few days, if the soil smells sour, then the compost has not yet been fully processed.
YouTube is also an excellent source for DIY composting tips depending on the type of composter you are looking to build. The video below teaches you how to easily build a composter on a budget:
Composting tips:
There are strict Dos and Don’ts to compost. Understanding what should be composted and what shouldn’t be composted will help determine if you’re composting correctly. Meat bones and dairy can harbor harmful bacteria and should not be added to compost piles. Some people may use small bones in their compost, but in general, it should be avoided.
What You Can Compost:
- Grass clippings
- Garden trimmings
- Green leaves
- Livestock manure
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Coffee grounds in filters
- Tea leaves and bags
- Yard clippings
- Dry grass
- Stale bread
- Shredded paper
- Straw and hay
- Wood chips
What You Shouldn’t Compost:
- Perishable items like meat, fish, eggs, etc.
- Dairy as well odor problems and pests
- Fat grease oils
- Charcoal
- Leftovers
- Takeout containers
- Tissues weeds
- Cardboard
- Plastic bags
- Liquid
- Glass
- Metal
- Cotton balls
- Hazardous waste
The difference between a beautiful, healthy garden and one that lacks its true potential could be what you put into the compost. Be mindful when filling up your compost.
Wrapping It Up
Composting is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and advance your garden without spending extra money on fertilization or high-quality soil. An excellent kitchen composter can save you time and money in the long run.
With an electric kitchen composter, the processing time is significantly cut down to just a few hours, making composting an enjoyable and repeatable process.
If you do not like to have a composter in the kitchen and prefer an outdoor one or are considering building your own composter, the benefits to all of these options help the environment.
Food waste is cut down almost by 90% with a food recycler. The world is going green, so why not jump on the train to a better tomorrow!
