Electric kitchen composters are a convenient and environmentally-friendly way to dispose of food waste in your home. Instead of sending the organic matter to the landfill, where it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, an electric kitchen composter allows you to turn your food scraps into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to fertilize your plants and gardens. But are they worth it? Here’s what you need to know about their functionality, benefits, and the best options available in the market:
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How Does an Electric Kitchen Composter Work?
Electric kitchen composters use heat and mechanical processes to transform food scraps into compost. They heat waste to approximately 160 degrees, which is high enough to eliminate most viruses. This prolonged heating results in dehydration of food scraps, which are then grounded into granules, ready to enrich your soil.
Some electric composters rotate the food scraps while they are being heated, which speeds up the drying process.
What is the Best Electric Kitchen Composter?
With so many electric kitchen composters on the market, it can be tough to choose the best one for your needs. The Lomi kitchen composter and the Vitamix Food Cycler have emerged as consumer favourites for turning food waste into compost in the comfort of your own home. Here’s a quick comparison of the two products:
Lomi kitchen composter:
- Uses heat and abrasion to break down food waste
- Can process up to 3L of food waste per day
- Can compost a wide range of food items, including meat, dairy, and bones, as well as packaging such as bioplastics
- Has a compact size, making it suitable for small kitchens
- One-button operation (press and hold to change modes)
- Breaks down waste in 3 to 20 hours (depending on mode)
- Has a removable tray for easy cleaning
- Is made of recyclable plastic with a metal interior
The Lomi electric kitchen composter is a compact and convenient way to turn your food waste into compost right in your own home. It can quickly and effectively break down food waste, including meat, dairy, bones, and even bioplastics, by using heat and friction. It has a sleek and modern design, with a capacity for up to 3 liters of food waste per day, making it an attractive choice for small to medium-sized households.
One of the key benefits of the Lomi composter is its ease of use. It has a simple one-button operation, and the removable tray makes it easy to clean. There are three modes on the Lomi composter:
- Eco express mode (3-5 hours): waste is reduced to add to compost or green bin
- Lomi approved mode (5-8 hours): Lomi approved products and packaging (such as bioplastics) can be broken down
- Grow mode (16-20 hours): waste is converted into fertilizer that can be mixed into soil for your houseplants and garden
The Lomi composter comes with charcoal filters and Lomi Pods, which are a blend of probiotics that speeds the degradation and helps your fertilizer become richer in nutrients. It’s not necessary to use these, however, is recommended if you want to use the ‘Lomi approved’ or “grow’ modes.
Overall, it is a dependable and practical solution for converting food waste at home into compost. Its small size, simple operation, and durable construction make it an excellent choice for people wishing to reduce their environmental impact while producing nutrient-rich compost for their plants and gardens.
Vitamix Food Cycler:
- Uses a powerful motor and grinding blades to reduce food waste to a fine compostable material
- Can process up to 2 litres of food waste per day
- 4-8 hour processing time
- Can compost a wide range of food items, including meat, dairy, and bones
- Has a compact size, making it suitable for small kitchens
- Is easy to use, with a simple push-button operation
- Has a removable collection container for easy cleaning and storing scraps
- Is made of durable, food-grade materials
If you want to recycle your food scraps into fertilizer without leaving your house, the Vitamix Food Cycler is our pick (we use ours daily). The Food Cycler has a strong engine and grinding blades that can turn food waste into a fine biodegradable substance in as little as four hours. Smaller to medium-sized families may benefit from its ability to process up to 2 litres of food waste daily.
The Vitamix Food Cycler’s one-button interface makes it a breeze to operate. It can handle a wide range of foods, such as meat, dairy, and bones, breaking down waste into a tenth of its original volume. The collecting container is detachable and comes with its own charcoal filter lid, so you can fill up the bucket on your benchtop throughout the day, without worrying about any smell. The bucket can also go in the dishwasher, allowing for simple cleaning and upkeep.
When it comes to home composting, the Vitamix Food Cycler is a solid and efficient choice. It’s a terrific option for individuals who want to lessen their ecological footprint and prepare nutrient-rich compost for their plants and gardens because of its adaptability, strength, and user-friendliness. It will serve you well for many years because of its sturdy build and strong motor.
How to Start a Kitchen Compost Bin
There are a few things to think about before you build your own kitchen compost bin. The first step is to choose a composting technique that suits your needs. An electric kitchen composter might be the best option for those who want a hands-free method. If you’re looking for something more old-school, a worm bin, compost pile or a tumbling composter may be good options.
Once you have a compost bin, the next step is to decide where to put it. Your compost bin may be stored in the yard, if you have one, or anywhere else outside. People who live in apartments or don’t have access to the outdoors can find other ways to compost, such as electric countertop composters and electric do-it-yourself composters.
Put your food scraps in the container after you’ve decided on a composting technique and location. Ensure you’re adhering to any recommendations or directions offered by your compost bin’s maker. You can start making nutrient-rich compost for your plants and gardens with very little work.
Should I get a kitchen composter?
Kitchens equipped with electric composters can be more eco-friendly and convenient than those without. They are easy to use, take less time and space than traditional methods of composting, and help you reduce your environmental impact by keeping food scraps out of landfills.
If you don’t want to use an electric composter in the kitchen, you can always use worm bins or build a regular compost pile outside. We have even made compost smoothies for our garden. Composting, in whatever form it takes, is an easy and practical way to reduce waste around the house and make it more eco-friendly.
The biggest attraction for an electric kitchen composter is its ability to do the job in a small amount of space and be smell free! Unlike the outdoor options, which take a long time and can be a little smelly.
Good for those who live in places with minimal yard space
Kitchen composters are great for those living in apartments (or with limited outdoor space) who want to reduce their food waste. We have a small garden so we compost inside with an electric composter and then blend the processed compost into our garden.
Good for those who want to reduce food waste
Even if you don’t have a garden, you can sleep better knowing that the volume of green waste you put in the rubbish bin is significantly less (as it’s been shrunk with the composting process).
Most organic waste makes its way to large-scale rubbish ‘tips’ where it has trouble breaking down over time due to the volume (and being mixed in with non-organic materials).
Good for composting without the smell
Traditional composting methods can take a long time and create quite an unpleasant smell (as organic food breaks down). The electric kitchen composter, though, does a great job of breaking down the food waste efficiently without the unwanted smell!
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Aaron is one of the co-founders of The Dharma Trails. His background in marine eco tourism and writing have blended together to create the eco travel platform read by users around the world.
