Foodcyclers, AKA kitchen countertop composters, are the latest innovation in composting. Reduce up to 90% of landfill waste by turning food scraps into soil-amendment with these eco-friendly appliances.
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What Are Foodcyclers?
Foodcyclers, otherwise known as countertop composters, have been springing up in kitchens this season. These convenient devices are revolutionizing food disposal habits of people worldwide by eliminating room for rotting odors from within the garbage can or outdoor compost pile. With just the push of a button, it is now easier than ever to transform food scraps into a nutrient-rich soil amendment for your houseplants and garden.
Unlike traditional outdoor composting, you don’t need worms to do the work. Foodcyclers function year-round, reducing up to 80% of waste volume that would otherwise end up in landfills. Traditional composts tend to freeze in the winter and rot in the summer, attracting unwanted pests like bugs, raccoons, skunks, and sometimes even bears. Having an indoor electric composter makes it impervious to the elements, plus more available to those who live in apartments or cities where composting may be difficult to achieve.
Yard composts are not for the faint of heart and require significant trial and error to fully master. There are often overwhelming smells and underwhelming results involved for eager, Eco-conscious beginners. Having a foodcycler is a perfect game-changer for those who do not have the time or patience to deal with manually managing the months-long process of turning food scraps into fertilizer.
How Do They Work?
Foodcyclers work by first dehydrating the food waste at a low temperature, drastically reducing it in volume and killing pathogens. Once the food is fully dried out, it is then ground into fine granules with the help of powerful built-in blades. The end result is an organic soil-amendment that can be put in soil directly, saved for later use, or even thrown away to create less smelling garbage.
Depending on the model and mode selected, this cycle can take anywhere from 2 to 24 hours. The type of food waste put in also has an impact on the amount of processing time. Be aware that tougher scraps such as chicken bones or melon rinds may have to be processed twice. These machines do create a subtle noise similar to a dishwasher.
Pro-Tips:
- You can add dried leaves for better results
- Add shredded cardboard or leaves to balance out particularly fruity or sticky batches
- Collect scraps throughout the day and run at night to make compost ready in the morning
If you have been contemplating on switching to indoor composting, here is a list of highly-rated foodcyclers:
The 5 Best Countertop Composters
- Airthereal Revive Electric Kitchen Composter
- Lomi | Word’s First Smart Waste Kitchen Composter
- Frossvt Compost Bin Kitchen
- Homaz life Electric Kitchen Composter
- Vitamix 068051 FoodCycler FC-50
Bonus: GEME | World’s First Bio Smart Electric Composter Kitchen
Airthereal Revive Electric Kitchen Composter
12.5″L x 10″W x 12.5″H
16.8 lbs
Up to 2.5 Liters
This composter has a signature SHARKSDEN tri-blade that is as sharp as shark’s teeth, per its namesake, allowing it to crush waste in multiple directions for a finer compost. Included are biodegradable, odor-reducing carbon filters that are 100% chemical free paper. With its sleek scratch-proof coating, you can compost in style.
Lomi | Word’s First Smart Waste Kitchen Composter
25″L x 12″W x 12″H
24.8 pounds
Up to 3 Liters
The first of its kind, Lomi has revolutionized composting. This innovative countertop composter is designed to fit seamlessly into your kitchen, providing a stylish and convenient solution for composting food scraps and other organic materials. It comes with your first 90 days-worth of odor reducing pods, ensuring that your compost remains odor-free and free from pests, while its easy-to-use design makes it simple to empty and clean.
Frossvt Compost Bin Kitchen
9.96″L x 9.96″W x 12.4″H
Weighs 13lbs
Up to 2.5 Liters
The Frossvt Compost Bin has 3 different modes for composting: Quick for solely food scraps, Standard for the case of biodegradable bioplastic products, and Ferment to create a semi-wet debris that will accelerate natural fermentation. This device also includes 3 activated charcoal packs to reduce odor and are easy to replace (recommended every 6 months.) There are 2 button options: Mode for the aforementioned desired settings and Volume for the amount of waste put in. This foodcycler is on the smaller side, making it a great choice for limited counter space.
Homaz life Electric Kitchen Composter
12.6″L x 10.6″W x 13.6″H
Weighs 19.6 Pounds
Up to 4.5 Liters
Passionate cooks may be familiar with this brand, as they are known for their stylish and reliable cookware. Unlike the Frossvt foodcylver, the Homaz Life Electric composter is larger with its 4.5 Liter capacity bucket, making it ideal for large families and frequent cooks. The bucket is dishwasher safe, making it super easy to clean. Its generous capacity space makes it awkwardly big for a kitchen countertop, however, but could be plugged into a more convenient space.
Vitamix 068051 FoodCycler FC-50
12.6″D x 11″W x 14.2″H
Weighs 27 lbs
Up to 2 Liters
Vitamix has been revolutionizing kitchen appliances since 1921. This family-owned company is best known for their powerful blenders but have recently come out with their own kitchen composter. The interior bucket is dishwasher safe, making an easy cleanup. This foodcycler is the smallest of its kind, perfect for single adults or couples with limited counter space. Its compact size makes it easy to store anywhere with power.
Bonus:
GEME | World’s First Bio Smart Electric Composter Kitchen
18″L x 12.6″W x 26.2″H
Weighs 43 lbs
Up to 19 Liters
This jumbo foodcycler is unlike the ones listed above with its unique GK Resource Recycling Technology. While the others break down waste by dehydrating and grinding, the GEME Bio Smart Electric Composter is powered with bio-technology, meaning it composts the natural way right in your kitchen. Since there are no grinding blades, this composter is practically noiseless. The included Kobold bag is good to run for a whole year, making it odorless as well. It stands about as tall as a standard kitchen trashcan and reduces up to 95% of waste, making it a great investment for kitchens everywhere.
In Conclusion
Purchasing a foodcycler offers so many sustainable benefits for your household and the environment. By transforming your food waste into nutrient-rich soil, you can reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet.
This innovative composting solution can help you save money on fertilizer and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. By investing in this composting technology, you can not only improve your own quality of life but also help create a better world for future generations.
Happy Composting!
- Envision La Vida
I feel like every house should have one to help combat waste pollution. Wish they would have more affordable options though.
Yes, it would help keep so much waste out of landfills if every house had one. Foodcyclers are a fairly new invention and hopefully we will see more options as the years go by 🙂