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If you’re looking for an easy and eco-friendly way to dispose of your kitchen waste, a home composter might be just what you need. Composting is the process of decomposing organic matter into nutrient-rich soil, and it’s an excellent way to reduce waste and improve your garden’s soil quality. By composting at home, you can save money on fertilizers and reduce your carbon footprint.
What Is an At-Home Composter?
At-home composters are compact containers that you can use to break down kitchen waste and other organic matter. There are different types of at-home composters, including traditional compost bins, worm composters, and bokashi composters.
Traditional compost bins use natural bacteria and fungi to break down organic matter, while worm composters (vermicomposters) use worms to help with the process.
Bokashi composters use a special mix of microorganisms to ferment food waste before it’s added to a compost bin.
Why Compost at Home?
Composting at home has lots of benefits. First of all, it’s an excellent way to reduce waste. By composting your kitchen waste, you divert it from landfills where it would otherwise take up space and emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Composting at home also helps you save money on fertilizers. The nutrient-rich soil that you create through composting is ideal for improving the quality of your garden soil. This means you’ll need less fertilizer to keep your plants healthy.
Composting can help reduce your carbon footprint. When organic matter breaks down in a landfill, it emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Composting at home reduces the amount of organic matter that ends up in landfills, which in turn reduces methane emissions.
How to Get Started with At-Home Composting
If you’re interested in starting an at-home composting system, here’s how to get started in five easy steps:
- Choose your composter: Decide which type of composter is right for you. Traditional compost bins are best for outdoor use, while worm composters and bokashi composters can be used indoors or outdoors.
- Set up your composter: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set up your composter. If you’re using an outdoor composter, you’ll need to find a spot in your yard that’s shaded and well-drained.
- Add organic matter: Start adding organic matter to your composter. This can include kitchen waste, such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells. You may also be able to compost non-food items like beeswax wraps. Some require you to mix your kitchen waste with “brown matter” such as dead leaves. Be sure to avoid adding meat, dairy, and fatty foods, as these can attract pests.
- Mix your compost: For outdoor composters, use a pitchfork or shovel to mix your compost regularly, or turn your composters if you have a rotating model. This will help speed up the composting process and ensure that all of the organic matter is broken down evenly.
- Harvest your compost: After several weeks or months, depending on your composter and the conditions, your compost should be ready to use. Harvest your compost by removing the top layer of uncomposted organic matter and scooping out the nutrient-rich soil underneath. Add it to your gardens to deliver nutrients that will help your plants grow faster and stronger.
Best Indoor Home Composters
For these indoor composters, you will put your food waste directly into the bin.
1. All Seasons Indoor Composter Starter Kit ($69)
Pros:
- Holds 5 gallons of food waste
- Comes with 2 lbs of compost starter
- Can take meat, dairy, small bones, and paper
Cons:
- Takes up counter or floor space
- Requires draining compost “tea” every few days
The SCD Probiotics Indoor Composter Starter Kit is an easy-to-use composting system that allows you to compost right in your kitchen. The kit includes a 5-gallon countertop compost bin made of 75% post-consumer recycled goods, a strainer, spigot, and lid. It also comes with 1 gallon (2 lbs.) of compost starter, making it beginner-friendly.
To start composting, simply scrape food scraps into the bin, sprinkle a layer of bokashi compost starter, and close the lid. The bokashi compost starter controls odor and breaks down food naturally, making it virtually odorless. The composter is also a space saver, so it’s great for apartments and smaller spaces.
You need to drain the compost “tea” every few days, which you can then put right on your plants. Mmm, delicious nutrient-rich compost tea!
Once your compost is ready, you have a few options for what to do with it next:
- Transfer the material into your garden by digging a hole approximately 6-12 inches, mixing the food scraps with soil as you add it in. Cover the compost completely with soil to allow for further decomposition and to deter critters. Wait two weeks before planting.
- Fill 1/3 of a container with potting soil, add compost, and lightly mix with soil. Fill the remaining 1/3 of the container with potting soil. Wait two weeks before planting.
- Add the food scraps from the All Seasons Indoor Composter into a larger compost pile in your backyard. Turn it over and apply a heavy dose of All Seasons Bokashi, if needed.
2. The Worm Factory 360 Composting System ($140)
Pros:
- Consumes several lbs waste/week
- Large volume vermicomposter
- Creates compost, worm castings, and compost tea
- 5-year warranty
Cons:
- Requires additional ingredients to use
If you’re keen to try vermicomposting, the Worm Factory 360 Composting System is a US-made composting system built with durable high-quality plastic. It houses thousands of worms that can consume several pounds of waste each week, providing an eco-friendly way to dispose of food waste.
The compact 4-tray system is expandable up to 6 trays, offering the largest volume of any home vermicomposter. Each tray has a grid bottom that allows the worms to migrate upwards as new food is added.As each tray is filled, another is added to the top, creating a continuous loop system.
The worms then process the food waste into fine compost that’s full of nutrients. With worms capable of eating about half their weight in food per day, you can start with 1/2 lb of worms and gradually increase as the size of your community grows.
The Worm Factory 360 operates odor-free, enabling you to create compost year-round indoors. This system comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
If you go the vermicomposting route, don’t forget to get some worms!
3. Vitamix FoodCycler ($350)
Pros:
- Very fast composting time
- Dishwasher safe bin
- No need to mix compost yourself
Cons:
- On the expensive side
- Makes a low grinding sound as it works
- Takes up kitchen counter space
The Vitamix FoodCycler composter is a super convenient, high-tech solution for composting food waste at home. It is a countertop appliance that can process up to 2 pounds of food scraps at a time, reducing them to a nutrient-rich soil amendment in just 4-8 hours.
The FoodCycler uses a combination of heat, agitation, and airflow to break down food scraps into compost, eliminating the need for outdoor composting or the disposal of food waste in the trash. The compact design and odor-free operation make it a convenient and efficient way to recycle food scraps in any home.
The inner bin can go right into the dishwasher for easy cleaning, which is especially useful since compost bins can get pretty yucky over time.
Best Kitchen Compost Bins
If you’re going to use an outdoor composter, you’ll also want to get an indoor bin to collect food scraps that you will then move to your composter once it’s full. Here are two of our favorite kitchen compost bins.
1. SimpleHuman Compost Bin ($48) 
We like the SimpleHuman compost bin because it’s made of nice looking stainless steel, and SimpleHuman’s compostable liner bags fit neatly inside its removable inner bin.
It also looks like a nice stainless appliance for your kitchen that doesn’t scream “rotting food.”
2. Yatmung Compost Bin ($34)
Another simple bin we like is the Yatmung bin, which is made of sustainable bamboo and has carbon filters to trap odors. It is also safe to clean this bin in the dishwasher, which is extra useful.
Best Outdoor Home Composters
Once you get a compost bin for your counter-top or under your sink, you’ll need an outdoor composter for your yard. Here are some of the best outdoor home composters you can buy.
1. FCMP Outdoor IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter ($72)
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Two high volume chambers
- No need to stir compost (spins instead)
Cons:
- Can be tricky to put together initially
Once you get it put together (which took my husband about 45 minutes), this composter made from recycled plastic in Canada is super easy to use. It has two chambers, so once one is full and busy breaking down your compost, you can begin filling the other one. If you have room in your yard, this is one of the best composters you can get for the price.
The chambers have aeration holes to help oxygen mix with the compost. Every couple of days, make sure to spin the container, and voila — you will have nutrient-rich compost within a couple of months that’s ready to go straight into your vegetable garden.
2. Geobin Compost Bin ($35)
Pros:
- Inexpensive option that works well
- Large volume
- Made in USA
Cons:
- May be accessible to critters
The Compost Bin by GEOBIN is a versatile composting system that allows you to compost yard waste and food scraps effectively. Made in the USA, the GEOBIN is a lightweight and easy-to-assemble composting bin that can hold up to 246 gallons of material.
With proper care and maintenance, the GEOBIN can produce compost in as little as two months. It’s an affordable and eco-friendly solution for anyone looking to reduce waste and create nutrient-rich soil for their garden, though perhaps less suitable for yards with nighttime critters who may be able to rummage through its contents.
3. Algreen Soil Saver Classic Compost Bin ($81)
Pros:
- Large enough to produce lots of compost
- Produces compost in 6-8 weeks
- Lid keeps out animals
- Made from recycled materials
Cons:
- Some find it tricky to put together initially
The Algreen Compost Bin is an environmentally-friendly composter made from 100% recycled material that can reduce food waste by turning food scraps, kitchen, and garden waste into rich organic dark compost humus in 6 to 8 weeks. It is 28 inches long x 28 inches deep x 32 inches tall with an internal volume of 12 cubic feet.
This bin features a locking self-watering lid that keeps animals out and lets air circulate for faster composting. The large opening and sliding doors make it easy to access and remove compost from the bottom once it’s ready, while still adding new compost materials to the top. The thickness of the bin helps insulate heat and facilitate the breakdown of waste by micro-organisms, resulting in nutrient-rich soil.
People who use this bin are super happy with it, and many find themselves buying a second one because it works so well. It’s beginner-friendly and produces nutrient rich soil in under two months.
Turn Your Kitchen Waste into Black Gold With a Home Composter
Composting at home is a simple and effective way to reduce waste and improve soil quality. By choosing one of these home composters and following some simple steps, you can turn your kitchen waste into nutrient-rich soil that will benefit your garden and the environment for years to come.
For more gardening success, check out our picks for the best organic fertilizers.
