Electric Composters- Here’s What You Need to Know

This is our guide and review of the electric composters in 2022.

To find an efficient way to recycle kitchen waste, you may need an electric composter, however, finding the right one can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for. 

To help you with this we researched the best electric composters and found Vitamix 068051 FoodCycler to be the perfect option.

But depending on your preferences, you may need something different. Read on to find out whether an electric composter is suitable for you, and if yes, which one is the best for you!

What is an Electronic Composter?

Electric composters are innovative alternatives to traditional composting. Since they’re about the size of a trash can, they allow you to compost inside your home. 

These machines use aeration, heat and pulverization to reduce food odor, waste volume and emissions, and produce end-product as fertilizer for plants. 


How does an electric composter work?

Electric composters have three phases to break down food waste and turn it into fertilizer. Their process can take from 4 to 48 hours to complete depending on your selected machine. 

Drying

The first phase uses heat to dry the compost. Outdoor compost piles often reach anywhere from 120 to 170℉ due to sun exposure. Electric composters reach an internal temperature of 160℉ to dry the organic material.

As the electric kitchen composter heats the compost, it gently turns it to sterilize all of the material. Drying the food waste reduces the volume, so you can add more to your electric composter.

Grinding

The second phase is grinding, which is similar to turning a traditional compost pile. The electric kitchen composter uses grinding gears to turn the reduced material, breaking it down into smaller particles.

Grinding happens quickly, with most machines completing one revolution per minute. Since electric composters make such small pieces of compost, they break down easier in the soil to immediately deliver nutrients to your plants’ roots.

Cooling

The last cycle of the electric composter is the cooling phase. The internal temperature of the machine decreases until the compost is safe to handle.

The machine is still working during the cooling phase. Electric composters are always aerating and dehumidifying the material so it won’t mold or rot.


Do Electric Composters, Compost?

million compost movement

Not really, it depends on what you consider as “compost”. 

Electric composters are more helpful in breaking down food waste. This is the same as compost piles, only drier and more sterile. For this reason, you cannot use the fertilizer as topsoil if you are a serious gardener. 

Compost fertilizers are helpful because of their high bacteria content and neutral pH. This is missing when you use electric composters.

The only positive side is the higher nitrogen level of the compost. Additionally, electric composters are suitable for a quick fix and do not create a messy compost pile.

But there is one drawback though- processed food will increase the sodium content of the fertilizer, which is toxic.


The Advantages of Electric Composters

Time-Saving

Not only do these machines do all of the work for you, but they do it quickly! You can add food waste and have fresh compost in anywhere from 3 to 48 hours.

All Season

You can use electric composters inside, so you don’t have to consider the weather.

Compact

These bins are compact and fit in small spaces. Many models can sit on your kitchen counter, while you can store others in a cabinet like a trash can.

Odorless and Pest-Free

These kitchen composters have lids to keep pests from getting into your food waste. They also prevent odors from entering your home.

Versatile

Electric composters take more food waste than traditional composting can handle. You can add meat, dairy products, processed food, small bones, and more.


3 Best Electric Composters

#1. Vitamix 068051 FoodCycler – The Best Overall

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The Vitamix FoodCycler is one of the easiest electric composters to use. There’s a fill line on the inside so you won’t overfill the machine. Beyond that, all you have to do is press the power button, and the composter does the rest.

You don’t have too long to wait because the machine completes the cycle in 4 to 8 hours. You can remove the electric compost bin to take the compost outside and mix it with your soil. Cleanup is a breeze because the bucket is dishwasher-safe. 

And Vitamix FoodCycler is also the best budget buy in the market. 

Pros

  • 2.5 liter capacity
  • Processing time is just 4 to 8 hours
  • Removable bucket for easy compost removable
  • Interior compost bin is dishwasher-safe
  • Budget friendly

Cons

  • Only comes with one bucket, and extras are very expensive
  • Regularly replace the carbon filter to ensure no odors escape


#2.  Pela Lomi Electric Composter

lomi product

The Lomi Electric Composter is so simple that there’s only one button on the machine. After you fill the container with up to three liters of food scraps, turn on the machine. In just four hours, you’ll have compost.

This machine is unique because it has an option to break down compostable plastics. It takes up to 10 hours, but it’s a great way to use things you might otherwise throw away. Select your option by holding down the power button longer.

The Lomi composter has a unique look, but because of its rounded shape, it might not fit well on your kitchen counter. It takes up a lot of room, so you might store it away and only bring it out when you need it.

Pros

  • Holds three liters of food waste
  • Can break down compostable plastics
  • Makes compost in as little as four hours
  • Interior bucket is dishwasher-safe

Cons

  • Rounded shape makes it harder to keep out of the way
  • Must preorder a machine before it ships in Jul. 2022


#3. Tero Electric Composter

Tero

The Tero Electric Composter offers best-in-class performance. It offers a fast and automatic solution that will convert your waste within 3 to 8 hours, including animal materials. All you need to do is press the start button. 

The best thing about this machine is that it produces odorless compost and compresses the food waste by 90%. This is perfect if you want quick results for your lawns, gardens, and plants. 

Also, the compost has all the nutrients intact despite being dry in nature. This is an entirely eco-friendly solution that will help reduce your carbon footprint by 50%.

You can even connect the latest version of the Tero Electric Composter with your Wi-Fi connection. 

Pros

  • Unique Grand Prix du design increases bin capacity
  • Short cycle time takes just 3 to 8 hours to process
  • Produces dry but nutrient-rich compost 
  • Low-noise technology 
  • Creates odorless and 99% dust-free byproduct using an advanced anti-odor system 
  • Patented dual blade and 2x faster heating technology kills all pathogens

Cons

  • Does not break down bioplastics 
  • Only helpful in creating regular compost


What to Consider When Purchasing an Electric Composter

If you want to choose the best electric composter, you need to consider a few factors. 

​Size

If you are looking for one for your kitchen setup, you should consider the kitchen space for that. The best thing about electric composters is that they barely take more space than an air fryer. In fact, their footprint is even less than 2.5 square feet. 

However, the high-capacity models tend to be larger, though. 

​Capacity

You also need to consider the capacity of the electric composters. Usually, their processing capacity ranges within 2 to 5 pounds, with an overage of 3 pounds. 

But, the ideal capacity of your electric composter depends on two things:

  • The amount of food waste
  • The amount of compost you want to produce

Processing Time

Electric composters tend to be faster compared to conventional compost bins. It is still better to take into account the processing time of the model you want to choose. 

While some electric composters will take only 3 hours to process, some models may require more time. Now, the difference of a few hours should not impact your gardening routine much, but it is better to consider that beforehand. 

Some models make a lot of noise while in function, so you probably want one that finishes the job faster. 

​Costs

The average cost of an electric composter is between $300 to $700, but some models might cost slightly more. It would be best to remember that a higher price range does not ensure higher efficiency in this case. 

You also need to consider the cost of enzymes and additives if you plan to add them. 


What Can You Choose Besides Electric Composters

If you still prefer to have more organic compost for your garden, but feel constrained due to living in apartments or suburban areas. There are two alternative options which you can consider besides electric composters. 

Bokashi Composting

Bokashi is an anaerobic fermentation process which leverages bokashi bran to ferment all your kitchen scraps into compost tea & pre-compost materials for your garden.

bokashi process infographic

You can use bokashi, like SCD Probiotics bokashi kit, to recycle your daily kitchen waste and get organic fertilizer within 2-4 weeks. 

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Bokashi composting has many advantages and it’s one of my favorite indoor composting methods. Its advantages include cheap, easy to maintain, less odor and allow you to compost meat and dairy. 


Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting, also called worm composting, is a way to feed worms with your kitchen waste and use worm poop as the nutrition for your soil and plants.

worm castings infographic

Compared with bokashi, it’s a bit complex to maintain because you need to deal with the lovely creatures – worms. 

However, the advantage of vermicomposting is that the end-product is very nutritious and has many benefits for your soil and plants. If you care for garden maintenance more, vermicomposting is one of the best indoor compost solutions.

You can opt for the Worm Factory Worm Compost Bin to start your vermicomposting journey. 

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FAQ

Is an electric composter good?

Electric composter is a good solution for the people who don’t have enough time and space for traditional composting. With an electric composter, you don’t need to wait and handle the compost pile, while you can still get a dry and odorless fertilizer which can nourish your garden.

Are compost machines worth it?

If you’re looking for a simple way to recycle your food waste and transfer it into fertilizer for your plants, yes, compost machines are worth it. 

Electric composters fit inside your house and don’t take up much space. Best of all, they do all of the work for you. You can put almost any type of food waste and organic matter in the machine and have nutrient-rich compost in as little as 4-8 hours

How Much Electricity Does a Foodcycler Use?

A Vitamix Foodcycler uses about one kilowatt hour (kWh). This isn’t much electricity—it’s equivalent to how much a desktop computer uses in the same amount of time.

A complete cycle to create compost lasts anywhere from four to eight hours. The average cycle for 2.5 liters of food waste is about five hours. 

That means running the Foodcycler is the same as keeping your computer on for five hours. You probably already do this without noticing a major increase in your utility bill, so the Foodcycler won’t be too expensive to run.

An interior sensor detects how dry your food scraps are. When it feels like the compost has reached the right levels of dryness and humidity, the machine stops running.

Is Lomi Composter Legit?

Yes. Because you have to pay a deposit and wait for a model to ship, many people aren’t sure about how legit Lomi composters truly are.

Early adopters of this appliance share online reviews raving about this product. It’s small and stylish and they love how it looks in their kitchen. Elements are dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.

People especially love that the machine can handle compostable plastics. This is a unique feature for electric composters. As more companies use compostable plastics for straws and disposable cutlery, it’s a great idea to get a machine that can make the most out of this potential waste.


Our Verdict

If you still prefer an electric composter for your home, Vitamix 068051 FoodCycle is the overall best choice. Not only because it’s an easy solution to recycle your food waste, but also it’s budget friendly.

Whichever option you choose, make sure it suits your compost needs and your budget.


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