I have a large covered black compost bin in my back yard. I use an empty gallon milk jug on my counter to hold potato peels, banana skins, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, and other raw compostables (all vegetable or fruit, no meat either raw or cooked) which I empty into the bin every other day. Cut the top of the jug off, leaving the handle intact, and rinse it out with the water hose. When it gets all cruddy, toss it and use another jug. Simple and free.
We use a 2 litre square plastic ice cream container. It has a lid, and is dishwasher safe. No need for an expensive gadget. Empty it daily and it won’t stink or rot.
I have bags, but don't use them. They rip easily when I try to open them, and any moist scraps will start the degrading, often before I'm ready to take it to my green bin. I just wash my kitchen bin. My favorite scrap bin is not in your line-up. It's from Blue Ginko, a South Korean household goods company. It's like the OXO, but better. The lid is completely separate, and there's an inner slotted basket to let the liquids drain. It does get mucky inside, but rinses perfectly clean. The lid seals very well, no smells or fruit flies (my problem with ofther scrap bins). And it's a bit cheaper. NOTE: don't think of this as a compost bin. It's a scrap bin, a place to put food scraps that will later go off to be composted. You can't make compost in these! If you are composting or sending scraps off to be composted, you need a place to put them while you prep your food.
When I'm collecting for my own compost pile, I don't bother with the liners either. I have been in rentals where it wasn't practical to compost, but the local trash service collects compost, and they require the compostable bags.
I've had my stainless steel bin for more than 10 years. It usually just requires a rinse, but I've used scrubbing powder or steel wool pads to get off stains. It looks brand new, and it looks good on my counter. Not interested in plastic.
Don't use a bag, compostable or not. All you have to do is rinse the bucket out. I only wash mine every third or fourth dump. A bag is a waste of money and resources.
Just so you know, those green bags have never broken down in my composters. These containers are a concept that have never worked for me. I take my scraps out on the cutting board after I clean up from cooking.
I have a small garden and have used a compost bin in my kitchen forever. I do have the OXO one and it works great. I do like the lid staying open so i do not have to put the lid somewhere else while using it. The lid detaches so you can clean it easily. Before the OXO version i used an old icecream tub container. The stay open lid and bigger capacity is what sold me on OXO. And I have a small compost pile outside that I empty this bin onto. The organic compost soil is great for flowers and vegetables. I do understand that if you do not cook everyday that having a compost bin take up space on your counter is a dumb idea. If you eat out a lot or do a lot of box meals or microwave heating then a compost bin may not make sense. But if you cook from scratch each day and you like to garden then a compost bin is a smart idea.
@@MichaelChelen I only smell the bad smells when I open the lid. I do not smell the contents if the lid is shut. I use plastic liners (veggie bags from grocery store) in the bin and it seals tighter than just using the lid. Maybe this will help.
I just reuse extra large (Costco) yogurt containers. Since the short distance to my compost bin might be icy in winter or mosquito infested in summer or, my disability might be bothering me, I keep them in my FREEZER all the time! Then, on a warmer winter day or windy summer day, I take the two or three yogurt containers out, dump them, and reuse them. Just saved you money and counter space for the cost of half a freezer door shelf. No stink, no mold, no flies, and no plastic liners! Those liners are NOT compostable too!
I use the silver metal one with the holes in the top and filters displayed in the video, and I do not use liner bags. ATK makes a good point about being able to open the bin with the back of your hand. Evenso I’m very happy with the one I have. No plastic either!!
those things are also great for worm farms (if you have two) and are HDPE so you can also modify them lightly and grow hydroponics vegetables in! I have one tomato plant in each
Oh Adam. I had the black one for years. Just have to pinch the handles with pliers so they don’t slip off. It really doesn’t take up much room on my counter and I like the smaller size that it fills up quicker that I have to take it outside. Sorry but I like the loser.
I bought my daughter a cute metal compost bin with a removable bailed plastic liner, so no bags needed. She doesn't compost because all the scraps go to the pigs. It is so handy to have one of these bins sitting on the counter.
Where I live, composting is the law, but using the plastic compost bags are banned (paper is okay). I have a plastic compost container that requires bags, that I bought before the fact that we can’t use bags was clarified, and that has multiple pieces to it, so it really can’t be used without bags or it leaks. I also have the plastic green compost bags, again, bought before the rules were clear. So now until I use those up, I have to take the bag out, dump the contents in the green municipal bin, and then throw the compost bag in the trash. Total pain! Hopefully when I use those up and get some paper bags, it’ll be a little easier. However, I seriously wish I had bought a one piece compost bin made out of stainless steel or something that I could dump straight into the municipality’s bin and then just easily wash/wipe out, without needing bags. The Oxo container looks good, but even it has a little gasket thing for holding the bags which is an extra piece to clean and annoying when you can’t use bags. My aunt has the stainless one pictured in the lineup, and it’s so much better than the one I have. She uses no bags, just puts a paper towel at the bottom before filling it to help the food release cleanly when she dumps it. Plus, instead of trying to flip it open when she’s prepping/cooking, she just opens it in advance, tosses things in, and then replaces the lid when she’s done. Even without the filter, there no issue with smells. Eventually, I’m upgrading to her bin!
some of those aren't actually 'composting', they grind up what you put in them, and cook the result, so yes you can add it to soil or gardens, but the bacteria and other micro-organisms aren't likely to be present. So compost in that it's still biological matter, but not live. Sort of like yogurt with live cultures rather than dead ones.
Food waste in landfills can produce methane gas. So I’m glad that we can put scraps out with our yard waste for composting. We have the smaller OXO bin (.75 gallon as opposed to 1.75). We use compostable liners, and I change/empty it at least once a week. More if the bin is full or heavy or stinky. The interior is completely smooth (no corners or seams) so it’s easy to clean.
I love my OXO. I've had it about 5 years. I don't use liners of any kind; it's very easy to rinse out and the lid *does* slide up and off easily for thorough cleaning. I keep a nice ceramic bowl on the counter for scraps and it's easy to dump into the OXO compost container on the floor by the kitchen door, because of that nifty clean 'open-with-back-of-your-hand' lid that stays open while you fill it. Never any smells or fruit flies in the kitchen, even if it gets filled with fruit scraps that start composting because someone avoided taking it out to the big compost bin. 🤭😆 I love it.
For anyone saying you don't need a bag- there are times when you do. For us, we can't have a compost pile in the backyard just yet (someday!) so in the meantime, we have the city pick up our compostables from an organics bin we put in the alley weekly. The city requires us to bag the compost for easier removal and less mess for their crews. If we were composting in the yard, I wouldn't bother with the bio bags because, as many have mentioned, they do start to break down over about 5 days.
I had a small bathroom wastebasket I never used, so that became my compost pail. It has no lid but in my experience that doesn’t matter. It means evaporation of any potential liquid and I haven’t had issue with odors
I've used the OXO bin for years. Love it. We don't use a bafg. Just collect the scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells, and dump them into the outdoor bin a couple of times a week. Dishwasher safe.
If you are home composting, then no oil, meat, fish scraps, veggie only. If you have composting pickup that takes everything, then a small/bathroom size, foot operated garbage can works great. Plus, I don't want garbage on my counter top😮
Who wants either the generic green or gray plastic contrainer to be visible in their beautiful kitchen. A better option for my updated kitchen that we spent tens of thousands of dollars on is an old fashioned crock with lid. Just pull out the liner to take outside and every week the crock can be cleaned and sanitized in dishwasher.
We have the OXO and it's ease of use is fantastic, however the lid does not seal very tightly. Over time this can cause issues with smell, and with ants.
The compostable bags aren’t nearly as sturdy as plastic bags, so they can leak and fall apart. That’s why it’s best to be able to take the whole bin out.
A tip to keep your indoor countertop bin cleaner and less grimy - add some sort of absorbent material whenever you add scraps. It could be paper towels, plant based animal bedding or litter (unused, lol), wood pellets, even garden lime (too much lime can throw off soil ph though).
I have a counter top composter that isn't on my counter top...in a sliding drawer to save counter space in my wee kitchen. My composter has a charcoal fliter in he lid, and thre are no noxious odours. I use compost-friendly liner bags and there is no mess. The inside is always spotless, odour and stain free. And I keep a surprising amount of vegetable matter out of the household garbage.
I use the metal one and keep it under the sink. No bag liner. I understand they are not really compostable. I just wash mine out each week. We put our compost in the yard waste bin.
why does this remind me of Cosmo Kramer? remember when he installed a kitchen disposal in his bathtub so he could shower and wash his fruits and vegetables at the same time?
My own experience: 1. Those compost bags seem to be good for about 3 days. Beyond that, the inherent moisture of the contents dissolves the bag and it ruptures at the worst moment 2. Ceramic is definitely too heavy for me to bother with 3. Metal is great, but I have to use an extra liner plastic trash bag around the compost bag or the moisture will rust the bin. I have to replace the liner every few weeks, as it gets gunky and who wants to wash a trash bag? 4. I also like the favorite: easy-open lid, light weight plastic that won't rust, easy to wash. What's not to love?
Mine is stainless steel so no rust. I like it bc every once in a while I can give it an aggressive wash and not worry about breaking it. I don't even use bags, just straight into the bin and it works fine.
We get a food grade 3 gallon bucket from Lowe’s. We’ve recently started using those bags to see if scraps really do compost faster. For a lid we use a large plastic plate. Far cheaper!
I'm a big fan of putting the compost bucket in the freezer. I dont make enough compostables to fill up even a smaller bucket on a daily basis, so the freezer ensures that there's no smell, mold, etc.
I learned from Jacques Pepin to collect veggie scraps and freeze them to make stock. I think he used a milk container, but I use a freezer bag that can be washed and reused.
Separating our trash into compostables and adding it to the green waste bin for collection is now law where I live. I don't have the counter space for anything like this but I have a stinky can in the garage for scraps that I put out to the curb for collection every other week. Empty it as needed.
Well, separating organic waste is the law in California. Note that OXO makes two sizes - a smaller one and a larger one that has the lid ring to hold the bag in place. Don't buy the small one unless you have a compost pile in the garden. If you have a compost pile in the yard just wash out the countertop bin. However if you need to dispose of the organic waste in a municipal "green waste " bin, you'll want to use a liner setup unless you're fond of scrubbing down the 66gal green waste bin. This could be a PITA if you live in an area with hot summers and freezing winters, because you're going to have to clean it out frequently to control smells and deter rodents.
I have the green plastic one and it hold a week's worth of scraps for me. I don't have a compost heap outside, so it goes into a green composting bin which gets picked up weekly by the city. The problem is with the compostable bags. Many of the bag start of fall apart after a week...the one Adam held up is the best. Why not test compostable bags?
The one issue that wasn't addressed is how well do the bins - and especially the winner - keep bugs out. I don't want to attract a swarm of flies/bugs around my counter. Does the lid keep them out?
Perfect timing as im looking for one but none that ive found were featured. Would love to see a deeper dive with models that have warming features. I used tbe soil for bonsai tree(very sensitive)
I personally use cardboard boxes to collect my scraps. The cardboard wicks away a lot of the moisture so it doesn't get smelly as quickly. Cardboard is also "brown" compost, as opposed to the "green" kitchen scraps. That said, I don't compost on my own. Might not work as well if you have a dog, but it works fine with my cats!
Yes but store it in a cabinet, under the sink. A simple, inexpensive paint bucket with or without lid. Does not smell if you dont add meat or dairy and empty every other day or so.
What about that electric countertop composter I have seen advertised? Does it really work? If so, does it really work _as fast as the manufacturer claims?_ Not everybody has a yard in which to put a large compost bin.
Mine is a small stainless steel desk trash can with a plastic bucket liner. It’s about the same size as the ones shown here. If you don’t compost anything else, at least compost your coffee grounds! Black gold! But then..all compost is black gold!
Simple stainless steel buckets with a lid come in different sizes and qualities e.g. at farmers shops from about 10 for a basic one to 70 for a heay duty pro one. My great-grand children could still use mine, because it takres a roof collapse or tank rolling over to damage it. Nothing the manufacturers of the plastic trash manufacturers like very much....because theywnat to sell you overprivced plastic peices cheaply manufatured in China, Indonesia, Vietnam etc. again and again. And teh sol called "compostable" plastic liners are a headache for the commercial compost plants. Most of them do not nearly decay in the time available in commercial composting. Most stuff comes into the steel bucked and then in the garden, a short rinse beeing enough for cleaning. The few meaty etc. residue possibly attrecting rats to the composter goes into the fridge until the day waste bins are emptied.
I find composing bags don't stand the test of time or weight resulting in breakage and/or leaks before recycling day. After decades of trial and error in this realm, I've gone with a 3 quart capacity stainless steel pail with lid that I fill with kitchen food waste then transfer into a compostable waste bag on garbage day. Oftentimes it's a little messy but I only use 1 bag/week, the pail is aesthetically pleasing on the countertop, and the pail can be spotlessly cleaned week to week. But that's just me.😊
Don't use compostable bags. They don't really break down, they just fall apart and leave small pieces in your compost. Plus they are just more waste and have to be manufactured and transported to you. Just empty the bin in the compost and wash it out. Easy and better.
Good review of compost collectors, but, you don’t answer the question of whether or not you should get another contraption to clutter up your countertop.
Good review of compost collectors, but, you don’t answer the qu stion of whether or not you should get another contraption to clutter up your countertop.
If you only take it out to your compost pile everyday or so, you're going to have flies and roaches going after stuff sitting in a bowl for extended periods of time. Bowls work great if you carry stuff out immediately.
I've had two of the OXO compost buckets. The handle failed within two years on both. I'm not buying another one. The handle has a hidden metal washer that wears the plastic hinge pins, and they are destined to fail after time. Metal vs plastic is no bueno. Otherwise they were great. Easy to clean, convenient to use, but they just won't last and ultimately it will become more plastic waste. I'm in the market for an alternative and I just might use a 1 or 2 gallon empty bucket & lid from the local home center paint department. Don't use those bags. They're unnecessary, and just how compostable are they, really? Just rinse the bucket when it gets cruddy. I rinse mine with water from my rain barrel, then water the outdoor plants with the dirty water.
I don't like the bags, they trap so much moisture that the compost gets pretty soupy and disgusting. I have a countertop plastic model which is a great size, but stains very easily. I wish they made these all in stainless steel.
Find someone with urban chickens. My grandma threw potato, apple, etc. peels in the chicken coop. Other stuff in her garden. She would think this is bat crazy.
