Instant garden compost is a gardener’s dream; sadly, it is a myth. I was so intrigued by this kitchen gadget that I read everything I could find on the kitchen overnight composter. Users boasted how beneficial this product is to the Earth. It reduces the quantity of waste in landfills, reduces methane gases, and composts many items you wouldn’t put in a typical compost file. On the surface, this sounds great!
What’s the cost of composting?
My backyard compost pile takes months to convert paper, twigs, cardboard, and kitchen scraps into dirt full of microbes and nutrients that fortify my garden soil. My cost is the energy I use to dump the scraps nightly onto the pile and the effort I use to wet and stir it regularly. What I get back is a rich, nutrient-based soil amendment.
The cost of instant garden compost is a bit higher. First, this appliance uses electricity to create heat and spin its grinders to reduce a cup or two of table scraps and other compostable media into … what exactly?
Bad news: the dried-up waste is not compost
Let’s be honest: this process is not composting. It’s more akin to dehydrating. Creating compost overnight eliminates many problems associated with saving kitchen scraps. The plug-in composter uses electricity to dry and grind scraps into a powdery, dry substance you can add to potted plants like mulch. But it isn’t compost.
My gardening spidey sense tells me not to use this dry waste interchangeably with compost because it still needs to, and will, decompose with time. It will still go through the decomposition process when it is rehydrated and the plants are watered. That decomposition process grows bacteria and fungi to help break down dead plant products into usable nutrients. It can alter the soil chemistry, releasing too much acid or chemicals in a pot. It attracts bugs, pests, and slugs that eat roots and leaves.
What are the benefits of overnight composting
The kitchen composter reduces waste capacity and makes storing a day’s kitchen scraps less invasive at home and in the landfill. But the methane gas breakdown of non-composted waste and dehydrated waste is exactly the same. The overnight composter removes the water content–that’s all. If you live in a small apartment or a home with zero yard/garden space, this is slightly more efficient than the 1970s trash compactor but not more environmentally friendly.
I make a daily trip to the compost bin in my backyard to discard vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells. If I get lazy and don’t make that trip, I can be greeted with sludge, fruit flies, or maggots the following day. That is enough to motivate me to empty the crock every night.
One benefit repeated on most manufacturer’s websites is that you can store the dehydrated waste in bins inside the house for weeks. I can see this is a bonus during cold, winter months. But if it worth the offsetting cost of the appliance? Only you can decide that.
The Cost of Convenience
Let’s get down to the actual out-of-pocket costs of owning this appliance. Electric countertop composters cost around $600. You can splurge on a floor model for $1000.
Here are just five of the top models. Each does the same job and composts about a liter of waste each cycle.
LOMI is the leader in this category. This is the original overnight composter with a few added features including a coarse, fine, and finer grind settings. The Lomi 2 is about $599 retail at most stores.
The Food Cycler Eco is from the Canadian-owned company Food Cycle Science Corporation. It has a 3.5 Liter capacity (pre-compost) and is $499 on the manufacturer’s website. They claim you cannot jam this machine even with lobster claws, pits, and nut shells.
Reencle uses a patented grinding method to produce the almost authentic compost. The cost is $499, but they offer a subscription plan from $35 per month.
The Vitamix Food Cycler FC-50 fits in one cubic foot of space. It has a smaller bucket, but the manufacturer recommends running it after each deposit to accommodate the entire day’s waste products. Retail it is the least expensive at $399 and it includes a hefty 3-year warranty on the motor.
I had to include the Vego in this list because it is the only “smart” composter I found online. On their website the unit is $319.95 [a $260 savings over the regular price] plus $16.66 a month subscription so you don’t have to buy replacement filters and “Vego” tablets. The composter has three cycles — express mode, fertilizer mode, and grass mode. There is also a self-cleaning feature. You can monitor the cycle progress or start a cycle via the app. There are research blog articles and gardening tips available from within the app. The app is available for Android or iOS users. You can set automatic reminders to empty or clean the device in case you get lazy or forgetful!
The useful Green Appliance myth
The instant garden compost appliance is made of plastic and metal that must be disposed of once its life cycle is complete. They are electric–one more appliance to add to the grid. They make noise when processing waste into pellets; enough noise that users say they place their Lomi or composter in a separate room. Many come with a replaceable carbon filter to eliminate any unpleasant smells. For me, that carbon filter is just one more thing to buy. My crock has a charcoal filter in the lid that I rinse weekly.
The average countertop composter is about the size of a large coffee maker. It must be plugged into an electrical receptacle for several hours each day.
Best use of instant garden compost
Some of the best information about this appliance is available on Robert Pavlis’s Garden Myths blog. Although we garden in different environments, we come to the same conclusions. The instant garden compost maker efficiently removes money from your wallet. Your conscience may feel better, but It won’t improve your garden or reduce your carbon footprint.