Product Review – Home Compost Bins
While Ken might tend to disagree right now, I became a big fan of the composter this Summer. We scored the big backyard model from the Comox Valley Regional District’s Compost Education Centre early in the season and set out to keep our organic matter out of the trash can and making great soil for next year.
We started with filling bowls and went to bins. Veggie scraps went out and compost happened.
Then, it started to get chilly.
I personally don’t like the daily trek to the compost bin. Call me lazy. Call me unimpressed with having to take the compost out in my Pjs. Call me just plain old not liking it. We need a countertop compost bin.
We had one, and that’s when I liked it all. Getting rid of scraps from dinner was easy. I just tucked them into the compost bin and when it was full, that’s when we’d bicker about who got to head out to the bin.
Now that it went the way of the dodo, I am not so down with the composting – I need to get back on the horse.
So, the tiny person and I went scouring the town for some stylish, practical compost bins that make everyone think you have something cool on your counter, when in reality it’s a bucket full of rotting banana peels.
The one that we found most locally-owned stores carry was the RSVP International brand. In both stainless steel (two sizes) and bamboo, this pail is a bit on the pricey side. But, whoa is it ever high-fashion green kitchen action.
The pails clean up easily, have charcoal filters to minimize odor and are just plan gorgeous. You could leave this on your counter at any time and no one would ever guess it was a compost bin.
Less sexy, but super functional and Canadian made, you will also find the Busch KC 1000available. This composter – which can hang on the back of a cupboard door and is dishwasher safe - makes for the perfect hidden kitchen pal. It retails for about $24 (Organic Family Natural Home has them) and is right in my budget, although definitely less eye catching. Since it’s hidden, though, who cares?
Have we decided on the perfect kitchen countertop composter? Not yet. We’d love to have you all help us decide which one to get.
If you are looking for a kitchen composter yourself, you can pick one up at the following locally-owned shops:
The Green Room in downtown Courtenay
Beyond The Kitchen Door in Courtenay
Otters Kitchen Covein Comox
Organic Family Natural Home in Cumberland
Photos courtesy of Busch Systems and RSVP International Inc.
Category: EAT & DRINK, Kitchen Gear Reviews
About the Author (Author Profile)
Robin is Our Big Earth’s Executive Editor. A journalist with more than 20 years under her belt, she’s worked for newspapers and magazines across North America. Vancouver Island became her home in 2006 when she and her husband ditched big-city life to raise their daughters close to familySubscribe
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Another option if you don’t mind mail-order, is this one from Lee Valley Tools (a proudly Canadian company):
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=10025&cat=2,33140&ap=1
At only $21 ($23.50 for the larger size), it is affordable and it has that attractive, stainless steel vibe too. The only difference is that it doesn’t have the charcoal filter. We have this one and unless it is hot out, or we put something nasty from the back of the fridge in it, we really don’t notice any smell. If you are in Victoria, there is a new Lee Valley Tools store there, so you could get it there, or delivered to your door.
I am the Queen of “Compost Jenga”, as my hubby calls it… I can just pile and pile in the pail, until he gets annoyed and takes it out!
That way, my feet don’t get cold!
We have been using the Lee Valley stainless steel bin for over 8 years and love it. It sits on our counter and I think it is quite attractive. The larger size is definately more convenient for a family of 4. We owned the smaller one for a bit and then purchased the larger one. Sure beats the ice cream container tucked under the sink. I cursed the day when the handle broke off and all the contents spilled on the kitchen floor. Yuck!!
I have the bamboo one, and I love it, but I sort of yearn for the stainless steel one now that we’ve had the bamboo one for a while. My only problem with the bamboo one is that I am a total clutz which means I have dropped the darned lid multiple times in the few months since we bought it and I’ve had to glue the lid back together a couple of times after knocking the filter compartment out and breaking off a chunk of the wood on the edge of the lid. It’s very lovely to look at though, and does a great job of keeping the compost stink from taking over the kitchen.
I have this one http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/KitchenStorage/TrashCans/PRD~0422294P/HomeLiving%2BKitchen%2BCompost%2BPail.jsp It has a charcoal filter and doesn’t look too bad on the counter. And the price ($19.99) was definitely right!
We bought the stainless steel RSVP brand this summer. Oh how wonderful! All the fruit flies in my kitchen are gone. Because I tend to keep it until it is totally full, sometimes the walls are in need of some serious cleaning when it is emptied. The bucket cleans up really easily in the dishwasher. Yes, we’ve dropped the stainless steel one many times. No breaks, no dints – just a really loud clatter. I am so in love that I’ll be giving a couple out as Christmas presents this year.
Heather – I don’t think I know you but – PLEASE add me to your Christmas list!!
I have a serious yearning for the steel composter but have yet to justify the price to hubby (I thought pure aesthetics would work but nah) so we are getting by on a horrid plastic number that does nothing much for the stink, the aesthetics, or the fruit flies.
HI
I am the compost educator for the CVRD in Campbell River and have a couple of suggestions if you don’t mind. The Busch DK1000(green under the counter bin) you can purchase at Home Hardware for about $9.99 (when on sale $7.99). I have had one for a couple of years, the carbon filter has not been replace, though I do give it a quick rinse once in awhile. Winners store has white ceramic ones once in awhile for $16.99.
I have noticed Zellers,Superstore has a new one out made by norseman which makes our Earth Machine composters we sell at the centre. I noticed that they don’t clip very easily and run around $8.00.
If you really don’t want to go outside in the winter to take your kitchen waste…………how about a worm bin in the garage or basement. Great for the kids to watch the process of the worms at work. Just a suggestion! Happy Thanksgiving!
The Compost Diva
Wow, everybody has such great ideas.
Thanks for jumping in and helping us sort through this decision…my kitchen counter is packed with veggie scraps this morning and I betcha there will be a “discussion” over who takes it to the backyard composter in an hour or so:)
I got mine – and it’s lovely and functional (old fashioned enamel painted bucket with lid) at a second hand store. No need to buy new, find an old bucket, pot, funky dish second hand! Cheap and less consumption.
I have the green one pictured above (ordered from Lee Valley) and I love it. The handle is handy because it makes it easier for the little people to take out. My older two take turns doing it as a chore and with a family of five it is just the right size. Plus it is hardy and I can scrub it down anytime and it doesn’t smell.
We also have the Lee Valley stainless bucket and I love it… In our house it fills in about 4 days, and I found the gooey-ness and pail cleaning annoying, so I started buying the compostable pail liner bags! Makes clean up so much easier…usually a rinse does it for us. Just give it a quick drying wipe before putting the next bag in so it doesn’t degrade too quickly. If materials sit in the pail for more than a week, I wouldn’t trust the bag to make it out to the bin without the pail to support it, but the Lee Valley pail with handle makes it a non issue! And I’ve been watching the bin over the summer and the bags we’ve been using have broken down very well…