TeraGanixOrganko Odor Free Compost Bin, Indoor Compost Starter Kit w/ 2 Lbs Bokashi Bran, Countertop Kitchen Compost Bin, Airtight Seal, Spigot, Dishwasher Safe (Cream)

I just started composting a month ago so that my first bucket is undergoing and not sure how the finished compost looks like yet. But so far I’m happy about how compact it is and simple design that doesn’t taking up my kitchen by space nor by visual. It is stackable so that the second bucket is just right on top of the first one. So minimalistic!I was worried about the smell but it doesn’t smell at all. I’m looking forward to using the finished compost for my garden in a few weeks.

This is our first kitchen composter. The main thing that makes this work is the Bokashi bran that feeds the composting bacteria. Normally I like my counters absolutely clean and uncluttered, but I don't mind the clean sleek look of this composter, and like the feeling of reducing my rubbish. It takes a lot of bran between layers to ferment the food scraps. Make sure to follow the directions of which kind of scraps can be composted, and what must be kept out. We just buried our first heap of scraps a week or so ago, and will check the progress on soil improvement. The byproduct is the Bokashi liquid, a dark liquid that you have to periodically drain. The instruction manual says it helps maintain clean drains, so we pour it in the slow sink or tub drains. While we haven't studied the effect much so far, it does seem to work. The verdict is not yet completely in, but this seems to be a good kit, and we hadn't noticed any significant smell from it. Hopefully it will give us good results in fertilizing our plants and conditioning our soil.

This thing sits right on the kitchen counter. Cannot smell a thing when it is closed. It is a nice shape, size, and color so it doesn't stick out like smelly feet but it generates enough curiosity that people ask what it is or what it's for. So, yeah, a great conversation starter which leads into the kitchen plants, the pallet potting table, and that's enough to get the conversation flowing. Plus she likes dumping food quantities into it and gives her a sense of accomplishment like she's helping the planet stay green. Of course the biggest advantage is that when she's happy she makes me happy and that goes a loooong way !

The tap was shattered upon delivery and it seems like the product was used and returned by someone else.

I've played around with traditional composting, worm composting, and now bokashi. This kit makes it super easy to maintain the appropriate anaerobic environment for bokashi in a clean and unobtrusive package.The instructions are unfortunately a bit mislabeled, probably due to translation errors. However if you do any research on bokashi composting whatsoever, it quickly becomes clear what the intended steps of use should be. Layer 20-40ml of bokashi bran on the bottom of the inner bin using the provided measuring scoop, add an inch or so of chopped up organic matter, top off with another 20ml of bran, then press the air-tight plunger/presser all the way down to pack the material tightly. The ingenious design of the plunger device is what provides an airtight seal for the anaerobic environment within this system, not the bin lid. It is true that the bin lid does not snap on to provide an airtight seal, but that's because the airtight seal is created with the plunger.Two or three times a week, you tilt the bin back, unscrew the drain cap, and then tilt it forward to release the liquid. The liquid can be diluted in water and used as fertilizer for all sorts of plants, or you can pour it directly down the drain to chew through organic scum that's clogging your pipes to work as an all natural, effective pipe cleaner that is far less corrosive on your plumbing than most chemical alternatives.Now if we are talking strictly value-cost ratio, then it is true that functionally this kit is pretty pricey. 2 lbs of the teraganix bokashi bran will run you about $20. Add another $15-20 for two 5gal buckets and airtight lid. Maybe another $5-10 for a spigot. Maybe another $10 if you need to buy a hole saw bit or a used plate weight from the thrift store to act as a presser over a dirty plastic bag to try to keep an airtight seal directly over the waste. Maybe you have most of these things and can throw it all together for the cost of the bran alone.For all this we are talking $30-60 and maybe an hour or two of your time to source and start your own homemade bokashi bin that will likely work just fine. But even after all that, you still have an ugly 2-stack of 5gal buckets sitting somewhere in your house. Now I don't know about you, but my partner was not at all on board with that setup being anywhere visible.The Organiko kit is clean looking and unobtrusive. It can sit in plain sight on the countertop or next to the trashcan and never catch a second glance. It becomes much more convenient to use and thus more likely to be used when it can sit in plain sight in the kitchen without being an eyesore. And there's no fiddling with a gross piece of plastic wrap or wax paper and makeshift presser weight because the Organiko comes with its own perfectly sized, and frankly ingeniously designed, airtight presser to maintain that necessary anaerobic environment. So while you can achieve the same end at a fraction of the price, you do so at the cost of convenience and aesthetics.For the record, while I did receive this kit for free in exchange for my unbiased review, I have since purchased a 22lb bucket of TeraGanix brand bokashi bran to ramp up my bokashi production. The Organiko is our go-to compost bin in the kitchen. Meanwhile I have a couple of DIY dual-bucket set ups tucked away out of sight to ferment for the final couple of weeks before getting buried in the traditional compost pile out back.