FoodCycler Eco 5 - Award-Winning Home Food Processor and Recycler - Kitchen Countertop Compost Alternative - Electric Food Waste Disposer - Odorless Food Waste Bin - 5L Bucket Capacity (Grey)

ever since I've got it, nothing but awarness in my household, been busy recycling andd adding combust to my garding, win-win situation

I'll start by saying that in our area, outdoor composting is impossible as it's an attractant for wildlife (racoons and bears). I've done the indoor worm bins but that's a lot of work. We've been using the Foodcycler for two weeks with near perfect success. For a family of 3, plus occasional guests, we've used it 12 out of 14 days. You can compost your usual vegetable scraps, but also your expired, moldy leftovers from the fridge. Some small amounts of meat, bones and breads. I was a bit sceptical at first but after introducing some chicken wings to the mix, the end product was amazing. It can be described as dehydrated dirt. Vitamix provides a guide of acceptable items, and items in small amounts, so its been a bit of an experiment with nearly a 100% success. We did have one batch that came our like a dough ball, and I can't be sure what caused it. That was the only time I've had to clean the bin, otherwise it cleans itself. There is no compost waste smell but a very slight baked dirt smell, if you put your nose to the final product. We've chosen to have the Foodcycler in our pantry, while a family member who also has one placed their unit in their garage. So how am I saving money? In our area, weekly garbage pickup costs $40 a month. Now with the Foodcycler, our under the kitchen counter garbage is 1/2 full in a week, while we recycling paper and plastics as well. That's not even a full black garbage bag per month and at least half of the normal weight. I may only hit the dump once every two months but that's yet to be determined. As for electrical costs, watching a number of YouTube videos on the power consumption rates, the Foodcycler can consume a high of 1.5 kwh. At our current hydro rate, that's $0.18 per cycle. We highly recommend the Foodcycler.

This is an AMAZING machine! I was very tempted to go with a less expensive indoor composter; but after a lot of research, I decided to make the major investment. I purposely took several months to write a review, because I wanted to better evaluate the value. It's a very sturdy unit, clearly well-made. It's attractive enough to keep on the counter, but it takes up considerable space and should not be used directly under a wall cabinet (because of the heat/moisture that it produces, when it's working). It also should not sit on the floor, so I made a small, raised platform (almost like a stool) for it to sit on. I've been pleasantly surprised with how well the smell is contained. If I'm doing a lot of cooking I put the bucket on my counter, so I can easily deposit scraps. The enclosed lid is very effective with containing the odor. The only time I noticed a strong smell is when I was recycling some scraps that I had started to compost in an outside bin. It took a second cycle to get rid of the smell and produce a soil-like consistency. The only complaint I had for the first month was getting the bucket to sit properly, before starting a cycle. It might take anywhere from 5 to 10 times, with no rhyme or reason, before it fit properly. But I finally figured out that you should not cram food into the bucket, especially when it's not already seated in the recycler. What can happen is that you end up changing the alignment of the blades, so they don't properly connect, when you place the bucket in the unit. Since making that discovery, I've had no issues with proper placement. Yes, this is an expensive machine, but if you're serious about wanting to dramatically reduce your food waste---and create a substance that will nourish your garden, then yes, it's worth the price.

Good

I had the first generation one for two years, loved it and still use it but the tub is small so you need to do more loads and the filters are not re-fillable. I've been using this one for about 9 months and love it. The filters are refillable with activated charcoal. Easy to keep clean. It's heavy and large but such a valuable addition to my household. You do need to be aware of not putting too much of any one material in each load so I have a secondary compost pail to hold the extra material until the next load. I recommend using coffee grounds in each load if you can. The final product sometimes smells a lot like dry cat food, but not a bad smell. The coffee grounds help with that. If not mixed into the soil it would probably be an attractant. I keep it in large pails and use it at about 1 to 5 ratio in everything, including indoor plants. I live in bear/racoon/skunk country so it's a great alternative to an open compost. Everything organic is going in there except large hard bones. Great for egg shells, bread, indoor plant leaves and old soil etc, cheese in very small doses, avocado pits, chicken and rib bones (although it takes longer to process. I find it takes an average of about 8 hours to process if there are bones or lots of sugary material like banana peels, melon etc, or if there is a lot of moisture within the load, it takes longer. When I clean out my freezer, all that goes in there too. Avoid anything twig-like and also banana stems (very fibrous and can become string-like and not decompose properly ). I do a load about every two days and have no issues. It's not quiet but not super loud either but you can hear it running and grinding. It's quite expensive to buy so wait for a deal on Black Friday or Boxing Day. I paid $562.19 all in. Totally worth it.

This thing is amazing! I keep the bin on the county for easy access when prepping food and emptying coffee ground etc. It is quiet and the end product is wonderful! No smell, no mess, no fruit flies!