City dwellers who want to reduce their environmental impact and live more sustainably may choose to compost their food remnants instead of throwing them in the trash. However, living in an urban environment with limited space can make traditional composting methods challenging. Fortunately, there are now clean and small enough kitchen composters perfect for those living in apartments or small homes.
Kitchen composters are designed to fit seamlessly into any kitchen, taking up minimal space while also keeping unpleasant smells and pests at bay. These devices are typically small and easy to use, allowing city dwellers to turn their food waste into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to enrich houseplants, gardens, or community gardens. With a kitchen composter, city dwellers can reduce the amount of waste they send to landfills and help promote a more sustainable future for all.
We compared two of the most sought-after kitchen composters: Lomi and Reencle.
Lomi Composter
The Lomi, a compact newcomer to the composting scene, houses a bucket capable of holding about one cubic foot of food waste. Activating the Lomi initiates a heating process and a metal arm that stirs and crushes the waste, not unlike a leisurely blender. Simultaneously, warm air circulates over the waste and exits through dual carbon filters.
The Lomi offers three modes: Lomi Preferred, Eco Express, and Grow. Lomi Preferred, the most versatile mode, handles food waste and bioplastics within eight hours. Eco Express, a more energy-efficient option, achieves the same result in 12 hours. Grow mode, designed exclusively for food waste, requires 12 hours and the addition of water and a bacteria-rich LomiPod.
Each mode proves effective, transforming waste into a light, homogenous mixture that blends seamlessly with soil for planting purposes. The Lomi Preferred mode even manages to break down bioplastic coffee pods, leaving only small remnants behind. This mix is immediately ready for use once the cycle concludes.
Current price of Lomi is $499.
Reencle Composter
Reencle’s innovative approach brings nature’s decomposition process into the comfort of your home, offering a convenient method of composting. Imagine a stylish trash can, equipped with an automatic lid that opens when your foot hovers near the sensor. This is the Reencle. Once set up, you simply pour water into the chamber, sprinkle in the Reencle Microbe mix, and then introduce your food scraps. Rapid fermentation converts this concoction into a nutrient-rich blend.
This magical Reencle Microbe mix, composed of rice husks, vermiculite, harmless bacillus bacteria, ammonium sulfate, and wood pellets, requires only one initial application. As long as the device remains active and fed with occasional food scraps, the waste-breaking bacteria will multiply and flourish within the mix.
Reencle’s continuous operation allows for the steady introduction of food waste, making it a more convenient solution than waiting for an accumulated pile of rotting scraps. The device expertly extracts air from the digestion chamber and filters it through a carbon filter, ensuring that any unpleasant odors remain contained.
Able to process up to 2.2 pounds of food waste daily, the Reencle proves versatile and efficient. When the chamber is full, simply scoop out the decomposed mixture, which can be directly incorporated into your garden soil. Though some mix needs to stay behind to maintain an active bacterial population, the device automatically provides the necessary warmth, stirring, and occasional drying to keep the microbes thriving.
The current price of Reencle is $499 down from $699.
