Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

My unit is in a garage. The temperature does not go below freezing. I've used this unit nearly one year; the first was faulty and was replaced at no charge. Twice this winter the odor became offensive, and liquid leaked from the unit. It was not difficult to clean, but when you prefer the garage door open and it's -10 degrees, that's a problem. Overall, the compost product is very good, but the little glitches of this machine are more than annoying for the price.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

This composter works perfectly for me. I'm in a townhouse (about a year now) with one very narrow strip of dirt on my patio that I have planted with herbs and veggies along with what I put in pots. (I miss my yard). I keep the composter outside but protected overhead. This is my first year planting in this space.

I was at first surprised by its construction, which appeared flimsy because of the foam construction, intended to keep things insulated. But it is, in fact, sturdy enough. Since I keep it outside, I'm not concerned with odors so much but I do take a good whiff regularly, when I add to it or just out of curiosity. Just smells like dirt and coffee to me.

As for the noise, I keep the unit outside but just on the other side of my glass patio door. I can hear a constant hum and of course the intervals of churning make more noise. I would not keep this inside unless in a closet or other area noise insulated from living/sleeping space.

All that said, I love this thing. Capacity seems low at first but it scraps collapse quickly as they degrade and there is always room for more. I am single so do product a lot of scrap. I actually "borrow" waste from friends to make more mulch.

At some point I'll use the mulch but too new with the machine for now and haven't spread it yet much less seen its result on my plants.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

I'm Reb from CT and I previously reviewed this item gave this item 4 stars just a month ago. And then about 2 weeks later, the piece that churns the mulch stopped working properly, getting stuck at the same place every turn. [...] Although the product works great when it's working, I'm very annoyed by the fact it broke so soon, and by the limited warranty. So let's see if I can install a new motor myself as the least expensive option.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

It is rare when a claim is made that a product can turn compost in two weeks and the Naturemill does. I feel less wasteful and more ecologically responsible since I can put most of my kitchen scraps to good use. [...]

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

The only reason that I did not give this 5 stars is that my first unit finally failed. I had one of the very first generation models and it ran constantly before having a mechanical failure. Without hesitation I bought another one.

Since I compost all year long, I actually bought the large capacity outdoor composter from Gardener's Supply just to store the compost that I generate year round. The compost I used last year had a remarkable affect on my vegetable garden as well as our flower beds.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

My boyfriend bought me this for Christmas last year - I had been eyeballing it for a while. I live in an apartment alone and am a container gardener. I keep mine inside in my kitchen. There is absolutely NO odor! It works great and quickly. My only complaint is that when it churns the contents, which occurs every 4 hours, it is very loud. My bedroom is right next to the kitchen and it has woken my boyfriend up at night. (I'm a sound sleeper so I don't generally hear it.)

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

I like to run all my produce scraps through a food processor to speed up the process. I then have Rubbermaid totes with free Starbucks coffee grounds, Costco baking soda and wood pellets bought at the feed store(25lbs for $7.). I put about a gallon of processed scraps and then 2 scoops coffee grounds and 2 scoops of pellets and one scoop of baking soda and in less then a week I have a batch of black beautiful compost.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

Recycles kitchen waste fairly quickly. Not a very economical way to get mulch (fertilizer) when you consider wood pellets, electricity, and unit cost. At least I'm not throwing resources down the garbage disposal.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

Our soil quality is not the best so I needed to boost it with compost. Who wants to wait months, and our cold snowy winters are no help. I did a lot of research because of the cost & not being able to return a used one. I was glad to see the improved model avail in your catalog (#38-374). After using it for 7 months, I can say this composter is the answer for quick, easy fertilizer, all through the year. It takes only 2 weeks for the finished product! I learned not to put chicken/meat scraps in because of the horrid odor I got. Also to cut things up to the 4" recommendation. I cut smaller, but it's my preference. Yes, there are drippings, but that's part of the process and they are manageable. I keep it on our deck off the kitchen, but in garage in winter. There is an odor, (not terribly offensive) so I would not keep indoors. I also use sawdust shavings obtained from a local lumber yard (free!) I love the Energy Save mode for vacation times. It's very important to thoroughly read all the instructions & helpful info. They are there for a reason - trouble free composting. That's what I've enjoyed for the past 7 months, and our vegetable/flower gardens along with newly planted trees are doing well. Since I'm still new at using compost, I know it will get even better with experience.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

I heavily researched a number of composting alternatives. The reviews all said this is the best one. I will agree with that. It churns away at the food scraps until they are nothing but dirt. Very consistent and easy to use. Probalby not the most traditional method for composting, but then again it is foolproof. I strongly recommend it.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

It is the best feeling to be able to compost
kitchen scraps. This is the gentle composter.
Larger more serious sized scrapes go outside
if one is fortunate enough to have the space
and proper equipment. This composter is a very
good beginning.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

I am pleased with my purchase. I am not very good at gardening so I have not ventured into other forms of composting which all seem so complicated. This one is very easy and reliable. It is quiet. I keep it indoors in my laundry room which is near the kitchen and very convenient. I have not had any serious problems with it in the 2 years I have owned it other than an occasional jam.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

I have had this model for nearly a year. It has worked well. Anything you add into it, you start to see it turn to compost within two days. It is amazingly fast. I have not had any mechanical or noise or drip problems. It is important to follow the instructions which I have been doing very carefully and I think that helps. You especially have to add the pellets EVERY time you add food to keep the natural balance maintained. It's not rocket science. Just follow the instructions and don't overload it and you will have amazing compost in no time.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

An O.R.E.F.'s Dream!(Organic.Recycling.Exercise.Fanatic)Now my trash bin is almost empty. Every week I throw out only one 2 qt milk/soy carton of trash. Everything else gets recycled including all kitchen and garden scraps!

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

Happy with the speed of composting. Happy it's in the garage because it has a high-pitched whine when it churns. Can't add items 3-5 days before I dump material into the tray.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

For two months, this unit has worked fairly well except for the odor and drip problems. Even following the baking soda, wood pellet instructions, I still end up with a pretty strong odor. The liquid doesn't go into the small drip container like it is supposed to and it drips a great deal of moisture out of the unit every time I transfer the contents from the lower bin into a compost storage container.
Still, I was pretty happy with the unit until it just stopped working after only 2 months use. I believe the gearbox is shot as the unit just clicks and clicks without turning the compost. It has a jam indicator, but it appears that my unit never detected the jam condition and grinded the gears until they got stripped. I'm disappointed this happened because I was very diligent with cutting up the scraps into small pieces and being careful what scraps I used.
Now I have a query into the NatureMill customer service department and we will see what goes on from there. Meanwhile, compost scraps are piling up!

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

The first unit I purchased did not work well at all and eventually was replaced under warranty when it split in half. I have been using the second-generation model now for about six weeks and can report that it is far better. The new, more powerful motor never jams like the old one constantly did. There is still a mild odor, to the point that I keep my unit in the basement, not in the kitchen. I've also learned to be selective about what goes the unit--anything chunky or stringy doesn't do well. Neither do fruit rinds or onion skins. That said, I'm pretty happy with the unit. The only problem I cannot solve--and the one that I think is behind the odor--is the yucky liquid that accumulates in the lower bin (and not just in the the small container, as it is supposed to). I've tried adding more "brown" as instructed but the liquid always appears--and it's really obnoxious. So I just make a point of emptying and rinsing the lower tray every few days.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

Living in bear country, this is a great solution, as it is in the garage. It works fast, my first batch of scraps was unrecognizable in 3 days. Capacity is adequate for food scraps and small soft garden debris. Instructions are very clear. There is some mild odor. Follow instructions and limit some potential smelly items like broccoli. My garage is heated to 50 degrees. Might work more slowly otherwise?

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

So far - so good. Quick and easy. Our main issue that it fills up too quickly. There is a bit of an odor but, luckily, we placed the unit in our garage. However, we've been able to just throw waste in and it just goes. We're throwing out far less trash, which was our goal.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

It's in the garage right next to the recycling bin, so it's handy. The stuff composts very quickly, but tends to stay a bit wet. The drip container needs to be emptied frequently or it will overflow and ruin the compost in the bottom bin. Like many other things, it takes some trial and error to get it just right.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

It's nice and compact but it takes longer than I expected and cannot handle several things like corn cobs or pineapple rind. Can be difficult to contol the oder as well.

Comments about Deluxe Electric Kitchen Scrap Composter:

This is a great little machine, and it has a surprising amount of capacity. It handles just about everything from our family of 5. I have never been able to get our outdoor compost tumbler to work well - either I am not mixing it enough or not feeding it the right balance. The Naturemill makes it very easy and ours worked right away just perfectly. I strongly recommend this for anyone who wants to compost and doesn't want to tangle with a big outdoor bin.