Countertop Composters: The ONLY 2 Models to Consider in 2025

Why I Bought a Countertop Composter

When my small town rolled out a new organic waste collection program, it was a great step toward reducing landfill waste. Now, our garbage is picked up every other week while organic waste is collected weekly. It sounded ideal, really—until I started dealing with the reality of the outdoor compost bin.

Wet food waste meant maggots in the bottom of the bin, and it quickly became a magnet for raccoons and even the occasional bear. In the winter, the wet collects in the very bottom and freezes, so unless that frozen block breaks free from the bin, the collection truck doesn't take the waste away.

I already give plenty of kitchen scraps to our chickens, but I needed a better solution for the rest—especially in winter. That's when I decided to purchase a countertop composter, and it has totally changed how I handle food waste.

Now, I collect dry compostable waste like vegetable peels and egg shells in the kitchen composter, and by spring I have a bucket of nutrient rich compost ready to tuck into every hole I dig in the garden.

And I can't stop myself from showing my husband every time I open the kitchen composter bin after several hours and show him the dry matter that comes from our food waste! I add it to my big bucket in the pantry and just keep adding to it, waiting to get my plants going in the spring.

What Is a Countertop Composter?

A countertop composter is a small electric appliance that sits on your kitchen counter and helps you turn food waste and food scraps like vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, and organic kitchen waste into usable, natural fertilizer.

Unlike a traditional compost pile or compost heap, these units work indoors and don’t attract pests or take months to decompose your scraps. Plus, you turn your organic food scraps into nutrient rich compost in a matter of hours and it is dry and does not smell at all.

How It Works

• The composter grinds and dries food scraps using heat and a motor
• It uses carbon filters or a charcoal filter to absorb odor output during the process (it really doesn't smell at all)
• Produces finished compost (or pre compost for some models) in just a few hours

The result is a dry, lightweight material that looks like soil and can be added to your potted plants, garden beds, or stored for future use.

What Can You Put in a Countertop Composter?

While different models vary, here’s what you can typically add to your electric composter:

Ideal Items for an Electric Composter

• Egg shells (my favorite to add in the composting process!)

• Coffee grounds and tea bags

• Vegetable peels such as carrot peels, apple peels, cucumber peels

• Leftovers gone bad like corn, and greens

• Dried kitchen scraps like old produce or organic matter

*You just want to chop it up into smaller pieces so it breaks down properly.

Items to Avoid

You should avoid adding the following to your kitchen waste composter:

• Wet or starchy items (like pasta or rice)

• Meat scraps or dairy

• Anything super oily or greasy(I make sure to add dressing to my salad separately in case there are leftovers that don't get eaten, if there is no dressing I add to my composter)

• Large bones or rotting food

In my own routine, I leave the starchy or wet items for the chickens or toss them into our city's organic waste bin instead for a different kind of composting process.

Benefits of a Kitchen Countertop Composter

Using a kitchen composter has changed how I think about food waste.

• Reduces food waste going into the trash can or trash bags (awesome for our landfills)

• Keeps fruit flies and smells away by drying scraps fast

• Greatly lowers our carbon footprint by reducing waste (yes, you are 1 person or 1 family, but imagine if we all did this?)

• Helps keeps animals out of my outdoor bins

• Gives me garden gold to use come planting time (diy fertilizer!)

Best Kitchen Countertop Composters

1. Vitamix FoodCycler (My Top Pick)

See price here

This is the model I personally use and absolutely love. The Vitamix FoodCycler is about the size of a bread box and fits neatly on the counter or tucked away somewhere in your kitchen where your medium sized appliances go.

I keep mine right on the counter:

Why I Love It:

• Its compact size is great

• It's surprisingly quiet while running (about 40-45 decibels- I barely hear it when i tis running)

• Easy to operate: just load, push a button, and wait 4-8 hours (literally)

• Comes with carbon filters to eliminate odors

• The removable bucket is dishwasher safe and it just sits on your counter where you can easily add your food scraps- this bucket also comes with a carbon filter lid so no smells are present as you collect the kitchen scraps in it (see photo of mine sitting on my counter, where I always keep the bucket and add to it):

Quick Facts:

• Cycle Time: 4-8 hours

• Sound Output: ~40-45 dB (very quiet)

• Capacity: ~2.5L bucket

• Odor Control: Dual carbon filters

• Favorite Item to Compost: Egg shells! They grind up beautifully and are loaded with calcium for tomatoes and other outdoor plants. (A close second is coffee grounds- I always add our coffee grounds to this bucket)

2. The Lomi Electric Composter

Check price here

The Lomi Composter is a sleek, tech-forward option designed for more intensive users. I’ve tried it as well, and while it's effective, it's a bit bigger and definitely a bit louder than my Vitamix.

Highlights:

• Offers three compost modes including Eco Express Mode

• Processes more types of organic waste, including select bioplastics (be sure to check before adding these though)

• Modern, touch-button design

• Produces compost in as little as 3-8 hours (Eco mode) or up to 20 hours (Grow mode)

Quick Facts:

• Cycle Time: 3-20 hours depending on mode

• Sound Output: ~60 dB (like a loud dishwasher)

• Capacity: ~3L bucket

• Odor Control: Uses charcoal filter pods

Lomi vs Vitamix Comparison

Storage and Seasonal Use

One of my favorite things about having a countertop composter is how I can use it all winter long. I store the resulting compost in a bucket through the cold months and, come spring, I mix it right into the soil as I plant. Every shovel gets a handful of my homemade nutrient rich compost.

Here is my collection bucket for my fertilizer soil collected from the electric composter, any tiny, light colored almost square or diamond shaped piece is generally egg shells:

Yes, I do use this all year as the summer months come we tend to have a lot more compost from our garden beds and the food we are bringing inside, but honestly for me, it's the winter months where this machine shines.

Kitchen Composter: Recap

Here’s why kitchen composters are a game-changer:

• Helps turn food scraps into nutrient rich soil

• Eliminates odors with carbon filters or charcoal filters

• Perfect for city dwellers with no space for a compost pile

• Cuts down on landfill waste and your carbon footprint

• Keeps kitchen waste out of your trash can

• Saves you money on soil and fertilizer for your garden beds

Conclusion

Whether you're an avid gardener or simply tired of dealing with smelly outdoor bins and unwanted pests, a kitchen waste composter is a smart, sustainable addition to your home.

Vitamix Vs. The Lomi

The Vitamix FoodCycler remains my top pick for its simplicity, quietness, and compact size—but the Lomi Composter is a solid runner-up for those needing more capacity and advanced features. I have used both, these are definitely your top two. If you are looking for an electric composter, either of these models will do the job, it just comes down to a matter of what is your preferred mode, style, use and countertop space.

Either way, you’ll be taking a big step toward a cleaner kitchen and a greener world, and if you want to save money for your gardening or your indoor plants and you want to produce compost yourself, this compost bin is a great way to deal with your food scraps, food waste and it doesn't take up too much counter space.

FAQs

What’s the difference between a countertop composter and a compost bin?

A countertop kitchen composter is an electric composter that dries and grinds kitchen waste indoors quickly. A compost bin typically refers to a passive, outdoor solution that takes months and needs regular turning.

Do countertop composters smell?

Not usually! Most food recyclers have built-in carbon filters or charcoal filters that absorb odors. Just be sure to clean them regularly.

Can I compost meat or dairy in these machines?

Generally, no. It’s best to avoid meat scraps, oils, and large bones. Stick to vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and dry items for best results.

What do I do with the finished compost?

Use it in your potted plants, garden beds, or save it in a bucket until planting season. It’s great for making natural fertilizer and nutrient rich compost for your tomatoes and herbs!

How much counter space do these take?

The Vitamix FoodCycler is very compact (about the size of a bread maker), while the Lomi is a bit bulkier. Both fit on a standard kitchen counter with a bit of rearranging.

Will these attract pests like a compost heap?

Nope! Since they’re sealed and process waste quickly, there’s no lingering smell to attract pests like fruit flies, raccoons, or bears.

Here are some other resources you may be interested in:

BEST Ways To Use Natural Beeswax In Your Home!

Where To Buy Real Beeswax

Shop for the BEST USA-made cast iron cookware HERE

Beekeeping Equipment List | How To Start

Gift Ideas For Gardeners

Shop for beeswax wraps here

Did you like this article?

❤️ Here's how you can support our blog:

My name is Linnea and I am a backyard gardening enthusiast! Along with my husband and our two kids (and chickens, ducks and our little dog Izzy). Our hobby - growing our own food and making our meals from scratch. My blog, The Farmers Cupboard, is the website that blossomed from that passion. I love every second I spend sharing our hobby with like minded backyard growers.

It's easy to support my blog, and it is so appreciated. Please SHARE an article somewhere, pin a photo to your Pinterest board, follow on any of our social medias or sign up for our newsletter! That's it!

These little things help our blog grow and allow us to continue doing what we love: growing good food and sharing what we learn.

PINTEREST PASSIONATE? We're opening up our cupboard to you!

Click on the pin below made just for you. It will bring you right to my little Pinterest community, where I would love for you to FOLLOW The Farmers Cupboard and see all of our gardening and backyard dream ideas!

Let's grow good things together!