10 Best Compost Bins in 2020

Composting food waste and yard trash have always been popular among gardeners because it’s an effective way to reduce waste and transform household scraps into rich, fertile soil. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to be more eco-friendly and healthy since it allows them to cut down on the garbage they throw out and reduces the need to use chemical fertilizers in their home gardens. If you’re looking to go green or simply give your lawn and garden a nutrient-rich boost, we’re happy to tell you that composting has never been easier than it is today.

For those interested in tidying up and caring for their gardens, consider a zero-turn lawnmower. Looking for something smaller? Try a string trimmer instead! Thanks to the wide variety of compost bins and tumblers on the market, those unsightly backyard gardeners compost piles you remember from years ago are now a thing of the past. But there are a couple of different styles of home composters out there today.

You’ll see terms like bin composter, tumblers, wormers, worm farms, and even worm factory thrown around. Plus there are some great brands manufacturing composters today. And when you factor in all the other considerations like the different designs, storage capacities, and features available, when you look to choose the best compost bin for your home – it can get a little tricky. But we’re here to help.

We did the hard work and put the top models out there to the test. In the end, we came up with our list of the 10 best compost bins of 2020. But before we get into our review of the most impressive home composters out there today, it’s important to know a few things about these great, eco-friendly devices.

Related: Garbage Disposal Review.

What You Should Look For When Buying a Compost Bin

Purchasing a composter for your home is a great way to re-use household and yard waste allowing you to put these scraps into the compost bin and turn it into nutrient-rich soil for your garden or lawn. But before you go out and purchase a countertop compost bin, it’s important that you consider a few factors. By keeping the following things in mind, you’ll be able to buy the model that’s right for your needs.

Capacity

The first thing that you should consider when buying a compost bin is its capacity. There are models capable of handling any load, from small amounts of household scraps to large quantities of waste. If you have a large family and are looking to efficiently manage the all of your waste such as food scraps, newspaper shreds, and lawn materials, then you’ll want to find a composter that can handle a large volume of waste.

On the other hand, smaller households who don’t produce a lot of waste can save money and space by purchasing a model with a smaller capacity such as a 35, or even 17 gallon, tumbler.

Size

Size is directly related to the capacity of the compost bin. The higher the capacity, the larger the bin will be. This is important to remember because you don’t want to spend money on a model that won’t fit where you want it to. If you have a large yard and want to get the most out of your home’s waste, a bin with a large footprint is a great investment. But if you have a small yard or are planning on setting your composter on the deck or patio, you don’t want to have a gigantic compost bin taking up valuable space.

Style

Once you know how large you want your new compost bin to be, you have to decide what kind of composter you want to purchase. There are 3 main styles on the market today: countertopba compost bins, tumblers, and vermicomposters. Each of these has their own advantages and disadvantages. A traditional compost bin is simply a large container that you can throw your household scraps into. They are designed with lids that keep rodents and wildlife out of your trash and can accommodate more scraps than either of the other two models.

That makes it a great option for anyone who plans to recycle a lot of waste. They’re also incredibly easy to use since you simply toss your organic gardening waste into the bin and let nature take its course. The downside to compost bins is that they tend to be pretty large, making them a bad choice for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of space. Also, it can take a long time for your waste to be turned into compost using this method, so you’ll only be able to remove compost a few times a year.

This makes them a poor choice for anyone who wants to fertilize their lawn quickly and often. Tumblers use a tumbling action to accelerate the composting practice. You simply turn the tumbler daily and make sure that there’s the right amount of moisture inside the composting containers. In as little as 4 to 8 weeks, you’ll have a new batch of fresh compost.

This makes these models great for homeowners who want frequent batches of compost for their lawn. And since these models are normally much smaller than compost bins, they’re perfect for use in small yards or even on a deck. The downside to compost tumblers is that they aren’t ideal for anyone looking to “set it and forget it” since you have to turn the ingredients daily if you want to speed up the process. Plus, you can’t keep adding materials once you start cooking a batch compost.

This means that you’ll need to start a compost pile somewhere in your yard or toss new scraps into a bin composter until the current batch compost is finished. Vermicomposters, also known as worm bins, are designed for indoor gardeners looking to create small amounts of compost indoors. This makes them best-suited for people living in the city or in an apartment where outdoor space isn’t available. These composters are simply outdoor bins that house a colony of worms (known as worm bins, worm farms or worm factory’s).

The worms eat the food waste and scraps and slowly create compost soil that you can use to fertilize your houseplants These models are a great alternative for people who don’t have a backyard but still want to reap the benefits of composting, at least on a smaller scale. The downside is that they’re small and can’t handle a significant volume of organic gardening waste.

Durability

Composters can cost several hundred dollars. While they’ll probably end up saving you money in the long run since you can cut down on the expensive cost of chemical fertilizers, you still want to make sure that you protect your investment and your hard-earned money. That’s why it’s important to purchase a model that is made from high-grade durable materials and that can withstand the outdoor elements for years to come.

Getting a great deal on a cheaply made product is only going to cost you more in terms of money and aggravation in the long run. So if you want a model that is sure to last, your best bet is to look for one built from materials like metal or thick, heavy plastic.

Whether you’re looking to save some money, get a bit more eco-friendly, or give your garden a boost, composting is perfect for you. It lets you turn household scraps that you’d normally throw away into nutrient-rich soil that you can use to organically fertilize your lawn or garden. But when you start researching which type of composter is best for your home, you’re going to run into a large number of options.

And with so many options out there to get the job done, figuring out which is the right model for you can get time-consuming and confusing. But we saved you the time and aggravation by putting together our list of the top 10 home composters of 2020. This way, when it’s time to make your purchase, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for.

What is a Compost Bin?

Composting is a great activity for anyone looking to become a bit more eco-friendly, improve the health of their garden, or eliminate the cost of buying chemical fertilizers. Instead of throwing scraps of food waste like that old bag of salad, apple peels, eggshells, coffee grinds, and cut up produce in the trash, you render them into reusable, nutrient-rich soil that delivers amazing benefits to your lawn and garden. Plus, you can even throw in other household organic gardening materials like weeds, grass clippings, dead leaves, and shreds of newspaper.

Years ago, if you wanted to make compost, your only option was to make a compost pile in your yard. While this was effective, it wasn’t exactly practical. Pests and rodents could easily get into the heap of waste on your lawn. You can move the waste into a new composter bin with the help of a great wheelbarrow. Plus, a decomposing pile of debris wasn’t exactly the first thing you wanted to see when you went into your backyard. Thankfully, there are now several types of compost bins that you can pick up online or at most hardware stores.

While there are a few different types presently on the market like bins, tumblers, and even worm compost bins (worm factory’s), the general concept is the same. These bins are plastic or metallic structures that are built to contain your compost. These outdoor bins are designed to nurture the decomposition process through moisture retention and aeration.

Built with the goal of promoting the ideal combination of moisture and air, these composting containers facilitate the activity of the small organisms and microbes that decompose your household scraps and waste, rendering them into nutrient-rich compost.

Plus, compost bins are enclosed structures. This means that you can use them in your yard or on your deck without having an unsightly pile of compost out in the open. And since most models are designed from durable materials and feature a lid, you don’t have to worry about pests like mice, rats, or raccoons getting into your trash and making a mess. If they do, a rat poison might be the next cause of action. These devices are also incredibly easy to use. Some models, like compost bins, are relatively hassle-free.

You simply toss your scraps in continuously and let nature take its course. And even the more labor-intensive tumbler composter simply requires you to tumble the pile by turning a handle once a day. But before you start throwing all of your trash into your new compost bin, let’s take a look at what materials you can throw into your compost pile.

How Does a Compost Bin Work?

Compost bins are pretty simple in design and allow organic food materials to decompose, rendering them into a nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer that you can use on your plants and lawn. The end result of all composters is the dark, rich, earthy, clumpy mixture that you can add to your garden’s soil to boost the health of your plants and the fertility of your soil. But how this process occurs actually depends on the kind of compost bin that you have.

While the process varies based on the style of composter, the following items are universal. You need a proper mixture of carbon-rich materials like newspaper shreds, dead leaves and flowers, and straw and nitrogen-rich materials like green grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peels and waste, coffee grounds, and eggshells. You’ll also need to add a few shovels of your garden soil and introduce oxygen every once in a while by turning the pile over.

If you follow these steps and add enough water to keep the pile moist but not oversaturated, you’ll end up with compost. There are several types of compost bins. The most common is a simple compost bin. These composting containers are designed to hold large amounts of household waste neatly and feature lids to keep pesky vermin out. You continuously toss new waste on top of the pile and occasionally turn the pile over with a pitchfork.

As microbes eat away at the organic gardening matter and heat builds up during the decomposition process, nutrient-rich compost will be created, though it will take a few months. Barrel and tumbling composters are smaller models that can be mounted on a turning-like mechanism or can be manually rotated. You simply add your household waste into the container as a single batch and turn it over daily for aeration and mixing.

The fully-sealed composting containers will create hot compost that bakes quicker for faster results. And by turning it daily, all of the ingredients will be integrated with oxygen so the microbes keep the decomposition process moving along. The end result is frequent, small batches of ready-to-use compost. The final type of compost bin that you can buy is the worm compost bin (worm bins or worm factory’s). Worm composting, or vermicomposting, uses earthworms to make compost.

You simply fill a plastic bin with brown compost, worms, and kitchen compost scraps and then just let the worms eat through the waste. As the worms excrete waste, the result is rich compost that you can use for your plants and garden.

How Do You Start a Compost Pile?

Starting a compost pile doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s a pretty easy process. And if you’re wondering why you should start a compost pile, the answer to that question is surprisingly simple as well. Composting is one of the most vital things you can do to boost the health and fertility of your garden or lawn, efficiently get rid of kitchen and yard scraps, and eliminate the expense of chemical fertilizers that really aren’t that great to use on your fruits and vegetables anyway.

The first step is to start collecting materials to put in your compost pile. You can use a variety of organic waste products normally found in your yard and in the kitchen. From outdoors, you can gather weeds, dead leaves, plant and grass clippings, and other garden waste. From inside your home, just collect kitchen waste in a bucket that you’ll designate for organic kitchen waste. Collect kitchen waste items from fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, and even newspaper shreds.

Empty your indoor bucket daily, dumping it onto your compost pile. Then, to eliminate unwanted household odors, rinse the bucket out before bringing it back into the kitchen. As the amount of household waste begins to pile up in your compost bin or pile, nature will begin taking over and, if you’re patient, in a few months you’ll have nutrient-rich compost at the bottom of the pile that you can spread on your garden and lawn.

Finding the Right Compost Bin

Every experienced gardener knows that the secret to having a beautiful, healthy garden is to use compost for fertilization. This nutrient-rich compost garden supplies fruits and vegetables with essential nutrients and pH-balanced soil while protecting them against drought and disease. While some homeowners still use open piles of compost, it’s becoming increasingly popular to use a store-bought compost bin.

These helpful alternatives help to make the job a bit less messy while keeping your yard neater and animals out. But the important thing to consider is what kind of composter is right for you. For a smaller amount of waste and a faster turnaround, a compact compost tumbler is a great option. They can handle one batch of scraps at a time and can quickly render organic matter into compost. For larger amounts of refuse, a compost bin is perfect.

These models might take up more space and take longer to produce usable compost but they can handle a lot of scraps and you can continuously add more waste on top of the heap. Whichever model you choose, you’ll enjoy the benefit of using organic fertilizer for your home garden instead of costly and unnatural chemical fertilizing products. Plus, you’ll be doing your part for a cleaner, better environment.

Expert Tip

If you want to render truly amazing compost, make sure to add some grass clippings and brown materials to your compost pile. The grass clippings will add essential nitrogen while the dead leaves or newspaper shreds will add carbon. By making sure that each batch is balanced with a small amount of these ingredients, the decomposition process will be quicker and your compost soil will have the right nutrients for your garden. Read more about waste management and compost bins here.

Did You Know?

You can even continue the composting process in the dead of winter. While the cold can slow down the decomposition process, there are ways to help the process move along. Simply place your compost in your bin and make sure that the container stays in as much direct sunlight as possible. For further insulation, you can even surround your compost bin with hay bales to help regulate the internal temperature. This means that recycling your household waste and scraps don’t have to be a seasonal practice. Make recycled plastic your remit with the best composter in the world!

Make sure to practice health & safety while composting with the help of this study.