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Let's talk countertop compost collectors

 
Laurel Jones
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What does everyone use?  

I feel like I've used all of the different options.  A specific bowl (open, kind of gross), one of those ceramic garbage can looking things with a charcoal filter (hard to clean, fragile), large yogurt tubs (ugly, but easy to recycle once they started getting hard to clean), and I think I've finally settled on a 1/3 size hotel pan.  I used one for years before I saw people selling these things for $160 online, and I realized they're just 1/3 sized hotel pans with a wooden "collar" around them to look fancy(the pan can just be lifted out for cleaning) .  So I bought a nice bit of cherry and had my husband and FIL build me one.  I coated mine in a waterproof coating to prevent myself from damaging it with drips of coffee or egg white or whatever, and put little rubber feet on the bottom to lift it up off the counter in case of spills I don't catch right away.  Things I love about it: super easy to clean, can be scrubbed out thoroughly with something like barkeepers friend every now and again, and is dishwasher safe, I can "line" the bottom with the top or bottom of an egg carton to reduce the frequency in which it requires serious scrubbing, and the wood looks really pretty in my kitchen.

https://thebluegrasschapter.wordpress.com

 
Dan Fish
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Location: Sierra Nevada Foothills, Zone 7b
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I dig yours. I think I am going to try to make one. My BIL has a lot of commercial kitchen stuff so maybe he can give me the pan.

I have a stupid green plastic one with a charcoal filter. I've had for a long time and it definitely sucks, unless you are trying to breed flies! 3/10 not recommended.

Fish heads fish heads roly poly fish heads

 
Edward Norton
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That’s beautiful!

I used to have a small metal bucket with a lid but it leaked.

Then our county council (UK equivalent to a district) gave us plastic bins with a hinged lid and ‘compostable’ liners. The idea behind it was to collect kitchen scraps for the municipal digester. I didn’t use the service but the bin was quite good, just not very pretty. I gave it to my mum when we left the UK.

Then I bought one of those metal bucket with a carbon filter. Very pretty, but rarely emptied - out of site, out of mind. It’s now got a house plant growing in ti.

Now I use a glass bowl. It has to be emptied within hours or fruit flies appear out of the ether! It’s not pretty but it works.
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Cargo bikes are cool

 
Laurel Jones
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Dan Fish wrote:I dig yours. I think I am going to try to make one. My BIL has a lot of commercial kitchen stuff so maybe he can give me the pan.

I have a stupid green plastic one with a charcoal filter. I've had for a long time and it definitely sucks, unless you are trying to breed flies! 3/10 not recommended.



I just looked and it appears as though 1/3 size 6" deep hotel pans with lids are running about $25 new on amazon, you may find a better deal from someone like BIL, restaurant supply stores, or restaurant closeout auctions.  

I may end up making another collar from some walnut we have kicking around the property when I finally get around to getting someone to come out and take some of the trees in exchange for some of the boards.  

https://thebluegrasschapter.wordpress.com

 
Laurel Jones
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Edward Norton wrote:That’s beautiful!

I used to have a small metal bucket with a lid but it leaked.

Then our county council (UK equivalent to a district) gave us plastic bins with a hinged lid and ‘compostable’ liners. The idea behind it was to collect kitchen scraps for the municipal digester. I didn’t use the service but the bin was quite good, just not very pretty. I gave it to my mum when we left the UK.

Then I bought one of those metal bucket with a carbon filter. Very pretty, but rarely emptied - out of site, out of mind. It’s now got a house plant growing in ti.

Now I use a glass bowl. It has to be emptied within hours or fruit flies appear out of the ether! It’s not pretty but it works.



Oh man, it's amazing how quickly fruit scraps draw flies!  We are renting in the suburbs while we built up infrastructure and have a shop built at our land and since I'm usually only able to make it up there a couple of times a week, any compost we have gets emptied into a large black and yellow bin (this is also where the pine pellet cat litter goes) until we make it up there, and lids are a real necessity.

https://thebluegrasschapter.wordpress.com

 
Matt Todd
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Location: Northwest Missouri
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I have 5 one gallon pails and lids that I rotate through. Seems to be the right size for us to fill up before they stink. I like the plastic because I can bang it on the edge of the compost cage outside to knock most of the crud out, then wash them as needed in the utility sink before returning to the kitchen.

I don't own the plants, they own me.

 
Robert Ray
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Location: Cascades of Oregon
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Not sexy but I use one of the Folgers plastic coffee cans. Lid tight enough so there are no odors and no flies. Right inside the greenhouse door I have a salvaged plastic cooler buried to the lid that I have worms in and dump my compost in that. They (worms) don't freeze over winter and it's there for potting up plants.

Our inability to change everything should not stop us from changing what we can.

 
L. Johnson
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Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C
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I prefer to just use a stainless mixing bowl... but as it is I can't toss the compost after dinner usually (too busy with getting kids ready for bed).

So we settled on an old and crappy transparent ~2 liter plastic tupperware style container. It gets kinda grimy, but being transparent it's easy to see if it's full or not and doesn't outright mold so quickly. Having a lid is good too, keeps the critters out.

一期一会

 
Tereza Okava
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there was a good thread about this very topic maybe last year or so, with some great suggestions for specific buckets.
I don't get many options for metal here, sadly, so I am using an old plastic trash bin meant to sit on the kitchen counter (people do that here, a tiny bin maybe the size of
a 2L soda bottle). It has a lid that fits well, so no fruit flies; with the rabbits eating most of my kitchen waste (that is a different bin!!) this compost bucket only gets emptied once a week or so, depending on my kitchen mess. Rinsing it out every time it's empty seems to be imperative for keeping stink away.
 
Heather Sharpe
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I had one of the metal pails with a charcoal filter lid. It would still get fruit flies and worse, they'd take up residence in the charcoal filter and be impossible to remove. Even coating the filter pad in diatomaceous earth didn't stop them. Eventually, the contents of the container ate a hole in the metal! So now I just use a plastic bucket with a lid. It's not pretty, but it works, keeps flies out and is easy to clean. At some point soon, 'll probably add a separate bucket or bowl for bits bound for the chickens.

A friend once suggested keeping the compost container in the freezer if odor and/or fruit flies were an issue. They did it to appease their spouse, who wasn't so keen on it. I don't have that kind of space in my freezer, but I suppose it could work for some people.

“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.” ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer

 
Mk Neal
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We keep a lidded plastic bucket in a cupboard under the sink. About a three gallon thing we bought kitty litter in years ago. I empty it once a week. The lid and the cupboard keep any smell contained (though it is just veg and dried eggshellls-- no rotting meat). I also add shredded newspaper to keep from getting too soupy.

Weeds are just plants with enough surplus will to live to withstand normal levels of gardening!--Alexandra Petri

 
Jane Mulberry
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We found the only way to manage this was to use a small container that needs emptying daily. We started off with a very pretty metal can with the carbon filter in the lid that would hold about a week's worth, and it was a disaster! In warmer weather the contents gave off so much water vapour the carbon filters got wet, fruit flies laid eggs in them, and the maggots fell into the bin when they hatched. The stench was horrendous, and it took me a couple of weeks to work out what the problem was.

Then our local council provided a plastic bin that supposedly sealed when the handle was flipped down. Nope, flies somehow got into that one as well, and if they didn't get right in, we'd still find maggots all around the lip where the lid met the container.

Now we use a tiny, lidded metal can that is something of a pain as it needs emptying at least once a day and sometimes more often. But it's easy to clean, doesn't stink, and bceuase it seals well, we have far less of a fruit fly problem.

I'm only 64! That's not to old to learn to be a permie, right?

 
Christopher Weeks
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We have a couple fancy buckets that we used for a while but mostly we just use a dirty plate or bowl and try to take it out every day before it builds up and gets too gross. That'll have to be part of our daily routine once we have chickens next year anyway.
 
Logan Byrd
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We (re)use a plastic container/box that originally had Milanos in it (from Costco?) and store it in the freezer. Since I've been composting everything (meat, dairy, sugary goods, baked goods, etc) I've been hesitant to try out a countertop collector, but the freezer prevents it from starting to decay/smell as well as breaking down some of the tougher things (such as citrus rinds and broccoli stems) as the water in them freezes.

It's never too late to start gardening, and even the smallest project is worthwhile.

 
Rebecca Norman
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I compost everything, including meat and bones. We were getting occasional fly or mouse problems so I got a small wastepaper bin from a local hotel supply shop, and I'm very happy with it. It has foot-pedal for opening the lid, but you can just open the lid with the side of your hand when you're holding a double handful of onion peels. It's a stainless steel casing, and the plastic bucket inside has a wire handle to carry it to the compost. We didn't have the usual mouse invasion this autumn.

Works at a residential alternative high school in the Himalayas SECMOL.org . "Back home" is Cape Cod, E Coast USA.

 
Michael Cox
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Seconding the call for a small container that needs emptying daily. If it sits more than 24 hours it will attract flies and start to smell etc...

All our compost scraps go to the chickens, so it is simply part of our morning routine when going up to collect eggs and check their feed to take the container. Ours are a set of matching mixing bowls that stack together. If we are doing a lot of cooking we might get through two in a day. When they have been emptied they go straight in the dishwasher.

My parents have a "big stinky bin under the sink" arrangement. Everything goes in there. It gets empties once a week or so, is always smelly and absolutely disgusting to handle and wash clean. Even worse is the whole undersink cupboard area is now grimy and smelly. Big thumbs down from me.

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Jan White
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I'm also in favour of frequent dumping. I use a stainless steel bucket, about a gallon. I don't like plastic because you can never get the smell out if you do happen to skip a day or three. I never put a lid on my compost because then it's easy to forget about.
 
Molly Gordon
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Ditto on using light, stainless steel mixing bowl. I use an old, pretty crockery dinner plate on top to keep smell and gnats contained.  In the summertime when it's really warm, the "compost bowl" may end up in the fridge for the day to keep the smell down until I have time to empty it, but the rest of the year the plated bowl on the countertop works just fine without emitting any smell until the plate is lifted to add more.

I know many people don't seem to mind that "earthy" smell, but I'm personally not a fan of keeping it, plus recyclables, around to smell up the house. 99% of the time it is taken out to the compost pile daily. In bad weather, it can sometimes end up on the back steps for a day or two. The plate must keep the scent pretty well contained because we have lots of night animals and I've never had any problem any time of the year.



Telling me it can't be done is my biggest motivation to making it happen.

 
Anna Maria Roy
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I have a bit metal bin with the lid and then the carbon filter. The filter is where the maggots have been found. I am going to cover the air holes with plastic wrap and see if that works. we've had fruit fly infestations before and I want to avoid that. i don't mind maggots if they're good but they burrow into the carbon filter. going to boil it, after I've cleaned it out using a fork. Will try to report back. thanks.
 
Logan Byrd
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I've been collecting and reusing (clean) plastic cups from fast food places - they are easy to move around the kitchen as needed, are easy to get for free from other people, are fairly durable (no leaks) and can be tossed in the recycling once they start to grow mold or stink even after emptying it.

(note: not all recycling facilities accept items with bits of food still on them, please do not use this idea if yours requires washed plastic for recycling, unless you want to really scrub them)

It's never too late to start gardening, and even the smallest project is worthwhile.

 
Jen Fulkerson
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Laurel your compost box is beautiful.  
We used a large coffee can for a long time. It worked well, I just wished I looked nicer.  The nice looking counter top compost bins were just to expensive, when the coffee can worked fine.  The other day I was looking through the clearance at Walmart. I found an ice bucket. Nice looking, small, and a liner to make it easy to take out and clean 7.00.  So far I'm happy with it.
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“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” — Abraham Lincoln

 
Heather Staas
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I've tried so many cute little ceramic and covered type purpose made compost containers, and I always just go back to my one gallon pitcher.   I dislike that it's plastic but I keep going back to it because it's tall with a small (compared to others) footprint on my minimal counter space, it's lightweight,  everything fits in it including egg cartons,  the handle makes it easy to carry/dump/rinse.  
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"The world is changed by your example, not your opinion." ~ Paulo Coelho

 
Mk Neal
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I have come around to smaller container.  Husband started buying ice cream by the gallon,  and the lidded gallon bucket with handle is better than my old three-gallon bucket because, as others mentioned,  it fills up faster so I don't let it sit so long and it's small enough to rinse out in the sink so I keep it cleaner.

Weeds are just plants with enough surplus will to live to withstand normal levels of gardening!--Alexandra Petri

 
Trace Oswald
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No matter the container you use, I find these things extremely helpful.  I treat mine more like you would a bucket toilet.  After I put food scraps in, I put a small amount of covering material, sawdust or wood shavings, and a handful of charcoal.  No flies, no smells, the greens to browns ration is ready for composting, and you'll have compost with biochar in it by time it's ready for use.  I can use a bigger container since this alleviates the other problems.  

A build too cool to miss:Mike's GreenhouseA great example:Joseph's Garden
All the soil info you'll ever need:
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Heather Staas
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Trace,  I suspect my coffee grounds might act in a similar way.   They get dumped on top once or twice a day and I really don't notice odors or fruit flies.   It takes me about 3-4 days to fill the container enough to empty, since it's just me cooking and so much of my scraps go to dogs or rabbits first.  

"The world is changed by your example, not your opinion." ~ Paulo Coelho

 
Trace Oswald
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Heather Staas wrote:Trace,  I suspect my coffee grounds might act in a similar way.   They get dumped on top once or twice a day and I really don't notice odors or fruit flies.   It takes me about 3-4 days to fill the container enough to empty, since it's just me cooking and so much of my scraps go to dogs or rabbits first.  



I'm certain you're right.  I don't drink coffee so that didn't enter my mind.  As an aside, if I don't add coffee grounds to my compost, I never have nearly as many worms, and my compost seems anemic.  I'm back to collecting them from the nearby convenience store.  Thanks for mentioning that.  Coffee grounds smell delicious.

A build too cool to miss:Mike's GreenhouseA great example:Joseph's Garden
All the soil info you'll ever need:
Redhawk's excellent soil-building series

 
Kenneth Elwell
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I've tried many things: stockpots, bowls, 5 gallon pail, purpose-made pails, yogurt container with lid, paper grocery sacks (and others from takeout, stores...), and 1/2 gallon milk cartons.
Any of the "kitchen wares" were a no-go, since my compost pile is far away, and the chore was usually begun on my way out, and maybe not finished on my way back... so, the items often wouldn't get returned to the kitchen promptly.
The pails were better, just for them not being expected home to be used for their "real purpose". Still, my non-round-trip management the chore led to tension back at the kitchen... "where's the bin?", "no, you can't leave a pile of rotting veggies in the sink overnight!"
Paper sacks are almost the "right solution", except that they're really only the "right NOW solution". Even doubled-up they soak through quickly, so not great for juicy stuff... On the other hand, COMPOSTABLE!! chuck it bag and all into the compost pile. Best for bulky stuff like corn husks, squash peelings, or big meal prep. or a fridge purge. A one-way chore option.
1/2 gallon milk cartons. I've gotta say, probably where I've settled (plus paper sacks). Our town doesn't recycle them, so they are headed to our garbage anyways, so a detour to the compost pile is a second life. There's like 3 per week? They are waterproof, so bring on the soggy stuff! and I'm not obligated to either wash or return them. If you close the top then push the "peak" down, it will pop inward just enough to hold closed. Almost odor-proof? It's capacity is just about on par with the tolerance level for it, "but it isn't full yet" doesn't help my case.

Nails are sold by the pound, that makes sense.
Soluna Garden Farm -- Flower CSA -- plants, and cut flowers at our Boston Public Market location, Boston, Massachusetts.

 
jamie alden
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hope some one can help me on a search i ended up here. my grandmother had given her metal ceramic lined pot to my mom in the 80's and my mother had let my stepfather use it in the kitchen for compost for years i recently found it in the attic and brought it home and it looked like something was burned on the bottom (i forgot what my stepfather used it for) . is there any hope of cleaning this old glumki pot and using it for cooking again it was a wedding gift my grandparents got in the 40's and i have fond memories of cooking with my grandmother with this in the 70s.
 
Phil Stevens
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posted 1 year ago
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Hi jamie and welcome to permies!

To get scorched or burned material off, try the following steps: First, just simmer some plain water for a while. Maybe an hour or more. This will loosen many things and might do the trick. If it doesn't, try adding a little bit of dish detergent.

The next step up the escalation ladder is to add some baking soda to water and simmer in the same manner. Sometimes the magic happens as the last of the water evaporates...the crust bubbles and lifts off the surface of the pan. I often go directly to this method, simply because it's most likely to be the one that works.

If none of these does the job, vinegar might. Low heat and patience is the common element in all cases. Good luck!
 
Anne Miller
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posted 1 year ago
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Jamie, welcome to the forum/

This thread might help with some suggestions even if you pan is not a "burned pan".

https://permies.com/t/188978/permaculture-home-care-cleaning/Clean-Burned-Pan

I liked the baking sofa suggestions and this is what I found that worked best:

what I ended up doing yesterday afternoon was to put a 50/50 vinegar/water in the pan, brought this to a boil, and then added 2 tablespoons of baking soda.  That was way too much baking soda as the solution became a volcano and erupted all over the stovetop.

That solution did help me scrub more off until I felt I could cook in the pan.



Please let the forum know what you found that worked the best.

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

 
jamie alden
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posted 1 year ago
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i found a picture online of the pot mine is the same color at least i know what it is and who made it now
greenpot.jpg
[Thumbnail for greenpot.jpg]
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