What is an electric food waste composter?
An electric food waste composter is a convenient alternative to outdoor composting. Sitting on your kitchen counter, in a cupboard, or in your garage or utility room, an electric food waste composter dehydrates, grinds and breaks down your food scraps to produce a dry, soil-like output.
How do electric composters work?
Most electric composters use heat and airflow to remove moisture before grinding the contents into small pieces. Most ‘cycles’ take around four to eight hours.
Other, more advanced models use microbes (living organisms) and heat to accelerate natural composting.
Do electric composters actually compost?
Not exactly. Despite their name, they don’t process your food waste in the same way as an outdoor composter. While most electric composters produce dried, broken-down waste that can be added to your indoor and outdoor plants, it's not quite the nutrient-rich compost you’d get from your garden centre, and requires further curing in your soil.
More advanced models like the Reencle and GEME produce more nutrient-rich compost, so if your plants are your priority, it may be worth paying the extra for them. The output can be mixed with soil to further enhance compost before use in your garden.
Are electric composters worth it?
Electric composters don’t come cheap, but are worth it if:
Your household generates a lot of food waste, or regularly cooks meals from scratch.
You want to minimise your food waste, but don’t have access to an outdoor space for a traditional composter.
You’re worried about flies or pests when using food waste caddies.
Want a low odour option and would rather avoid the stench that can come from a hotbox composter outside.
Want convenience - with fewer frequent trips to your outdoor food waste collection bin.
Do electric composters smell?
No - generally, electric composters smell much less than storing food waste in your kitchen bin or food caddy. As long as they're well-maintained and replaced when necessary, electric composters with sealed lids and filters should sufficiently minimise odours generated during the breakdown cycle.
How much electricity does an electric composter use?
The exact energy use will depend on the model you use, but for most families, electric composters use minimal energy - less than 1.5kWh per cycle.
Despite running continuously, microbial models such as Reencle and GEME have the lowest operating costs, as they use gentler heat to dehydrate the contents.
If you’re comparing running costs across appliances, you might find our guide to the best kettle helpful too.
What can you put in an electric composter (and what should you avoid)?
The exact do’s and don’ts of your electric composter will depend on the model, but as a general rule, most electric composters can accommodate:
Protein
Cooked eggs and eggshells
Fruit and vegetables (both raw and cooked)
Grains
Nuts
Legumes
Cheese
Carbohydrates (like bread and baked goods)
Spreads (eg butter, jam)
Coffee grounds
Pizza crusts
Watermelon rinds
Sausages, salami
Stems, roots of things like chive and onions
You should check the specific guidance on dairy products, meat and fish. Composters like the Reencle, for example, allow these to be added.
You should not add:
Bones like ribs or chicken legs
Liquid foods like soup or broth
Tough seafood
Hard fruit stones and pits
Shells from shellfish
Solid shells (eg from a walnut, or pomegranate)
Plastic or rubber waste
Glass
Medicines
Cleaners, chemicals
Cigarettes
Product stickers (check your apples!)
Biodegradable containers, flatware
Tape
Cardboard
What do you do with the output from an electric composter?
The output from an electric composter can be used:
For indoor and outdoor plants: Mix into your soil where it will further break down for nourishment.
In your compost heap or wormery: As it's already partly broken down, it will speed up your composting process.
In your council food waste caddy: Reducing the overall volume of food waste.