I tested the EKO Puro S food waste caddy and my kitchen stayed smell-free for a week

RRP at time of testing: £30 | Check price at Amazon, Dunelm, John Lewis or EKO directly

My verdict

I’m already familiar with EKO as a brand. We’ve had two of their Morandi touch bins in our kitchen since 2023 (one for general waste and one for recycling) and they’ve held up brilliantly. They clean up easily, still look good after a rinse and they feel built to last. So yes, I had high expectations and this food caddy mostly meets them.

If you’re happy with your council food caddy and you don’t mind emptying it every couple of days, you can probably save your money. But if you’re sick of that creeping bin smell, this is a proper step up.

The carbon filter and snug lid do help. It won’t keep things fresh forever, but it does stretch out the time between emptying, which is what you want in a busy house.

I've been a fan of EKO as a brand for years, so was very happy to try their caddy

It’s also nicer to use than the basic ones. The lid stays open when you need it to, it’s simple to clean, and the mounting options mean you can usually make it work somewhere, even if your under-sink cupboard is awkward.

It’s not perfect. For a 7L caddy it’s on the larger side, and you might not be able to hide it away. But if you’ve got a sensible spot for it, it does the job without making your kitchen feel like a compost heap. For families who cook most days and generate a fair bit of food waste, it makes the whole thing feel a bit less grim. Plus, if you do have an electric composter, you can gather all your food waste in this before adding it.

I’d keep using it, which is probably the most honest verdict I can give for something like this.

How we’ve tested the EKO Puro S Food Caddy

I’ve been using this in our kitchen for the last week. That sounds short, but it’s plenty of time to find out whether something’s actually useful or just another thing taking up space. 

What’s it like to use day to day?

In an effort to reduce food waste, my husband and I have started paying more attention to how we deal with it, especially with food waste collections expanding and the simpler recycling changes coming into force in England earlier this year.

The caddy lived in our kitchen for a week. We started with it hooked onto the cupboard under the sink, which felt like the obvious place, but it quickly became clear it got in the way. We moved it to the next cupboard along and that worked much better.

The bin comes well packaged with protective plastic wrapping

It now sits next to the sink, which turns out to be the most practical spot. It’s easy to scrape plates straight in before they go in the dishwasher, and it’s close enough for tea bags and veg peelings.

The lid’s straightforward. There’s a small handle to lift it, and once you push it back it stays open, which helps when you’re mid-cooking and juggling plates.

We also pushed it further than we probably should have. I didn’t empty it for eight days, by which point it was very full and definitely due a clear-out.

Both children have got the hang of using it too, which makes a difference. It’s simple enough that it doesn’t need explaining twice.

Choose from a cupboard hanging accessory or wall

EKO Puro S caddy: size and how it fits into your kitchen

At 7L it sits somewhere in the middle size-wise, but whether it works for you will depend on your layout. It's no larger than a kettle, so it doesn't stand out too badly.

In our case, it had to live on the outside of a cupboard. Ideally I’d tuck a food caddy away inside, but the shelves under our sink weren’t low enough, and we didn’t have much flexibility to adjust them.

It’s not massive, but it’s not tiny either, so you do need to plan where it’s going to go. If you’ve got more generous cupboard space or a good wall spot, you’ll have more options.

The stainless steel finish helps it blend in. It doesn’t look out of place sitting out, which is just as well if you can’t hide it away.

In terms of capacity, it lasted about a week in our house before it needed emptying. That feels about right for a family of four.

You get bin liners and spare odour filters with your purchase

Does it actually keep smells under control?

This is the main reason you’d consider it. After eight days of not emptying it, it did start to smell, but not until the very end, and even then it wasn’t overwhelming given what was in there: mouldy bread, old fruit, leftover Weetabix, tea bags and bits of raw chicken.

The first part of that week was unusually warm in Leeds, so I expected it to turn much sooner. We also didn’t have any issues with fruit flies.

The carbon filter and snug lid clearly help. It won’t stop smells completely, but it does delay them, and you notice that day to day.

The fact you are sent bin liners and a spare odour filter makes this great value IMO

How easy is the EKO Puro S food caddy to clean?

Emptying it is straightforward. The liners lift out easily, and the removable inner bucket keeps things simple. We’ve only had the odd bit of mess, mostly from wetter food, but the stainless steel wipes clean quickly.

It doesn’t seem to hang onto smells either. A quick wash of the inner bucket and it’s ready to go again.

EKO Puro S caddy: build quality and durability

It feels solid. The stainless steel body is sturdy, the lid mechanism works smoothly, and it stays open when you need it to. Given how well our other EKO bins have held up, I’d expect this to last well with regular use.

The inside bin can be lifted out for easy cleaning in the sink or dishwasher

Is the EKO food caddy easy to live with?

Yes. You can open it one-handed, it stays open while you’re using it, and it’s easy to move depending on what you’re doing. I’ve found myself lifting it onto the worktop when prepping food, which saves multiple trips to the bin. It’s one of those small things that makes the kitchen feel a bit more organised, and honestly nicer than the council-issued one. 

Is the EKO Puro S Food Waste Caddy good value for money? 

At £30 it sits in the mid-range. You can spend less, but you can also spend quite a bit more. If you’re currently using a free council caddy, this is basically a “do you want a nicer version?” decision. The difference is that it manages smells better and it’s more pleasant to use. You also get liners, a spare carbon filter and different mounting options included, which helps justify the price.

With a 7L capacity, there's plenty of room to hold food waste from an entire week

Final verdict: is this the right food caddy for your kitchen?

If you’ve ever opened your food waste bin and immediately regretted it, this is the kind of upgrade that starts to make sense.

The EKO Puro S isn’t essential. Your council caddy will do the job. But this does it better. It keeps smells under control for longer than you’d expect, it’s simple day to day, and it feels thought through rather than an afterthought.

It’s best suited to households that cook regularly and generate a steady stream of food waste, especially if your caddy has to live out on display and you want something that doesn’t look grim. Less so if you’ve got very limited cupboard space or you’re perfectly happy emptying a basic caddy every couple of days.

You’ll need to find the right spot for it, and it won’t neatly slot into every under-sink cupboard. But once it’s in place, it earns its keep.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of hands-on testing. We never accept payment for coverage, and our verdicts are independent and honest. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links, which helps fund our work - but it never influences our opinions.

All prices are correct at the time of writing.

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