Thanks to the Reencle Prime, we're now a family that composts

RRP at time of testing: £425 | Check price at Amazon or Reencle directly

My verdict

Food waste has become one of those low-level parenting irritations I’d just accepted as part of family life. Somewhere between the soggy Weetabix leftovers, half-eaten apples, abandoned pasta bakes and the mystery science experiment lurking at the back of the fridge, our kitchen bin had become permanently grim.

We’re a family of four with two rapidly growing boys, plus two tiny white dogs who treat the kitchen like a full-time surveillance operation. Until recently, our main bin needed emptying at least twice a week because of the smell alone. Leeds City Council hasn’t yet rolled out food waste collections where we live, and while I liked the idea of composting, the reality of a festering food caddy indoors never really appealed (though the EKO one is nice). 

While known as an electric composter, the output isn’t actually compost - it’s ‘garden fuel’

So when the Reencle Prime electric composter arrived, I was intrigued but sceptical. At £425, it’s a serious investment for what is essentially a very clever food waste bin. After six weeks of testing though, I’ll admit it’s become one of those appliances that’s neatly embedded itself into our family routine. Not perfectly, but surprisingly naturally. Read on to find out why. 

How I’ve tested

I tested the Reencle Prime electric composter over six weeks in our busy family kitchen. We’re a household of four - two adults, two young children and two little dogs - so there’s no shortage of food waste on a daily basis.

During testing, the Reencle was used continuously and filled with a wide mix of household scraps including fruit peelings, apple cores, soggy cereal leftovers, pasta, rice, bread, cooked chicken, vegetable peelings and gone-off fridge food before our weekly food shop.

I tested how well it handled:

• Everyday family food waste

• Odour control in an open-plan kitchen

• Noise levels overnight

• Ease of emptying and maintenance

• Compost consistency and breakdown speed

• How naturally it fitted into family routines

I also tested the compost output in our garden and outdoor compost setup, using it alongside soil while growing tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, carrots, courgettes, onions and salad leaves.

Throughout testing, I paid particular attention to whether the Reencle reduced food waste smells, kitchen bin trips and overall household faff rather than simply creating another appliance to maintain.

Reencle explain clearly the steps to take to setup your Reencle Prime and how to use it

What is the Reencle Prime electric composter? 

The Reencle Prime is an electric food waste composter designed to break down kitchen scraps using microorganisms rather than simply drying them out. 

Unlike some countertop composters like Lomi that dehydrate food waste into dry flakes, the Reencle uses microbes, warmth and slow mixing to create compost material that can later be added to outdoor compost or soil. The company claims the Prime can reduce food waste volume by up to 90%, turning everyday scraps into a dark, crumbly compost material over time. 

The 14L unit measures 30.5cm deep, 33cm wide and 46.7cm high, so it’s not exactly discreet. Ours lives on the kitchen floor between the fridge and our EKO bins, where it fits surprisingly neatly in our large open-plan kitchen.

It comes with:

• A carbon filter

• Microbial starter pack

• Shovel

• Built-in odour filtration system

The microbial starter itself is made up of wood pellets, activated carbon, glucose and microorganisms, which help kickstart the decomposition process inside the chamber. 

The black model we tested looks more like a modern appliance than a bin, which helps justify the amount of floor space it occupies.

The appliance is modern and doesn’t stand out too much in our home

Setting up the Reencle food waste composter 

I’ll be honest, anything involving “microorganisms” sounds like it should require safety goggles and a GCSE in biology. Thankfully, setup was very straightforward.

It took around 30 minutes in total, partly because I was reading the instructions thoroughly and partly because my eldest insisted on helping. You add the microbial starter, water, install the filter and leave it for two days before adding food waste. That’s it.

There’s no app, no complicated settings and very little learning curve. In that sense, it’s much less faffy than some of the kitchen gadgets I’ve tested, from air fryers to slow cookers. Once it’s running, you simply add food scraps throughout the day. Within about a week, all four of us had fallen into the habit naturally. Even our four and five-year-olds now scrape leftovers into the Reencle after meals without being asked.

You get everything you need to get started - there’s no added costs

Does the Reencle composter actually stop kitchen bin smells?

The biggest win here isn’t actually composting. It’s smell reduction. Before the Reencle, our kitchen bin was unpleasant within days. Now, most food waste goes directly into the composter instead, which means the main bin now mostly contains non-recyclables . The difference has been huge - and, frankly, better for my marriage. 

Day to day, you can’t smell the Reencle unless you open the lid and deliberately stick your face near it. Guests haven’t noticed any odours and despite being permanently switched on, it doesn’t heat the room up or make any noticeable noise. Reencle claims it runs below 28dB and I believe it. Even overnight in our open-plan kitchen, I can’t hear it at all.

The dogs, however, are fascinated by it. Mainly because the motion sensor is incredibly sensitive. 

Opening the back was a little tricky but at least it’s secure

The biggest downside of the Reencle Prime 

This is my main complaint. The automatic lid opening sounds brilliant in theory, but because our unit sits beside the kitchen bins, the lid kept flipping open every time:

• The dogs walked past

• Someone used the bin

• A child hovered nearby

• Basically anyone moved within range

Eventually I turned the automatic opening off and we now just press the “Open” button manually instead. Problem solved. Still, it’s something Reencle could perhaps improve - though I do appreciate why it opens automatically. It’s easier when you’re carrying food scraps with both hands.

Also - it’s worth mentioning that if you’re travelling for more than a week, Reencle recommends drying the microorganisms beforehand and unplugging the machine temporarily until you return. 

Don’t be intimidated by the hardworking microorganisms

What food waste can the Reencle Prime compost? 

Over six weeks we’ve added:

• Apple cores

• Strawberry tops

• Soggy cereal

• Pasta

• Rice

• Bread

• Burger buns

• Cooked chicken

• Fruit scraps

• Gone-off leftovers

• Vegetable peelings

• Eggshells
  

Eggshells and softer fruit disappear fastest. Onion scraps break down brilliantly too.

Banana peels and watermelon rind are slower. The instructions recommend cutting them into smaller pieces and after experimentally chucking a few whole banana peels in, I can confirm Reencle wasn’t being dramatic about that recommendation. I should have cut them.

Still, I haven’t found myself endlessly chopping scraps to make the machine work. Most food goes in exactly as it is scraped from plates.

The output itself started off looking almost like bran, but after several weeks it now resembles warm, dark brown soil. It’s crumbly rather than sludgy and never excessively wet, although I occasionally add a splash of water or fruit scraps if it starts looking dry. There’s sometimes a bit of condensation on the inside lid but nothing concerning.

The filter is easily accessible on the back of the electric composter

What can’t you put in the Reencle Prime?

While the Reencle handles far more food waste than many electric composters, there are still a few things best avoided.

According to Reencle, you shouldn’t add:

• Large bones

• Shellfish shells

• Excessive amounts of liquid

• Large quantities of cooking oil

• Very hard fruit pits or stones

• Cigarettes 

• Glass, plastic or rubber waste

• Medicines, cleaners or chemicals

• Product stickers

• Biodegradable containers, bin bags or flatware

• Tape or cardboard 

I’d also avoid massively overloading it with large chunks of watermelon rind or whole banana peels unless you fancy waiting a while for them to disappear.

There are four buttons on top - power, dry, purify and open 

Does the Reencle make real compost? 

This part is important. Despite how some electric composters are marketed online generally, the Reencle output is not instantly garden-ready compost. Reencle does explain this in the instructions and I did additional research myself before testing.

The material still benefits from further composting outdoors to balance everything properly before widespread garden use.

For us, that’s meant emptying the Reencle every two to three weeks into a galvanised metal bin outdoors, where I mix it with soil, cardboard and other compost material. A couple of batches have gone slightly fuzzy, which I suspect is down to my own compost setup needing better airflow rather than the Reencle itself.

I’ve also mixed smaller amounts directly into pots around two weeks before planting. So far, our tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, carrots, courgettes, onions and salad leaves are all growing brilliantly. I’ve actually noticed I’m using less additional plant feed than usual, too.

A look at the microorganisms during the first 24 hours after setup 

How do you use the Reencle compost?

Once removed from the machine, the compost still needs a little more curing before widespread garden use.

Reencle recommends:

• Removing compost while keeping contents above the MIN line

• Sifting out larger undecomposed pieces

• Mixing one part compost with four parts soil
  Curing it in a breathable container for around three weeks

I’ll admit I haven’t actually sifted ours yet, mainly because I don’t own a compost sieve or sifter. That said, larger undecomposed bits are usually fairly obvious when emptying the chamber, particularly if you’ve ignored Reencle’s advice and thrown in whole banana peels like I did.

The compost is considered ready when it’s dark, crumbly and smells earthy.

For us, this extra step has helped us learn more about composting generally rather than treating the Reencle like a magic disappearing food bin. We now keep a galvanised metal bin in the garden where I mix the Reencle output with soil and other compost materials. I’ve quickly realised good airflow matters if you want everything to cure properly. 

(L) the Reencle compost after two weeks and ® the output after three weeks

Living with the Reencle Prime as a family 

This is probably the biggest thing I didn’t expect. The Reencle hasn’t reduced the effort of composting entirely. If anything, it’s encouraged us to learn more about it. The children now actively understand that food scraps become “garden food” and do enjoy helping outside. Well, our youngest DC does more than our eldest.

It’s become less about guilt over waste and more about changing household habits. We’re wasting less food generally, partly because the children are more conscious of it and partly because we’re all trying to eat better and rely less on ultra-processed foods anyway. Oddly, the Reencle has slotted into that lifestyle shift very naturally.

Reencle recommend you wait two weeks before you start emptying it

Is the Reencle Prime worth the money? 

This is where things become more complicated. If you have no garden, allotment or realistic way to use the compost output, I honestly think you’ll struggle to get the full value from it. You still need somewhere for the output to go and some willingness to continue the composting process outside. Likewise, if you’re only generating minimal food waste, the price will feel hard to justify.

That said, the Reencle starts making much more sense if:

• Your kitchen bin constantly smells

• You cook a lot and already rely on time-saving kitchen appliances like a slow cooker, food processor or air fryer

• You have a family generating regular food scraps

• You garden or want to garden more

• You hate food caddies as much as I do

I do think £425 feels steep. Around the £300 mark would feel more accessible. There’s also the electricity conversation to factor in. My husband remains mildly obsessed with offsetting the “always on” energy usage by making us all watch less television. 

So far though, it hasn’t noticeably affected our bills. Reencle says the Prime uses around 1.128kWh daily. To put that into perspective, that’s roughly similar to running a modern fridge freezer continuously or a daily dishwasher cycle on an eco setting. 

A look at how our compost is going after six weeks 

What ongoing costs are there?

The good news is the Reencle microbes naturally reproduce, so you shouldn’t need to keep rebuying starter packs unless something goes wrong with cultivation. The carbon filters do eventually need replacing though. Reencle says each filter should last around nine to 12 months and replacement filters currently cost around £35 annually.

That’s still a lot lower than some dehydrator-style composters, which can require far more frequent filter replacements.

Reencle vs Lomi: what’s the difference?

If you’ve fallen down the electric composter rabbit hole recently, chances are you’ve also come across the Lomi. While both are designed to reduce food waste indoors, they work quite differently in practice.

The Lomi essentially dries and grinds food waste during set cycles, creating a dry, soil-like material that still benefits from further composting before widespread garden use. It’s smaller, quicker and probably suits people who want more of a compact kitchen appliance experience.

If countertop space is already at a premium, our guides to the best microwaves, best toasters and best kettles are useful for comparing what actually earns its place in a busy kitchen. 

The Reencle Prime feels much closer to actual composting. Instead of dehydrating food waste, it uses microorganisms to slowly break scraps down over time. That means the compost inside stays warm, slightly moist and biologically active rather than becoming dry flakes.

The trade-off is that the Reencle is larger and works more slowly. It also needs a bit more understanding around curing and outdoor composting afterwards. In return though, it feels more like part of a wider gardening setup rather than simply a food waste gadget.

For us, that’s actually been the appeal. The Reencle hasn’t replaced composting entirely - it’s encouraged us to get more involved in it.

Comparison: Reencle vs Lomi vs FoodCycler

Should you buy the Reencle Prime electric composter?

Final verdict? The Reencle Prime won’t magically eliminate composting effort altogether and it definitely isn’t for everyone. You still need outdoor space, some composting understanding and somewhere sensible to use the output.

In our home, it’s slotted into daily life and routines easily

But as a way to dramatically reduce smelly kitchen food waste while nudging a family towards better habits, it’s surprisingly brilliant.

It’s quiet, easy to live with,  low-odour and far less maintenance-heavy than I expected. More importantly, it’s helped transform food waste from something disgusting we ignored into something useful. Even if I still refuse to inspect decomposing chicken too closely.

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.

Read next:

• Best electric composters

• Best food caddies

• Best air fryers

• Best slow cookers