How do you use a composter?

Thanks to Mother Nature, there's really not a whole lot to composting. Whether you intervene or not, organic matter decomposes and eventually turns into a nutrient-rich fertilizer . You can speed up the process by getting a tumbler (rotating composter), which mixes up the material, adds oxygen, and helps it all break down faster.

What can you put in a composter?

You can put all kinds of food scraps into a composter , such as apple cores, banana peels, vegetable skins, coffee grounds, eggshells, and bread. However, animal products, such as meat, dairy, and bones, generally aren't recommended for composting because they can harbor pathogens and attract pests . You also can add grass clippings, leaves, wood shavings, hay, animal manure, and other yard waste, as well as paper towels, cardboard, and shredded newspaper. Things you generally shouldn't put in a composter include oils, pet waste, diseased plants, charcoal, and ash.

The 10 Best Composters of 2023

The 8 Best Composters of 2022 — The Spruce / Chloe Jeong

You may know that composting turns your kitchen scraps into nutritious soil additive to help your garden thrive and is a simple way for you to reduce landfill waste. A home composter can make this an easy task, so we researched quite a few of them from many manufacturers, considering factors such as how easy it is to use and clean and how it looks in your yard.

Made from cedar, our favorite compost bin is the Greenes Fences Cedar Wood Composter because of its wide access, large capacity, and attractive design.

Read on for the best compost bins.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Greenes Fence Cedar Wood Composter at Amazon

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Best Tumbler:

FCMP Outdoor Tumbling Composter at Amazon

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Best for Worms:

The Squirm Firm Worm Factory 360 at Amazon

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Best Large Capacity:

GEOBIN 246 Gal. Compost Bin at Amazon

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Best with Crank:

RSI 2-Stage Composter at Amazon

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Best Dual-Chamber:

Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler at Amazon

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Best All-Season:

Exaco Aerobin at Amazon

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Best Single-Chamber:

Miracle-Gro Single Chamber Composter at Amazon

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Best for Bokashi:

SCD Probiotics 5 Gallon Black Bokashi Compost Bin at Amazon

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In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look For
FAQ
Why Trust The Spruce

4.8

Greenes Fence

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What We Like

Nice looking
Easy setup
Good airflow
Easy assembly

What We Don't Like

Takes up a lot of space
Pricey

The Greenes Fences Cedar Wood Composter is designed for outdoor use, with a wide-open bin that makes turning the soil easy. The cedar wood gives it an elegant appearance that looks nice in your backyard. This compost bin is easy to assemble and maintain. You can turn the soil with a pitchfork or shovel every 2 to 3 weeks to help speed up the breakdown process if you wish, but this is not required.

The kit comes with four posts, 28 boards, and 48 spacers, which give you one bin once assembled. We recommend purchasing additional kits to create a three-bin composting system to keep a continuous supply of compost. Depending on the climate and materials used, the compost should be ready to use in 3 to 12 months.

Price at time of publish: $185

_{Dimensions: 36 x 36 x 31 inches︱Capacity: 172 gallons︱Material: Wood︱Chambers: 1}

FCMP Outdoor Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter

Amazon

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What We Like

Large size
Easy to use
Two chambers

What We Don't Like

Assembly can be daunting

FCMP Outdoor Tumbling Composter Review

If you are looking for a compost bin that turns your waste into soil, opt for the FCMP Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter. This strictly outdoor composter includes two chambers designed for quick curing. On average, the waste turns into soil in as little as 2 weeks.

Made of plastic, this tumbler falls somewhere in the middle of extremely budget-friendly and higher-end models. However, among tumbling composters, it’s one of the more affordable options. Built with a large opening, removable door, and aeration holes, it is simple to use: Place waste into one side and turn the handle every couple of days. It’s not the best-looking composter to add to the backyard, but you can tuck it away to the side or in a shed.

Price at time of publish: $65

_{Dimensions: 28 x 30 x 36 inches | Capacity: 37 gallons | Material: Plastic/galvanized steel | Chambers: 2}

Yimby IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter — The Spruce / Abby Hocking

The Squirm Firm Worm Factory 360 Worm Composting Bin

Amazon

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What We Like

Low maintenance
Odor free
Great instructions

What We Don't Like

Challenging to keep flies out

A gardener who gets the benefits of composting for soil should enjoy the 360 Worm Factory. The worms grow in size and quantity and consume several pounds of waste each week. The first tray takes about 3 months to become fully composted by the worms; then, each tray takes about a month moving forward.

The kit includes mineral rock dust that adds nutrients to the finished compost, four stacking trays, a thermometer, a hand rake and scraper, a worm ladder, a base with spigot, and a comprehensive instruction manual. Managing the Worm Factory is low maintenance and takes less than 15 minutes a week. For those not as familiar with this type of composting, it’s important to note that red wiggler worms must be used.

Price at time of publish: $135

_{Dimensions: 18 x 18 x 24 inches︱Capacity: 3 cubic feet︱Material: Plastic︱Chambers: 4}

Amazon

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What We Like

Easy to set up
Durable
Can buy more to make bigger

What We Don't Like

Takes up a lot of space

If you’re looking for something with a large capacity, the GEOBIN Compost Bin can hold 216 gallons! This composter is fast and easy to set up, and the best part is that you can adjust and expand the size as the compost grows. It’s made with thick plastic, making it durable to bear the elements outside, but can also be reinforced with zip ties, or by tying it to garden stakes. The ventilation holes enhance the airflow to speed up decomposition.

It is recommended to use two people for setup, one to hold and the other to clip the pieces together. When the compost is ready, the quick closure keys allow easy access to be harvested.

Price at time of publish: $36

_{Dimensions: 48 x 48 x 36 inches︱Capacity: 216 gallons︱Material: Plastic︱Chambers: 1}

Amazon

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What We Like

Geared handle
Two chambers
Large capacity

What We Don't Like

Complex assembly

Composters typically need to be turned every day or so to mix the material and help it decompose. With this in mind, the RSI 2-Stage Tumbler has a geared rotating handle that makes the process easier.

Boasting a 65-gallon capacity and a large clearing area, this two-chamber contraption was designed for high-volume composting. The barrel is made of high-impact plastic, and the zinc-coated metal frame is designed to resist rust for years to come.

Price at time of publish: $281

_{Dimensions: 41.3 x 30 x 44.5 inches | Capacity: 65 gallons | Material: High-impact plastic/zinc-coated metal | Chambers: 2}

Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber High Volume Composter 2 â 18.5gallon /70 Liter

Amazon

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What We like

Ample capacity
Aeration system ensures oxygen
Separates new additions

What. We Don't Like

Assembly can be confusing

Dual-chamber composters add cost but accelerate composting because you can add ingredients to one chamber while waiting for the other to cure, assuring a continuous process. Despite its rather small size, we like this alloy-steel unit from Miracle-Gro for its 18.5-gallon capacity, which doubles because of the two chambers. We also appreciate the aeration system that ensures ample oxygen intake, and the internal mixing bars, which separate just-added materials for those farther along. The manufacturer says adding your raw ingredients and turning the handle 5-6 times every two or three days can produce ready-to-use compost in as little as 4 weeks.

A downside is that this product is reported to be fairly complicated to put together—the instructions can be confusing—and is not a one-person job, taking about an hour. We recommend the use of a rubber mallet to help assemble the parts.

Price at time of publish: $110

_{Dimensions: 23.5 x 25 x 29.5 inches | Capacity: 18.5 gallons | Material: Alloy steel | Chambers: 2}

Amazon

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What We Like

Large capacity
Weatherproof
Built-in insulation
Removable drain tray

What We Don't Like

Expensive

Perhaps composting isn't on your mind when the temperature drops below freezing and you have to remember to stand outside two or three times a week to turn a crank. We like this product because there's none of that: You simply drop in the food waste and forget about it until you have to remove the finished product through the handy doors located on the side. The insulated walls and lid keep the cooking waste sheltered. Made of weatherproof plastic, it's built to withstand heavy rain and snow, as well as hot sunlight.

We also like that it has a self-draining floor, with a removable tray, so you can easily access the liquid fertilizer. While this composter only has one chamber, its design allows you to add scraps to the top and then access the decomposed matter from the lower side door.

Price at time of publish: $448

_{Dimensions: 47 x 29 x 29 inches | Capacity: 113 gallons | Material: Plastic | Chambers: 1}

The Best Zero Waste Products to Save the Environment and Your Money

Miracle-Gro Single Chamber Tumbling Composter 27.7 Gal

Amazon

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What We Like

Medium size
User-friendly
Works quickly

What We Don't Like

Debris sometimes falls through vents

The Miracle-Gro Single Chamber Tumbler is another all-around excellent option. With a 27.7-gallon capacity, it's not too big but also not too small—a perfect choice for households interested in starting a composting routine and anyone with a modest-sized garden or lawn. (Miracle-Gro also has an 18.5-gallon option and a larger dual-chamber model for those who need a different size).

This single-chamber composter cures food scraps and yard waste in as little as 4 weeks, transforming your throwaways into that coveted "black gold." Plus, it only needs to be turned (or "tumbled") every day or two. (Just bear in mind that a little debris might fall through the air holes when you turn it.) We also like that it comes with a hand trowel, a cultivator, and a garden fork for transferring the nutrient-rich matter when it's ready.

Price at time of publish: $80

_{Dimensions: 19.2 x 23.6 x 29.1 inches | Capacity: 28 gallons | Material: Plastic/steel | Chambers: 1}

SCD Probiotics All Seasons 5 Gallon Black Compost Bin Starting Kit with Bokashi Bran

Amazon

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What We Like

Easy to start composting
Built-in spigot
Produces "compost tea" for plants
Results within 2 weeks

What We Don't Like

Resulting material must be re-composted

One of the most recent innovations in composting is also one of the best for beginners because it requires no assembly of a complex container system. Bokashi—Japanese for "fermented organic matter"—composting refers to adding an inoculant to food scraps to accelerate composting. You just empty your table scraps into the 5-gallon bin, sprinkle some of the included Bokashi starter material on top, and close the lid tight.

This system from SCD includes a 5-gallon bin, which is small compared with other outdoor composters. But it is designed with the necessary elements for Bokashi composting: a tight lid, as well as a spigot to drain off the so-called "Bokashi tea," the liquid that results from the composting process, which you can use to fertilize houseplants.

While the manufacturer positions this product for indoor use, we strongly recommend you use it outdoors. The Bokashi process is anaerobic (using no oxygen), which can promote greater incidence of odor. Also, we have noted that it can take a large amount of the starter material to completely break down some foods such as meat and fish.

Price at time of publish: $70

_{Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 18 inches | Capacity: 5 gallons | Material: Recycled plastic | Chambers: 1}

Final Verdict

You can’t go wrong with the Greenes Fences Cedar Wood Composter, which is designed with wide access and large capacity, and boasts an attractive design. If you live in a cold-weather area and would like to compost throughout the winter, we recommend the Exaco Aerobin 113 Plastic Stationary Bin Composter. Its insulated design keeps your compost material protected from snow and ice.

Type of Container

Are you looking to make your own compost from food scraps, or do you need a container to temporarily store food waste? The two products are completely different, so think about your needs.

Size

The size of your composter affects the amount of material you can store. If you have a small yard and a mulching lawn mower, you might not need a large composter. Another factor to consider is the size of your yard, since you need dedicated space to keep the composter.

Material

Plastic composters are affordable and tend to be weather resistant, but over time, the material can become brittle from sun damage and could crack. Metal composters are heavier but last longer. For in-home, short-term storage of compostable materials, it’s more about aesthetics—though plastics can retain odors.

Composting Method

When buying a composter, the main thing to consider is the method of composting. There are stationary options, which essentially sit still while the organic matter decomposes. These come in the form of small kitchen-sized containers, which you transfer to a bigger compost bin, as well as large outdoor options.

Tumblers are meant to be rotated regularly to mix up the materials, allowing them to decompose faster. Then there are vermicomposters, which rely partially on live worms to process scraps (whereas conventional composters just wait for the matter to decompose on its own).

Odor Control

Usually, indoor composters feature air holes to allow ventilation or airtight lids to keep smells inside. With outdoor models, odors aren't as much of an issue, as the fresh air keeps smells at a minimum. However, they often still have vents to tamp down the malodorousness.

Construction

With indoor and outdoor models, look for durable designs that are dishwasher-safe (indoor) or weather-resistant (outdoor). Most composters are made of heavy-duty plastic and/or stainless steel; both are notably resilient and long-lasting.

FAQ

How do you use a composter?

Thanks to Mother Nature, there's really not a whole lot to composting. Whether you intervene or not, organic matter decomposes and eventually turns into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. You can speed up the process by getting a tumbler (rotating composter), which mixes up the material, adds oxygen, and helps it all break down faster.
What can you put in a composter?

You can put all kinds of food scraps into a composter, such as apple cores, banana peels, vegetable skins, coffee grounds, eggshells, and bread. However, animal products, such as meat, dairy, and bones, generally aren't recommended for composting because they can harbor pathogens and attract pests.

You also can add grass clippings, leaves, wood shavings, hay, animal manure, and other yard waste, as well as paper towels, cardboard, and shredded newspaper. Things you generally shouldn't put in a composter include oils, pet waste, diseased plants, charcoal, and ash.

This list of best composters was written by Deanna McCormack, a freelance tester and product review writer for The Spruce. She specializes in home, family, and outdoor products.

To narrow this list down to the best in each category, she considered each product’s capacity, size, and ease of use. As someone who has been composting in her own home for many years, she also gave top ratings to composters that keep odors inside and are easy to clean.

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