It can be stinky, and an unpleasant surprise should you stumble on it unexpectedly, but kitchen compost is anything but trash. Kitchen composters typically house scraps from cooking, so they don't require too much maintenance if you have an outdoor compost or city-wide composting programs. Just store it, empty it, and clean it now and then. So how do you tie in this kitchen essential without distracting from the design of your kitchen? Take some tips from fellow compost-inclined minds and see what ideas they have to share.
Here is the skinny on the compost keeper types out there:
Bio Bags Compost Keeper: One of the most cost-effective items on the market, and easiest to keep clean, the Bio Bags designed MaxAir compost keeper is a great utility item. The great things about these compost keepers are their ventilation, price point, door latches (so you can hang it by a handle or two back latches underneath the sink), and there aren't any filters to replace. Did we mention it is also made from 100% post consumer content?The downsides are its less than beautiful design, and if you want everything to be compostable, you must fill these with compostable kitchen bags. Prices range from $8 - $15 dependent on retailer.
Ceramic, Stainless Steel, and Copper Compost Keepers: Now enter the more beautiful sister to the MaxAir. These composters are typically designed to fit several kitchen styles, so you can keep them right on the counter. They come with filters that must be replaced every so often, and the containers should be cleaned every few times the jar is emptied since there isn't an easy bag removal like the MaxAir. That said, they are very popular, durable, and only have the occasional investment of charcoal filters that run around $5. Prices range from $20 - $75 dependent on material and size.
Clay and Jar Keepers: Popping up across Etsy and other creative sites are clay pots and jars for kitchen compost. Some are designed to function with ease for both its constant top removal in the kitchen, as well as pouring it into a larger bucket for the outdoor compost. But buyer be ware. Not all handmade compost keepers are equal. Watch for ventilation, the ease to fill and empty the vessel, and the ease of cleaning. Some Etsy composters tend to be more experimental than functional so read up before purchasing these. Prices vary considerably as do the sizes.
And now for the good stuff...
DIY Keepers: Now who says you need a fancy composting system if you are just holding kitchen scraps for short periods of time? Using cookie jars that don't seal completely or other fun items that add flair to your kitchen can also work if they are emptied frequently enough. Other common items are plastic bins with holes poked in the top, cardboard food cylinders like oatmeal containers, or flour jars that have lost their seal.
Happy Composting!
(Images: BioBags USA, NorPro, Appleware Pottery)
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I just keep mine in an empty Maxwell House 34 oz. coffee container. It's plastic, has a lid and handle, and I just take it outside when it's full. I didn't poke any holes, because I find with the snap-on lid it keeps the fruit flies away.
I do the same as Peggasus. I was going to buy a cute little crock to keep under my sink. Then my husband brought a large plastic coffee can home from work because his office doesn't recycle and he thought I could "do something with it." (Some girls get flowers, I get garbage!) Since I made our compost bin from a plastic Rubbermaid tub, we might as well go with a DIY scrap tub too.
We alternate between a large Nancy's yogurt container and an old cook pot. This way one pot can be airing out (de-stinking) while the other is in use.
I'm trying to think of fruit flies as friends...
I never hear people recommend this, but I don't get why because it is genius: take any nicely sized plastic container with a lid and keep it in one of your fridge's crisper drawers. The cold prevents rotting (and odor) until, after a few days, you take the thing out to the compost pile and empty out the contents. Then a quick rinse and back in the fridge. You can even keep the vent from the drawer closed if you are worried about odors making it through the lid. With this method you don't put up with fruit flies, you don't take up counter space, and you don't have to get a pretty container. It's a no brainer to me.
I use a plastic cookie jar that was on clearance at Target. I used to use one of their little metal step-cans on the floor next to my regular garbage can until my kiddo started to dig in it. Then we moved to an on-counter system:)
I found a 4 quart stainless steel kitchen canister with a glass lid and silicone seal. Because it seals it keeps me from getting fruit flies; here in Florida, it's a year round thing. I compost 90% of my trash (I use little) and grow all my own veggies so keeping fruit flies down outside and inside takes being careful. http://optimumnutrition.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/stop-throwing-food-scraps-away-build-up-your-soil/
I keep a plastic tub-like thing from ikea, it's small enough that I have to empty every few days. It sits underneath the sink. Here's the thing, it doesn't smell and I haven't has any trouble with fruit flies. I really don't know why that's the case. Of course, now that I've said something I'm asking for an infestation.