Are Electric Composters Worth It? Some Don't Make Compost

Imagine having a simple kitchen bin.

You throw your waste in it, and compost comes out the other side – without you having to do anything in between!

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Many electric composters have promised this but haven’t always lived up to the hype. These bins attracted the ire of many composters, as their marketing didn’t always match what they delivered.

Recently, though, some modern bins are producing actual compost.

Does that mean they’re worth it?

Well, maybe. I’ve now spent months testing electric composters, alongside multiple other methods of making compost, and there are both pros and cons to using them.

But first (and just to make sure we are on the same page here!) let’s define what we mean by electric compost bins.

We’ll then take a look at the different factors to consider if it is worth it for you.

Table of Contents

What are electric compost bins?

Electric compost bins are purpose-built bins that use electricity to help break down organic waste into a material designed to be used with soil or plants.

They are typically easy to use, often involving nothing much more complicated than pressing a button – or even waving a hand at an automatic sensor.

They all claim to make compost – but some don’t.

Composting occurs when microorganisms break down organic material into substances that are beneficial for soil and plants.

Some composters, such as the FoodCycler, chop, grind, and dehydrate food. These devices don’t use microorganisms in the process, although what they produce may still have some value for the ground.

Other devices, such as the Reencle electric composter, use heat, air, moisture and bacteria to actually break down the material. I’ve looked at what is actually going on inside both types in more detail, in how electric composters actually work.

The result is likely to be more beneficial to the soil – so if you want to use the compost (as opposed to just getting rid of waste), make sure you get the second kind!

Best Electric Composters for 2026

We spent months testing electric composters in our own kitchen. The two in this guide make real compost, not dried scraps.

View Guide →

10 Factors to Consider

How much do you need to compost?

Most electric composters will be able to deal with a reasonable amount of kitchen waste.

There are often some limitations, though – for example, most devices can’t cope with large bones.

You can see how much one of these machines can handle in my short video review of the GEME Terra II, where I fed it chicken, bones and even Nutella:

However, if you have a garden your electric composter is unlikely to be able to deal with the quantity of material you will generate.

In this case, you will be better off with a garden compost bin or using an alternative method of composting.

How much compost do you need?

I was surprised by how much compost these devices can actually make.

When I used the Reencle electric composter for several months, I took the equivalent of several bucketfuls of compost out.

(The compost also stayed warm for a while. That can be positive or negative depending on your perspective! On the one hand, it shows composting is definitely taking place – on the other hand, it also means the compost is not ready to use yet.)

Compost from the Reencle composter. I've found this stays warm for a week or so after adding a fresh batch - the one above is active, but it has been hotter this.

Reencle suggests diluting the compost with plenty of soil (and I can see why, as it is very rich!)

Still, while that would give you plenty of compost for pot plants, it would be nothing like the quantity you could generate from a large outside compost bin.

Are you looking to save money on compost?

While the right kind of electric composter can make compost, it does so at a price.

The best devices cost hundreds of dollars, and they use electricity too.

Even the devices that do make compost won’t produce anything near enough to feed a decent vegetable garden.

A week's worth of compost from the electric composter. — *Above: A little bit under a week’s worth of compost from an electric composter.*

In contrast, a bag of compost is relatively inexpensive – which means you can buy a lot of compost for the price of an electric composter.

I’d suggest that if you just want compost for gardening purposes, you either use an outdoor system or buy compost.

How do you feel about ongoing costs?

The purchase price is only half the story, because electric composters also add to your electricity bill.

Exact costs are tricky to pin down, as electricity prices change and vary a lot depending on where you live, so it’s easier to compare devices to other household appliances.

The FoodCycler uses around 1.5 kWh per cycle, with each cycle taking 4 to 6 hours. That’s roughly a dishwasher load each time you run it.

Reencle says its device uses 1.25 kWh a day. To put that in perspective, that’s about the same as running a second refrigerator.

The good news is that you probably don’t need to run it anywhere near that much. I’ve found that running the Reencle for 2 to 4 hours a day makes perfectly fine compost. That makes sense when you think about it, as compost breaks down happily outside in far less ideal conditions. Used that way, the electricity cost drops to a fraction of the headline figure.

Depending on the composter, there may be other costs to consider. The Reencle uses a replaceable filter, while the GEME Terra II has a permanent filter but suggests you buy its Kobold starter material every three months. See our reviews of the Reencle and the GEME Terra II for a full breakdown.

How do you feel about worms?

A worm bin can also handle some kitchen waste.

It’s usually cheaper than an electric composter (or much cheaper if you build your own worm bin) and doesn’t use electricity.

The main downsides are that they require some care and attention (but probably less than you imagine!) and that some people have an automatic yuck reaction when it comes to worms.

Cluster of composting worms wriggling through dark crumbly compost

What about the environment?

A lot is made of the environmental benefits of composting, and there’s real substance behind the claims.

When food waste goes to landfill, it breaks down without air and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In fact, the EPA estimates that food waste is responsible for 58% of the methane released from US municipal landfills.

Bacterial electric composters break waste down with air instead, producing far less methane. They also turn organic waste into a usable soil improver rather than burying it, a small contribution to a more circular economy.

The catch, of course, is the electricity.

Here’s a rough comparison. Running an electric composter all day at Reencle’s claimed usage produces about a pound of CO2 a day on the average US grid. Every pound of food scraps you divert from landfill saves somewhere between half a pound and a pound and a half of greenhouse gases, depending on the landfill.

So a machine fed a steady supply of scraps roughly breaks even at worst, and does better than that in most homes. Run it for a few hours a day, or on renewable electricity, and it comes out clearly ahead. (The UK grid is considerably cleaner than the US average, so the balance is better there too.)

One unknown is the carbon cost of making the device in the first place. These are machines built from plastic, metal and electronics, and manufacturing and shipping them isn’t free, carbon-wise.

And if you have a garden, the greenest option is still a repurposed pallet bin or garbage-bin composter, which uses no electricity at all. Even without a garden, a community composting scheme or municipal food waste collection will beat an electric composter on pure environmental grounds.

In summary, an electric composter might come out ahead – but the differences are likely to be tiny.

How long are you prepared to wait for the compost to be ready?

Many electric composters promise their compost will be ready in weeks, or even days.

In terms of the first stage of composting, a good electric composter is incredibly fast. I often find that I can’t distinguish softer material from compost the day after adding it.

However, compost usually needs to mature for months before being used.

That’s the same for electric composters. In fact, some researchers have criticized electric compost makers for understating the m aturity process.

If you need compost fast, you’re better off buying it, as no composting system can produce mature compost in a matter of weeks. However, if you’re happy to leave your compost mature before using it, an electric composter remains a good option.

Do you want to compost, but live in an apartment?

My wife opens the Geme Terra II in our kitchen.

I spent years living in apartments when I was working abroad, so I get you here 😉

If you want to make compost, your options really are limited if you don’t have outside space.

In that case, and if you don’t like the idea of a worm bin, I think an electric composter is a good choice.

Do you just want to deal with smelly waste?

If you are sick of having food go smelly because it is waiting a week to be picked up, an electric composter might be a good option.

I think this matters more in hot climates than in cold ones. Where I live, waste is picked up once a week, and that’s not a problem for smell or pests.

In the summer food can go off much more quickly, and smells can appear, attracting pests like fruit flies.

That doesn’t matter so much if you have an effective outdoor compost bin, and get rid of your scraps daily. However, if you don’t have an outdoor bin, or don’t compost all your food waste, electric composters are a great alternative.

Are you willing to do a bit more than just throw waste in a bin?

Electric composters are sold on their ease of use – but a bit of thought is required for using bacterial electric composters.

To make compost you need a mixture of carbon and nitrogen.

You do this by adding both nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials to your electric composter.

Azis et al suggest using a combination of common carbon-rich materials such as bread and cereal and nitrogen-rich materials such as spinach.

Wrapping up

If you have a garden and want lots of compost, you are probably better off with a compost bin. Even if you don’t have a garden, a worm bin would be a more cost-effective option than an electric composter.

However, you might be like my wife and prefer to have a high tech, aesthetically pleasing solution in your kitchen.

So, an electric composter might be for you if:

You don’t have a garden to put a compost bin in.
You (or your family!) can’t stomach the idea of worms in your kitchen.
You like gadgets and are looking for a fun way of dealing with organic waste.

If you’re still interested in getting one, check out our tested picks in our guide to the best electric composters next!

External resources

Azis et al, The Effect of Initial Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio on Kitchen Waste Composting Maturity, 2023, Sustainability (or see our summary of the study here)

EPA, Quantifying Methane Emissions from Landfilled Food Waste, 2023