Home › Compost Products › Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50
Electric food recycler · Indoor
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 is an electric food recycler for indoor use which uses a grind-and-dehydrate method to turn food waste into material that can be composted or fed to worms.
Product snapshot
- Category
- Electric food recycler
- Status
- Discontinued by Vitamix (checked 2026-08-29)
- Placement
- Indoor
- Footprint
- Small (12.6" × 11")
- Search interest
- → Steady Ahrefs data, estimate
Product specs summary
- Capacity (per cycle)
- 2.5 litres
- Process
- Grinds and dehydrates
- Subscription
- None
- Warranty
- 3 years, full parts and labour
- Ongoing consumables
- Carbon filters (replacement interval not published)
- Footprint
- 12.6" × 11"
- Material
- ABS shell, aluminium bucket
- Power
- 120 V, 500 W
In the box
Carbon filters and removable waste bucket with carbon-filter lid
What owners report
Compiled from owner reports gathered Aug 2026.
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To assess the Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50, we looked at 17 owner reports across Reddit and owner blogs dating from 2021 to 2026.
Before reading this, note this product is now discontinued. The FC-50 is still available secondhand, but owners report that replacement parts are no longer sold.
The FC-50 has been reported as quiet in normal use, although the ‘low hum’ can change to a loud squealing on fibrous loads. One user reported that after several years of use the device started clacking and banging, and had to dispose of it shortly afterwards.
Most users reported that the device was very effective at shrinking and deodorizing waste, with several owners running it for years without any issues with smell. However, a subset did complain about odors, and weren’t able to fix the issue with new filters. (FYI, those filters cost $25 for a pack of 2 - if you can still get hold of them!) Each cycle took 6-8 hours (advertised at 4-8 hours).
Some users also reported mechanical failures including loose internal screws, dead grinders and motor failures, and complained that support offered no parts or repairs.
As with the Mill, the device jammed when used with starchy or fibrous material or when overloaded. And another similarity - the output is dried ground food, not compost. Users found this still made a good addition to compost and worm bins, but if applied directly would attract pests and lead to mold growing.
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