Joraform Review: Is the World’s Priciest Tumbler Actually Worth It?

I’m one of those people who dreads my wife’s trips to Ikea, as I hate putting furniture together. I particularly hate it when you have overly complicated instructions to follow.

So you can imagine that when I opened the TWO boxes the Joraform JK270 came in, I was more than a little daunted – and I was right to be.

But despite the poor instructions which made the whole thing a bigger pain than it needed to be, I am glad I went through with it – because in actual use, the Joraform made me far keener on compost tumblers than I used to be.

Key features

• Type: Insulated dual-chamber compost tumbler (continuous use)
• Capacity: 70 gallons
• Assembly: Difficult; two people and several tools required
• Insulation: 5.4cm polyethylene (designed for cold climates)
• Material: Galvanised sheet metal

Putting it together

As you might have guessed from the introduction, the worst thing about the bin is putting it together. And I think a large part of that is down to the instructions, which are hard to decipher and involve flipping between three pages – the handwritten instructions, the list of parts and the diagrams showing you how it fits together.

Get a second person to help, too: you don’t need them throughout, but it’s crucial at the end when you’re fitting the final parts together.

(Update – this online manual has the pictures next to the instructions.)

Oh – and if you don’t go to the gym you might want help lifting it too. Mine was delivered in two parts to my neighbour, who kindly called me to let me know. I proudly denied her offer of help only to stagger back along the road with each piece. Still, in these days of cheap, mass-manufactured plastic that it’s nice to have something strong and sturdy, even if it does have a bit of heft!

Build

My sense of frustration began to wane shortly after I had finally finished putting this together and I gave it a spin.

It just – kept spinning.

While I’m primarily a compost bin man rather than a tumbler fan, I’ve used tumblers before, but nothing as well balanced as this.

When you’ve added the materials it does take a little more effort to spin it – but it’s a lot easier than other tumblers I have used.

Then there’s the insulation. It’s incredibly thick – in fact, you can clearly see that this was designed in a country where composters have to deal with much lower temperatures than my wet Wales.

The insulation is married to some serious ventilation, with a large vent in each of the dual compost chambers.

Usage

I started off with a mix of straw, chicken manure and a little grass. One thing I really liked here is the large aperture, which makes it easy to add material.

That first mix only achieved a temperature of 32°C (90°F) – warm, but I like to get a bit more heat to kill weed seeds. So I created a second mix with more grass, along with some woodchips to add carbon.

It started to get warm on the second day, and on the third day it really started to heat up.

Eventually it got a little too hot, so I turned it to cool it down. The compost slowly built up to a more reasonable heat – and then maintained an elevated temperature for well over a week.

The ongoing composting process really highlights some of the advantages of a tumbler. While large bins are my go to for composting large amounts of materials, it’s hard to inspect the middle, and it’s hard to take action if something goes wrong in the pile – for example, if it gets too dry in the middle, or too hot, or needs more air.

The Joraform, though, made it easy to check the moisture levels, to add grass to heat it up again and to turn it whenever I wished to add oxygen into the mix.

Of course, you can do this with any tumbler, but in the past I have found cheaper options let water in, which ends up creating a soggy, anaerobic and heavy mess. The Joraform, while I used it, was completely waterproof and a delight to turn.

Then, there’s the retrieval of the compost. I often find that many static bins I use, while overall excellent, come with small apertures which make retrieving the compost a pain. However, with this tumbler you can just wheel your barrow under the tumbler, open the aperture and drop it in.

Finally, there’s the dual chambers. While not unique to the Joraform, these allow you to have two batches of compost at different stages. What I am more excited about, though, is the ability to experiment with different composting techniques.

For example, currently I have one batch which was mixed weeks ago and is now being left alone (apart from the odd turn) and another where I am adding green material continuously.

The dual chambers mean I can easily compare the results and use them to inform my standard composting practices going forward.

Verdict

Some of my previous experiences with compost tumblers have been less than pleasant. Water ingress has led to anaerobic composting AND made the compost tumbler incredibly difficult to turn.

But the Joraform has converted me to a tumbler fan. It turns like a dream, it allows easy and continuous inspection of the material and it means you can hot compost with very small amounts of material.

It’s true that there’s no way its 70 gallon capacity could handle the large amounts of material my quarter-acre garden generates, but it would be perfect for smaller gardens – and I’ll be keeping my own for running experiments.

That said, I disagree with one UK Amazon reviewer who said “Every household with a garden should own one of these” – and that’s because the very big drawback with this tumbler is the price. It’s certainly the most I’ve ever paid for a composter, and the whole ethos of Compost Magazine is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to make compost.

But if you have the budget, and you do want to treat yourself to a seriously well-made compost tumbler, this one is hard to beat.

(Update: Annoyingly, I’ve since noticed that it’s far less expensive in the USA than it is in the UK.)

Full pros & cons

Tips

• Spinning the tumbler around fast is fun. But to overcome the centrifugal effects, make sure that some of the turns are slow to ensure that the material inside is effectively mixed.
• Not getting hot? Try adding more of a high nitrogen material which has been chopped into small pieces. While it’s in the heating phase, avoid turning the tumbler, as this will interrupt the heating process.
• Getting too hot? Turn the tumbler several times. This will immediately cool the compost down. I find that while the compost warms up again over several days, it won’t get to the same high temperatures as before.
• Everyone wants compost fast, but as with all compost it’s good to allow plenty of time for it to mature before using it.

Technical details & specifications

See the full specs

Capacity & dimensions

• Capacity: 70 gallons across two chambers
• Dimensions: 114cm L x 76cm W x 130cm H (approx. 45″ x 30″ x 51″)
• Weight: 52 lbs (as listed, though it felt heavier to me – and I DO go to the gym; note it’s delivered in two boxes, so you carry it in parts)

Design & build quality

• Material: Galvanised sheet metal, powder-coated; olive green. Polyethylene insulation.
• Manufacturer: Joraform
• Chambers: Two fully-enclosed, insulated compartments, each with a large side vent
• Ventilation: Side vents on both chambers for aeration
• Pest resistance: Fully sealed; elevated on a steel stand
• Mounting: Freestanding on the supplied stand
• Weekly throughput: Up to 15kg of food waste per week (manufacturer estimate)

Assembly experience

• Assembly time: 2–3 hours if you’re not very DIY savvy (i.e., like me!)
• Tools required: A knife to open packaging, two ½” wrenches/sockets (metric 13), one 9/16″ wrench/socket (metric 14), and a #2 Phillips screwdriver. All bolts are 9/16″/metric 14; all nuts are ½”/metric 13.
• Assembly notes: Two people essential, particularly when fitting side panels and at the final stage. No pre-drilled holes in the insulation panels – plastic screws are forced through under pressure.

Warranty & testing

• Warranty: [EDITOR: Awaiting reply from Joraform – currently TBC]
• Testing period: 3 months and counting!

Specifications are taken from the manufacturer’s Amazon listing for the unit tested. We’ve contacted Joraform to confirm weight, warranty and assembly details directly and will update this section on reply.

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