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