Show us your kitchen compost container

Here is mine, it holds six cups and I am on the hunt for a bigger one. Number one son emptied the compost one day and cracked it so it's being held together with twine. Such a clever boy to tie it up!

Excellent topic! I have seriously been considered getting one. I look at them in all the catalogs but haven't taken the plunge. Do you recommend them?

Here is mine

Mine's like nKedrOoStEr's... in Folger's Red..I loved the price !

Those coffee containers work well? That is pretty smart for timing how long it takes... one new container each month? Nine containers total?

jkahn2eb wrote:Those coffee containers work well? That is pretty smart for timing how long it takes... one new container each month? Nine containers total?

Works for me. I just use it for temporary storage in the kitchen. When it's full I dump it in a garbage sack I keep in the freezer.
Just not very attractive according to my wife

Two years ago I paid five bucks at tjmaxx for the one shown above . I will probably go back there for something similar. I keep looking at these with price range of $15-$40. Maybe next year...

That's like the one I have looked at camp. I think most hold about a gallon? I guess they look more attractive only mine cost $9...and it was full of coffee But hey, my kitchen is forty years old. Maybe a compost container remodel is just what it needs

camprn, I have the same one as in your photo. It was pricey, but I like it for several reasons. 1. It looks a bit attractive on the counter. My family members do not tolerate clutter. They would prefer it not be there, but since it "fits" with the white cabinets, they do not complain. 2. The lid has a place for cartridge pads which maintain odors. The pads are replacable. 3. I can purchase and use biodegradable-compostable liners. When full, I take only the bag to the compost area in the yard.

Unfortunately, it fills quickly. When I am on a big cooking spree, I use another type of container - old box or paper bag - to collect my kitchen scraps. However, for every day use, such as a banana peel, apple core, or tea bag, this little ceramic container fits my needs.

nKedrOoStEr wrote:...Just not very attractive according to my wife

I'll show you attractive....






Admittedly, my "kitchen" is the restaurant kitchen. We very rarely cook at home, so we don't generate much compost there. We don't have coffee at home very often, since we only live 10 minutes from work. But on Mondays, when we go through a couple of pots, I have been known to collect the grounds to bring them to work to compost!

Who, me?

I gots me eye on the Royal Oak lump in the background!

Which DH used to apple-wood smoke a mean tomato, duck breast and sirloin...

nKedrOoStEr wrote:I gots me eye on the Royal Oak lump in the background!

LOL, at first I thought you were talking about the butcher block, which by the way is beautiful! Nice pail Martha, I envy your compost leavings at the end of the day!

martha wrote:Which DH used to apple-wood smoke a mean tomato, duck breast and sirloin...

He's a good man


The 5 gallon pickle bucket works for me!!!

Camp, That butcher block has been, ahem, around the block a few times. It was my mother's, and when she moved from the 'burbs to Boston, she took it with her. A little while later, she gave it to me, and with one friend, we moved it down two flights of stairs and loaded it into my Le Car....anyone remember those???? Amazingly, neither my back nor my car's axles broke. Eventually, I moved and couldn't take it with me, so I gave it to my brother. A few years ago, he got tired of it - go figure??? But he gave it back to me. When DH and I sold our house last year and moved closer to work, we gave it to the restaurant.

NR, when I first met DH, he told me that he was a pretty good cook. May God forgive me, I was skeptical.......then he fed me.....

And they say that's the way to a man's heart!

Mine was a gift from my Dear Dau-In-Law last April for my Birthday. That wonderful gal always has great gift ideas that fit me perfectly. I love it. Its quite large, is odorless, has a filter in the lid and lives under the sink until I tote it to the big compost pile in the back yard.....

We're using the "French Roast" container! Going to begin dumping it in a 5gal. bucket in the basement, 'til Spring..

Ha! I was coming on here to start this very topic myself. (They say great minds think alike camprn! Hee hee!)

Those ceramic and stainless steel compost containers are what I find in all the catalogs and online searches. They get very mixed reviews, so I've been hesitant to send one as a gift (my grandma has the "red Folgers can" model on her counter, and they don't even drink coffee, so I know it's got to bug her.) So I'm glad to hear you all have been happy with yours. I'm going to send her the stainless one, since a common complaint of the ceramic ones is that they are heavy.

nKedrOoStEr wrote:...my kitchen is forty years old. Maybe a compost container remodel is just what it needs.

Actually, camprn's gave me an idea. What about a cookie jar?

Would be a bit concerned about those with holes in the lids...doesn't that provide a port of entry for nasties and an exit for odors? I'll be using the red Folgers container.

I just redid my kitchen compost container. It is an old cookie jar with a liner made from a dishwasher detergent can. It looks good, was not in use and holds enough for everyday jobs. Major compost projects still get the 5 gallon bucket. What a fun topic to watch. Thanks.
Patty from Yorktown

martha wrote:

nKedrOoStEr wrote:...Just not very attractive according to my wife

I'll show you attractive....



Admittedly, my "kitchen" is the restaurant kitchen. We very rarely cook at home, so we don't generate much compost there.

Thought of starting this topic myself - Actually my question also includes: Show how you manage your compost outside. Because about 1/2-gallon of compostable materials daily, I fill this above bucket (well, ours is white & 3+ gallons) every week. - digging that straight into the soil, soon it's compost, & not soil, growing plants
How does a predominant amount of compost affect plant growth?

Edit: Maybe should add what's in it: No coffee drunk here. Mainly veggie-peelings, & old veggies, Carrot-pulp from making juice, etc.) you get the idea.
Has this subject already been covered? or should this be a separate Topic?

LittleGardener wrote: ...about 1/2-gallon of compostable materials daily... so if we dig that straight into the soil, soon we have compost, & not soil, to grow plants in. How does such a large amount of compost affect plant growth?

Uh oh LittleGardener. Someone hasn't read their All New Square Foot Gardening Book! We SFG'ers aren't digging our compostables into the soil. We use our compost to make our Mel's Mix. And we use our compost to replenish our squares before re-planting. Poke around, there's a whole forum just about compost.

Luci Dawson wrote:Would be a bit concerned about those with holes in the lids...doesn't that provide a port of entry for nasties and an exit for odors?

Luci, the ones shown that have the holes in the lid have carbon filters in the lids. This is supposed to keep the odors in and keep bugs out. On-line reviews have been mixed. I'll let the actual owners that posted here say whether or not it works.

Patty from Yorktown wrote:I just redid my kitchen compost container. It is an old cookie jar with a liner made from a dishwasher detergent can.Patty from Yorktown

What a great idea to use a liner for the cookie jar! Then you don't have to carry out your jar to dump, which would be easier and preserve it's life as well. Thanks for sharing!

LittleGardener wrote: ...about 1/2-gallon of compostable materials daily... so if we dig that straight into the soil, soon we have compost, & not soil, to grow plants in. How does such a large amount of compost affect plant growth?

gwennifer wrote:
Uh oh LittleGardener. Someone hasn't read their All New Square Foot Gardening Book! We SFG'ers aren't digging our compostables into the soil. We use our compost to make our Mel's Mix. And we use our compost to replenish our squares before re-planting. Poke around, there's a whole forum just about compost.

Yes, when able follow THE book. - But sometimes life throws you another curve, & you gotta do what you can, to Recover ... we in our family are so engaged. - We do the best, with the 'physical' resources at our disposal.
sorry if my question side-tracked this discussion. Carry on!

Ours gets composted here in the " Daleks " . We empty a little brown veg only lidded tub each evening once the table is cleared and the dishes set going in the dish washer.


Our local corporation cleansing dept. supplies us with two tubs one a green squarish lidded tub that holds about three gallons ... This is supposedly for all kitchen food waste . The othr is fro an inside toe pot to take thing out to the square green tub .

The brown one holds nearly a gallon had a removeable lid and a removeable carrying handle & is dishwasheer safe.



But we compost all our vegetation , eggshells , tea bags & coffee grounds etc. , which we put in the small brown bin to take out to the Daleks by the glasshouse or for putting in the 2012 all new wormery as per Josh's design .

The only thing that the corporation gets from us is anything that's been cooked such as chicken bones , chicken skin and bits of bread , pizza and all fats as well as the odd bit of uncooked meat when the dog starts to put on weight .

The dog gets the dog friendly bones ( we freeze them after making up various stock & soups ) once a week

We use just a gallon ice cream container

Thank you plantoid!, for all your helpful suggestions. - Gonna implement them asap.