Customer Reviews

All Seasons Indoor Composter - Tan

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the first non-electric composting bin that I've found that's designed to be used INDOORS. We bought one for our kitchenette at work. You add food scraps, sprinkle a little Bokashi activator on them, then seal it up until the next time you have scraps. You are supposed to use a plastic bag of beans or a metal plate or something else to rest on top of the scraps to keep them from coming into contact with too much air inside the bin -- they are clear on that in the instructions that come with it but don't explain it well in the marketing materials. Once full, you have to leave it sealed up for a few weeks to finish composting then bury the partially-digested compost outdoors. Unlike yard compost, the process is anaerobic and you do NOT get finished compost, more like fermented quasi-compost. The bin seals up well and does not smell bad but it does smell when open (tolerable but sour smell). The decomposing material gets moldy and I always feel like I should wash my hands (which sometimes get stuff on them) after opening the bin. Also, this green-and-tan version does NOT come with Bokashi activator like most of the kits available online so you have to buy that separately. From a design point of view, the bin is sturdy and the lid seals well but they should have included a plastic separator or metal plate or something else to keep the air off the scraps inside the bin. UPDATE SIX MONTHS LATER: I am changing my review from four stars to two. After sealing up the bin for about 6 weeks during the winter, one of my co-workers took it home to empty it in the spring. The odor of the contents was frankly DISGUSTING and lingered for days in his backyard and garage even after the partially composted materials were buried in the yard. You need to be VERY VIGILANT about emptying the liquid from the spigot and get rid of the contents if it starts to turn nasty (although we weren't sure what to do mid-winter). You probably should be very generous with the Bokashi activator as well. We're trying to decide if we should persevere with using the bin or try something else.

I am disappointed in this product. It cost $60.00, but is made of cheap and flimsy plastic. I think a homemade one could probably be made for less than $10.00. A better one could have easily been home made with a 5 gallon plastic paint bucket, a filter screen, a drill, and a watertight spigot assembly to fit the hole.

Upon the very first use, the draining spigot fell off when I tried to drain it. I was able to put it back on, but it leaks, and I have to keep it in a large plastic bus tub to prevent sour smelling leakage from damaging my floor.

One of the most irritating things is that it requires some sort of weight to be placed on top of the composting material to prevent air from getting into the processing compost; but I don't have anything at all that is suitable for this purpose. I cannot understand at all why a cheap item that is this overpriced didn't at least come with a properly sized, custom fitted top piece that could weigh the composting matter down properly. I am completely stumped about what I can use for this purpose because I don't have anything the right size and shape. The instructions suggest a bag of beans, but that doesn't fit at all, and I don't want a bag of soggy, spoiling beans to dispose of when the process is finished! Immagine! They charged me $60.00 and didn't even supply all the parts!!! If I had wanted to use such hillbilly methods as bags of beans, I could have used an old paint bucket and saved myself the money to purchase an upscale, expensive glitzy item whose hype far outweighs it's value!!!

The design is clever and this could have been a really useful item if the makers of this product were not so intent on getting as much as they can while giving as little as they can. I just wish I had gotten a quality product for a fair price. Even $60.00 would have been acceptable if the product had been well made and had included all the required parts. I don't mind paying for what I get as long as I get what I pay for. This compost bucket stinks of greed even more than the rotting garbage inside!

I am really sorry I bought this, and might look into sending it back. But, now that it already has composting food scraps in it, I don't know if they will accept a return. I kind of think I have wasted $60.00 + dollars!

I was very skeptical when I was first introduced to this product by my wife. I have to admit after using the composter for about 6 months, that I LOVE IT! When you use it as directed (which I don't believe others who have reviewed this have) there is no noticable odor. The compost tea you get from this ingenious design is great for my house plants and I have never had any issues with the finished compost. Unlike other scrap buckets that try to sell themselves as composters, this one actually does start to compost the waste instead of simply collected it. I ususally bury the waste straight away after the bucket fills up (every week or two) and within a month I am able to recover the fully composted material from a small area in my back yard.

I have been using it to help with potting soil for containerized plants around my house and yard. The Bokashi used with the composter is relatively cheap and does a great job of starting the fermenting process while controlling odors. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to help save money with gardening, and reduce the amount of landfill waste in this country!

Hi got a used one and love it. I keep it outside and if Bees or other bugs are around it it, I hit it with the garden hose. I use a little of the liquid and add water then put it on any of my plants, some times it takes a while to show how well it works. and yes it will smell really really bad just like any other Good Compost will. Love Love it and have had it for 3 years now.

I would've purchased this, except the seller doesn't mention how many gallons it would hold. If they said it held 4 and a half gallons, I would've thought OK, that is a good reason to spend $60, plus shipping. Unfortunately though, I already spent $43 dollars on a smaller bin that hold 4 3/4 gallons.