- ASIN: B002M69QP0
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,156 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen)
Would you like to give feedback on images?
Product Details |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
First off, let me say that the customer service of the company is outstanding. They really seem to believe in composting and want to help you make great compost (as opposed to just selling you a product). When I've had issues in the past and contacted them, they've promptly sent out free replacement parts. When they saw my poor composting experience, they contacted me and offered to ship out a new unit free of charge (and any assistance in setting it up). If you read the other reviews, it seems like they frequently do this with other customers as well.
Having said that, I'm still not sure I'd recommend it. At best it's a recommendation with caveats provided the person is willing to deal with its shortcomings. Does it work? Yes. I've made several batches of compost with it. So what's the problem?
Please keep in mind that I'm an apartment dweller (largish one bedroom), so the review is biased in that direction. Also, since it's marketed as an indoor composter, I feel that the points below are entirely justified. I've also updated the review below to reflect the supposed improvements they've made.
Lets get the positives out of the way:
* Fast - Naturemill's composter will make compost much faster than the backyard types (even in warm weather, not to mention places that have winters - unless you vermipost with worms inside). You also don't have to worry about keeping worms alive should you take an extended trip somewhere or have that on your conscience if the worms don't make it). =)
* You can supposedly decompose meats and pet feces that you couldn't with other methods (though I haven't tried it - and wouldn't since it has to reside in the apartment).
* Makes great compost when all is well.
Negatives:
* Noise - While not mixing, there's a slight hum from the air pump. It's somewhat annoying, but nothing too egregious. It's easily audible though, and because there's less ambient noise at night, the unit will seem louder. However, while it's mixing, the motor whines loudly. As the mixing arm brushes pass the metal tabs, it makes repeated loud clicking noises (they seemed to have lessened this somewhat, but it's still noisy). It does this every four hours, so it'll make a pretty good amount of noise at least twice during the night. If someone crashes on your couch for the night, it'll definitely wake them.
* Smell - If you keep the lid closed, it manages to pretty much keep the smell inside (with the help of an activated carbon filter). Mind you that I'm not wimpy about smells, but the minute you open it, well, it smells like you've brought a composter inside your apartment. To be fair, what did you expect? It's composting, so it's going to smell like one. When it's working properly, it still smells like earthy, musty compost. Doesn't bother me, but my gf won't go near the thing and always begs me to not open it. Eventually you learn to not to open it (within a couple of hours) before guests come over or before you cook or eat. Hint: I've found that using copious amounts of coffee grounds (gathered from work) significantly helps with the composting smell. Just note that even though it's listed as a "brown" item, you'll still want to add an additional carbon source to balance out the nitrogen in the coffee grounds. Hint: Starbucks gives away free grounds for composting (google "starbuck composting").
* Inconvenience - The manual says to not use paper (like from a shredder) and to use sawdust/pellets instead. I don't know about you, but I don't have a steady supply of sawdust. It's silly to keep buying sawdust pellets (from them) just to make compost. They say you can ask your local lumber yard for free sawdust, but there's no way to know if the sawdust there contains cuttings from plywood or particle board (glues and chemicals). As mentioned on their website, you can also buy "wood pellet fuel" from your local Home Depot like places. Even though it's not expensive, the minimum size is 40 lbs (not great to find storage for it when you live in an apartment).
* Leaks - Note that it comes with a thin plastic tray that goes below the entire composter to catch excess liquids (see manual). Just make sure that you keep an eye on the tray so that it doesn't overflow. It's mostly just excess moisture from the food, but be warned. Also, from the manual: "Select a flat and level location. Unit will not work properly at a tilt of more than a 1 degree." In case you're wondering, a one degree tilt is nothing. It's nothing you'd ever notice, even if I gave you a leveler to measure it. They should simply design it in such a way that it can tolerate being slightly off. It's hard to draw a parallel, but imagine if your fridge leaked unless it was perfectly leveled. Also, they warn you to not place the composter on any surface that can be ruined by liquids overflowing the tray ("Do not use on carpet or wood or other unsealed floor materials, as damage to floor may result."). Additionally, you'll find that water pretty much collects all over the "curing" compartment. Only small amount of liquids make it inside the drip-tray. I think the problem stems from all of the internal surfaces being the same temperature, so that the water vapors doesn't preferentially collect somewhere and drip into the drip tray. So until they can incorporate some colder vapor condensing surfaces that can guide the water into the drip-tray, you'll end up with extraneous water all over the internal bottom compartment (with excessive moisture leading to mold issues).
* Mold - As the other reviewer stated, I've also had a mold problem with my composter. If you're going to use the compost for indoor plants, throw it out unless you want to spread mold to your plants. Have fun scrubbing.
* Unstable - The unit isn't heavy enough on its own, so you'll have to hold the unit steady with your hands while stepping on the foot pedal to open the lid. Yes, it's easier to simply just open the lid with your hands.
* Cost - I don't think I have to elaborate much here. If you have a backyard, you should check with your city because many subsidize the cost of backyard composters.
All in all, this is an expensive and fussy way to make compost when it's going well (if the green/brown/moisture balance is off, it can smell a whole lot worse). A friend saw mine and asked me how well it worked and if I'd recommend it. I just couldn't recommend it to her. I think it's a great idea, but the execution still has issues.
For more details, you can also google "NatureMill PRO XE Gizmodo review" and see a few photos of the unit in action (hint: they don't recommend it either).
Having said that, I'm still not sure I'd recommend it. At best it's a recommendation with caveats provided the person is willing to deal with its shortcomings. Does it work? Yes. I've made several batches of compost with it. So what's the problem?
Please keep in mind that I'm an apartment dweller (largish one bedroom), so the review is biased in that direction. Also, since it's marketed as an indoor composter, I feel that the points below are entirely justified. I've also updated the review below to reflect the supposed improvements they've made.
Lets get the positives out of the way:
* Fast - Naturemill's composter will make compost much faster than the backyard types (even in warm weather, not to mention places that have winters - unless you vermipost with worms inside). You also don't have to worry about keeping worms alive should you take an extended trip somewhere or have that on your conscience if the worms don't make it). =)
* You can supposedly decompose meats and pet feces that you couldn't with other methods (though I haven't tried it - and wouldn't since it has to reside in the apartment).
* Makes great compost when all is well.
Negatives:
* Noise - While not mixing, there's a slight hum from the air pump. It's somewhat annoying, but nothing too egregious. It's easily audible though, and because there's less ambient noise at night, the unit will seem louder. However, while it's mixing, the motor whines loudly. As the mixing arm brushes pass the metal tabs, it makes repeated loud clicking noises (they seemed to have lessened this somewhat, but it's still noisy). It does this every four hours, so it'll make a pretty good amount of noise at least twice during the night. If someone crashes on your couch for the night, it'll definitely wake them.
* Smell - If you keep the lid closed, it manages to pretty much keep the smell inside (with the help of an activated carbon filter). Mind you that I'm not wimpy about smells, but the minute you open it, well, it smells like you've brought a composter inside your apartment. To be fair, what did you expect? It's composting, so it's going to smell like one. When it's working properly, it still smells like earthy, musty compost. Doesn't bother me, but my gf won't go near the thing and always begs me to not open it. Eventually you learn to not to open it (within a couple of hours) before guests come over or before you cook or eat. Hint: I've found that using copious amounts of coffee grounds (gathered from work) significantly helps with the composting smell. Just note that even though it's listed as a "brown" item, you'll still want to add an additional carbon source to balance out the nitrogen in the coffee grounds. Hint: Starbucks gives away free grounds for composting (google "starbuck composting").
* Inconvenience - The manual says to not use paper (like from a shredder) and to use sawdust/pellets instead. I don't know about you, but I don't have a steady supply of sawdust. It's silly to keep buying sawdust pellets (from them) just to make compost. They say you can ask your local lumber yard for free sawdust, but there's no way to know if the sawdust there contains cuttings from plywood or particle board (glues and chemicals). As mentioned on their website, you can also buy "wood pellet fuel" from your local Home Depot like places. Even though it's not expensive, the minimum size is 40 lbs (not great to find storage for it when you live in an apartment).
* Leaks - Note that it comes with a thin plastic tray that goes below the entire composter to catch excess liquids (see manual). Just make sure that you keep an eye on the tray so that it doesn't overflow. It's mostly just excess moisture from the food, but be warned. Also, from the manual: "Select a flat and level location. Unit will not work properly at a tilt of more than a 1 degree." In case you're wondering, a one degree tilt is nothing. It's nothing you'd ever notice, even if I gave you a leveler to measure it. They should simply design it in such a way that it can tolerate being slightly off. It's hard to draw a parallel, but imagine if your fridge leaked unless it was perfectly leveled. Also, they warn you to not place the composter on any surface that can be ruined by liquids overflowing the tray ("Do not use on carpet or wood or other unsealed floor materials, as damage to floor may result."). Additionally, you'll find that water pretty much collects all over the "curing" compartment. Only small amount of liquids make it inside the drip-tray. I think the problem stems from all of the internal surfaces being the same temperature, so that the water vapors doesn't preferentially collect somewhere and drip into the drip tray. So until they can incorporate some colder vapor condensing surfaces that can guide the water into the drip-tray, you'll end up with extraneous water all over the internal bottom compartment (with excessive moisture leading to mold issues).
* Mold - As the other reviewer stated, I've also had a mold problem with my composter. If you're going to use the compost for indoor plants, throw it out unless you want to spread mold to your plants. Have fun scrubbing.
* Unstable - The unit isn't heavy enough on its own, so you'll have to hold the unit steady with your hands while stepping on the foot pedal to open the lid. Yes, it's easier to simply just open the lid with your hands.
* Cost - I don't think I have to elaborate much here. If you have a backyard, you should check with your city because many subsidize the cost of backyard composters.
All in all, this is an expensive and fussy way to make compost when it's going well (if the green/brown/moisture balance is off, it can smell a whole lot worse). A friend saw mine and asked me how well it worked and if I'd recommend it. I just couldn't recommend it to her. I think it's a great idea, but the execution still has issues.
For more details, you can also google "NatureMill PRO XE Gizmodo review" and see a few photos of the unit in action (hint: they don't recommend it either).
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
We've had the NatureMill Pro XE for about a year and a half. I have been thoroughly impressed with it's ability to turn our food waste into rich compost in such a short period of time (1-2 weeks). My wife and I give the finished compost to our family members - who are better gardeners than us - and they all report back that the compost allows their plants and flowers to grow like weeds! :-)
This is despite the fact that we don't use baking soda as directed and also use cat litter wood pellets (we found them nearby for cheap) instead of the supplied pellets. So the system is fairly robust in terms of the mixture you can throw at it.
One tip I would advise is to cut the raw scraps into as small pieces as possible. I used to throw whole banana peels in, but they would tangle around the mixing bar and get stuck.
We originally had the composter inside our apartment, but since we have a small place (600 sq ft) we would hear the noises from it while it was mixing. Although it is fairly quiet, just about any noise in our place would wake you up at night. I'd imagine if it was under a counter or inside a separate room, you wouldn't hear a thing. So we recently moved it on to our balcony and it has been there throughout the summer and cold, snowy Canadian winter for months with no problems.
When we first bought it, we had an old version of it (from Home Depot) and had some minor issues with the release tray getting stuck (fixed in the newer versions) and we contacted NatureMill who promptly sent us an upgrade kit & new mixing bar free of charge.
Recently, after a year and a half of heavy use, one of the foam tabs inside the unit broke off - which didn't cause any major problems, but sometimes the transfer of compost wouldn't work. Would you believe that NatureMill sent us an entire BRAND NEW unit at no charge? I couldn't believe it.
It is few and far between to find companies that stand behind their products like NatureMill does. I rate the item 5 stars and give the company an even higher rating.
This is despite the fact that we don't use baking soda as directed and also use cat litter wood pellets (we found them nearby for cheap) instead of the supplied pellets. So the system is fairly robust in terms of the mixture you can throw at it.
One tip I would advise is to cut the raw scraps into as small pieces as possible. I used to throw whole banana peels in, but they would tangle around the mixing bar and get stuck.
We originally had the composter inside our apartment, but since we have a small place (600 sq ft) we would hear the noises from it while it was mixing. Although it is fairly quiet, just about any noise in our place would wake you up at night. I'd imagine if it was under a counter or inside a separate room, you wouldn't hear a thing. So we recently moved it on to our balcony and it has been there throughout the summer and cold, snowy Canadian winter for months with no problems.
When we first bought it, we had an old version of it (from Home Depot) and had some minor issues with the release tray getting stuck (fixed in the newer versions) and we contacted NatureMill who promptly sent us an upgrade kit & new mixing bar free of charge.
Recently, after a year and a half of heavy use, one of the foam tabs inside the unit broke off - which didn't cause any major problems, but sometimes the transfer of compost wouldn't work. Would you believe that NatureMill sent us an entire BRAND NEW unit at no charge? I couldn't believe it.
It is few and far between to find companies that stand behind their products like NatureMill does. I rate the item 5 stars and give the company an even higher rating.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
This thing is amazing. It eats up all our kitchen scraps (perhaps 1-2 gallons per week, plus a handful or two of sawdust) and spits out rich compost -- what could be better?
There are some trade-offs with any advancement, though, and if you want this high-speed composting versus slower methods, here's what you need to know:
- cut things into small pieces, 2-3" at largest
- no hard stuff (branches, bark)
- no fibrous stuff (like flower stems -- although flowers themselves are fine)
- no strings (tea bags are ok, just pull the strings off)
- be sure to use plenty of "brown" material like sawdust, or it will smell really bad!
I know they show the composter in kitchen settings, but I'm not sure that would work effectively. Ours is in the garage, and sometimes it does smell. However, it is tough enough to be in sub-zero temps and still work just fine.
I think it's a pretty amazing way to rapidly produce useable compost. Is it perfect? No...but nothing is, really. On the plus side, the 5-year warranty from them is only $32, and their customer support is really great. I did have to send the unit back once...not only was it repaired, but it was upgraded due to the mechanical issue mine was having. The only cost to me was 1-way shipping.
I still do maintain a compost pile also (for larger things and excess), but the NatureMill gives me a batch of compost that is potent and ready-to-use every 2-3 weeks.
Compared to previous models, the Pro XE is a significant upgrade in performance and ability. The Heavy Duty mode is far more capable when handling full loads, and makes this invention quite practical and low-maintenance.
There are some trade-offs with any advancement, though, and if you want this high-speed composting versus slower methods, here's what you need to know:
- cut things into small pieces, 2-3" at largest
- no hard stuff (branches, bark)
- no fibrous stuff (like flower stems -- although flowers themselves are fine)
- no strings (tea bags are ok, just pull the strings off)
- be sure to use plenty of "brown" material like sawdust, or it will smell really bad!
I know they show the composter in kitchen settings, but I'm not sure that would work effectively. Ours is in the garage, and sometimes it does smell. However, it is tough enough to be in sub-zero temps and still work just fine.
I think it's a pretty amazing way to rapidly produce useable compost. Is it perfect? No...but nothing is, really. On the plus side, the 5-year warranty from them is only $32, and their customer support is really great. I did have to send the unit back once...not only was it repaired, but it was upgraded due to the mechanical issue mine was having. The only cost to me was 1-way shipping.
I still do maintain a compost pile also (for larger things and excess), but the NatureMill gives me a batch of compost that is potent and ready-to-use every 2-3 weeks.
Compared to previous models, the Pro XE is a significant upgrade in performance and ability. The Heavy Duty mode is far more capable when handling full loads, and makes this invention quite practical and low-maintenance.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent Unit
I had also wanted one of these composters and finally my husband brought me one for Christmas. First off the instructions were very easy to follow and there was a lot of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nan Donovan
Great Idea, But Bad Execution
I have had my NatureMill for over a year. I like the idea of composting indoors, especially since I live in a cold climate area. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Technology Buyer
Great piece of equipment with room for improvement.
I bought my composter slightly used, it was about 4 months old, which allowed me to avoid the one major problem with the NatureMill Composters, the price. Read more
Published 15 months ago by James Baker
too good to be true
If you want an easy way to compost, this is it. It is as easy as it gets. Dump stuff in and forget about it until two weeks later when you have finished compost. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Rick
works well if you don't overload it to the gills
This product has been very good to me. I can see how other people have had difficulties if they overload it. Read more
Published 21 months ago by natureguy
finally a good compost solution
Let me start by saying that initially I was not a big fan of this contraption. I purchased an earlier model which was a little glitchy, and noisy. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Tom Lauter
good product but you must FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS
This is a VERY good compost maker. I can't say that about any other ones that I have tried. Some of the other reviewers here obviously have not read and followed the... Read more
Published 21 months ago by compost crazy
Broke in a month, customer service is non-existant!
I was really excited about this composter. I read the reviews and decided it was worth the 400$ to get the PRO version since it had a longer warranty. Read more
Published on March 18, 2010 by kelkel
Great way to stink up your garage
I was a bit skeptical about an indoor composter. I figured I could always put it in the garage. Well, it stunk up my garage. Read more
Published on February 21, 2010 by K. Farnsworth
A Great Composter!
I am the proud owner of 2 NatureMill Composter Pros and they are everything that I had hoped for. An avid gardener for over 30 years, I have composted outside for much of that... Read more
Published on February 10, 2010 by GSD
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
