Customer Reviews

Outdoor Bench

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

 

 

I purchased the Garden Gourmet Compost bin a couple of years ago. It assembled quickly and fit neatly in the corner of my backyard. And I have used it ever since.

At first I was not pleased with my results. This was because I did not follow the instructions. For best results, you have to turn the compost at least once a week. Keep it moist. Mix in any clippings that you add in. That kind of stuff.

Last fall, I packed it solid with garden, yard and kitchen waste. I turned it. Kept it going and this spring I was rewarded with almost a wheelbarrow full of compost, which I used in my garden.

This is not a two week composting system. It takes time and attention for it to work best. But, not a lot of attention. I use a garden claw and a trench shovel to keep things mixed and compost starter to get things going. I've composted, fireplace ashes, shedded paper, garden waste, kitchen waste and lawn clippings. It composts all of it just fine.

This was a good buy on my part. I am very pleased with the results I am now getting. If I had, I would buy it again. It's not fast. But, It's Good. It works.

So far this season, this product is working out great for us. It was easy to put together and the top locks on and stays on well. It looks inconspicuous in the corner of my suburban backyard and the kids are thrilled with it. We do have some flies, but only because I'm not consistent about covering the food scraps with yard waste or other "brown" materials. The door definately needs to be lubricated to open and shut well.

Very easy to assemble. However, I am disappointed that "it no longer comes w/a wire mesh floor" as described. I have been advised to get a galvanized screen from the hardware store.

I've used a number of composters over the last 13 years. This is the best so far, and coincidentally, the most inexpensive.

Strengths: fast composting, compared to my tumbling composter and another similar (closed box) design.
Easy to assemble and to add raw vegetation.
Contact with the ground seems to make a big difference, since it attracts earthworms. Also I believe the dark color helps a lot.
Plants near the composter do extraordinarily well.

Weaknesses: lots of work turning it. I find a garden fork works well, the specialized tools work fine but actually require a bit more effort (less time, more physical strength).

This composter has served me extremely well. Unfortunately, like I'm sure happens with all its competitors, time takes its toll on it. The lower pieces warp and degrade. By about year 10 (if in full sun) it needs replacing. I've cannibalized parts from 2 to make one but finally, at year 13, I need another. Which will be my 3rd Garden Gourmet, of 5 composters owned so far, including ones costing more than twice as much.

Regarding the review of the person who couldn't keep the lid open: she has a point. However, for large amounts of materials, I just take the entire top off. It's easy to do and I have to do this anyway to do a better job turning the compost. I'm actually surprised that reviewer hasn't figured this out herself. This top is much easier to remove than the openings of many other composters.

Regarding the person who mentioned occasional flies: just turning the compost should be sufficient. One need not always look for yard waste to cover kitchen scraps.

It was quick and easy to assemble. But it's rather slow to compost materials (and, I'll be honest, I don't rotate it much - it's a nuisance to do it). But the big problem is that small animals either knock off the top, or chew holes through the part where you can take the compost out. And they create quite a mess in our yard. Next time, I'll get an "off the ground" version, and perhaps a tumbler that I can turn with a handle.

Quicky delivery of this produce and assembling was easy. Definitely a 4 star on how it fits in my yard. Doesn't take up a lot of room. Disappointed tho in the lid of this composter. It doesn't lock in. The two swinging doors on wach side of the lid have terrible hinges - very flimsy. The big problem? When you go over with your kitchen or yard scraps to dump in, the swinging door doesn't stay up. So you need a free hand to hold it open which can be a real pain if you have a heavy pail full or cumbersome yard scraps. Really not worth $99.

The composer is plastic and easy to assemble if you are patient. The top doesn't lock on and can be blown off by a stiff wind. The plastic stakes aren't strong enough to keep it from being blown over so use steel rods or concrete blocks to hold it up. Other than that,it holds compost.

The composter I purchased from Gaiam arrived incomplete; in fact it was missing several pieces. I contacted the manufacturer of this unit (not Gaiam) and no one returned my call. I then followed Gaiam's return intructions, which were fairly clear but which cost me $35 FedEx to return. I later received an email from Gaiam explaining that they received the composter and that a new one would be coming to me in December. Apparently they were out of them at that time (11/13/2008).

UPDATE: the new composter arived on December 1, earlier than promised. The unit is in fine condition and complete. I am very satisfied with it, as well as Gaiam's quick response to this problem.

I have had this unit for about 1 1/2 years and I'm now looking for a new one. This unit worked fine for the first year. Assembly was relatively easy and I've continuously filled it with a 50/50 combination of grass clippings/leaves and kitchen waste (no meat or oils). I requires more manual turning than I would like...getting a shovel or other implement inside is inconvenient (the doors on top are small, have flimsy hinges, and don't stay open by themselves, so you have to remove the entire top). With less turning it has attracted soldier flies, fruit flies, and rats (note: with the compost pile I used to use, I never had problems with these). The composting does take upward of 6 months to go from entering the top to coming out the door at the bottom. Getting the material out the bottom requires one to go in with a shovel and is difficult and messy. Finally after 1 1/2 years, the corners at the bottom where the door is connected have come undone and the entire unit is falling apart. As I said, it's time to get a new and different one. Perhaps with more work with turning of the material, the compost inside would be lighter (so the unit wouldn't have fallen apart) and it may not have attracted the pests it has, but I'm looking for something that requires less effort...time for a tumber type.

I love this composter! It is sturdy and very effective. I have only used it for 3 months, and am surprised at the speed at which the compost breaks down. I should have a pretty large amount of usable compost by summers end. I have had no problems with excessive bugs or vermin. There are a few flies, but they stay inside the bin where they 'belong' assisting with the composting process. I was a little worried at how much time it would take to maintain the bin (turning the compost, etc.) but it literally takes about 5-10 minutes a week! I turn the compost once/week using a garden claw that makes turning a breeze. I also pour a bucket of water into it once a week to keep it moist. I use a small indoor composter with filters and compostable bags for convenience and empty it into the bigger bin about once a week. Living in a suburb, it is soo much easier to throw weeds and grass clippings into the bin rather than bagging them for recycling. This bin has saved me so much time and effort in many ways, as well as producing rich food for my garden and helping the environment.

I purchased it from Amazon based on cost and customer feedback. After much research I settled on the bin style rather than the expensive/ineffective 'tumbler' alternative. As I have discovered in my research the bin style is better than the tumbler because of the ability to keep the compost wet and hot, increasing the speed at which compost is produced. I chose the open bottom to allow worms from the ground access to the bin, and chose the black color to greatly increase the heat absorption from the sun.

This bin is well worth the money!