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Resolved to reduce food waste in your kitchen this year? A compost caddy for your food scraps will help keep waste out of the trash and put it to work in your garden.
At a certain point along your journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, as you dump your coffee grounds in the trash, you may ask yourself, “Could these be put to better use?”
The answer, yes!
Enter the compost caddy. The compost caddy, or kitchen composter, is simply a bin that sits on your countertop. As you go about your meal prep, toss your food scraps into the bin until it can be emptied into your outdoor compost pile for further decomposition.
Read on for the best compost caddies for your kitchen countertop.
This post is all about the best compost caddy for kitchen countertops.
Best Compost Caddy 2022
Best Compost Caddy Overall Winner: Norpro 1 Gallon Stainless Steel Compost Keeper
This kitchen composter is simple, sleek and keeps odors at bay with a charcoal filter.
→Read full review.
Best Affordable Compost Caddy: Exaco ECO 2000-NP Kitchen Compost Pail, 2.4 Gallon
This compost bin is the best bang for your buck. It’s big and plastic, hence the lower price.
→Read full review.
Most Stylish Compost Caddy: LALASTAR Countertop Compost Bin with Lid in Green
If you have a kitchen with colorful accents, this trendy green countertop composter is for you!
→Read full review.
Easiest Clean Compost Caddy: OXO Good Grips Easy-Clean Compost Bin
This compost caddy is the most lightweight and its ergonomic design allows for easy cleaning.
→Read full review.
Best Compost Caddy with Compostable Bags: Full Circle Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Bin
If you rather skip the cleaning altogether, get this kitchen composter that uses compostable bags.
→Read full review.
Best Quick Compost: Vitamix 068051 FoodCycler FC-50, 2L Capacity
This countertop composting gadget actually dries and pulverizes food waste for you to use as easy fertilizer next day.
→Read full review.
Best Compost Bin for Small Spaces: Tiyafuro 2.4 Gallon Kitchen Compost Bin for Counter Top or Under Sink
If you’re lacking counter space, this compost bin fits snugly under the sink.
→Read full review.
Best Handmade Kitchen Composter: Hand Thrown Stoneware Compost Jar by LaPoterieduChalet
This gorgeous porcelain compost jar is as beautiful as it is functional.
→Read full review.
Most Eco-Friendly Compost Caddy: Large Black Walnut Kitchen Compost Bin by Cold Hollow Woodworking
This sleek hardwood countertop composter is handmade in a wood shop that uses solar energy!
→Read full review.
Compost Caddy Reviews
Overall Winner: Norpro 1 Gallon Stainless Steel Compost Keeper
This stainless steel compost caddy is simple, sleek, and looks great in the modern kitchen.
Its cylindrical shape holds up to one gallon of food scraps so you can go a couple days without emptying.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about odor in the meantime! This kitchen composter comes with a dual odor preventing charcoal filter set in the lid. Just be sure to change out the filter every six months for the best results!
The downside to stainless steel is it can get fingerprints pretty easily.
Best Affordable: Exaco ECO 2000-NP Kitchen Compost Pail, 2.4 Gallon
At almost two-and-a-half gallons, this is easily the biggest kitchen composter on our list, making it the best choice for bigger families or for those doing some serious food prep.
Even at its tremendous size, this composter comes with an ergonomic handle to easily carry it to your outside compost pile.
Luckily, you probably won’t need to empty it as much as the others on this list because it is so big. It does come with a carbon filter to minimize odors.
Unfortunately, because it is green plastic it does look more like a recycling bin than a chic countertop composter.
Most Stylish: LALASTAR Countertop Compost Bin with Lid in Green
If you have a kitchen with pastel or greenish accent, you’re going to need to go ahead and buy this adorable mint green compost caddy.
It’s not just cute though, it’s also functional. This kitchen compost bin is made of enamel-coated steel, so it won’t rust or leach nasty chemicals into your food scraps. (Remember, if you’re composting that is eventually going in your garden!)
Coming in at one gallon, it’s also pretty decent size and comes with a charcoal filter to reduce smells.
Easiest Clean: OXO Good Grips Easy-Clean Compost Bin
This compost caddy was designed with your comfort and ease-of-use in mind.
The lid easily pops open and clicks into place with one hand. You can even completely remove the lid for easy emptying.
This compost bin is made of plastic, a downside for some, but its smooth interior walls make the easiest cleaning experience of all the caddies on our list. It’s also fairly small at .75 gallon, making it a good choice for those with limited counter space or needing a lighter caddy.
Best with Compostable Bags: Full Circle Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Bin
If you want to skip the cleaning step all together, opt for this kitchen compost bin which works well with compostable bags.
When your composter is ready to empty, simply tie up the bag (like you would with a regular trash bag!) and toss the entire thing in the compost. It’s that easy!
To be honest, many of the caddies on this list would work with a compostable bag, but this one comes with a lip especially for inserting a bag discretely.
Bonus, this kitchen compost bin is made from recycled plastics.
Best Quick Compost: Vitamix 068051 FoodCycler FC-50, 2L Capacity
This is a combination compost caddy and powerful fertilizer maker.
The FoodCycler takes and food scraps you would throw in a traditional composter (including chicken bones) and runs them through a dehydrating, grinding and cooling cycle.
The process leaves you with fine, crumbly shelf stable fertilizer that can go into your compost pile for further decomposition or used as a fertilizer.
Running the machine through a full cycle takes about 7 hours, so might be best to turn it on before bed and wake up to fresh fertilizer in the morning!
Best for Small Spaces: Tiyafuro 2.4 Gallon Kitchen Compost Bin for Counter Top or Under Sink
If you absolutely don’t have the counter space for a composter, this one will fit snugly under the sink or behind a pantry door.
It can be hung on cabinet doors less than 0.95 inch thick for easy, damage-less installation. Alternatively, you can install the caddy directly onto a wall or door with an adhesive hook.
Try installing right at the edge of a countertop for super easy cleanup. Imagine being able to whisk away food scraps into your compost caddy with just a single swipe!
Be warned though, this compost bin is fairly large (2.4 gallons) so make sure it will fit where you plan on placing it.
Best Handmade: Hand Thrown Stoneware Compost Jar by LaPoterieduChalet
This porcelain compost jar is so chic, no one will be able to tell that it’s holding decomposing food waste.
Hand thrown in Montreal, this compost jar can be displayed on the counter year round or even placed in the freezer in warmer months.
The jar contains about of half-gallon of food scraps, so it might not be the best it plan on creating a lot of waste.
Most Eco-Friendly: Large Black Walnut Kitchen Compost Bin by Cold Hollow Woodworking
This hardwood kitchen compost bin looks sleek and classy on any countertop.
The husband and wife team at Cold Hollow Woodworking makes all their compost bins from reclaimed wood in a solar-powered workshop in Vermont, making this bin easily the most eco-friendly. Plus, it will come shipped to you in recycled materials. They seriously thought of everything!
The wooden bin comes with a dishwasher safe stainless steel insert for easy cleaning and holds a bit more than a gallon.
How to Use a Compost Caddy
A kitchen countertop composter is simply a temporary home for your food waste until it can be emptied in a proper compost pile.
The food scraps in a countertop bin do not have the area or time to fully break down into the crumbly, stable material we know as compost.
If you leave your food waste in a compost caddy too long, you’ll probably just end up will a smelly soup so make sure you empty it often into your compost pile.
What to Compost
- Fruit and vegetable scraps (carrot tops, onion skins, parsley stems, etc.)
- Egg shells
- Coffee grounds
- Houseplant trimmings
- Stale bread
- Tea leaves/used tea
- Cooked pasta and rice
What Not to Compost
- Kitty litter
- Animal waste
- Meat products
- Seafood
- Dairy products
- Diapers
This post was all about the best compost caddy.
