Jessica ZanderComposting is positive action on many levels. It maintains the stability of nature and helps plants in your garden grow. There are a lot of composting options in the market. So choosing the right composter for your garden can be challenging if you have no idea how to go about it. To help you choose the right composter, we put together this buying guide.
If you’re in a hurry, our pick for the best continuous composter is the Jora JK270 Composter Tumbler. It’s compact-sized, has a sizeable 70-gal dual-chamber capacity, deep fins, aerating holes, and is made for easy composting. You can opt for the budget-friendly FCMP Outdoor Tumbling Composter.
Contents
Continuous Composters Comparison Table
| Composter | Brand | Size | Chambers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jora JK270 Composter Tumbler | Jora | 70 gal. | 2 |
| 2 | FCMP Outdoor IM4000 Tumbling Composter | FCMP | 37 gal. | 2 |
| 3 | Envirocycle Composting Tumbler | Envirocycle | 35 gal. | 1 |
| 4 | Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler | Miracle-Gro | 37 gal. | 2 |
| 5 | EJWOX Dual Rotating Composting Tumbler | EJWOX | 43 gal. | 2 |
| 6 | Exaco Mr. Spin Compost Tumbler | Exaco | 43 gal. | 2 |
What to Consider Before Buying a Composter
When it comes to buying a composter, the first thing you want to consider is where it will be located. Once you’ve chosen a location to place it, you’re good to go shopping for one.
Size
Size matters when buying a continuous composter. If you lack space for a large composter, then you should buy a small one and vice versa.
Again, if you have a need to compost a lot of things at once, a larger composter may be needed. Having considered the bin size of the composter you want to buy. You need to also consider the size of the door and the height of the composter. The bigger, the better.
However, composters with larger doors may be cumbersome to turn with compost inside it. Choose wisely.
Besides, more than one access point is better than just having only one. Next, you need to consider the size of the opening. Buy a composter with a door that can size a regular hand shovel for easy harvesting.
Excellent aeration
Since compost is made from decomposition with the aid of microbes, aeration is one important thing to consider. To ensure adequate aeration, you need to get a composter with good aeration holes.
But remember, if you’re going to keep the composter close to a residential area for lack of space, the number of aeration holes should be minimal to keep the smell away and rodents out.
Durable construction
Another important thing to bear in mind when buying a composter is that it will most likely sit outdoor in different weather states. This is where durable construction comes in.
If it isn’t tough, then it isn’t going to last – certainly not for long.
In addition, consider buying a BPA-free, UV, and rodent-free composter to ensure you have fewer things to worry about.
Lastly, take note of the type of material used for making the stands of your composter. Fortunately, most manufacturers use high-quality stainless steel for making it.
Composter Design
There are loads of composter designs in the market. However, you need to know the design that best suits your needs, consider how effective it is, and the materials used for making it.
Pest Proof
Pest-proof is an important feature to look out for when buying a composter if you want to keep out pests like rats and its ilk from your compost. If they find their way into it, it could cause a spread of diseases.
There are two ways to tackle this problem. If you live in a place where pests will be a problem, it’s either you buy a pest-proof composter or buy a composter that is off the ground.
Charcoal filters
If you are new to composting, you might beg to ask how does one prevent the compost from smelling? Charcoal is a natural absorbent and charcoal filter is an important feature in composters. Charcoal draws smell away from the bin and is important when buying an indoor composter.
Compost Tea
When compostables break down they form compost tea which is rich liquid organic fertilizer. Now, some models of composter allow you to collect his liquid on a tray or drained through an outlet at the bottom of the composter.
When mixed with water, compost tea is an effective natural fertilizer.
Best Continuous Composter Reviews
Let’s see the composters that are worth your money…
1. Jora Continuous Composter
Features: Dual composting chambers, sturdy design, can hold 7 to 8 gallons of compost a week, powder-coated body barrel, steel frame body, aeration holes, etc.
The Jora Continuous Composter is a quintessential example of an excellent tumbling composter. It has a surprisingly sturdy frame, a unique two-chamber design with locks, and firm legs with rubber feet. Since it sits off the ground, rodents and its ilk will have no business accessing it.
On a close look, you find that the composter is made of a combination of polyethylene plastic materials, galvanized steel for the legs, and powder-coated body chambers. Rotation is easy as the joints are well lubricated to that effect.
The chambers split into two, with each side holding about 35 gallons of organic matter. You get a combined capacity of 70 gallons. And as with the design, you can easily compost in one side while adding new materials to the other side.
We like the aeration holes on one side of the composter as it allows for unhindered airflow. You’ll experience mild stenches coming from the chambers if you keep it near your windows or patio. We recommend taking it farther off your main house.
The Jora Continuous Composter features sturdy door latches that are easy to open and lock, even for elderly users. Also, the door frames are relatively lightweight and aren’t as heavy as we thought. The overall durability of the composter is top-notch, and we have no reservations about it.
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2. FCMP Outdoor IM4000 Tumbling Composter
Features: Independent dual chambers, high-quality BPA free construction materials, 37 gal capacity, deep fins and aeration holes, corrosion-resistant steel frame.
The FCMP Outdoor Tumbling Composter is a 37 gallon-continuous-tumbling composter with all the qualities of a good composter. This continuous composter has a design fit for different people including beginners and those who do not have the patience, time, and space for traditional composting.
It is made from a variety of BPA-free 100% recycled and UV uninhibited plastic with a corrosion-resistant steel frame. This goes to show how committed the composter is towards helping you achieve your aim of deriving more nutrients for your garden from the items you compost.
The FCMP Outdoor Tumbling Composter comes with a removable door with large openings. This makes it easy to add scraps and remove compost. It also sports deep fins all over its body and they serve as handholds. Quite ergonomic to the touch and makes carrying easy.
With the FCMP Outdoor Tumbling Composter, all you need to do is fill the compost with materials and turn it manually five to six times every two to three days. Your compost can be ready in 2 weeks tops.
One amazing feature that makes the composter practical is its two composter tumblers. The two tumblers work independently and allow you all scraps in one chamber while the other is just finishing.
In addition to that, the aeration holes on the body of the composter allow for the proper mixing of oxygen with scraps in the chambers. With respect to the internal capacity, this composter has a 37-gallons capacity and is dual-chambered.
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3. Envirocycle Composting Tumbler
Features: Available in two sizes and color options, solid build quality, 17 and 35-gallon capacities, compact size, and environmentally friendly design.
The Envirocycle Composting Tumbler is dubbed the most beautiful 35-gallon composter in the world; we admit it’s quite a fine-looking composter. It comes in black or hot pink which can add a touch of finesse to your outdoor space.
But it’s pricey! Well, for those who know how valuable it is, the price will not be a deal-breaker. Now, this composter is just about the looks – it gets the job done. It is made from a combination of many materials that are food-safe, rust, and BPA-free.
It’s one of the few composters requiring no assembly – you take them out of the box and start using them. In addition to not requiring any assembly, it also produces solid and liquid compost.
This composter combines a compost tumbler drum and a compost tea maker at the base. There’s an opening to get the liquid compost out. Great for adding to plants you’re growing in bags. The Envirocycle Composting Tumbler offers a lot of conveniences when it comes to composting in compact spaces.
It can be kept on a porch with enough airflow, and there will still be enough space there. Getting compost out of it can be a little bit tasking as the opening isn’t as wide as we expected. Perhaps, you may find the opening wide enough.
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4. Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler
Features: Beautiful hexagon design, 2 separate composting chambers with 18.5gal. capacity for each, mixing bars, good aeration system. stoppers.
Next on our list is the Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler. With a 37-gallon capacity, fine design, and strong build quality, it’s a continuous composter that deserves your attention. It has two small chambers designed for smaller-scale composting. Each of the chambers has an internal capacity of 18.5 gallons. The two combined give a total capacity of 37-gallons.
The Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler is made from BPA-free plastic and high-quality stainless steel materials. On close observation, you can’t help but appreciate the strong build quality and how solid it feels.
Miracle-Gro includes a free pair of Scott’s gardening gloves for free when you buy this composter. That pair of gloves is arguably one of the best-selling gardening gloves on the market. As we mentioned earlier, the Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler is dual-chambered. This allows you to make two batches of compost at the same time.
Thus, you can add ingredients for compost in one chamber while the second chamber is composting. In a previous article, we talked about the things that you shouldn’t add to a compost tumbler.
Now, unlike traditional composting, this tumbler composter can make compost between four to six weeks and less in hot conditions. Let’s also mention that the Miracle-Gro composter features a pest-free fastening that keeps other pests and rodents out.
Assembling the Miracle-Gro Tumbler is a bit tricky since they didn’t include an installation manual in the packaging. However, they included a QR code that can be scanned to get information for assembling it.
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5. EJWOX Dual Rotating Composting Tumbler
Features: Good aeration system, dual chambers with a total capacity of 43 gallons, made from high-quality plastic and powder-coated stainless steel materials, slide doors for the chambers.
Our budget pick in this review of the best continuous composter is the EJWOX Dual Rotating Composting Tumbler. This composter has a dual 43-gallon chamber. For enhanced balance and rotation, each composting chamber turns on its axis and feature a 10.23-inch door in length and 6.1-inch in width, and the chambers have a capacity of about 21.5 gallons each.
The composter features galvanized steel feet and a sturdy powder-coated steel frame for the bin. There’s not much difference physically between it and some of the other composters that we’ve reviewed in this article.
In addition to that, it also features an efficient aeration system that allows for adequate airflow. The airflow system is similar to the one on the FCMP Outdoor IM4000 Tumbling Composter. Furthermore, there’s a black double-wall panel that absorbs and retains heat which is perfect for composting.
Like the Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler, the EJWOX Dual Rotating Composting Tumbler is also has a rodent-free design. Assembling this composter can take a great deal of time and be confusing if you’re in a hurry to get done with it. So take it gently and follow the assembly manual to get them together.
By the way, there’s an assembly video for you to make things much easier. Don’t forget to choose any of the two colors of the composter if you have a color preference.
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6. Exaco Mr.Spin Compost Tumbler
Features: Dual composting chambers, combined chamber capacity of 43 gallons, made from BPA-free plastic, solid construction quality.
Dubbed Mr. Spin, the Exaco Mr. Spin Compost Tumbler, is also another dual-chamber continuous composter worth taking a look at. Sporting a combination of black and green colors, there isn’t much to see in its aesthetics.
That aside, let’s talk about capacity. As we mentioned earlier, it is a dual-chambered composter and it has a 43 gallon capacity for both chambers; each chamber has a 21.5-gallon capacity.
The Exaco Mr.Spin Compost Tumbler features two sliding green doors for easy identification. It also features adjustable air vents for efficient aeration and better oxygen flow to your compost. It sits on a two-leg stand like almost all the composters we’ve seen so far in the course of this review save for the Envirocycle Composting Tumbler.
As expected, it features a sturdy tubular steel frame. The steel frame is coated in black against the stainless steel finishing we’re used to. We like the Exaco Mr.Spin Compost Tumbler, no doubt but that doesn’t mean we’re proud of some of its flaws. First, it’s not designed to be pet-proof as is the case with some other composters on this list.
Next, assembly is a bit of a chore as it can take you anywhere between half an hour to over an hour to set it up. These flaws notwithstanding, if you’re looking for a large dual-chambered composter, it might just be what you need.
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FAQs – Composters
- Do I need a composter to make compost? No, you do not. Organic matter decomposes without human help. However, using a bin protects your compost from weather and pests and makes it easy to tend and turn.
- Can I compost in the winter? The only downside is that it will take a longer time compared to the summer. To retain heat, you can cover your bin with leaves or buy a compost activator to keep temperature up.
- When is compost finished and safe to use? The finished compost has a rich brown color of good soil and smells like humus of a forest floor. It usually has no trace of the original materials placed in the bin and once you notice all these, it is ready for harvest.
Conclusion
Composting is a great way to give back to and nature the best way to understand the cycle of life. Don’t deprive your garden-rich nutrients of compost. A mix of fertilizer and compost is good.
I've been passionate about gardening since the early 1990s, and in 2022, I launched You Can Do It Gardening to empower individuals to feel more confident in their gardening endeavors.
Following a 30-year career in nonprofit finance and operations, I transitioned out of that field in mid-June of 2023 due to the growing demand for coaching services. Interestingly, my years of presenting financial statements to boards and finance committees proved to be valuable experience for teaching people about gardening! I enjoy sharing skills, providing guidance and suggestions, and collaborating efficiently with clients to make significant improvements to their outdoor spaces, both small and large. I also regularly teach at the Arlington Continuing Education and Cambridge Adult Education.
My approach is direct and practical, akin to Mary Poppins, but tailored to your garden. Clients find satisfaction in saving money and taking pride in their own gardening achievements.
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Hello! I’m Jessica Zander, a garden coach and consultant based in the Boston area (zone 6b), offering virtual consultations across the country and Canada.
I’ve been passionate about gardening since the early 1990s, and in 2022, I launched You Can Do It Gardening to empower individuals to feel more confident in their gardening endeavors.
Following a 30-year career in nonprofit finance and operations, I transitioned out of that field in mid-June of 2023 due to the growing demand for coaching services. Interestingly, my years of presenting financial statements to boards and finance committees proved to be valuable experience for teaching people about gardening! I enjoy sharing skills, providing guidance and suggestions, and collaborating efficiently with clients to make significant improvements to their outdoor spaces, both small and large. I also regularly teach at the Arlington Continuing Education and Cambridge Adult Education.
My approach is direct and practical, akin to Mary Poppins, but tailored to your garden. Clients find satisfaction in saving money and taking pride in their own gardening achievements.
Awesome!
Thanks, ASH!