A common misconception is that you can’t garden and make compost if you have limited space. That’s not true! Anyone can take small steps to live a more sustainable life. And that includes gardening and composting your food scraps — even if you live in a small space.

Take the first step by picking up a packet of herb seeds and try your hand at container gardening. Or, consider joining a community garden where you can have a dedicated plot to grow whatever you’d like. No matter how big your garden is, you’ll want to start composting. Compost provides a great source of nutrients to your growing fruits and vegetables. And it’s easier than you might think!

While you can build a compost bin, there are also plenty of ready-made options available. And some are even designed to work well in smaller spaces. Let’s explore the best options available today, from traditional bins to cutting-edge electric food recyclers.

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EPICA Stainless Steel Compost Bin

Seeking a simple, elegant solution to kitchen compost collection? The $27.98 EPICA Countertop Compost Bin offers premium quality at an affordable price.

This 1.3-gallon stainless steel bin has earned recognition as the top choice by Serious Eats after testing 11 different compost bins, citing its size and superior odor control as key factors that make it easy to use and clean. The one-piece molded construction resists rust and leaks, unlike welded bins that deteriorate over time, making it an actual buy-it-for-life investment.

Customers consistently praise its performance. One Amazon reviewer wrote, “With the included filters, it never gives off an odor, no matter how long food is left on the counter.” Another happy customer reported, “As long as you clean it regularly it won’t get gross. Not smelly at all. I keep mine on top of the kitchen counter.”

Envirocycle Mini Composter

The Envirocycle Mini Composter is designed for outside use. However, with a compact profile (19 × 18.75 × 21.5 inches) and weighing less than 14 pounds, it works well on small decks, porches, or patios. A composting cycle typically takes four to six weeks, so even with a smaller composter, you can produce enough compost over the summer to nourish a small garden.

The Envirocycle comes fully assembled for $49.99, so you can start composting your food scraps right away. This composter, which we featured since the first version of this article appeared in 2015, remains popular and is made in the USA with a 5-year warranty.

Customers consistently praise its effectiveness, with reviews that praise its ease of use. “I’m blown away by the functionality and ease of use. This is my 3rd composter,” wrote one customer. “I gave the others away; I never got compost.”

Worm Factory Worm Composter

Vermicomposting is a great way to compost your kitchen waste. Worm castings provide rich nutrients for your soil. The $134.95  Worm Factory 360, a compact outdoor composter from Nature’s Footprint, features a profile that suits smaller spaces. Measuring 17.9 x 17.9 x 14.9 inches, it can be tucked away out of sight while it turns your food scraps into great compost for your garden.

Owners report impressive results: “The worms seemed happy, and the trays were tight with almost clay-like dense black castings, each weighing about 20-25 lbs each. When mixed with soil, the house plants grew so much that I had to limit how much of the stuff that I added.”

The most surprising aspect for many users is that it doesn’t smell bad at all, and it takes less than 15 minutes per week to operate.

It’s important to understand that some electric food composters, including the Lomi, Vitamix, and Mill, don’t create traditional compost immediately. As the experts at Compost Culture wrote, “None of the ‘electric kitchen composters’ are composters, they dehydrate stuff. The resulting product IS NOT COMPOST and CANNOT BE USED THE SAME WAY.” The material produced requires proper curing or mixing with soil before use in gardens; hence, these devices create a soil amendment.

Lomi Home Composter

The $599 Lomi home composter, a “robot for your trash” from Pela, created a revolution in small-space composting. This countertop electric unit transforms food scraps into usable soil amendment in hours rather than months. Our Earth911 testing found that it consistently delivered a significant environmental benefit compared to sending food and other compostable waste to a landfill by more than 50%, earning our Greener Shopping Difference Maker designation.

The latest generation device, the Lomi 2 offers two composting modes: Eco Express, which takes 3 to 5 hours; Grow Mode, which produces garden-ready material in 16 to 20 hours.

After extended use, The TiltedMap noted practical benefits: “After six months of experimenting with my Lomi, I’d say the most noticeable benefit is that I now take out the trash, at most, half as often as I used to. And it no longer stinks or leaks at all.” However, some users report mixed results with the final product. Pela suggests following its recommended 1:10 soil mixing ratio.

Lomi requires subscriptions to an odor neutralizer (carbon that goes in an air filter) and a composting activator that accelerates biodegradation, bringing the annual cost of using Lomi to more than $100.

Mill Food Recycler

The Mill Food Recycler represents the premium end of electric food recycling. Unlike countertop models, this $999 floor-standing unit resembles an elegant trash can. It can process up to 40 pounds of food scraps before needing to be emptied.

Mill owners consistently praise its odor control: “I have a sensitive sense of smell, so I was very skeptical when Mill claimed their food recycler was odorless. After testing the unit for six months, I can attest the odorless claim is true.” The automated operation also impresses customers: “Mill is designed to use energy (electricity) as efficiently as possible and uses machine learning to get more efficient over time.”

Reencle Prime Electric Composter

The Reencle Prime uses live microorganisms instead of simple dehydration to create genuine compost. Unlike batch-processing competitors, the Reencle operates continuously, allowing you to add food scraps at any time while the microbes work 24/7 to break down waste. Users consistently praise its quiet, odorless operation.

What sets Reencle apart is its biological approach. As detailed in Honestly Modern’s comprehensive testing, “the Reencle output was rated at 2.2 and 2.4” on compost stability scales, where “anything 2 and lower is considered stable, moderately well-cured compost.” This makes it “far more useful and usable to everyday at-home composters than most of the output from other electric kitchen bins.”

At $499 or $35 per month, it’s a significant investment, but customers find it worthwhile: It is “extremely quiet, easy to use, and worth the price for waste reduction, with one customer noting that it turns kitchen waste into compost in 24 hours.”

Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50

The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 offers a more traditional approach to electric food recycling, using heat and grinding to reduce food waste by up to 90% in 4 to 8 hours. While it doesn’t create true compost, it produces a useful soil amendment that many users find valuable.

The FC-50’s compact design and reliable performance have earned consistent praise. Users report that it “works really well and turns all that scrap into usable compost for our garden. Compact, quiet and keeps the garbage from stinking.”

However, users should budget for ongoing costs, as customers point out that “you have to buy new filters for it every 3 months based on their recommendations,” adding $75-100 annually.

For Simple Collection and Odor Control: The EPICA Stainless Steel Compost Bin offers premium materials and reliable odor control at an affordable price point.

For Outdoor Small Spaces: The Envirocycle Mini Composter offers full composting capability, along with a bonus compost tea collection feature.

For Worm Composting Enthusiasts: The Worm Factory 360 delivers rich castings with minimal maintenance and no odors.

For True Electric Composting: The Reencle Prime utilizes microorganisms to create genuine compost, albeit at a premium price.

For Food Waste Reduction: The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 and Lomi excel at volume reduction and creating useful soil amendments.

For Premium Convenience: The Mill Food Recycler offers the most automated, odor-free experience with the largest capacity, albeit at a significant price point.

Whether you choose a traditional composter or embrace electric food recycling technology, reducing your food waste footprint has never been more achievable — even in the smallest spaces. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your kitchen scraps transform into garden gold.

Editor’s Note: Originally published on August 31, 2015, this article was updated in May 2025. Feature image courtesy of Envirocycle Systems.