Kitchen scrap composting has been part of my routine for my entire life, and its evolution has been a fun one to witness.
It used to be a chore reserved for those with an outdoor compost bin, a commitment to sustainability, and an appreciation for garden gold. Electric food waste recyclers are different than traditional composting methods, but we love that it allows more consumers to participate.
We'll underscore that an electric compost bin is a luxury, but this product that has made a really positive difference in our lives. It's easier to manage food waste by dehydrating our scraps every day, easier to improve our soil health by amending the soil with the food grounds, and, in general, a great home upgrade. We no longer have an overflowing compost bin; the kitchen is cleaner.
We already reviewed the Mill Food Recycler and really, really liked it, but the opportunity to test FoodCycler's new Eco 3 — the most compact "Foodilizer" on the market — was very welcomed.
Unlike the Mill, Eco 3 is kitchen countertop-sized. In fact, it's smaller than our air fryer, and about the same size as our coffee maker. The functionality it a bit different than the Mill, but it produces the same dehydrated food scraps for half the price ($999 vs. $499).
What is the FoodCycler Eco 3?
The FoodCycler Eco 3 is an electric composter that turns food scraps into compost. It's not smart home technology-enabled, but as an alternative to traditional composting, it's a simple, no-nonsense way to turn organic waste into dehydrated scraps.
- Small size: It's only 11"H x 9"W x 13"D
- Energy efficient: 0.257kWh/L (that equates to <0.9kWh/cycle)
- One button to start the appliance
- Removable bucket for ease of use during food prep
- Stylish, minimalist design
- The same size as your coffee maker or toaster
- Vortech technology (yep, it handles our pits, meats, dairy, pizza crusts, and even small bone scraps with ease)
- Eliminates food waste in 4-9 hours (the length of the entire process varies by volume and moisture)
- Odorless and quiet
- Refillable carbon filters
Since this original review was published, the FoodCycler Eco 5 was also released. Eco 5 is a more premium model with a larger bucket capacity. It's a little bit taller and wider, but it uses the same Vortech grinding system
What We Like Most
Needless to say, the whole household has been putting it to work for food recycling.
1. Space-Saving Unit
It's compact and it doesn't dominate your counter space, but it still holds a lot. “Countertop space is valuable, so compactness in a design is critical, yet our customers also want high-performance processing," shared Bradley Crepeau, CEO of Food Cycle Science. "The Eco 3 is designed with a focus on efficiency in space and performance, making it perfect for limited countertop areas."
2. The Bin Comes Out
Unlike the Mill, the kitchen compost container inside Eco 3 is lightweight and lifts out easily. You can easily keep it next to you when you're prepping dinner. It also has its own temporary lid to nix fruit flies and manage smells that begin to occur with the decomposition process if you're not planning to run the unit every day.
3. No complicated settings
We do love smart home technology, but it's satisfying to have a simple machine that just does the job without overcomplicating things. No software updates, no LCD screen or digital display, no scheduled start times. Push a button on the machine when it's ready to go, and it turns on.
4. Generous Bin Size
While it's not designed to hold massive amounts of food scraps, its 3.5L capacity comfortably handles our daily volume. We put a lot of scraps into the compost a lot every day including larger pieces. Excluding the outlier scenarios (big BBQ party), the Eco 3 keeps up without feeling undersized. For most households, it should be more than enough space and an easy way to reduce the original volume of all that food waste.
Want larger? The Eco 5 model has a 5L container. It's priced at $599.
5. Carbon Pellet Filtration System
Did you know that the dehydrated food material smells curiously like bouillon? It's not unpleasant, but odor control is important.
The carbon filter keeps food odors at bay. The product arrives with its first bag of pellets, about the size of a bag of coffee beans.
Ordering more is easy, but in over a year, we haven't had to do so.
6. It's Quiet
Save for the random pit that makes any food dehydrator clunk around, the Eco 3 produces no more than a soft hum while in use.
7. Top Venting
The vent location for the appliance is on the top of the machine, so you can tuck it in next to your cabinetry without concern. Plus, it only stands 11" high, so there's plenty of room between the top of the unit and your upper cabinets.
8. Patented Vortech Grinding System
I know a few other journalists who have tested other countertop composter brands, and their leading complaint has been that the machine doesn't break down the organic materials enough. We find that this machine does a great job — just as well as the Mill, and again, for half the price.
The byproduct Foodilizer is finely chopped, completely dry, and totally pulverized. "Its compact and sleek design doesn't compromise quality or capability," noted Crepeau. "It can handle tough food scraps like bones and fruit pits, which many others can't.”
A Few Things to Consider
- I'm not a big fan of the lid. I grew accustomed to the Mill that has a step-to-open feature (like a traditional garbage can). Eco 3's lid twists onto the product, and when I'm trying to remove it or replace it quickly, I can feel a little clumsy getting the thread to align. Our kids struggle with this too; the dots on the edge of lid that detail where you should align and twist to seal are on top of the unit, making it harder for them to see.
- No smart features, but really, it's okay. This system is a one-touch start, which means no apps, no Wi-Fi, and no unnecessary frills. While some might miss the convenience of a prescheduled start time or the ability to run the machine after you're already in bed, it's a small price to pay.
- More frequent emptying. The Mill can run the same grounds repeatedly — we only empty it every few weeks. When I asked FoodCycler if this was a possibility, they advised that I should empty the grounds after every use. Do I? No, but at my own risk.
- No Foodilizer pickup service. While it shouldn't be too hard to find a good home for your grounds, users who aren't gardeners or lack yard space may struggle to find a use for the leftover grounds. Make a plan to give it to your friends who garden (just keep it in a sealed container); you can also throw into the garbage knowing that you exponentially reduced the landfill waste volume and liquid mass. Or, well, put it in a garden bed in the park where it can slowly turn into nutrient rich compost to benefit public spaces 😉
Who should get an electric food recycler?
Honestly, anyone. I could recommend this product to my friends who have small apartments as easily as those with full kitchens feeding families of eight people. As far as electric countertop composters go, it's a great product to have on hand, and as a lifelong — but lazy — composter, I enjoy the function and convenience.
Whether you're looking for a better way to get rid of coffee grounds or are just trying to reduce the volume of your regular trash, this countertop compost bin eliminates rot and smells and leaves you with organic fluff.
Can you add dehydrated food grounds to potted plants?
Nope, don't do that. The dried food grounds aren't compost until they're processed by earthworms and other bacteria in the actual soil. They'll just rot. It's better to sprinkle it outdoors (in the grass, in your outdoor compost bin, or in your garden soil) to complete the composting process.
