Kitchen Composters: Ceramic vs Stainless Steel vs Plastic

Are you wanting to ‘green’ your kitchen? Or maybe to transform kitchen waste into food for your garden? A countertop compost bin would be the go.

Is metal or plastic better for compost bin? The metal option may rust, but if stainless steel, will probably last you longer than the plastic. The prime advantage of plastic over metal compost bins is the price. But then there’s also the ceramic option.

Here I compare ceramic, stainless steel, and plastic countertop compost containers.

Pros and cons of ceramic compost bin for kitchen waste

Ceramic includes porcelain, terracotta, and clay designs.

Ceramic compost bin benefits

Natural material
Attractive
Won’t rust
Sturdy
Easy to clean
Resistant to odors
Fully recyclable ware

Downside of ceramic compost crocks

Fragile if dropped
Can chip
Not as lightweight as others

Stainless steel countertop composters pros and cons

The best countertop composter in this range is one with a charcoal filter to eliminate odors.

Benefits of stainless steel composters in the kitchen

Sturdy
Easy to clean
Won’t crack if dropped

Disadvantages of stainless steel compost bins for kitchen

Clanging noise
Can rust from the acidic wastes, but this depends on the quality
Not as resistant to odours
Not recyclable

Plastic kitchen compost caddies

Good things about plastic compost caddies in the kitchen

Less expensive
Lightweight

Not so good things about plastic kitchen waste bins

Can crack
Hard to shift stains

Best kitchen countertop compost bin

The best kitchen counter compost bin in ceramic is one that’s designed to limit odours and resist staining. And then there’s the price and the appeal that might matter to a lot of folk. Here are four countertop bins to compare each made of different materials.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a natural product and recyclable. This one has a modern look and the beauty of it is that it is lightweight and sturdy, it shouldn’t break if dropped.

Bamboo Kitchen Composter with carbon filters
available at Amazon

How to use a kitchen compost bin…

When you’re preparing meals, put the peelings and other waste from fruit and vegetables straight into the kitchen compost bin.

You can also put bits of paper, used coffee grounds and tea leaves from the teapot into the bin.

Some say to put used teabags into the compost, but I find the material of the bags doesn’t break down that well (It might depend on the brand).

When full (or within a day or two), empty the bin into your garden compost bin or bury the contents in the garden to provide food for the microbes that benefit the soil for plant growth.

FAQs

Does a kitchen compost bin need air holes? No, a compost bin in the kitchen does not need air holes but the benefit is that they help keep foul odors at bay — Important if you don’t plan on emptying it daily. The downside of air holes is that the openings allow in fruit flies.