Even Greener Bokashi Kitchen Composter Review

Typical price:

£25

We like:

The convenience; the idea; the speed at which we can now produce compost

We don't like:

Cleaning the bin; the disappointment of not finding soft, black, clean compost in the bin after two weeks

SmartPlanet judgement:

Though not fit for flats only with balconies as we had imagined, we do like the convenience and composting-speed of the Bokashi bin. We're also pleased the black one is made in the UK from 85 per cent recycled plastic.

Score:

Contact:

Nice Car Company at http://www.evengreener.com/
Telephone: +44 (0)845 658 5588

We couldn't believe it when we first heard the claim behind the Bokashi compost bin: "You can put all your food waste in it -- including meat, fish, dairy products and cooked food -- add a bit of the 'magic' Bokashi bran and voila, a fortnight later you've got compost to use in your window pots and garden."

It turns out we shouldn't have believed it. Or rather, we shouldn't have made ourselves believe that this Bokashi thing could really do magic and turn our banana peels and fish heads into lovely, soft, black and clean compost in just two weeks. In reality, the Bokashi bran, which is a Japanese organic material containing microbes, ferments the food rather than decomposes it. It also prevents the food waste from smelling badly, which means you can leave the bin inside for weeks on end. Instead of turning the scraps straight into compost, as we initially thought would happen, the fermented stuff has to be transferred to a traditional compost bin or dug into the soil in the garden and left to decompose completely. Only then do you have a nutritious material for your plants to work with.

Although slightly disappointed at first, we have grown to like our Bokashi bin. We like the fact we can put absolutely every food matter (except for tea bags) in it; that it doesn't smell -- like our ordinary kitchen caddy -- if left for ages; that it doesn't attract any flies or other insects; that the fermented food stuff does in fact decompose very quickly once in contact with soil; and that we can drain off excess liquid and use it to feed our plants.

The Bokashi kitchen composter is often sold as 'perfect for an urban setting', which is what made us believe there wasn't any need for either an outdoor compost bin or a garden. We had envisaged taking the compost straight from the bin and putting it in our window pots or giving it to friends ready to use. That's not going to happen. But that doesn't mean the Bokashi bin is not a great idea. It really speeds up that long, boring process of composting, which is good for impatient compost-starving gardeners or urban families who haven't got a lot of space and fill up their traditional composters quicker than these.

This particular Bokashi bin from Even Greener is made in Hull from either 12 per cent recycled PP (in grey) or 85 per cent recycled PP (in black). We don't understand why the manufacturer doesn't consequently only make the black ones. It's not like the grey bins are more aesthetically pleasing -- it's a mundane plastic compost bin. It has an 18 litre capacity and comes complete with a scoop to spread the Bokashi bran, an inner drain tray and two months' supply of Bokashi for £25, which we think is okay -- perhaps on the pricey side. We would recommend buying two for £40, as you should leave it for a week or so to ferment.

Also, we couldn't make the Bokashi bran last for two months and quickly found out it's a good idea to plan ahead as we can only buy Bokashi refills online. You might be lucky and have a local garden centre that stocks Bokashi bran, though, so don't let the online issues deter you.

Score breakdown:

 

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