The Best Compost Bins of 2024

• Type: Countertop
• Material: Bamboo fiber
• Dimensions: 7.25 x 7 x 10 inches (length x width x height)
• Capacity: 1.2 gallons

The Bamboozle Composter, which is available in a rainbow of colors, is super cute and will look great in your kitchen. It’s light, has a handle, and was packaged in recyclable materials and no plastic.

There were no noticeable smells during testing, even with stinky leftover food scraps, because the filter works so well. It also comes with a replacement filter.

The inside of this countertop compost bin stained easily, however. We rinsed it after emptying it and recommend not letting food sit for too long or using a compostable “filter” made of paper towels or newspaper. It’s worth noting that the bin we tested was a cream color (Neutral). We suggest buying a darker color instead, but there are plenty to choose from.

• Type: Countertop
• Material: Ceramic exterior, plastic bin with stainless-steel handle
• Dimensions: 6.06 x 7.88 x 11.50 inches (length x width x height)
• Capacity: 0.75 gallons

This ceramic bin was cute and easy to clean, and the inner bin could be removed to dump organic material outside into a larger compost bin. However, the bin was more fragile than others tested—we worried about knocking it off the counter and shattering it.

The lid was also slightly bothersome, as the cute plastic leaf on top got in the way of my kitchen cabinet closing. The lid also didn’t fit over the ceramic lip evenly, so we could smell whatever scraps were in the bin. The filter also had some odd discoloration after a few weeks of use. It did come with a replacement filter, so we were able to swap them out.

• Type: Countertop
• Material: Stainless steel exterior, plastic interior bin
• Dimensions: 5.7 x 9.6 x 8.5 inches (length x width x height)
• Capacity: 1 gallon

The Simplehuman Compost Caddy is clean and compact and can save counter space if you already have the Simplehuman Rectangular Step Can, our favorite kitchen trash can.

It was convenient to have the caddy right next to the trash—we could open both lids and sort the mail or food scraps into the proper receptacle. It also serves as a reminder to compost if you’re still getting into the habit. If you don’t have a Simplehuman trash can, you can still use this compost caddy on your kitchen counter.

It works similarly to other countertop compost bins: It has a removable plastic bin that you line with an eco-friendly compostable bag. We don’t think the bag is 100% necessary, but it did keep the bin cleaner and made emptying it simple.

This kitchen composter is a bit narrow, and the bin seemed to fill up quickly after cooking a meal or two. Because the bin filled often, that meant more trips outside to empty it, which wasn’t a huge deal, but it is something to consider.

• Type: Outdoor
• Material: UV-protected plastic/alloy steel
• Dimensions: 23 x 23.5 x 29.5 inches (length x width x height)
• Capacity: 27.7 gallons

There’s a bit of a learning curve with this Miracle-Gro tumbling composter, but once we figured out the ideal ratio of brown and green materials and how often to spin the bin, we enjoyed using it.

The sliding door makes adding scraps of food or yard waste easy, and the raised bin prevents animals from accessing it. The interior is warmer than the weather outside, which is great for composting food and yard debris because heat helps organic waste break down.

The only downside to this bin is that it can be a bit difficult to empty. This mid-size bin was the first composter we ever used, and in the past, I’ve put a small bucket under the bin to catch soil as we hand-shoveled the finished compost into a large pail, which has worked well.

• Type: Outdoor
• Material: Modified polypropylene/alloy steel
• Dimensions:26 x 28.5 x 37 inches (length x width x height)
• Capacity: 43 gallons (two 21.5 gallon bins)

There are a lot of things to like with the Squeeze Master tumbling compost bin, but putting it together caused a lot of frustration and took more than an hour.

Once we finished assembling it, the bin spins smoothly. Like the other spinning bin we tested, the inside of the composting tumbler was warmer than outdoors, which helped speed up the decomposition process. The tumbler also sits up off the ground, making it easier to access without bending down, and keeping scraps away from animals.

This composting system has two chambers, which can be a huge advantage because you often reach a point where adding more scraps slows down the composting process. Having two chambers means you can have two sets of compost in different stages of breakdown, so you can always add more and also harvest more often.

Adding composting material to the bin can be a bit difficult, though, because the doors are pretty small. You’ll also need flat-ish ground to make sure it’s stable, and you should spin it weekly or after rainfall to make sure the materials inside aren’t unevenly soaked.

• Type: Countertop
• Material: Plastic
• Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 16 Inches inches (length x width x height)
• Capacity: 5 gallons

The idea of truly composting indoors year-round is intriguing, but this countertop compost bin came up short during testing.

To complete the composting process indoors, this bin uses a starter material, Bokashi, which is fermented organic matter. It’s similar to a worm composter but with a probiotic instead of worms. It includes a drainage port for “compost tea.”

The lid was a pain to open and close, and everything inside smelled awful. We aimed to keep the same ratio of green to brown material as other bins. Although we put leftover coffee, beer, and juice in the bin, the materials soaked the liquids up so the drainage port went unused. For the most part, everything in the bin ended up mushy and moldy.

Unless indoor composting is your only option, we don’t recommend this bin. And even then, I’d look into other options like worm bins.

• Type: Outdoor
• Material: Plastic
• Dimensions:36.5 inches tall, expandable to 4 feet inches (length x width x height)
• Capacity: 216 gallons

This bin has a lot of features that we liked, but using it turned out to be a hassle—although the setup is only two steps, it was difficult to put the bin together.

This composter is essentially a large cylinder that is open at the top and bottom with holes for aeration. Since it sits on the ground, it was hard to keep in place until there were a few pounds of compost materials inside.

The bin moved around during testing because the ground wasn’t perfectly flat, and several animals dug under the edge to eat food scraps. We eventually put rocks around the base to secure it and keep mice away.

Once the bin was over half full, we couldn’t see if things were breaking down toward the bottom of the pile. The bin is open to the elements, so rain and snow over-saturated the materials constantly. And, since the bin is a cylinder, we don’t know how you empty it other than lifting the bin and having a pile of compost on the ground.

It might be OK for garden scraps, but if you’re adding a lot of food waste, it’s best to purchase something else.