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The Bamboozle Food Composter is an indoor compost bin that doesn’t create compost per se, but holds kitchen scraps until you can transfer them to an outdoor compost bin.
I tested the Bamboozle bin in my home to see how well it held up when it came to the most important testing categories, especially ease of use (we’re constantly depositing kitchen scraps into our compost bin, so ease of use is important), durability, eco-friendliness, odor, and other testing factors.
Bamboozle is a brand focused on sustainability and harmonizing nature and design. The brand is transparent about its materials. Their food composter is made of repurposed bamboo fiber and has a nontoxic resin coating that is added to improve durability and to make the product dishwasher safe.
Bamboozle Compost Bin: At a Glance
Rating: 8/10
PROS
- Stylish, comes in a variety of colors
- Controls odor with a carbon filter
- Dishwasher safe (top rack only)
CONS
- Smaller size
- Breakable material
- Lid is heavy
Get the Bamboozle Compost Bin at:
What Is the Bamboozle Compost Bin?
The Bamboozle Food Composter is an indoor compost bin that holds kitchen scraps such as raw vegetables, but it’s not designed for disposal of meat, bones, or dairy products.
Measuring 8 by 6.25 by 9 inches, this composter is on the small side, but what sets it apart from other countertop compost bins is its wide square shape and eco-friendly material. The wide shape allows the bin to hold more compost material (approximately 1 gallon), making it easier to deposit food scraps and remain stable when on the counter. It can also sit under a kitchen sink, which is where I tested the product.
The compost bin can be used with or without a liner. Although it doesn’t come with liners (by liners, I mean compost bags), it does come with a carbon filter already in place and includes a replacement filter. Although the manufacturer says to change the filter every 2 months, I’ve found that you can go much longer without swapping filters, depending on how often you use your compost bin.
How Easy Is the Bamboozle Compost Bin to Set Up?
It couldn’t get any easier to set up this compost bin. It comes with a carbon filter already inserted, and once I took it out of the box and removed the plastic covering, the container was ready to use.
The only drawback is that if you plan on using a liner (which I did), you’ll need to purchase your compost bags separately. The manufacturer says it’s currently in the process of offering compost bags on its website, so you may soon be able to order those with your bin. You can start using the bin without a liner, but when your liners arrive, you’ll need to clean the compost bin before adding the liner.
The Bamboozle Food Composter also comes with an extra carbon filter, and there’s an option to purchase a six-pack of carbon filters if you purchase through either Amazon or the company’s website.
How Easy Is the Bamboozle Compost Bin to Use?
The compost bin is super easy to use. The wide shape makes it easy to deposit food scraps (unlike my normal compost bin, which has a smaller, circular opening that can cause larger food scraps to get stuck to the top and sides).
One drawback is the heaviness of the lid, which is heftier than some other compost bins I’ve tried. Since I use my compost bin about a dozen times each day, removing this heavy lid is a bit of a chore. However, the weight of the lid does add some stability to the bucket, which is light and could be prone to getting knocked over (especially if you have cats or other counter creatures).
The handle is also a nice shape, wide and sturdy, and it rotates so that when emptying compost into an outdoor tumbler or bin, it doesn’t get in the way. The bin is easy to lift and carry outside.
Another drawback is that, when using the bin with a liner, the liner doesn’t stay in place. The smooth material of the compost bin makes the liner slide down too easily as I fill the bin with compost.
I find this is easily remedied by using a rubber band to hold the liner in place, but due to the wide square shape of the top, finding a large enough rubber band was a little tricky. Regardless, emptying the bucket both with or without a liner was easy.
What Makes This Compost Bin Different for Indoor Composting?
There are a few things about this compost bin that I like over other compost bins I’ve tested, including our regular compost bin.
The first is the eco-friendly material, which Bamboozle says is biodegradable. I like purchasing something I know will break down naturally in the environment, rather than a plastic material that will be around virtually forever.
I also love the wide square shape, which turned out to be surprisingly convenient when depositing larger food scraps and reduced the need to constantly clean the sides of the bin.
Anywhere from 1-gallon to 3-gallon liners fit this bin, although I prefer using larger liners (a 3-gallon one is pictured here), since it gives me more room to push down food scraps, delaying emptying and still having plenty of room to tie off the compost bag at the top.
I also like that the handle is stable, and when I push it out of the way to empty the compost into our outdoor bin, it stays in place rather than swinging back (a foible of my current compost bin). It is also stylish enough that I’d certainly consider keeping it out on the counter if we had more counter space.
Is the Bamboozle Food Composter Good Quality?
While I love the design and material of this product, a major drawback is its durability. The bin itself feels very light, even when filled with compost, and the material is prone to cracking. Although it’s dishwasher safe (top rack only) and easy to clean, I need my compost bin to withstand quite a bit of abuse, considering how much I use it.
Part of the reason I use a liner for this bin is so that I don’t have to keep moving the bin in and out of the house, which I feel would make it more likely to break. I would recommend the product for use with a liner, but I would also not recommend the product for people who use their compost bin as much as I do. If you use it once or twice a day and are using a liner, that’s different from using it a dozen times a day and having to transport it for emptying frequently.
The material is part of the trade-off for getting such an eco-friendly, biodegradable design, which is difficult to find in an indoor compost bin.
However, if eco-friendliness is an important consideration for you when buying an indoor composter, this product truly offers that and is unique in that regard, and it may be well worth the price for those who are concerned about their environmental impact on the planet.
Is the Bamboozle Compost Bin Right for You?
For its practical design, eco-friendly material, and stylish appearance, the Bamboozle Food Composter is a worthy consideration for those just getting started with indoor composting.
However, if you’re less concerned about the material and more concerned about durability, there are other indoor composters that offer more durability and a higher capacity that also made our list of the best compost bins for indoors and out.
This bin has many features to love, from its odor-control charcoal filter to its square shape, sturdy handle, and ease of use. However, there are other compost bins available for a better price, and this bin primarily appeals to those who value eco-friendliness over durability or performance.
The heavy lid also might not be ideal for those who have issues with mobility, as holding food scraps in one handle and opening the lid with the other can be tricky. The lid doesn’t take two hands to lift off, but when using the bin many times per day, it can be a hassle.
This compost bin may be for you if you’re a beginner composter, want an attractive bin you can keep on your counter, and don’t want to worry about buying replacement filters. It may also be a good choice for those who don’t abuse their compost bins (of which I’m guilty).
Where to Buy the Bamboozle Compost Bin
Get the Bamboozle Compost Bin at:
