Every summer we have to put up with flies in our kitchen, despite purchasing a new garbage can that is supposed to seal when it closes and putting out fly paper. The inescapable truth is that the flies get into the garbage and use the discarded food to breed. We also felt bad about any food that we throw away and essentially wasted. We wanted to eliminate our fly problem but also recycle as much as we could. We decided that an indoor composter would solve most of our problems, not just by sealing off the discarded food from the flies laying eggs, but also creating compost for the garden and flower beds. We replaced the garbage can with a composter we ordered online from Gaiam for $400. I found only one other indoor composter and it was the same price, so it would seem this is a normal price for such a unit.

Material is placed in the unit, which is operated electrically, and heated and moistened and turned as it decomposes. Because the unit is electrical, it requires a nearby outlet to operate. We ended up having to run a small extension cord to the nearest socket, which was a little inconvenient for us but might not be so much for others. A light comes on that tells you when the compost tray is full of fresh, useable compost. At this point it must be emptied before being used any further. The process takes about two to three weeks for a full composting cycle. The unit seals nicely, trapping in odors and keeping out pests, which helped keep the smell and fly situation in our kitchen to a minimum, even eliminating the fly problem entirely. It is recommended that the user add a compost activator compound to the mixture to speed up the process and avoid clogs and jams in the turning mechanism. This is available at the Gaiam website separately from the unit. Care must be taken not to overload the unit.

Thankfully the composter is pretty quiet, otherwise the constant whirring could get irritating. It has a sleek look that fits in with the rest of the appliances in our kitchen and fits nicely into the garbage cabinet. It has certainly cut down on the amount of trash we generate and the resulting smell from the garbage can drawer. It is cleaner and less problematic than having to take out the garbage every day. The price might be a little high for the new composter, and I admit it was a bit of a leap for us to spend that much not knowing how it would work or how we would like it, but our fears were soon put to rest. It has been a great investment for us and makes us feel good that we are doing our part for the environment.