Hot composter

tea and coffee · 10-01-2021 12:15am #1

We generate a fair bit of food waste esp cooked food. Is a hot composter what I need? I wasn't something mess free, something easy to use and that won't attract rats (we live near a river so quite a bit of that activity).

Any suggestions?

tea and coffee · 10-01-2021 12:08pm

Ok so am looking at the hotbin or the green johanna.
Both are expensive but I'm willing to pay a bit more for less hassle. I'm not a gardener and want to be able to just throw and go as much as possible

Markcheese · 10-01-2021 12:44pm

What do you mean by hot composter ?
I know I've seen compost tumblers , where the "drum" of the composter is on an axle of sorts , and you turn or roll it every so often ( turning your compost ) ,and getting oxygen in to get it to heat ,
They're fairly simple ,but you might need 2 of them , (to be able to get continuous use )

tea and coffee · 10-01-2021 1:24pm

As far as I understand (not v far!) they get v hot - hot bin up to 60o and you dont have to mix, tumble, stir etc.

I don't particularly need compost, I just wanted to cut down on food waste

Markcheese · 10-01-2021 2:51pm

Regular Composters can get up to that temp anyway , there must be some that the hot box stirs what you put in ,
I've got to do something with my wormery , the worms aren't liking the cold weather at the moment ...

ednwireland · 11-01-2021 6:02pm

i got a hotbin last summer, it only gets upto heat with a fill of grass , this tiime of year its just not getting enough in it.

hopefully this year ill be generating a bit more waste from my own veg as i get my beds going properly

https://www.quickcrop.ie/product/hotbin-composters

wildwillow · 11-01-2021 10:56pm

I got a hot composter last year and it is useless. I ocassionally heats if I have shredded and almost grated the compost, eg peelings etc.

A rat has chewed the strap holding it together and chewed the side of the bin. Not fully through it yet.

In a new garden so haven't a traditional heap in place yet.

Looking into the bigger metal ones as being rat proof.

whelzer · 14-01-2021 2:20pm

I've been considering getting a Pig composter for several years now. Just cant get over the €500 price tag. The feedback on them is superb....you can throw anything/everything into it. Friend got one last August, I have not seen it yet (bloody lockdowns), she is adamant I will be convinced to buy one when I see it in action.

https://www.quickcrop.ie/product/joraform-big-pig-jk270-composter

wildwillow · 14-01-2021 3:35pm

Please do report if you buy one. It would be worth the money if it works and is rat proof.

Markcheese · 14-01-2021 9:18pm

Isn't there 2 sizes of pig Composters ?

Ladybird25 · 24-09-2021 10:12am

Hello, any of you know if being a hot compost, it works faster?

I am just trying to figure out the capacity required for about 3 people

Jim_Hodge · 24-09-2021 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117932109#Comment_117932109

A hot composter is no better nor hotter than any other composter if the ingredients are varied correctly. Cooked foods in a so called hot composter will still be a magnet for vermin.

As for capacity, it depends on how much waste you produce. We'd have zero cooked food waste here but others have a large quantity. How much grass and garden waste have you? What raw vegetable matter do you have for it from the kitchen every week?

RainInSummer · 24-09-2021 11:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117932109#Comment_117932109

A Joraform 270L big pig would be good.

The only thing the other poster above has said is correct is the capacity thing, you need to kept them fed to keep the heat up. They are wrong on every other count. Cooked food can go in with zero vermin issues, it's usually so hot you don't even see flies in it.

They are expensive though.

Ladybird25 · 28-09-2021 12:56pm

Hello,

Thanks for your responses, garden is not big so I would not really take it in account except for maybe a couple of layers of grass per year. Cooked food would be minimal if not inexistent so it would be mainly plant rests and vegetables.

I have never had a hot composter, but based in your comments, I think I'll stay traditional.

My only thing is the volume, do you know if there is a guide anywhere?

Markcheese · 28-09-2021 4:57pm

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gro-Garden-Products-Tumbling-Composter/dp/B07SGL4Y94/ref%3Dasc_df_B07SGL4Y94/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=269126795226&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2077634960558505716&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007850&hvtargid=pla-785262939325&psc=1

Something like this stikes me as a serious winner , 2 small chambers that both spin so you can fill one ,then the other and keep spinning both .. and if your filling the chambers too quick , transfer the oldest one to a traditional bin or heap ,

Or even transfer from one rotary bin to another because the vegetable matter is going to loose serious mass once it starts composting ..

Hot composter

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