The Best FoodCycler Alternative: 4 Options + How They Compare

With landfill waste growing as an issue and more people are starting to compost their kitchen waste, composting solutions like electric composters are being designed and put on the market. Some of these solutions are actually great: they're designed with the environment in mind, are highly effective, and are easy for people to use.

The Vitamix FoodCycler FC 50 is an electric composter that's relatively cheap and does reduce your food scraps. Now, Vitamix is a huge brand name for household appliances like blenders and food processors, and for good reason. But, when it comes to food composting, they're not necessarily the best option. Instead, we're going to be exploring alternatives to the Vitamix FoodCycler FC 50:

• Top 4 Vitamix FoodCycler alternatives for easy home composting
• So, which is the best FoodCycler alternative?

So, what are the FoodCycler alternatives, and what makes them different?

Top 4 Vitamix FoodCycler alternatives for easy home composting

The Vitamix FoodCycler has 4 main competitors and we're going to dive into each of them in detail. How do they work and how do they compare to the FoodCycler?

1. Lomi

As a food composting solution, Lomi is innovative and unique. It's just one of many waste reduction products created by the environmentally-conscious brand Pela. At a quick glance, Lomi is able to take nearly all of your kitchen waste and turn it into nutrient-rich dirt ready to feed your plants in less than a day.

To turn your food scraps into a natural fertilizer in only hours, Lomi goes through the process of drying, mixing, and then cooling the organic waste. Throughout the process, Lomi's internal sensors will regulate the temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels in the container so they're always ideal for decomposition and microbial growth. Through LomiPods, beneficial bacteria is added to the organic material. That bacteria is able to quickly break down the waste and turn it into nutrient-rich dirt.

 

 

For you, Lomi will be a small countertop appliance in which you can throw all your food scraps to find turned into dirt in a few hours. However, food waste isn't all you'll be able to compost with Lomi. With the Lomi Approved mode, you'll also be able to compost Lomi approved bioplastics. If you're someone who commonly uses bioplastics at home, Lomi is the perfect composting solution for you. There is no other way of composting bioplastics at home.

You'll also be happy to know that Lomi shows up at your door climate neutral. As a Climate Neutral Certified company, Pela has eliminated carbon emissions related to Lomi's production wherever possible, and buys carbon offsets when they can't eliminate emissions. Once it's in your hands, Lomi is an energy-efficient method of reducing your waste. It's made even more so if you choose to use Lomi's Eco-Express mode (the quickest and most energy-efficient mode offered by Lomi).

What we like	What we don’t like
Highly rated by eco-conscious users like yourself (4.7/5 on Pela website) Creates a high-quality end product ready to enrich your garden soil Can compost Lomi approved bioplastics Has a 30-day risk-free trial so you can return it if you don't love it	Sells out quickly, so you may have to wait to get one The scent-free carbon filter needs to be replaced sometimes At 3L, Lomi's capacity may not be enough to accommodate large households

 

2. Kalea

Kalea is an electric composter that's quite different from the FoodCycler. Unlike most electric composters, Kalea doesn't fit on the countertop, and is instead about the size of a tall kitchen garbage disposal bin. Kalea needs floor space to fit in your home, which may not be viable for everyone. However, for those that can fit Kalea in their home, it has a much larger capacity than the Vitamix FoodCycler FC 50 and should be able to accommodate a family of any size.

Kalea's height is a result of how it was designed to break down food waste. Instead of going through the breakdown cycle all at one like the FoodCycler does, Kalea deals with its organic waste in layers, taking more time with each layer than the Vitamix FoodCycler takes to dehydrate and chop up its contents. Completing the process in layers like that also means that you're able to continually add food waste to Kalea while it's working.

Its larger capacity and layered design also mean that it takes longer to complete. Unlike Lomi, which can finish in as little as 3 hours, or the FoodCycler, which takes 4 - 8 hours to finish, Kalea takes about 48 to completely finish a cycle. That's a long time to keep any appliance running, especially if they make any noise.

What we like	What we don’t like
The large capacity is great for bigger households You can add food waste to Kalea while it's running The longer cycle length means the food waste gets more time to decompose, making the finished product a bit higher quality than what you'd get from the FoodCycler	Very expensive at 899€ Takes much longer to finish composting than other alternatives Takes up floor space in your kitchen There aren't any ratings or reviews available yet, so it may not be trustworthy

 

3. Tero

Tero is an electric composter that is fairly similar to the Vitamix FoodCycler FC 50 with some key differences. One of those differences is that it has a larger capacity than the FoodCycler. While Vitamix's electric composter only has a 2L capacity, Tero can hold up to 4L of food scraps. This means that Tero is more likely to be able to handle food waste from a whole family.

Another difference has to do with the carbon filters. Because food waste can emit unpleasant smells, most home composters will have some sort of carbon filter to reduce odor. Carbon filters in the FoodCycler needs to be replaced every so often, and this results in some waste needing to get tossed in the trash. To combat this extra trash, Tero Innovation designed a refillable carbon filter, so all that needs to be thrown away is the carbon itself, which can be composted.

Aside from those features, Tero is fairly similar to the FoodCycler in how it operates and the finished product it creates. However, those improved features do come at a higher price than the FoodCycler.

What we like	What we don’t like
Increased capacity can handle a larger family's waste Carbon filters are refillable instead of replaceable	Has underwhelming reviews (3.9/5 on Google reviews) Creates a low-quality fertilizer You have to pay extra for the Tero Plus if you want all available features

 

 

4. Zera

The Zera food recycler is sort of like a cross between the Vitamix FoodCycler and Kalea. Like Kalea, it's a standing electric composter with a large capacity. Zera was actually designed to store your food scraps for a whole week and then spend a day breaking it down. However, its internal workings are closer to the FoodCycler than Kalea.

Although it has that large capacity, it doesn't compost in layers, and it takes about 24 hours to complete its process. So, Zera is ideal if you do want something like the FoodCycler but much larger.

Another facet to keep in mind, though, is Zera's finished product. After waiting a day for the Zera food recycler to finish its process, you get a dehydrated soil additive that isn't suitable for all soil. You can use it in an outdoor garden, but you won't be able to feed it to your indoor plants. This is because the soil additive emits an odor that can attract pests, which you don't want happening indoors.

Even in your garden, Zera's end product will need a few weeks of being in the ground to start being beneficial for your plants. Of course, if you don't garden and only care about reducing food waste, this isn't a problem.

What we like	What we don’t like
8.4L capacity can easily fit any household's fruit and vegetable scraps This home composter would potentially only need to be run once per week, saving on energy costs	Provides a low-quality soil additive that you can't use on indoor plants A highly expensive alternative ($1199.00) No ratings are available yet and there are limited online reviews, so it may not be trustworthy

 

So, which is the best Vitamix FoodCycler alternative?

The best Vitamix FoodCycler alternative is Lomi. Unlike most home composting solutions, Lomi accurately reproduces the composting process in a controlled environment. This allows Lomi to produce high-quality, nutrient-rich dirt that's immediately ready to mix with soil and enrich your garden.

Thousands of other people with the goal of reducing their food waste and improving their plants' health are already happy with their success. You can see what other people are saying to see for yourself how effective Lomi truly is. Plus, Lomi offers many features and benefits that make it a better option compared to the electric composters we've already talked about. Here are just a few great reasons to rely on Lomi to take care of your food scraps, yard waste, and Lomi approved bioplastics:

•   Most affordable Vitamix FoodCycler alternative
•   More durable than the FoodCycler
•   Creates microbe-rich dirt perfect for mixing with soil and adding to plants
•   Arrives at your home with a neutral carbon footprint
•   The only way for you to compost any bioplastics at home
•   Breaks down organic waste faster than other electric composters
•   You're able to choose from 3 separate modes of operation
•   Most highly rated home composting option (from over 2500 reviews)
•   Aside from traditional composting, Lomi is the most energy-efficient composting solution

Without time or energy to tend to a traditional compost pile, it makes sense to turn to electric composters and other home composter solutions to create nutrient-rich fertilizer and divert food waste from the landfill. In that case, you likely came across the Vitamix FoodCycler FC 50 because of its brand recognition. However, it's always important to do your research to make sure you're getting the best you can for the money you're spending. Make sure to check out Lomi and see if it's the right composting solution for you!

Written by: Sereana Simpson