You may have heard of the Vitamix FoodCycler and are wondering if it’s worth the investment. The FoodCycler has the ability to break down fruit and vegetable scraps, as well as a few other types of food waste, which reduces the volume to a fraction of the original amount. But you may be wondering what to do with the end result. Is the organic material produced by the appliance actually compost? And can it really go directly into your indoor plants or garden?
Read on to find out, or skip ahead to learn more about Lomi - an electric composter with the ability to produce nutrient-rich organic material at the push of a button.
Table of contents
First up, let's take a look at what exactly a Vitamix food composter is and how it works!
What is a Vitamix composter?
The Vitamix FoodCycler is a countertop appliance that reduces the volume of food scraps to a tenth of the original amount. The resulting recycled food can then be added to soil to create a nutrient-rich fertilizer. The Vitamix compost bin uses a carbon filter lid to reduce the smells associated with food waste.
While you can place many different types of food scraps in the Vitamix food composter, such as produce, meat, grains and cheese, you have to be selective with other items such as high sugar fruits and can never add in bones, produce pits or bioplastics - as you can with Lomi.
Check out this article for a detailed comparison of Lomi vs Vitamix composters
5 things you should know about the Vitamix “compost”
While the term compost is often thrown around, it actually has a very specific meaning. The resulting organic material after you run the FoodCycler is sometimes called compost, but is it actually? The answer may surprise you!
1. What does the Vitamix food composter actually produce?
The Vitamix compost machine has one mode, and in that mode it grinds up the food scraps placed into it, creating a smaller amount of waste. And while a reduced amount of food waste is a good thing, as it takes up less space in the landfill, the resulting material produced by the Vitamix FoodCycler is not actually compost.
By definition, compost is a decomposed organic matter used to fertilize plants. It is during the decomposition process that helpful microorganisms break down food waste and other organic material into a soil-like product. Because a Vitamix cycle is a closed-loop, the microbial action that occurs in natural compost settings doesn’t occur.
2. What’s the quality of the finished product?
As mentioned above, because the Vitamix compost bin simply grinds up and dehydrates food scraps, the finished product has no healthy microbial qualities like typical compost. Healthy, usable compost needs to have a mixture of bacteria and fungi in order to act as fertilizer for your indoor plants and gardens.
3. Can the Vitamix “compost” be used for plants right away?
No. Vitamix’s end product needs to be mixed with garden soil and left for several weeks before planting in it. This is because the nutrients in Vitamix’s finished product cannot be absorbed by plants without being processed by microbes first.
4. What can you do with the end product of the Vitamix compost machine?
For those who aren’t interested in composting, Vitamix’s end product does reduce the volume of food waste, which is great if you’re trying to send less to the landfill. If you do want to use it for compost, you can save material in an airtight container and then add it to soil at a later time.
5. Is the Vitamix “compost” worth it?
Dehydrating your food scraps is a great way to divert them from the landfill. Even if you throw the end product in the garbage, it still takes up far less space than food waste in its original form. Less volume means you have to take the garbage out less often. It also means less fuel is used transporting garbage to the landfill. Plus, once in the landfill the dehydrated food doesn’t emit harmful greenhouse gases as it breaks down.
However, if you’re looking for an electric composter that does all of the above and also creates microbe-rich dirt you can immediately add to your indoor plants and outdoor garden, then the better option is Lomi.
Try Lomi instead for the best natural fertilizer for your plants
While the Vitamix FoodCycler has some benefits, Lomi is a much better option if you’d like an electric composter that easily produces nutrient-rich fertilizer. Not only can Lomi’s end product be added directly to your plants, it also has several unique features that the FoodCycler does not.
For example, one important difference in the Lomi vs Vitamix composter comparison is between the companies that make them. While Vitamix is a well-known kitchen brand, they aren’t known for sustainability and don’t hold any third-party certifications.
On the other hand, Lomi was created by Pela, a mission-based company that aims to eliminate 10 billion pounds of waste from landfills. Lomi is also the only certified Carbon Neutral electric composter available today, meaning you can rest assured that every stage of its production is eco-conscious.
Here are a few of the many benefits of Lomi when compared to the Vitamix FoodCycler:
- ✔ Has a much larger capacity than the FoodCycler
- ✔ More durable than the Vitamix FoodCycler
- ✔ Has over 2500 5-star reviews
- ✔ Can break food down in as little as 3-5 hours
- ✔ Can breakdown Lomi Approved bioplastics
- ✔ Can breakdown paper products
- ✔ Has 3 modes of operation compared to Vitamix's single mode
- ✔ Creates higher quality microbially rich fertilizer that can be used for your plants
- ✔ Made by a Climate Neutral, Certified B Corp
- ✔ Lomi has a 30 day risk-free money-back guarantee offer!
Now that you know more about the FoodCycler and Vitamix compost, you can hopefully see the benefits of investing in Lomi instead. While the FoodCycler does a good job simply reducing the amount of food waste sent to the landfill, it doesn’t have many of the additional features Lomi does. Such as the all-important ability to turn your food scraps into read-to-use nutrient and microbe rich soil!
If you’d like to read what others are saying about Lomi, check out the reviews. If you’re ready to start making your very own fertilizer at home, you can buy Lomi today!
Written by: Larissa Swayze