I’m not an indignant particular person, and I don’t maintain many grudges. However when my townhome owners’ affiliation eliminated the recycling bins from our trash service a number of years in the past, your entire HOA group grew to become my enemy. Whereas making biweekly journeys to my metropolis’s recycling middle and fostering mutiny amongst my neighbors within the years since, the concept of going one step additional and composting our meals waste, too, began to really feel all however unattainable.

The difficulty of what to do with my family’s meals scraps is made tougher by the truth that my city doesn’t provide any kind of composting service, a predicament I’m not alone in. Analysis from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition estimates that greater than 70% of the US inhabitants goes with out entry to municipally run curbside composting applications. That leaves the remainder of us to compost in our backyards (if we’ve acquired ’em), coordinate drop-offs with neighborhood gardens or non-profits, or pay personal firms tons of a yr for the respect of handing over our apple peels and eggshells (once more, if we even have that choice). As luck would have it, that is precisely the issue that the Lomi 3 guarantees to resolve.

The Lomi Meals Recycler, often known as the Lomi Composter, is a countertop equipment aimed toward lowering waste by turning meals scraps into nutrient-rich, soil-like Lomi Earth (sure, that’s trademarked). However, does it really divert meals from landfills as precise composting does, and might you employ the Lomi Earth to counterpoint your backyard and houseplants? I used it every day for six months to reply these questions—and located myself on a stunning composting journey alongside the way in which. 

The Checks

• Day by day Use Check: My associate and I piled espresso grounds, eggshells, vegetable peelings, and different scraps into our Lomi 3 day-after-day for six months. I ran it on both its Specific or Develop mode a couple of occasions every week, which took three to 6 hours or 11 to 17 hours, respectively. I evaluated the machine on its odor ranges, how loud it was when it ran, and any points that I encountered.
• App Check: I analyzed the performance of the Lomi good app through the use of its meals look-up software, managing my machine by way of its interface, and beginning cycles remotely.
• Cleansing and Usability Checks: All through my testing interval, I made notes on how intuitive the Lomi Meals Recycler was to make use of and any difficulties I had following the producer’s pointers. I additionally cleaned the Lomi bucket often, washing it by hand, working it within the dishwasher, and utilizing the machine’s cleansing mode in turns.

What We Realized

First of All: What’s Compost?

Composting is the method wherein meals scraps and different natural supplies (assume plant cuttings, wooden chips, and pure paper merchandise) are decomposed by microorganisms, together with micro organism and fungi, in addition to bugs, arthropods, and worms. They break down the vitamins within the uncooked supplies to make them extra accessible (i.e., extra bioavailable) to crops and different floor dwellers. It might additionally assist enhance water retention and hamper the expansion of soil-borne pathogens. Beneath correct circumstances, processing meals scraps this fashion additionally produces much less potent, easier-to-manage greenhouse gases than natural waste thrown into landfills. Outdoors of economic processing services, composting has sometimes been achieved at residence by way of yard compost piles, tumblers, and bins, or vermicomposting, aka worm bins.

The Lomi Meals Recycler Does Not Create Compost

That’s, yard and worm composting had been the first strategies of composting at residence till home equipment just like the Lomi hit the scene in the previous couple of years. Whereas the Lomi’s and its opponents’ (just like the Mill Meals Recycler) standing as “countertop composters” was tossed round considerably freely when it was first launched, you’ll discover that mentions of composting of their advertising and marketing supplies have been fastidiously changed with the time period “meals recycling.” That’s as a result of the Lomi merely doesn’t produce compost. Reasonably, it’s a mix dehydrator and grinder that breaks meals down right into a dried and granulated, soil-trying combination (that’s the Lomi Earth) that can resume its march towards rot the second it will get moist once more.

By itself, Lomi Earth doesn’t have the industrious microorganisms (or moist circumstances) wanted to interrupt down the vitamins—even in the event you run it on the decrease temperature Eleven-plus-hour Develop Mode cycle that Lomi guarantees will protect extra microbial content material than the sooner, hotter Specific Mode. Neither is the Lomi Earth sometimes going to be in the precise carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to help wholesome decomposition if added to soil by itself. Lomi sells micro organism and fungi-infused Nutrient Activator pods you’ll be able to toss into your scraps earlier than biking them to jumpstart the organic a part of decomposition, however that gained’t robotically remedy the issue at hand. With out sufficient carbon-rich supplies (typically known as “browns” by composting lovers as a result of they embrace issues like shredded cardboard and dried leaves) to stability nitrogen-heavy meals waste, including Lomi Earth to your backyard or indoor plant soil (even within the steered 1:10 ratio) will greater than probably trigger unhealthy smells, encourage mildew, and appeal to annoying pests like fruit flies, particularly as you produce extra over time (ask me how I do know).

What Can You Use Lomi Earth For?

Okay, so Lomi Earth shouldn’t be used like compost or added on to crops. Even when it may, garden-less residence and townhome residents like me would get overwhelmed until they transformed their properties into indoor greenhouses. Although I solely averaged a cup or two of desiccated meals bits each week, I rapidly realized I’d want one other outlet if I didn’t need my meals trash to show into…dehydrated meals trash. Enter: the worms.

Since Lomi Earth is simply broken-down, dried-out meals scraps, it may be added to yard compost piles or fed to earthworms in vermicomposting bins the identical means recent meals scraps can. It does have perks, although—particularly that it takes up much less area, doesn’t odor unhealthy so long as it stays dry, and might be saved till you’ll be able to really compost it. With that in thoughts, I procured an indoor worm bin starter package (although I’ve since realized you’ll be able to simply make your personal from low-cost plastic storage totes) and crowd-sourced worm names from buddies (favorites embrace Wormney Houston and Mr. Wormwide). It’s a brand new interest I’ve fairly loved. Having a small bin of powdered meals I can scoop from to feed my worms, whereas admittedly an pointless a part of vermicomposting, has made the method really feel extra manageable and managed in my small area.

Should you don’t wish to change into a worm farmer your self (I get it), the Lomi 3 Meals Recycler continues to be a handy method to course of meals waste and retailer it short-term on account of restricted entry to aforementioned curbside or drop-off composting applications. With out entry to a type of, although, or the willingness to start out your personal composting venture, utilizing a Lomi to dehydrate your scrapings is only a costlier, time-intensive, and energy-wasting journey to the landfill.

What Sorts of Meals Can Go within the Lomi?

I’ve established that no matter cycled within the Lomi 3 gained’t magically flip into compost, however I’ve left you hanging on what can go into it within the first place. Legumes, untreated plant trimmings, fruit and vegetable scraps, espresso grounds and tea leaves, eggs, and eggshells all get the inexperienced gentle. Starchy objects like bread, grains, and potatoes, in addition to cooked meals, needs to be added sparsely (as much as two cups per cycle), as they will trigger clumping within the machine. Liquid or moist meals, compostable plastics, oils, high-sugar meals, or arduous bits (assume fruit pits, animal bones, shells, or popcorn kernels) are no-gos as they will harm the machine, burn, or in any other case hinder the cycle. Whereas the Lomi Meals Recycler can handle small portions of bleached paper merchandise, animal proteins, and dairy, these merchandise aren’t usually appropriate for composting.

Throughout my half-year testing the Lomi 3, I made common use of its smartphone app to lookup any meals I wasn’t positive about. The search operate was impressively constructed out; I looked for meals like lasagna, sourdough discard, and vegan cheese, and even when the Lomi couldn’t course of the merchandise in query, I by no means got here up empty-handed. Most of our buckets consisted of espresso grounds, eggs, fruit peels, and vegetable scraps, since neither the machine nor my worm bin may take giant portions of cooked/processed meals or meat trimmings. 

For the very best outcomes, meals needs to be chopped into one-inch items earlier than including it to the Lomi. This was typically a problem, equivalent to once I wished to attempt processing corn cobs. (The app stated I may, and it’s known as stress testing, thanks very a lot. It labored, by the way in which.) I often ran our machine in a single day, however I didn’t must—it was quiet, its hum decrease than that of our dishwasher. It did make occasional groaning noises, particularly early in its cycles because it did its preliminary breakdown. I solely ever encountered one error message: a grinder jam, evident by way of a warning gentle. I had added a pineapple’s value of chopped core and leaves earlier than turning on Specific Cycle, and the fibrous combination was too dense for the paddle to push it previous the blade. I unjammed it, broke up the clumps with my fingers, and restarted it with out additional incidents.

The Verdict 

The Lomi 3 isn’t for everybody, however not as a result of it’s not efficient. It breaks down recent meals quietly and persistently, and its charcoal filter successfully incorporates smells earlier than and through processing. Nonetheless, it’s the premise of the machine itself that’s flawed, and I’d solely suggest it to individuals with $650 to spare and who need an choice to retailer meals scraps odorlessly and compactly earlier than composting them by way of one other technique. I implore you to think about what you’ll do with that first bucket of Lomi Earth earlier than you’re confronted with the temptation to trash it, or to sprinkle it in your crops and provides your self odor, mildew, and pest issues to take care of.

The Execs

Ignoring all of the advertising and marketing guarantees and evaluating the Lomi 3 purely on what it really did—grind and dehydrate meals scraps—it was a high quality product. It broke down waste surprisingly rapidly; just some minutes into every cycle, most objects could be browned and damaged down. Some seen fibers and small bits of egg shells had been widespread within the closing output, however I by no means wanted them to be finer. Apart from its occasional little grunts, it ran quietly. The charcoal-filled filter compartment did its job splendidly; I by no means smelled any odors, even once I forgot to run the recycler for a couple of days. The Lomi was easy to function and may very well be began both on the machine or by way of the app when related. Talking of the app, it was useful and intuitive. All through my take a look at interval, I stored my Lomi Earth in a big, hermetic storage container and doled it out as wanted to my worm bin, which thrived on the various combination I constructed up over time.

The Cons

Aside from the truth that it’s not a composter and prices over $600, my qualms with the Lomi had been comparatively minor. It’s cumbersome, however as soon as I discovered a spot for it on our breakfast bar, it grew to become a traditional fixture. I typically forgot to chop meals into smaller items till after I had tossed it in, which means I needed to fish it again out to cut it up later. The restrictions on meat, processed meals, and starches had been comprehensible however regrettable at any time when I discovered myself tossing fatty trimmings or inexperienced child potatoes. As soon as I acquired used to the meals limitations and had my composting apply in place, probably the most irritating side of the Lomi was the prospect of paying for quarterly charcoal refills, particularly at a time when seemingly each new product comes with some type of subscription to handle.

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 11 x 11 x 12 inches
• Weight: 16.6 kilos
• Wattage: 500 watts
• Specific Mode length: Three to 6 hours
• Develop Mode length: 11 to 17 hours
• Cleansing Mode length: 1.5 hours
• Acknowledged capability: 0.75 gallon (3 liters)
• Equipment: Odor-neutralizing Lomi Filter activated charcoal refills; microbial Nutrient Activator LomiPods
• Care directions: Wash bucket by hand with cleaning soap and water or place within the dishwasher on scorching cycle. Alternatively, fill the bucket with half a gallon of water and run Cleansing Mode to deep clear. Refill filter compartment with recent activated charcoal pellets each three months or 45 cycles, whichever comes first.

Why We’re the Consultants

• Ashlee Redger is a author for Critical Eats. She’s been testing kitchen tools since 2022 and has written dozens of critiques for Critical Eats, together with mixing bowls and kitchen scales.
• She examined the Lomi 3 Meals Recycler for six months, including meals to it every day, working it a number of occasions every week, and cleansing it month-to-month. 
• Within the technique of testing the Lomi composter, Ashlee researched the science of composting and began an indoor worm farm to make use of up the Lomi Earth her meals recycler mannequin produced.