Interesting how two people can look at the same thing from different perspectives.

I look at a traditional bin as a great choice. First, my mesh bin cost $20 and took five minutes to put up. My tumbler costs $350 (yours costs $100) and took three hours to assemble. The manual said two hours, but hey.

Batch size is a important consideration. My bins are three times bigger than the tumbler, so the bin ends up being less effort. The tumbler was smaller, and only in the third batch did the temps get up to where the manual promised. The manual said compost in 14 days, but that was beyond my skills, even as I lugged the materials inside to be measured for a optional C:N ratio. Later I found that a number of experts said compost should age for a month after finishing, so the two or four week figure did not seem as attractive.

The tumbler was suposed to be turned every day, the mesh bins I turn when the temp tells me its time. The tumbler advertising says just rotate it five rotations each day. But since it was a cog gearing on the handle, it really means turn the handle 5 times 5 or 6, equal to cranking the handle 25 turns.

The mesh bins are better (IMHO) in winter, and for smelly stuff like fish. The appearance of a composting system is a matter of taste. A green object with some rust on it -- better or worse than a larger brown-gray bin?

I'm glad we both found a method of composting we like and feel is easy.

I gave my tumbler away after a few years. The center bar had rusted out after 1.5 years of use.

tom I think that's an interesting system you've got going - it certainly seems to address a lot of things that some people would consider problems - critters, odors, hand turning a pile are the ones I noticed.

Amazing that the bokashi will keep a 5-gallon bucket of kitchen slop from stinking.

happy rotting!

Robert: This tumbler can easily process the food waste from a family of five, plus some of the leaves stored up from the previous autumn mixed in. It has no crank, I just grab the outside and flip it, and just one time a day. I hope that it doesn't rust.

Tox: There is a pickling odor to the bokashi treated waste. The 5 gal buckets do have a lid. There is no slop to the process, the waste is not sloppy but has a slightly dried/fermented appearance. It consolidates about 25% by volume in the bucket before it is added to the composter.

I do not see how the composter alone would satisfactory compost such a rich mixture of raw table waste.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tumbling composter

Tom ... your description of how bokashi works for you, is the first I've seen that didn't sound like an affectation.[it is very practical FOR YOU] I've always just thought that was for apartment dwellers or people who just like to make things more complicated in order to appreciate it. But it seems to work well for you, and that's the bottom line.

My kids call my compost pile the 'rat-feeder' because they think that the rats that infest our urban neighborhood come for the pile contents. I disagree and we don't discuss it. The point being, that whatever method you chose can look weird to someone else. Thanks for your description/explanation. I won't take it up, but now have a less critical view of bokashi. [your good deed for the day]

I find the idea intriguing. I did worms last winter and was not satisfied with the results. They could not keep up with my kitchen scraps. keeping them in a warm spot was a problem so they were slow to compost. I still do worms, worm castings are worth the trouble. This bokashi sounds like a good supplement to vermicomposting for me. The long winters in MN make the compost heap almost unusable from November to May and this year I could not even blow a path to the pile due to deep snow I thank you for your information and will pursue bokashi for winter composting/storage.BTW I live on 1/3 acre and have all the room I need

Curt#~

Barb: When my wife bought the bokashi I sure thought that it was odd and not well thought out. The directions list a few options to dispose of the fermented waste, including burial. How would that work in heavy clay except with a pick ax? The tumbler itself was an interesting idea, but what to do with the daily waste while a batch was processing to prevent a reeking mess?

Curt: I was able to process a batch in the Twin Cities in 6 weeks, April 1 to May 15th. Because the tumbler is above the ground, the cold spring soil did not impede the composting. Of course we did have a mild spring, but the soil remained cool: note that the magnolias flowered in early-mid April (2 weeks ahead of schedule) but the perennial peonies have yet to flower (normal schedule).

A family of five fills a 5 gal bucket a month, and the tumbler holds 2-1/2 buckets worth of waste plus leaves. So if I can process 5-6 batches a year then I can keep up with the waste.

An idea with the worms: you could affix a terrarium heater to the bottom of the worm container to provide a bit of radiant heat. Like the kind used for lizards and such.

PS: The Suncast tumbler took a good 3 hours to construct.