NatureMill Kitchen Composter - a tool for every gardener

Here’s some great information about our new NatureMill Kitchen Composter, found on sale at our Sloat Blvd (SF), East Blithedale (Mill Valley), Kentfield and Pierce Street (SF Marina) stores. It is for indoor use, and does not take up much space! Perfect for apartments...

How it works: Deposit food waste items at any time, on any day. Add up to 120 lbs (55kg) per month. For best results, cut items into small pieces. Items remain in the upper chamber, with "hot composting" conditions: mixing, air flow, heat, and moisture. The energy released destroys odors, pathogens, and seed germination. The compost is later transferred through a trap door to the lower cure tray chamber, where it continues to compost while you add fresh waste items to the upper chamber.

No odors, worms, or bugs: Cultures consume waste quickly, without odors. The cultures produce a mild aroma similar to sourdough, mushrooms, or damp straw. Balance the chemistry by adding a small amount of sawdust to increase "brown" content, and baking soda to reduce acidity (both are included). A fan draws air into the machine continuously, providing oxygen to the cultures. A powerful carbon filter removes any lingering odors. Replace the filter every 4-5 years ($8 online, or about $1 if you buy the carbon yourself). Use it anywhere: Fits inside any standard cabinet (cabinet kit sold separately). Keep it in the kitchen, a garage, or laundry room. Use it outdoors, even in the snow, rain, or freezing temperatures. Keep the power supply dry, using a weather-rated power outlet (available at most hardware stores).

Endless supply of compost: Empty the cure tray when the indicator light comes on - roughly every two weeks. More than seventy percent of the initial waste disappears into thin air -- literally -- as compost cultures convert it into water vapor. What's left is a very concentrated compost fertilizer. Fresh compost has a mild organic aroma, which people often describe as damp wool, sourdough bread, or mushrooms. You can use it immediately, or leave it in a heap outdoors until you are ready to work in your garden. Good for the garden: Compost is high in nitrogen, which is essential for flowering plants and fruit trees. Use compost on your garden, lawn, shrubs, trees, or indoor potted plants. One batch of compost is sufficient for 10-40 sq ft (1-4 sq m) of a lawn or garden, applied once or twice per year. Or use one batch per mature fruit tree, once per year. Spread over the surface of the soil like mulch -- nutrients will slowly enter the soil during watering and annual tilling. You can infuse with water to brew "compost tea" liquid fertilizer. Learn more about gardening with compost.

Great for the environment: A NatureMill composter recycles its weight in waste every 10 days, diverting over two tons of waste from landfills over its life. This reduces emissions of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas produced when organic matter decomposes in oxygen-starved landfills. NatureMill is made from recycled and recyclable materials. Energy use is just 5 kwh / month, or about $0.50/month - less than a garbage truck would burn in diesel fuel to haul the same waste. Every NatureMill composter meets or surpasses Energy Star requirements, and the more stringent California Energy Efficiency Level IV.