How Food Recyclers Work

1. Types of Food Recyclers

There are three major categories of food recyclers, each using a different combination of heat, microbes, and mechanical processing. Understanding these distinctions helps gardeners and homeowners choose the right system for their needs.

A. Electric Food Recyclers (Primarily Drying + Grinding)

These machines use high heat and mechanical grinding to reduce food scraps quickly. They do not rely on microbes and do not ferment or biologically digest material. They:

• dry food scraps at high temperatures
• grind them into a fine, stable material
• reduce volume dramatically
• produce a dry, shelf-stable “pre-compost”
• require soil or compost to finish decomposition

These are pure dehydration & grinding units, best for indoor convenience rather than biological processing.

Best for:

• apartments or homes needing a clean, odor-free solution
• users who want fast, predictable, batch-style cycles
• people planning to bury output or add it to compost later
• those planning to throw the processed material in the trash or a green waste bin
• those who don’t want active composting microbes sitting in containers in their homes

Common brands: Mill, Vitamix FoodCycler, Luma

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B. Enzyme-Based Food Recyclers (Manual Fermentation)

This category includes non-electric fermentation systems that rely entirely on microbial action. They:

• use Bokashi bran or EM (Effective Microorganisms)
• ferment food scraps in airtight containers
• create a wet, acidic, partially broken-down material
• require burial in soil or a compost pile to finish

Bokashi does not reduce volume the way electric units do, but it breaks food down biologically instead of mechanically.

Best for:

• budget-conscious composters
• people with limited space
• gardeners who prefer biologically active outputs
• households wanting to compost foods that attract pests

Common method: Bokashi fermentation

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C. Hybrid Microbial–Drying Food Recyclers (Electric Digesters)

In my opinion, these machines are the best of both worlds, using both mechanical and biological methods. They use a combination of:

• low-heat drying
• grinding or mixing
• and microbial inoculants or enzyme blends

These systems do some biological digestion but also run drying stages. They are not pure dehydrators or pure composters — they sit between the two. They:

• maintain a microbial culture or add microbe pods/capsules
• use controlled heat to support microbial digestion
• mix food to accelerate breakdown
• may finish with a drying cycle for odor control
• produce a moist or semi-dry, partially composted material

Their output breaks down in soil faster than straight dehydrator output because microbes have already begun the digestion process.

Best for:

• users who want a more “compost-like” amendment
• households generating daily scraps (continuous-feed models)
• people who want fast processing but prefer a biological element

Common brands: Reencle, Vego & Lomi (Grow Mode)

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2. What You Can Put in a Food Recycler

Food recyclers accept a broad range of kitchen scraps. Always check the manual or website for your product before adding questionable materials! Here’a list of what you can add to most food recyclers:

• vegetable and fruit scraps
• grains, bread, pasta
• coffee grounds and tea bags
• cooked food
• dairy (small amounts in some models)
• meat or bones (varies by machine—always check manual)

They can handle materials that should not be added to traditional compost bins due to pests or odors.

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3. What the Output Is (and Isn’t)

The material produced is often called:

• “pre-compost”
• “nutrient-rich blend”
• “food recycler amendment”
• “dehydrated organics”

Important: it is not finished compost! It is:

• very high in nitrogen (fresh material)
• dry, lightweight, and concentrated
• sterile if produced with heat
• fast to break down once mixed with soil

All of the material from these processes must be added to soil and allowed to finish decomposing, even bokashi & Reencle. However, the pre-compost created with added microbes will take less time to break down in the soil than the material that’s only been ground & heated.

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4. How to Use Food Recycler Output

There are several effective ways to use this material:

• A. Mix into garden soil: Blend 1–2 cups into the top few inches of soil. Microbes will finish decomposition rapidly.
• B. Add to an existing composting system. Perfect “green” material to speed up microbial activity in cold compost piles, hot compost systems, composting trenches, and worm bins.
• C. Start a NEW composting trench. Dig a hole or trench and bury the pre-compost material at least 6 inches deep to avoid attracting pests.
• D. Add small amounts to potting soil. This works fastest with fermented or microbial material. Wait 1–2 weeks before planting to prevent nitrogen burn. The material enriches soil quickly once incorporated.

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5. Advantages of Food Recyclers

Food recyclers are unmatched in their convenience! They offer several key benefits:

• Extremely fast — some product results in hours
• Odor-free (mostly)
• Indoor-friendly
• Ideal for apartments, condos, or small homes
• Reduces landfill waste significantly
• Safe and clean for all lifestyles
• Allows composting of foods not suited to bins or piles

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6. Limitations of Food Recyclers

A few considerations:

• machines are expensive
• electricity is required
• output is not finished compost
• must be added to soil to complete decomposition
• capacity is limited to small, so you may need frequent batches
• machines need some maintenance (cleaning, purchasing filters, etc.)

Even so, they serve gardeners who cannot maintain outdoor systems.