Kitch'n Komposter

For clients with in-sink garbage disposal units who would like to produce compost instead of sending all that organic matter down the drain, here’s an interesting new product: the Kich’n Komposter. The device fits under the sink in the wastewater line after the disposal unit. By flipping a switch, the homeowner can divert the flow out of the disposal unit through the Kich’n Komposter to spin-dry and save the finely ground waste material for composting. Some users EBN spoke with report getting usable compost from these ground scraps in as short a time as two weeks when mixed with sawdust; others simply bury the grindings in their garden and let it decompose there.

The unit costs approximately $130 and is easy to install and use. A diverter valve in the sink cabinet lets you choose which materials to save and which to flush down the drain. Meat scraps, for example, should not be composted. Owners should use the device only to save scraps appropriate for composting. Because the ground-up material has to be cleaned out after each use, the Kich’n Komposter makes the most sense for serious gardeners. Unfortunately, the device does not make garbage disposal units any easier on private septic systems. Grease, the bane of septic tanks, will pass right through the Komposter and down the drain.