We get so many inquiries about home composters that I finally forced myself to delve into the world of the deluge. I like to remind people that we’re “lazy” here at the Lazy Environmentalist, but I’m also glad to see that composting now falls into our domain because there are few things in life so surprisingly gratifying as carrying one tenth of your normal load out to the curb. Unless you you keep a garden or a fair number of plants, in which case, that’s where your payback will be most obvious. If you make it a point to eat well, especially if you eat mostly organic, you’re really just completing the circle of life. So sit back, grab a cup, and queue up your copy of The Lion King, because here’s everything you’ve always wanted to know about home composters but afraid to ask.

Phase One: Kitchen Composter

For our purposes, all composting starts in the kitchen. That’s where you’ll get the ball rolling by collecting most any food waste: coffee grounds, tea bags, peels, rinds, and many composters will even take meat these days (read the manufacturer’s recommendations).

There are two general methods for collecting compost: Use a small compost collecting bin or use a small composter (my recommendation). This is a method for collecting the compost, which does require a method, lest you find the aroma of rotting foodwaste wafting about your domicile.

If you’re more the gadget type, or you have limited space (read, “urban compost”) this is a small composter that gets it all done in one: The Naturemill Pro . You just throw everything in then set it ablaze.

Phase Two: Gettin’ er done

The smaller kitchen composters will break your waste down. Perhaps the best benefit from the small composters is the highly-potent-plant-food liquid that drains out the bottom — that’s good stuff if you’re growing plants around the house or feeding a rose bed in the lawn.

But if you’re looking to really compost, then let’s talk rotating composters:

The ComposTumbler is the Rolls Royce of composters. They make a few different versions depending on how ambitious you plan to get with your composting dreams: It does everything and it even looks industriously cool, like that big chrome barbecue sitting out on the back porch. Yes, you can keep this compost tumbler on the back porch as well. That way when people ask, you get to passively mention how environmentally aware/active/superior you are.

My personal recommendation, especially if you’re just starting out, is the Envirocycle . It’s a rotating composter with some great features for keeping out most bugs and the bigger vermin. It rolls pretty easy too, so getting the compost where you want it is that much cleaner and easier. And the price is right, like th...