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What a world we live in! Isn’t it amazing that we not only have electric composters on the market, but we have several really good ones to choose from?
When I first started writing about electric compost systems, we didn’t have many options. You basically had the original Food Cycler (before Vitamix bought it) and a few copycats. Now there are two big players in the electric composter game: The Vitamix Food Cycler and the Lomi by Pela.
RELATED POST: Best Electric Kitchen Composters
What is an electric Composter?
An electric composter doesn’t actually compost food waste. Instead these compost systems act as dehydrators and grinders, allowing for food waste to decompose much quicker than traditional compost methods.
Electric kitchen composters are great for suburban composting or composting in apartments/ small spaces. Simply add to soil and use as an amendment or toss in a pile in the yard. We like to put our electric compost in our worm bin to cover up fruit and vegetable scraps.
RELATED POST: A Beginners Guide to Worm Composting
Which Electric composter is better? The Food Cycler or the Lomi?
I’ve used both extensively. I didn’t just try them out for a quick review. I used each electric composter for months over the last few years.
Honestly, both the Food Cycler and the Lomi are great. They both produce a nice end product of dried and ground up food waste.
The Lomi seems to have a slightly better grinder, a larger capacity and more options. However, this comes with a heftier price tag.
Comparison of the Vitamix Food Cycler and the Lomi by Pela
Food Cycler
Lomi
The Food Cycler has a 2 L capacity
The Lomi by Pela has a 3 L capacity
0.8 kWh per cycle
0.6 kWh per cycle
1 mode of operation
3 modes of operation: Eco-Express Mode, Lomi Approved Mode, and Grow Mode
Carbon filters are $24.95 and need to be replaced every 3-4 months. Filters come in a plastic container that are not recyclable.
Carbon filters are not encased in plastic and can be composted when finished. They need to be replaced every 90 cycles. They range from $50-55 dollars.
Food Cycler has a removable waste bucket lid to make storage easier under the sink or on countertop.
The Lomi does not have an extra lid but the height is a bit smaller allowing countertop composting a little easier.
Great deal under $350
Great deal under $500
Both the Food Cycler and Lomi reduce waste by 90%
Finished Product
The finished products are pretty comparable.
In fact I put a Pela case in each of these with the same types of food and both the Food Cycler and the Lomi got the compostable phone case ground pretty well!
The Lomi finished product was just a little finer.
Watch my YouTube Video Comparing the Food Cycler and the Lomi Electric Composters
It comes down to price and appearances
Having tried both the Lomi and the Food Cycler, I can confidently say that both are great products.
Personally the extra capacity of the Lomi isn’t that big of a deal for me because I rarely have over 2L of waste a day.
The Food Cycler is typically $100-150 cheaper than the Lomi which makes a big difference for many people.
At the same time, aesthetics matter in the kitchen, and many people have a preference about color and shape. I’ve used both the Food Cycler and the Lomi in my own kitchen and personally have kept the Lomi on my countertop longer just because it looks and fits better in my kitchen.
However, if it came down to price alone, I’d probably pick the Food Cycler because I think it is a great bang for your buck.
