NatureMill Pro:White - Indoor Compost System
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Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of NatureMill Pro:White - Indoor Compost System
Customer Review: Long Term Review
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had my NatureMill Composter for 3 years- basically I was an early adapter and got this as soon as it came out. I actually had to wait until they had them ready to go.
Usually being an early adapter you run into problems and breakage very early on but that was not the case. All I did when I got it was read the directions, plug it in and it was going. I have never really run into any problems with odor, etc but i think that is due to following the very clear directions with great suggestions that came with the product.
I have used it in my kitchen as well as my attached but not heated garage and it has done fine in both locations. The reason I switched from kitchen to garage was not due to any issues with the composter- it was a dog issue as he managed to open it a few times and eat the contents.
Over the three years I have run into a few little issues which I did not have a big deal with since I was an early adapter. Now with most companies if something breaks within the first 90 days, you may get them to help you. Me, I ran into some issues 3 years later and they did not try to get me to throw it out and buy a new one by making a replacement part some astronomical number, they emailed me, called me and get this- charged me only $15 for a new motor. (BTW motor replacement took me only 5 minutes) This company really cares about their customers. That is not something you can say often today. They seem to really want to offer a good product and good service and most of all they have respect for their customers. I cannot say enough nice things about them.
Customer Review: better than the other options for composting
Summary: 5 Stars
This is by far the best alternative for composting. I have a gigantic bin in my back yard for leaves and branches and lawn mower trimmings. It's been sitting there for years and I don't think it has ever produced any usable compost. It used to tumble but I think it is now too heavy and dilapidated. The automatic approach of this machine is much more convenient for daily kitchen scraps anyway. Especially in the winter it is much easier to stay warm and dry inside rather than having to empty the compost crock outside. Some people swear by worms but, uh, my wife will not allow that anywhere in or near the house.
Our compost crock always used to be full and nasty just when we had guests over which was kind of embarrassing. It was such a chore to take it outside so of course I never did it until it was too late and swarming with fruit flies. Now I can dump any scraps into the composter WHILE my guests are over and they are very curious about my smart new compost machine! There are no flies or odors.
Initially I had some problems. The first few weeks take some patience. It tends to jam if you overload it, or if you add tough stuff like lemon grass or corn cobs. We also threw off the acidity balance once and had to call customer service to figure out what to do. They were very helpful (more baking soda it turns out, to counteract the acidity of whatever we put in there). Once you get the hang of it and you know the limits of the machine, then it is fairly intuitive to use. Much easier than my old pile and pitchfork method anyway.
Customer Review: compost makeover
Summary: 4 Stars
This is definitely not a compost bin like in the olden days. As a kid growing up I remember my grandparents lived out in the countryside where they had a giant compost pile. It smelled real bad and had lots of flies. It got dried out in the summer and turned to sludge in the spring and was frozen solid all winter. It really didn't seem very practical for us, because we lived in the city. Then I saw Naturemill and had to buy it. It is sealed up and self contained so you can use it without smelling it. When you open the lid is kind of smells like peanut butter, or like casserole, depending on the day and what you put in it last. Ours is very quiet although it was a little rattly in the first few weeks as it was breaking in. The compost is smooth and grainy almost like black sand, without any chunks or lumps. If is a little spongy and fluffy which is supposed to be good for the plants.
One draw back is that you can't add things like bones, branches, paper, corn, or lemons. These don't break down and can cause a nasty jam or in the case of lemons they upset the living chemistry and then you get odors. But it can process meat and fish and cheese which a normal outdoor bin can not take. So in the balance this is a good option for people like me who do not have a back yard or spare time to manage a compost pile.
Customer Review: worms are a better option
Summary: 3 Stars
I have one of these machines, and it basically works. But I do not recommend buying one. You can just use worms instead. I have been doing it that way for many years and it has several advantages. It is much easier (and cheaper) to bury your food waste in your back yard, buy some red wiggler worms, spread them out over the pile, and let them go to work. There are also indoor options which involve trays for the worms. After 4-6 weeks they eat the food and leave behind the compost. You don't have to use electricity and there is no smell most of the time. You generally don't have to buy more worms because they stick around and you can reuse them. Composting is all about using nature's resources. I must admit that worms do not take meat or fish or egg shells whereas the Naturemill machine does, but that is about the only advantage.
Another method which shows promise is the Bokashi micro organism method. It has a low cost setup similar to worm composting, although you have to buy the replenishment mix every few months. I have not tried that yet but some day I will.
Customer Review: Stay Away From NatureMill
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased an earlier model approximately a year and a half ago. It has never worked as advertised and their customer support people were unable to resolve the problems. It is supposed to automatically dump the compost into a lower bin. It never dumped automatically and I had to do it manually every single time. This is a smelly and messy procedure.
Recently, a large hole developed in the side wall of the mixing bin due to the wall delaminating. My unit is no longer usable. The company says that my 1 year waranty has expired and they have no responsibility to repair or replace the unit despite the obviously defective product.
They acted like they were doing me a favor to offer me a nominal discount on a replacement unit. There is no way I will have any more to do with this company or any product they make.
After spending over $400(the price at the time I purchased), I would expect that NatureMill would stand behind their product a little better.