5 Best Worm Composter for Homes Review and Buying Guide

Worm castings are nutrient-rich organic fertilizers, and having the best worm composter makes it easy to turn food scraps into castings at home.

There is a wide variety of composting bins to choose from, and they come in different sizes, capacities, and styles to fit different households.

For all-around vermicomposting, our top pick unit is the Worm Factory 360, with its ideal size for a household of up to four people. However, the worm composter can also expand to double its standard capacity when increasing the worm colony later on.

This unit is also ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications with its odorless composting operation.

Worm Factory is a popular name in the vermicomposting world, and their worm composter has high quality. The design offers ease of use even for beginners with its fast assembly and minimal maintenance.

The worm composter also includes extra features like a convenient built-in worm tea collector and faucet for draining.

Best Worm Composter

Worm Factory 360 WF360B Worm Composter

Features:

• Largest worm composter with standard 4-tray size expandable up to 8 trays
• Built-in worm tea collector tray with faucet for easy draining
• The redesigned lid converts to a handy collector tray when it’s time for harvest
• Complete accessories included for easy and quick setup
• One-step assembly after unboxing
• Include a comprehensive instruction guide and DVD
• Ideal for use both indoors and outdoors
• Suitable for use in households with 1 to 4 people
• Odorless year-round worm composting operation
• Mineral rock dust included for adding nutrients to the compost
• Bedding materials included
• Accessory kit included with essential tools for managing the worm composter

What We Like

Worm Factory is a leading brand when it comes to composting. They provide the most reliable and robust vermicomposting solutions, especially for home use. Their Worm Factory 360, especially, has the best design and capacity for starting a worm composting system at home.

This worm composter features 4 standard-size trays, which is ideal for a household of 1 to 4 people. The best part of this unit is its expandable design to cater to larger homes as the composter can hold up to eight trays. When used on full capacity, this worm composter has the largest volume unit in the market.

One of the great benefits of using the Worm Factory 360 is its one-step assembly right out of the box. Setting up the unit is easy and straightforward, with the package’s comprehensive instruction manual and DVD included. The composting bin provides everything you need, such as the bedding materials, mineral rock dust, and accessory kit with a thermometer, scraper, and hand rake.

Another great thing about the Worm Factory 360 is its odorless all-year-round operation, making it ideal for use both outdoor and indoor applications. It has a unique design that promotes oxygen flow, so there is no stinky garbage odor present.

What Can Be Improved?

The only thing that could make the Worm Factory 360 if it has a locking mechanism for the trays, so it’s not cumbersome to transport the unit tray-by-tray.

Worm Factory DS3BT 3-Tray Worm Composter

Features:

• 3-tray capacity can expand up to seven trays
• Small footprint is ideal for tabletop application
• The odor-free composting operation makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use
• Built-in worm liquid collector and spigot for quick draining
• Includes operational manual and DVD for easy setup and care
• Easy harvest process by removing the bottom tray

What We Like

Another worm composter from Worm Factory is the DS3BT 3-Tray Worm Composter. It’s a smaller model from the brad with only a 16×16 inches dimension and 3-tray capacity. The small footprint and compact design of this composting bin make it ideal for modest households and tabletop applications.

However, the stackable design of the Worm Factory DS3BT supports expansion to cater to bigger households. The unit can hold up to 7 trays. The use of the worm composter is also straightforward, even for beginners, with a comprehensive guide and DVD included in the purchase.

Another advantage of the Worm Factory DS3BT Worm Composter is its efficient design with a built-in worm tea collector tray with a spigot for draining. The streamlined design of the worm composter also ensures odorless operation, making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor use.

The post-consumer recycled plastic material used for this worm composter is another feature to like this system. It’s as ecologically friendly as a composting solution can get.

What Can Be Improved?

The only thing that could be better about the Worm Factory DS3BT Worm Composter is if the trays stack up nicely and securely, especially the lid. Although it closes, it’s not tight enough, which often attracts fruit flies inside the bin.

The spigot at the worm tea collector also tends to get stuck, which isn’t very useful in draining the liquid.

VermiHut 5-Tray Worm Compost Bin

Features:

• Holds up to 5-pounds of worm
• Smallest footprint for the highest worm composting efficiency
• Odorless composting operation ideal for indoor and outdoor use
• Unique design for excellent air circulation
• The dome-shaped lid ensures optimum moisture control
• Free worm saver tray prevents worms from dropping into the liquid tray
• Requires minimal maintenance after assembly

What We Like

The VermiHut Worm Composter Bin is another excellently designed composting solution that is ideal for most households. It has a 5-tray capacity that can hold up to 10 pounds of worms, considerably higher in volume than other composters. The stackable tray design also gives this composter bin a smaller footprint, ideal for small-spaced houses or gardens.

The worm composter bin is easy and quick to assemble by adding a tray when worms start to migrate upwards. Once the fifth tray gets set up, the composter bin becomes self-sustaining and requires minimal care.

One of the significant advantages of this composting bin design is the tray at the bottom with a spigot for hassle-free draining of worm tea. However, the Version 2 composter has a bonus, a special Worm Saver tray that prevents the worms from falling into the liquid at the bottom plate.

The improved lid design of this composter bin now has a dome shape that is more efficient in moisture control and keeping the composting process odorless. The container also features an ant-resistant design and helps eliminate the growth of fruit flies inside.

What Can Be Improved?

The large holes in the design of the bin allow excellent ventilation. However, it is also an easy way for fruit flies to get inside. The instruction booklet of the unit could also be easier to understand, especially for beginners in vermicast.

Urban Worm Bag Composting Bin Version 2

Features:

• 3x volume capacity than composters with stackable trays
• 8-pound worm capacity and breaks down 4-pound wastes per day
• Breathable fabric construction
• Secure moisture control mechanism through a zipper at the bottom
• No odor worm composting operation
• Easy and intuitive assembly done in less than five minutes
• Ideal for use indoors
• Requires minimal attention after setup for easy maintenance
• Great value for money

What We Like

One of the significant advantages of the Urban Worm Bag Composting in Version 2 is its unique design that fits well indoors. It is also an ecologically friendly solution with a massive composting capacity. This composting bin can hold 3 times the volume of standard stackable tray composters, up to 8 pounds of worms, breaking down 4-pound wastes per day.

The composting bin’s bag is 900D Oxford fabric, which is durable and efficient in keeping the bin odor-free all year round. The setup of the system is also sturdy and built to last. Compared to other composting bins, the Urban Bar Version 2 is incredibly easy to assemble and requires minimal maintenance, which is a bonus.

Once the worm colony gets established, the composting bin will start doing its work. Harvesting the worm castings is also as easy as unzipping the bottom of the composting bin.

One of the best advantages of using the Urban Worm Bag compared to stackable composters is it’s easy to move when necessary. There is also no need to rearrange stacks and trays.

What Can Be Improved?

Due to its large capacity, the footprint of the Urban Worm Bag Version 2 is also massive, which takes up a vast space indoors. Although the bag material is robust, the unit is only ideal for indoor use as the fabric will wear out under UV rays and other harsh outdoor conditions.

The zipper at the bottom is also challenging to zip open or close, especially when the bag becomes too heavy.

Worm Factory 360 Live Worm Farm Starter Kit

Features:

• Standard 4-Tray size, expandable up to 8 trays for a large home composter
• Simple to set up and operate
• Redesigned lid cover can double up as a tray stand when harvesting compost
• Built-in worm tea collector tray with valve for hassle-free draining
• With complete instructional manual and step-by-step guide in using the Worm Factory 360
• Bonus 6×9 inches ref magnet for choosing the best food for worms and what foods to avoid

What We Like

This worm starter features the Worm Factory 360 Composter, which is the most expansive in the market, plus useful infographics and instruction. The worm composter has 4 standard size trays but can extend up to 8 bins for a bigger home worm farm at home. Each plate of the worm composter has a 4-gallon capacity.

The device is easy to set up, taking only a few minutes, and it’s ready to use. Using this home worm composter is also hassle-free with the detailed instruction manual inside the package. It has 70-page infographics with a step-by-step worm composting guide ideal for beginners.

The starter kit includes a ref magnet that splits the healthiest foods for worms and what foods to avoid.

Using the worm composter is convenient, especially with its built-in collector tray with a valve for quick and hassle-free draining. The redesigned lid cover of the Worm Factory 360 can double as the collector tray when it’s time for harvest.

What Can Be Improved?

The Worm Factory 360 is an excellent home composter and the largest one in the market with its expandable option. However, all its great features come at a price as this starter kit is also one of the most expensive units.

Buying Guide

Beginners in worm composting might be wondering what the process is all about and how to do it right. This buyer’s guide gives an overview of what vermicomposting is and how to find and set up a worm composter.

What Is Vermicomposting?

Vermicomposting or worm composting is an easy and efficient way of using kitchen scraps to create a fertile and nutrient-dense soil using earthworms. The worms used in this kind of composting process break down different organic matters like food scraps into castings or worm wastes.

Vermicompost is a treasure for planters and gardeners, a rich source of essential nutrients to promote plant growth, like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Worm castings also have beneficial microbes that can promote healthy plant growth further.

There are different worm types used in vermicomposting, but there are 2 standard options: red worms and red wigglers. The easiest way to start vermicomposting is to get the best worm composter.

Features

Worm castings are nutrient-dense composts, and they don’t come cheap. Having a worm composter at home is not only cost-effective but also a smart solution for turning food scraps into an affordable but powerful fertilizer for plants.

However, not all worm composters are the same. Here are some key points to look at in terms of the features of the best worm composter for homes.

Location

A worm composter can be indoors or outdoors. However, when choosing a compost bin for indoor use, consider getting a unit with a smaller footprint and functional design to fit the interior. Also, a worm composter that ensures odorless composting operation all year round is best for indoor applications.

The best feature to look for is its durability and design when getting the best worm composter for outdoor use. Avoid getting fabric composting bins as they are not the most durable against outdoor weather conditions, and animals can rip through them.

Materials

Materials used in the compost bin is vital, especially when choosing one for outdoor applications. It has to be robust and can endure harsh outdoor weather conditions.

Consider getting a unit made of resin or sturdy plastic for a hassle-free worm composter that won’t need moving during the winter. These materials, especially resin, can withstand heat and freezing, so they stay sturdy all year round.

Size and Capacity

One of the vital factors to consider when buying a worm composter is its size and capacity, which identifies how many worms it can accommodate. The general guideline is worms can process wastes equal to half of their body mass per day. Using that, choose a worm composter with the size and capacity depending on how much food scraps a household can generate per day.

In terms of size, worm composters can either have a stackable tower design or a sizeable composting bag. Tower composters are the best option for space-saving solutions as they have a smaller footprint but huge capacity by stacking trays vertically.

Speed of Composter

The speed of the composting process using the bin composter will primarily depend on the worms. They work faster in turning food scraps into casting under ideal temperature, which is between 50 to 80 degrees. Worms work extremely slow in cold temperatures, which affects the speed of the composter.

For this, the best option is to place the composting bin in a spot where the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold.

Expandable

Depending on the type of compost bins, a unit can expand its capacity when needed. The best worm composter for this is the tower style. It only requires a couple more trays on top to start creating more waste or for growing the worm colony.

Meanwhile, some types, like composting bags, comes in one-size only, which doesn’t allow for scaling up the colony later on.

Ventilation

One other feature that is vital for worm habitat in the composting is ventilation. Worms also need enough air, so make sure that the compost bin has holes in the surface. A dome-shaped lid in a worm composter is also an efficient design to encourage enough ventilation inside the unit.

Drainage

Drainage is a vital part of a worm composter’s design, especially in regulating the compost’s moisture levels. The ideal habitat for worms should be moist without being soggy.

Proper drainage design for a composting bin is a built-in liquid tray at the bottom with a spigot for easy draining.

Shade

The natural habitat for worms is away from sunlight, so a worm composter should simulate the same environment. Ensure that the bin material is opaque and can block most of the light, which will be healthier for the worms.

How Many Worms Are Needed?

A good-sized composting bin needs around a pound of worms, and they can break down about half a pound of food scraps per day.

However, the number of worms needed for vermicomposting will depend on the worm composter on hand. Different units have different sizes and capacities or the value in pounds of earthworms they can carry. Small footprint units can cater a pound of worms while others have a capacity of eight to ten pounds.

The number of worms needed for a worm composter should also depend on the size of the household. A 4-tray capacity composting bin that can hold a pound of worms is enough for a house with one to four people.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zLTcNnyoHBs

Frequently Ask Questions

Conclusion

Vermicomposting indoors or outdoors is hassle-free with a worm composter like the Worm Factory 360 with its odorless composting operation all year round. It has a 4-tray capacity ideal for households of one to four people with an expandable option of up to eight trays.

Getting the best worm composter with the ideal size and capacity and speed of composting for the household, turning food scraps into rich fertilizer is hassle-free.

Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API