Compost Bins Reviews

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Compost Bins Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Compost Bins Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Compost bins: The best cost less Editors of Consumer Reports July 2004		Consumer Reports tested four compost bins -- two static models and two tumblers -- for performance and ease of use. Though this article is very dated, and the results aren't reported as thoroughly as in some other Consumer Reports articles, their testing is still the most reliable we've found on this subject. Testers' findings on two compost bins conflict in some ways with information from other sources.
2. Which.co.uk >> Details/Subscribe	Compost Bins Editors of Which.co.uk Apr. 2005		British consumer magazine Which? has the most extensive comparison test of compost bins. However, none of the 16 composters tested are available in the United States. Still, testing details are useful for understanding the types and designs of various models. There's also good information here on how and what to compost.

Compost Bins Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Compost Bins Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. AskToolTalk.com	Mantis ComposT-Twin Leon A. Frechette Updated Mar. 6, 2007		This is a thorough, single-product review from an author with over 15 years of experience as a tool reviewer. Ultimately, Leon Frechette says the ComposT-Twin compost bin is worth the investment for those serious about composting, but this article gives a good overview of both the pros and cons for this model.
4. National Home Gardening Club	Tumbleweed Composter Test Results Editors at Clean Air Gardening Sept. 2006		The Clean Air Gardening website outlines the results of compost-bin testing by members of the National Home Gardening Club. Twenty-seven gardeners volunteered to try the Tumbleweed Composter in their own yards and were given survey forms with which to evaluate their experience. Using a scale of 1 to 10, participants rated the Tumbleweed on a variety of elements, such as performance, design, ease of use and comparison to similar products, and many included additional comments. Scanned copies of completed survey forms from the Tumbleweed product test can be accessed through a link.
5. The Master Gardeners of Mercer County (NJ)	Compost Bins Info and Pics Editors at MGofMC.org Not Dated		The Master Gardeners of Mercer County maintain a compost demonstration using a number of different compost bins, including several commercial models. Each bin on the list is accompanied by a very brief pro/con analysis, but unfortunately, most of the compost bins included have been discontinued. One of their top performers, the Norseman Earth Machine, is still on the market, but this model has a significant percentage of dismal owner reviews at another source.
6. The Wall Street Journal	Easy-on-the-Nose Compost Sara Schaefer Muqoz Dec. 6, 2007		Four small compost bins meant to hold kitchen scraps are reviewed here by Sara Muqoz. While a few opinions are proffered, Munoz doesn't express a preference or recommend any over the others.

Compost Bins Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Compost Bins Ratings Comments on Reviews

7. People Powered Machines.com	The results are in: Our top 5 composters Editors at People Powered Machines.com Not Dated		The proprietors of People Powered Machines, a retail website, indicate that they conduct their own product testing before choosing which compost bins to sell. After testing 20 compost bins, the products they chose are the Green Cone System, the Tumbleweed Composter, the RolyPig Composter, the Sunmar Composting Line and the NatureMill Electric Composter Line. Unfortunately, little information is included on their methodology, and we're not told which compost bins were disqualified based on the results.
8. The-Organic- Gardener.com	Compost Tumbler Bins - Their Design & Use Michael Scott Not Dated		Four compost tumblers -- the Envirocycle, the Tumbling Compost Mixer, Revolving Bin Compost Maker and the Mantis ComposT-Twin -- are profiled in this article. The Envirocycle is ranked as number one and gets the most detailed review. It is not clear whether or not the reviewer has used any of the models other than the Envirocycle.
9. Epinions	Composters Contributors to Epinions As of Apr. 2008		The Earth Machine has the most owner reviews here at 14, five of which are very low, 1-star ratings. All other models rated receive no more than eight reviews. These include the Triformis CAN-O-WORMS, the Envirocycle, the Deluxe Pyramid Composter, the Gardener's Supply Company Wire Bin and the Garden Gourmet.
10. Worm's Way.com	Soil & Amendments Contributors to WormsWay.com As of Apr. 2008		Worm's Way allows owners to rate and review products, but most of the compost bins sold here are not reviewed. The Black Gold Garden Compost, the Envirocycle, the Kitchen Compost Bin, and the Garden Gourmet are the four models that have been evaluated, and none has more than four ratings or three narrative reviews each. The Envirocycle and the Black Gold composters receive the best ratings.
11. Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas	A review of garden compost tumblers Stuart Robinson May 19, 2006		This blog, maintained by an Australian gardener, has useful information on the pros and cons of several models of tumbling compost bins, but it's not clear whether the reviewer tested more than one of the composters listed himself. His first choice, the Nylex Ezyroll, is only available in Australia. Other models profiled are the Urban Compost Tumbler UCT-9 and the Original ComposTumbler.
12. Amazon.com	Composting Bins Contributors to Amazon.com As of Apr. 2008		Amazon's owner ratings on compost bins are sparse, with only a few products getting any reviews at all. The Mantis ComposTTwin gets five reviews, the most of any composter, and overall very good ratings. Some composters require more advanced searches to uncover; simple strings such as "composter" or "compost bin" don't reveal them.
13. SavingCivilization.org	NatureMill Automatic Composter: First Look Michael Hicks Feb. 19, 2007		This article reviews the NatureMill Indoor Electric Composter, although from more of a conservationist angle. Good information about the specifics of the NatureMill's operation is included here, but unfortunately, the body of the article doesn't include much information about how well it actually performed in testing. Consumers interested in the NatureMill compost bin may find the comments posted at the bottom of the review helpful.
14. GardenersNet.com	Garden and Backyard Composters: Bins, Tumblers and Barrels Robert Matthews Not Dated		A number of compost bins are listed in this survey of the major types of backyard and garden composters. Descriptions are brief, and compost bins aren't ranked in any way, nor do they appear to have been formally tested.
15. Clean Air Gardening.com	Compost Bins Contributors to Clean Air Gardening.com As of Apr. 2008		Clean Air Gardening welcomes owner reviews, but hardly any have been submitted. Three compost bins are listed as bestsellers: Tumberlweed Compost Tumbler, Big Round Compost Bin and Stainless Steel Compost Pail. Big Round isn't reviewed at all by consumers, while the other two composters get just 1 to 3 reviews. This site also has a short but helpful buyer's guide.
16. The-Organic- Gardener.com	A Compost Container to Make Home Composting Easy Michael Scott Not Dated		Five compost bins are chosen overall, three of which are available in the United States. The explanation of why each was chosen is very short, and the products seem to have been recommended based on how well they appear to perform, versus their actual performance in testing. The article includes a detailed "Compost Container Check List" on how to use a compost bin.
17. Compost-Bin.org	Bins Editors of Compost-Bin.org Not Dated		This list of popular compost bins doesn't offer much in the way of ratings or recommendations, but it does provide a convenient resource for finding basic information on 16 composters at once.
18. The (London) Independent	The Ten Best Compiled by Adam Vaughan Sept. 27, 2006		The Triformis CAN-O-WORMS is given a brief mention as one of "the ten best" ways to conserve planetary resources. There's no indication of why the CAN-O-WORMS (referred to here as the "Wiggly Wigglers CAN-O-WORMS") was chosen over other products, however.
19. iVillage GardenWeb	Soil, Compost, and Mulch forum Contributors to iVillage GardenWeb As of Apr. 2008		There's very little to be found here in terms of formal reviews, but searching for certain compost bins by name (such as the Biostack) can locate some model-specific tips and owner opinions shared by forum members. Requests for composter recommendations are posted from time to time, but there's rarely a strong consensus in terms of which model is best.
20. Compost-Info-Guide.com	Compost Bins Andrew Delroy Not Dated		This article discusses the various types of compost bins available, such as plastic, homemade, compost tumblers and indoor compost bins. Each type has a list of advantages and disadvantages. The only brand mentioned is the NatureMill Indoor Composter. This article is useful for those wanting an overview of the various types of compost bins available.