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built-into counter compost bucket?

14 years ago

Today at a kitchen store I saw a built-in compost bucket (and garbage shoot) by Blanco. I think it's an awesome idea but it means cutting a 8" hole in the granite countertop. I'm concerned.

Does anyone have experience with it? Does it get dingy or smelly? Is it really useful to you or could you have made do with using a bowl while prepping and a regular under the sink counter bin?

Thanks

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Comments (4)

westsider40
14 years ago
I have thought that was a great idea, for years. It is one of the few things that American kitchens have not figured out.

About 15 years ago, we visited a friend with a rustic, lake cabin-like house. He did the remodeling. He had a formica counter with a cutout for trash. It struck me as brilliant.

I think the trash is the most used 'appliance' in the kitchen. Some of Julia Ch.'s early shows had a big round trash right next to her counter. She'd just flip packaging and other trash in. Before recycling. Rachael uses her gb, garbage bowl, but the packaging is already off.

I keep a plastic bag in one side of double sink. For the trash. Toss it daily. Very ugly.

Franke has, UK has, under counter trash bins. Google "trash chute".

Whoever invents or refines this idea, and markets it well, will make a fortune. The new post-it or paper clip. Off my soapbox.
smiling
14 years ago
Here's a link to the Blanco mentioned. There's also a pass-through to a trashcan below if you look at the bottom of the page.

Here is a link that might be useful: in counter compost bin
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Okay, you twisted my arm. I've bought a new card reader for my camera and I'm posting some temp photos which will be deleted soon. I'm making supper here--chicken to work over (fat globs and other scraps go into trash), sad looking salad greens and peas (too hot outdoors and the lettuce has bolted), herbs to chop, veg and onion ready to be cut up. I usually sit at stool but DH stands here. Compost tray runs along side of blue drawer organizer (repurposed container we got with Alaskan shrimp in it). Remember--our top drawers were made shallow because of pull-out board. If I had it to do over, I'd make them just a big deeper by shortening the drawers and bins below--to prevent items from jamming drawers. I am grateful for 90 degree countertop edge because I can brush things into the trash or the pan so reliably and it cuts down the cleanup. If I did not have the pull-out board, I'd put the pan parallel to the countertop, as suggested above. Makes good sense. We used to put a big bowl or dishpan on a stool below the edge of our chopping surface when we needed to work over lots of veg or apples for freezing--same idea. I can put this pan into my top drawer under baking area pullout board also--can receive excess flour sprinkled on the countertop or the breadboard or dough scraps. You could do the same in any drawer next to a baking surface. I've extended the drawer far enough for you to see the pan within; usually we don't pull it out very far unless the front of the pan is already full or unless we're working with sloppy things like tomatoes. I put my eggshells into the pan when making breakfast--the drawer glides out so easily! I try to remember to crush them in my fist as I do this so the composting begins sooner and the shells get mixed with other items sooner. The compost bin is an Ikea item which I think has been discontinued; you buy taller ones now with the same footprint. This one has built-in handles. The boot below it allows me to roll it out with one hand. Lid is not tight and can be opened with one hand. The long compost tray is a bit awkward to handle when it's full and needs to be emptied--in an earlier moment in the evolution of the kitchen I used a different skinny pan and it was perfect to sling around, but it held a lot less. I'm used to this one now so it doesn't matter but at first I dumped it on the floor a few times when using one hand, aargh! The lesson is...don't put off emptying it when you're cleaning up the kitchen.
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I wanted to do this. I used to have a glass cutting board inset in my countertops. I didn't do it, it was there when we bought the house - just so nobody bawls me out about using glass to cut on. It was handy. In my new kitchen I wanted end grain on one end of the island for cutting and the rest of the isand edge grain, where the sink will be. I finally found somebody to do it but then the cabinet maker found somebody who could make the whole island top end grain for only $100 more than I was going to pay. So that's what I'm going to do but I'm not sure what to do around the sink - to protect the wood. I probably won't cut up meat on the island,, I'll still use a cutting board for mucky stuff.
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rosiew
14 years ago
I have room on my countertop for a good looking covered container that my compostibles go in. Leave it over in a corner and just open and dump veggie parings, egg shells, coffee grounds, bread heels. Works just fine and no one but me knows what lurks under that cover.

I salute you for composting and of course, your gardens benefit so much!

HTH, Rosie
ci_lantro
14 years ago
I think it depends on how you prep & what all goes into your compost bucket.

For me, a lidded bucket under the sink works because I do a lot of prep in my sink--peel carrots, potatoes, onions in the sink. When I'm baking, I toss the egg shells over into the sink. Then just scoop the stuff up & into the bucket it goes.

We have a couple of parrots--the bottom of the cage newspapers go into the compost. I usually gather up the corners of the newspapers & carry them to the compost--sometimes compost goes to the cages if there is a lot of debris that has escaped the newpaper. And I tear those fiber egg cartons into chunks & chuck them into the compost, too.

So, long story short--I wouldn't sink a compost container into my countertop because it wouldn't improve on the somewhat primitive system I'm already using.

Another consideration is the am't of countertop real estate that you have. Being seriously deprived, I wouldn't be willing to give any of it. Another thing is that countertop next to the sink is prime real estate. To be very useful, compost containers need to be near the sink & would end up being an obstruction to how you use that area.

And just one last word! :) Lay those bread heels out to dry! I dry mine, save them until I have the food processor out & grind them up into bread crumbs. Besides using them for breading, I like to sprinkle some into chili & soups that need to be thickened up a bit.

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