The Best Countertop Compost Bins

Our winning bin is light—weighing around 4 pounds when filled. Its wide opening made dumping and emptying heaps of scraps a breeze. Even without a filter, it contained odors for a full week. It's spacious, capable of holding up to five days worth of peels, coffee grounds, and egg shells from a two-person household that likes to cook. Cleanup was effortless; the body is dishwasher-safe but easily cleaned by hand with soap and water. Its handle is securely attached to the bin and does not budge, even when swung back and forth while full of scraps. Another perk is the detachable lid, which stays open when adding scraps and has a collar that secures a bag between the lid and body of the bin.

This model received high marks for its spaciousness, odor containment, and easy cleanup. It held the largest amount of scraps—about seven days’ worth for a two-person household—and had a broad opening that made it easy to drop in coffee grounds or scraps without spilling or getting the outside of the bin dirty. It cleaned up in no time and its smooth surface didn’t hide any food or mold. Although its handle wasn’t as sturdy as the OXO model, it was easy to transport and empty.

Made by a company that focuses on reducing the use of plastic, this stainless-steel bin is attractive and functional. It has a sizable opening, is easy to clean, and offers fuss-free changing of the filter. Although the handle was the less preferable hook-style, it was tight enough that it never came loose or felt compromised even when the bin was filled to the brim. Our one quibble was that we couldn’t easily flip the lid open while cooking.

This sturdy little bin has a minimalist modern design. Like the winning model, it has a detachable lid with a built-in collar that keeps bags in place. This bin kept odors locked inside but lost some points during our emptying and cleaning tests. Slits along the perimeter of the bin, which were intended to secure the lid in place, proved to be perfect hiding places for gunk, mold, and water. The holder for the filter was also a little challenging to open. Despite these slight design flaws, it’s a suitable bin for a one- or two-person household.

We liked the sleek, streamlined design of this bin. You can either sit it on your kitchen counter or attach it to your Simplehuman trash can with the magnetic dock that comes with the bin. The exterior was easy to wipe down with a cloth and it resisted fingerprints; the plastic insert is dishwasher-safe. Although we loved the look of this model, we often became frustrated by its narrow opening, and some nooks in the stainless-steel body made it slightly harder to clean. Its capacity was small; one tester noted that it was full after only making fruit salad.

The only bamboo bin in the lineup, it controlled odors well. Although it was arguably the most aesthetically pleasing model, we found that coffee grounds often got stuck in a tiny gap on its lid. We also noticed some staining on the bin after we washed and dried it. Finally, the handle felt a bit flimsy when we carried the bin to be emptied.

This bin is perforated with patented air flow channels, which the manufacturer says fosters aerobic decomposition. Because some of those openings are on the bottom of the bin, it must be used with a compostable bag. A ring around its opening locked bags in place and its handle conveniently folded down under the lid. Its lid was one of our least favorites because it never felt like it fit snugly enough. The bin was also one of the smallest in the lineup—and it showed. After the scraps from just one meal were added, it was nearly filled to the brim.

This ceramic model had one of the smallest openings in the lineup which meant that scraps constantly fell onto the counter and floor when we tried to add them to the bin. Although its fire hydrant shape was adorable, it was fairly heavy—weighing over 4 pounds when empty and almost 6½ pounds when filled. A ridge under its lid often trapped bits of food and mold, making cleaning annoying. Lastly, its loosely attached hook-style handle fell off even before the durability test, rendering the handle pretty much useless.