apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I use an old enameled stock pot I found that someone was throwing away. It has a lid and works perfectly to keep out the bugs. this looks really nice and small enough to keep on the counter. I keep mine in a cabinet under the sink, which can be a nuisance.

We used plastic, it smelled and cracked and this looks like something I would love on or under the counter. Thanks.

I have a compost pail, but it lives under the sink.

For the countertop, I just grab one of my gladware containers and use it as my scrap bowl. I always have some in my dish drain, because I use them constantly for food storage, and, being plastic, they never dry properly in the dishwasher.

I put it in the sink that's just to the left of my cutting board, so I can just push scraps off to the left.

I dump things from there into the compost pail when I'm done. The compost pail has a charcoal filter, which helps to keep the smell down when I get lazy and don't take it to the compost bin right away.

MikeV
dadcooksdinner.blogspot.com

Yeah, MikeV, the charcoal filter does wonders, especially for smelly scraps like really ripe cantaloupe. I don't know the brand, but my parents have had a green plastic one with a sturdy handle and nice filter for years.

We use a stainless steel ice bucket that we got at a vintage shop, looks very similar to the one in the pic.

It is great - we use a starch/biodegradeable liner inside it (and dump everything in it- meat, eggs, etc.) and then if we have large quantities of veg scraps we just put them in a bowl and run them outside to the composter.

I have had this compost bucket for a number of years and love it. We keep it under the sink most of the time but when we are making a lot of scraps it gets moved to the sink. The thing I like best about this is that it doesn't really get smelly. If it does, which isn't often, once you empty it and give it a good scrub, it's like new.

I have this exact one. It doesn't smell, washes up in a second and is pretty enough for a corner on the counter.

We use a small bucket from the donut shop (apparently it's what filling comes in) with a plate for a lid. Works great, and was free.

We use old formula containers. Then, if they get raggedy, we can easily toss the container. We also have used the coffee containers from Trader Joe's.

What about the ole freezer trick? Put your scraps in whatever container and store it in the freezer. No smell, no mess.

Bring it out when you are prepping and toss more scraps into the container. When full - you can dump it. I use a lg yogurt tub and don't have to buy anything. The freeze-thaw cycle helps break down the food matter some, too.

For mine, I bought a cheap aluminum stockpot from the Latin foods aisle at the grocery store (you must be familiar with the crappy pans next to the Goya products).

When the weather got warm, the fruit flies figured out how to shimmy under the lid, so to put some weight on it, I put my copy of Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" on top of it. =)

Cat litter buckets (the LARGE size with the handle and lid). I eat a lot of veg & fruit in the summer and a countertop bucket just wasn't big enough for when I can't get out to the compost pile every morning before leaving for work.

I want the fruit flies to go in the compost bucket. It sure beats having them fly around the kitchen. Ugh.

I have an insert from a steam table, which I bought on sale from a restaurant supply store 25 years ago or so. It fits into a drawer next to my sink. I can slide the drawer out, prop the lid up and peel right into it. It holds a lot, is stainless steel and indestructible, and has a tight lid that keeps bugs out and odor in.

We use a paper bag - usually from Trader Joe's - and fold the bag over to prevent flies. Every few days, we throw the entire bag into the compost bin. If there are leaks, a pan usually works just fine. We haven't had any problems with bad smells or flies with this method, and we're good about getting composting it on a regular basis. The best thing is that it is free and we're repurposing materials (bags) that we get on a weekly basis.