Best Compost Bins: Every Type Compared for Backyard Gardens

The best compost bin is the one that matches your yard, your volume of scraps and how much work you want to do. For most backyard vegetable gardeners, a roomy stationary bin or a homemade wire or pallet bin makes the most compost for the least money. Tumblers suit small yards and kitchen-scrap households, worm bins suit apartments, and electric countertop “composters” are a different tool altogether.

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Compost bin types compared

Capacity, speed and effort below are general ranges for each type, not ratings of specific products. Always check the listed volume: a cubic yard (a 3 x 3 x 3 ft pile) is about 200 gallons, and many plastic bins hold less than that.

Stationary compost bins

These are the classic black or green plastic bins with a lid on top and a small hatch at the bottom for removing finished compost. Other versions are made from wood, recycled plastic panels or concrete blocks. You add materials on top, and finished compost forms at the bottom.

• Pros: Neat appearance, keeps rain off, holds moisture, deters most animals when closed, little maintenance.
• Cons: Hard to turn, so compost is slower; many models are smaller than the 3 x 3 x 3 ft needed for a hot pile; once placed, they are a chore to move.
• Look for: A tight-fitting lid, a large access door, sturdy plastic that resists UV, and the largest size your space allows.

Set the bin directly on soil, not on a patio, so worms can move in and excess water drains away.

Compost tumblers: single vs. dual chamber

A tumbler is a sealed drum on a stand or a frame that you turn with a crank or by hand. Turning mixes and aerates the contents in seconds, with no pitchfork needed, and the closed drum keeps animals out.

Single-chamber tumblers

You fill the drum, then stop adding new material while that batch finishes. That means you need somewhere to store scraps in the meantime, which is the main frustration with single-chamber models.

Dual-chamber tumblers

Two compartments let you fill one side while the other side finishes. For most households that add scraps every day, this is the more practical design.

• Pros: Easy aeration, fast when balanced, tidy, pest-resistant, raised off the ground.
• Cons: Small capacity, so they do not handle large volumes of leaves or garden waste; can get heavy and hard to spin when full; wet greens can clump into a heavy ball; they lose heat fast and freeze in cold winters.
• Look for: A solid frame, a wide door, internal mixing fins, good ventilation, and a height that fits a wheelbarrow or bucket underneath.

Wire and pallet bins (DIY compost bins)

The cheapest compost bins are also some of the most effective for vegetable gardeners, because they easily reach the size needed for a hot pile.

• Wire bin: Bend a length of 36-inch-tall welded wire fencing or hardware cloth into a circle about 3-4 ft across and fasten the ends with wire or clips. A standard hoop holds just over a cubic yard. To turn it, unhook the wire, set the hoop up next door and fork the pile back in.
• Pallet bin: Stand four wooden pallets on edge and lash the corners with wire, rope or screws. Use pallets stamped “HT” (heat-treated) and avoid any that are painted, stained or of unknown origin, since treated wood should not go near a vegetable garden.
• Block or brick bin: Stack concrete blocks on three sides, leaving gaps for air.

Open designs breathe well but can dry out quickly and do little to stop determined animals. A tarp on top helps with moisture, and a hardware cloth floor helps with burrowing rodents. If you have lots of fall leaves, a wire bin also makes a perfect leaf mold bin; see our guide to composting leaves.

3-bin compost systems

A 3-bin system is three side-by-side bays, usually made of wood, pallets or wire. You fill the first bay with fresh material, move it to the second bay when you turn it, and let it finish and cure in the third. Each bay should be at least 36 x 36 x 36 inches.

• Pros: The most compost, the fastest; a continuous supply; easy turning from one bay to the next.
• Cons: Takes about 9-10 ft of length plus room to work; more materials and building time; more physical work.

Removable front slats make turning much easier. This is the setup to aim for if you have a large vegetable garden and want to make all your own compost. Our guide to making compost covers the hot method these bins are built for.

Worm bins (vermicomposting)

Worm bins use red wigglers (Eisenia fetida), not garden earthworms, to turn kitchen scraps into rich worm castings. They work indoors in a closet, basement or garage, so they are the top choice for apartments and for gardeners in cold zones who want to keep composting all winter.

• Sizing: Oregon State University Extension suggests about 1 cubic foot of bin space per pound of worms. A 14-gallon bin (1 x 1 x 2 ft) holds 2 to 2.5 lb of worms and processes about 2 lb of kitchen scraps a week, about right for two or three people.
• Temperature: Worms tolerate about 40-90°F but do best at 55-77°F, so most bins should not stay outdoors through a cold winter or a hot summer.
• Avoid feeding: meat, fish, dairy, oils, lots of citrus or pet waste.
• Timeline: About 3-6 months from setup to harvestable castings.

Store-bought stacking tray systems make harvesting easier; a homemade bin from a plastic tote with air holes works fine too.

Kitchen countertop compost caddies

A countertop caddy is not a composter; it is a collection pail that keeps scraps handy until you take them to the bin. Almost everyone who composts benefits from one. Look for a tight lid, a replaceable charcoal filter for odors, a size you will empty every few days (larger caddies get smelly), and dishwasher-safe stainless steel or ceramic. Compostable liner bags are optional.

Electric countertop “composters”

Electric kitchen units heat, dry and grind food scraps over several hours, shrinking the volume dramatically. What comes out is a dry, ground food residue, not finished compost. Research reported by the trade journal BioCycle found that this material has not gone through the biological decomposition that defines compost, can grow mold and attract pests once it gets wet again, and can be high in salts.

That residue can still be useful: you can add it to a backyard compost pile or worm bin, where it will finish breaking down. Do not dig large amounts directly around vegetable plants. These machines make sense if you have no yard and want to reduce kitchen waste and odors, but they are not a substitute for a compost bin if your goal is soil for your garden.

How to choose the right compost bin

• Yard size: Plan for at least a 3 x 3 ft footprint for a hot pile plus working space. Tight on space? A tumbler or a compact stationary bin fits a patio corner (tumblers can sit on pavement).
• What you compost: Mostly kitchen scraps? A tumbler, stationary bin or worm bin is enough. Lots of leaves, grass and garden waste? You need the volume of a wire, pallet or 3-bin setup.
• How much you produce: Two people with a small garden make far less than a family of five with a big lawn and trees. Size up rather than down; piles shrink by half or more as they compost.
• Rodents and wildlife: In cities and near woods, choose enclosed designs and keep the base screened.
• HOA and city rules: Some require closed bins, set distances from property lines or ban open piles. Check before you build.
• Your effort level: If you will never turn a pile, a stationary bin with patience is better than a 3-bin system you abandon.

Compost bins by climate zone

In zones 3-5, small tumblers and plastic bins freeze solid in winter; a large pile or 3-bin system holds heat longer, and a worm bin indoors keeps scraps moving. In zones 8-10, plastic bins in full sun can dry out fast, so place them in partial shade and water more often. Check your local extension office for climate-specific advice, because microclimates vary.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying too small. A bin smaller than about a cubic yard rarely gets hot. Check the gallon capacity.
• Overfilling a tumbler. A full drum is heavy and does not mix well. Leave room to tumble.
• Expecting compost from an electric unit. Its output still needs to finish in a pile or worm bin.
• Placing a bin on concrete. Stationary bins need soil contact for drainage and worms.
• Using treated wood. Build DIY bins from untreated or heat-treated lumber and pallets.
• Forgetting browns. Every bin type needs dry carbon to stay balanced.

FAQ

Keep reading

• Garden Soil 101: The Best Soil for a Vegetable Garden
• How to Test Soil pH (and Fix It) for a Thriving Vegetable Garden
• Cover Crops for Vegetable Gardens: Winter Rye, Clover, Oats and More

Sources

• Selecting a Backyard Compost Bin – UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory
• Backyard Composting of Yard, Garden, and Food Discards – NC State Extension
• Home Composting: A Guide for Home Gardeners – Penn State Extension
• Composting with Worms – Oregon State University Extension
• Backyard Composting: It’s Only Natural – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Electric Kitchen “Composter” Confusion – BioCycle