NatureMill Pro:White - Indoor Compost System
by Nature Mill
|
Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of NatureMill Pro:White - Indoor Compost System
Customer Review: Patience is a virtue
Summary: 4 Stars
People that purchase this product should be more informed consumers; or at least read the manual.
When composting you must first establish the micro-organisms (cultures) that break down the material. This is clearly stated in the manual. The first batch or so may not be the best smelling, or greatest consistency because of the cultures getting established. If you just haphazardly throw items in this machine (or any other composter) the compost will not be "right" compost is essentially decomposing material broken down by microbes. If it is too dry, too wet, too basic or too acidic it will not be "right".
There is an art to making good compost but if you follow the recipe clearly stated in the manual and quick reference guide this will produce some great compost FAST! It is that simple. Composting is not for everyone and requires patience and some simple planning as to what to add when; lots of greens add some sawdust etc.
The NatureMill takes the guess work out of mixing, temperature and air, it is all controlled by the computer. It has a solid hum (air pump) when running but it is not that loud and after a short time you stop noticing it. It makes some noise when mixing but other than that it is just there.
Occasionally there will be some build up of compost on the left side of the machine (the mixer is round in a rectangle cavity) not a huge deal, just push it down with a plastic spoon when you add more material; people make it out like it is the end of the world (obviously they are not familiar with a shovel/pitch fork and turning a compost pile). It is also important that the machine be fairly level so that the excess liquid is caught in a separate container and not remain in the mixing chamber as the compost will be too wet.
After the first batch of compost smelling rather horrid (moved the machine to the basement) there has not been any odors since and it will remain in the kitchen. The cultures are doing their thing and we add items as we should.
The Pro adds the foot pedal which is nice when you are adding material, other than that I did not see a big difference in the models.
The product is continuously updated and they offer free parts and shipping on the upgrades. It is great that they update the product and offer them free, it would be nice to receive a notice about them instead of checking the company's website regularly.
This product is as described and is great at what it does, it has been a great addition to our home and allows us to compost items we normally would not be able to as in the NorthEast it gets cold and may attract animals.
Recommended for anyone that wants to help do your part for the planet but that has some patience and can grasp the composting concept, it is not for everyone.
Customer Review: Patience pays off; the first week is annoying
Summary: 4 Stars
I was excited to receive this item after I learned about it from a green home improvement article. After all, it's pre-assembled, included are sawdust and baking soda to get you started, and all you need to do for the first batch is add topsoil and an equal portions of "green" (veggies, protein scraps, etc.) and "brown" (coffee, grains, yard debris, etc.) scraps.
Be sure to read through the instructions first. The first batch would take about a week before I could continue to add green and brown scraps; I just stored my scraps in the fridge until the second week, when I could add items at any time. Also, every few hours you will hear whirring, grinding and snapping sounds as the unit heats up and the mixer breaks in, which should subside after a few weeks.
All of this seemed fine, until I woke up in the middle of the first night to what sounded like someone kicking a wall. Wow, it was loud that first night! Thankfully, it quieted down after that, but I made sure I closed the utility room door. (This unit was too wide to fit under my sink, but only because the plumbing pipes were in the way. Check the measurements under your sink/beside your disposal before ordering.)
Because of the initial noise factor, definitely think about storing the unit in a cabinet or behind a closed door, and be sure to chop down all the scraps into smaller pieces to keep the mixer from having to work overtime.
<<Update: since my initial review, the mysterious sounds have subsided dramatically, and EXACTLY every four hours all I really hear now is the mixing sounds, as long as you continue to add scraps to keep the chamber pretty full. Also, I have since moved my composter to the garage next to my trash bins, and I add all my food scraps when I take out the garbage. Even though the noise has subsided to a mild motor sound every four hours, I found it more convenient to dispose of food waste with the unit next to the trash bins.>>
Overall, I really like the product. The final batch of compost took only a few days and is about a gallon, which is perfect for my small garden. I also feel better about eliminating the food waste from my garbage. Good luck!
Customer Review: Save your $$$
Summary: 1 Stars
We have had this unit for ten days. On the second day after carefully starting, using the directions, we had to move it outside because of the smell. The smell has gotten much worse even though we add the sawdust and baking soda. Even with a three year warranty, the company is of little assistance. They only tell us to add more sawdust and baking soda. It is winter here and outside our property is laden with the stench of this gooey, bark brown, mess. Since we can't return it, we are going to toss it in the landfill and never try expensive "green" ideas again. I will never complain about the high cost of organic compost for my garden again. We had considered outdoor methods by are limited by the number of bears in our area.Customer Review: Stay Away From NatureMill
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased an earlier model approximately a year and a half ago. It has never worked as advertised and their customer support people were unable to resolve the problems. It is supposed to automatically dump the compost into a lower bin. It never dumped automatically and I had to do it manually every single time. This is a smelly and messy procedure.
Recently, a large hole developed in the side wall of the mixing bin due to the wall delaminating. My unit is no longer usable. The company says that my 1 year waranty has expired and they have no responsibility to repair or replace the unit despite the obviously defective product.
They acted like they were doing me a favor to offer me a nominal discount on a replacement unit. There is no way I will have any more to do with this company or any product they make.
After spending over $400(the price at the time I purchased), I would expect that NatureMill would stand behind their product a little better.
Customer Review: THIS IS THE OLD MODEL - NOT THE NEW "XE" MODEL
Summary: 5 Stars
<< 2009 UPDATE >> : THEY JUST CAME OUT WITH THE NEW MODEL CALLED THE "XE". IT SEEMS TO BE NEW AND IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY. THE OLD ONE IN THIS LISTING IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
THE NEW ONE IS ON THE MANUFACTURERS WEBSITE AND WAS REVIEWED IN THE WALL ST JOURNAL.
I REALLY WISH AMAZON WOULD REMOVE TH OBSOLETE LISTINGS BECAUSE IT IS VERY CONFUSING AS TO WHAT PRODUCT IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE AND WHAT PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED!!!
Here is what I said on the older model from 2008:
It took a few batches to get the mix just right - but after a few weeks it all made sense. It is a learning experience as with any new gizmo and is second nature to us by now. Don't keep this in or near your bedroom if you are a light sleeper, because it makes a slight hum noise constantly. We keep it in the kitchen which is ok. It makes good compost and our plants love it.
We give it a lot of farmers market scraps (carrot tops and damaged lettuce) not to mention egg shells and coffee grounds and fish skins. It does not handle cut flowers well at all, especially if they are woody like roses or tough like sunflower stems. Things like the fish and meat and spoiled cheese go down fine and surprisingly do not smell bad. In fact they smell a whole lot better in the machine than in the back of our fridge or our trash can where they stink up. Within one to two days the new scraps mix with the old and get ground up and it basically looks like moist steamy dirt. The resultant compost is dark and finely ground up when you remove it - no chunks like you usually get with a backyard bin.
It smells faintly like vegetable soup, unless we add basil in which case it smells like basil. You really need to add the sawdust and baking soda that they provide with it in order to get the right activation balance.
<span style="color:rgb(255,255,255);">
<span style="color:rgb(255,255,255);">
<span style="color:rgb(255,255,255);">