Vitamix FoodCycler vs Lomi food composter: Which is better?

Some sustainable living changes — like swapping out plastic bags for reusable food storage — are relatively easy. Others — like diverting food waste from landfills — can feel pretty overwhelming. Unless your city offers municipal composting services, up until a few years ago, the only options were to pay for a private service or start your own backyard compost pile or vermicomposting bin. Today, though, countertop machines offer another, pretty turnkey, option that’s particularly appealing to those of us who don’t have space to go all in on composting.

While they’re not a 1-to-1 replacement for traditional composting (they use heat and mechanical grinders to rapidly break down food waste into a soil-like product, but not a soil itself), machines like the Lomi Bloom and the FoodCycler Eco 5 by Vitamix Eco 5 offer plenty of similar benefits. To determine just how many benefits — and how the two compare to each other — we put both products to the test.

Lomi Bloom

A multitasking appliance that breaks down food and bioplastic waste without sacrificing style

Lomi

The Lomi Bloom is a sleek countertop device ideal for people who want to keep food and bioplastic waste out of landfills. The three modes offer convenient flexibility in terms of the waste that goes in, the time spent on each cycle and the end product created, whether your goal is to fertilize your garden or contribute to a green bin.

From $499 at Lomi

Lomi vs. Vitamix at a glance

Lomi Bloom

Vitamix FoodCycler Run Time

3 to 17 hours (depending on mode)

4 to 9 hours

Size

16" W x 13" D x 12" H (listed measurements); 14" W x 12" D x 12" H (measured)

13.5" W x 10.9" D x 13.8" H (listed measurements); 13.8" W x 10.5" D x 13.75" H (measured)

Cord Length

2 feet

3 feet

Weight

19-20 pounds

30 pounds

Capacity

3 liters

5 liters

Price

From $499

$600

Neither machine produces actual finished compost

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Unlike backyard compost piles, worm bins or municipal composting services, these machines don’t actually create compost. “A simple way to think of these countertop machines is that they’re like a food dehydrator and a coffee grinder put together,” says Josh Whiton, founder of makesoil.org. “The end result is more akin to dehydrated, powdered food scraps than actual compost or soil. It hasn’t been fully processed by microbes and had the time needed to become humus (the stable component of soil that provides a structured growing medium for plants).” Because of that, you can’t simply take the output from your Lomi Bloom or Vitamix FoodCycler, toss it in a pot or garden bed and plant some seeds. That said, the finished product from both machines can still be beneficial.

The Lomi has three modes, each of which can accept slightly different things and has slightly different outputs. “Grow” mode produces the closest thing to finished compost; this can be mixed with soil (at the recommended ratio of 1 part Lomi dirt to 10 parts soil) for plants. Experts recommend adding Lomi Pods (which contain probiotics to help create a more nutrient-rich product) to each “Grow” cycle for the best results.

Lomi Bloom output

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

Dirt from the Lomi’s “Eco-express” mode can technically be added to plants or sprinkled on your lawn, but even Lomi recommends adding it to a compost pile or green bin (municipal or private service), or putting it back into the machine to be processed in “Grow” mode. That’s because, given the speed of the cycle, the waste you put in there still has degrading to do.

“Lomi approved” mode (the only mode that allows bioplastics and packaging) operates at too high a temperature to produce a nutrient-rich output, but you can add the final product to a compost pile or green bin. Worst-case scenario, if you do have to put it in the trash, at least it’s a significantly reduced amount of waste heading to the landfill than it would’ve been prior to running it through the Lomi — and any dirt that doesn’t make it to the landfill won’t pollute streets and ecosystems the way full-size trash would.

The output from the Vitamix FoodCycler is probably most similar to Lomi’s “Eco-express” mode end product. Per the Vitamix manual, you can use the output (referred to by the company as Recycled Food Compound, or RFC) as soil fertilizer, mixing it with soil in a ratio of 11 parts soil to 1 part RFC, and waiting one to four weeks before planting — that will allow the RFC to continue breaking down in the soil mixture.

Vitamix FoodCycler

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

After all, as Whiton says, “These machines try to do in hours what nature would otherwise take weeks to do.” In fact, regardless of the machine you have, if you’re going to add the end product to your lawn or other soil, experts like Whiton recommend burying or covering it up a bit by the actual soil so it can continue the decomposing process.

And ultimately, that’s the best use for the end product of either machine. If you pay for a compost service based on volume, devices like these can help you reduce the amount of space your waste takes up, though you’d likely need to use the machine for years before it actually saves you money. If you already have a backyard composting setup, you don’t need a Lomi or a FoodCycler; that said, if you’re limited on composting space, you may be able to accommodate more waste in the pile or bin by grinding it down first.

And then there’s the fact that the “Lomi Approved” mode allows you to process certain bioplastics that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to compost on your own — and then add them to the pile once the cycle is complete.

Both machines are easy to use

Both the Lomi Bloom and the FoodCycler by Vitamix Eco 5 are incredibly easy to set up and use. The included instructions were clear; it only took me about 30 minutes to set up each machine. The most time-consuming aspect is reading the instructions and making sure you’re only including approved waste products (more on this later).

If you want to ensure you’re getting the best output possible, it’s worth taking care to create a balanced mix of greens and browns (just like you would with an outdoor compost pile). From there, it’s literally a press (or a few presses) of a button.

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

Cleaning is fairly similar between the Lomi and the Vitamix as well. The Lomi bucket is dishwasher-safe, and clearing excess dirt or large particles before putting it in the dishwasher is easy, though some can get stuck underneath the part where the blade mechanism meets the inside of the bucket. You can also run a cleaning cycle on the machine itself: Just fill the bucket with 2 liters of water, press the button three times to set it on cleaning mode and let it do its thing for 90 minutes. The water doesn’t go anywhere, so it’s not like the bucket comes out sparkling clean, but I did find the residue was easier to rinse off after the fact.

The Vitamix bucket is also dishwasher-safe, according to the FoodCycler website, and the instructions specifically state you shouldn’t manually clean the inside of the bucket (the blades are sharp). In fact, the bucket is “designed to self-clean with every cycle,” according to the manual, which also notes that a bit of residue remaining inside the bucket (both the base and the sides) between cycles is normal. If you do want to get rid of that residue or blockages, it’s a little trickier than with the Lomi, given the greater depth of the bucket and the ridges leading down to the bottom. If there’s a blockage that keeps the grinding arm from moving, the manual says to “manually soak the bucket with boiling water and mild soap overnight.”

Smells and sounds are minimal

Once running, neither machine is particularly disruptive. I tested both on my kitchen counter and in my hallway storage closet (making sure there were at least 6 inches on all sides to allow for proper venting). The Vitamix is slightly quieter than the Lomi, with a low buzz or hum throughout the cycle that was barely noticeable when I was in the same room as the machine, and not at all audible when I was in the next room over. The exception was when I ran cycles that included an avocado pit; for a period of time in the beginning, I could hear it knocking around. The Lomi makes a similar humming noise, albeit a bit louder. I didn’t mind it when I was in the same room, but if you’re particularly sensitive to ancillary sounds, you could tire of the buzzing (especially considering it will last for anywhere from three to 17 hours, depending on the mode).

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

Both machines have filters present to absorb any offensive smells, and they seem to do the job well. The Lomi has a single cartridge that you fill with activated charcoal pellets; the Vitamix has a pellet cartridge as well as a carbon foam liner preinstalled in the machine lid. When close to either machine, I would occasionally notice a smell, but it was more of a very subtle earthy smell; it wasn’t unpleasant and didn’t evoke gross, rotten food at all. By and large, though, I didn’t smell anything coming from either the Lomi or the Vitamix. That said, if you want to keep the odors at bay, you’ll have to be diligent about replacing the carbon filters.

The Lomi allows for a wider range of nonfood waste

The Lomi Bloom’s ability to take (approved) bioplastics and other packaging materials sets it apart not only from the Vitamix FoodCycler but also from backyard compost piles. While compostable plastics are becoming increasingly common, they typically can only be composted in industrial facilities. The “Lomi approved” mode on the countertop machine offers a handy workaround: By breaking down the approved bioplastics, it creates an end product that actually can go into your backyard pile without the need for those high-powered, high-heat machines. Even if you don’t have your own compost pile, this mode can still help you divert certain compostable plastics and packaging from landfills, whether by tossing the end product in a green bin or offering it to a neighbor who composts. The only nonfood waste the Vitamix FoodCycler Eco 5 accepts is “a small amount of paper towel/tissue.”

The Vitamix may have an edge up on food waste allowances

I was impressed to see that the Vitamix FoodCycler Eco 5 can process avocado pits, which are a definite “no” for the Lomi. As I previously mentioned, the pits make a knocking sound early on in the cycle, but they do indeed get broken down with the rest of the food waste by the end. The Vitamix seems to also allow for a greater range of other food waste than the Lomi: While the Lomi can’t process any hard bones (fish bones are OK), the Vitamix allows for poultry bones as well as pork and lamb bones “in small amounts.” The same goes for hard pits (like those from peaches and mangoes); they’re on the Lomi “don’t” list but on the Vitamix “in small amounts” list.

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

While the FoodCycler accepts more meat and produce waste, the Lomi does seem to win out on processed foods. The Vitamix manual’s FAQ page states, “Do not cycle … candy, gum, nuts or hard shells.” The Lomi Bloom, on the other hand, allows for limited amounts of “confectionery items,” thin nut shells and meat.

You may also want to consider how much you can put in each machine at once. The Vitamix bucket has nearly double the capacity of the Lomi’s at approximately 5 liters. If your household produces a lot of food waste, this theoretically means you won’t have to run cycles as frequently. (You do have to be a bit strategic when loading the bucket; I found that, perhaps because of the ridges in the lower half of the Vitamix bucket, sometimes the waste piled up in a way that there wasn’t actually room for much more than in the Lomi.)

The Vitamix seems to grind more consistently

When comparing the outputs from the Vitamix FoodCycler and the Lomi (all three modes), I found the former brand did a slightly better job of consistently breaking down the waste into the driest and most dirt-like substance. The caveat here is that each cycle contained a slightly different mix of waste (I had to work with what I actually had in my kitchen), but I did attempt to keep things as similar as possible.

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

For the most part, both machines produced a similar fertilizer (in terms of look and feel), but the Lomi occasionally fell short in fully dehydrating the food waste in its “Eco-express” and “Lomi approved” modes, leaving me with an output more likely to grow mold. (I didn’t have that issue in “Grow” mode.) I also included a ripped-up bioplastic bag in the “Lomi approved” mode, and the machine didn’t break it down into as minuscule of pieces as I expected. That said, given you’re not supposed to use the “Lomi approved” output directly into soil anyway, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal; the machine still seemingly processed the material enough to go into a compost bin (and, if anything, you can run a second cycle to break it down further).

The Lomi is more aesthetically pleasing

The Lomi was clearly designed to sit on your counter in plain view. The machine has a high-end look and feel, with a sleek exterior and rounded shape. The smooth, matte finish elevates the Lomi to something beyond “functional appliance” and keeps the machine from showing fingerprints and dust, which is a nice bonus. Plus, it’s available not only in classic black and white options but also Sage Green. I have the latter, and I love the addition of (nature-evoking) color in my kitchen.

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

The Lomi lid also includes “windows” that allow you to see the process in action, which is honestly pretty cool. It’s fascinating to take peeks during the various stages, seeing food scraps become a muddy mixture and then dry dirt over time. Would I make my decision based on this factor alone? No, but it’s a nice bonus.

The Vitamix isn’t an eyesore, though. The FoodCycler also has a nice, matte finish — available in white and black — but it does have a slightly more industrial look than the Lomi, with its boxy shape and more pronounced handle and branding.

Emma Sarran Webster/CNN

Though the Lomi’s wide bottom will occupy a larger footprint on your counter, the Vitamix’s height makes it feel more imposing; in my kitchen, it reaches almost to the base of the cabinets above it. Of course, if you’re not planning to keep the machine out on your counter between uses, none of this matters.

Both machines are a financial investment

At baseline, the Lomi Bloom and Vitamix FoodCycler Eco 5 are actually the same price: $599, which is certainly steep. Neither edges out the other when you factor in ongoing costs either. Both brands recommend replacing various carbon filters to keep smells at bay, and if you like using Lomi Pods or Vitamix’s FoodCycler Foodilizer Tablets, the recurring prices can really add up.

Lomi offers various subscription and bundling options, which can help you save a little bit on these recurring purchases, including a comprehensive membership package that knocks down the price of the Lomi from $599 to $499 but adds an additional $20 per month (billed quarterly) for unlimited Lomi Pods and filter refills and a three-year extended warranty. Depending on how frequently you plan to use your Lomi Bloom (and whether or not you care about adding in Lomi Pods), that could save you some money, but if you’re only going to run occasional cycles and aren’t too picky about your fertilizer nutrients, you’re better off just going with the $599 hardware-only purchase.

Bottom line

If your goal is to create finished compost to use in your garden, your best bet is probably to avoid a countertop machine altogether and go the more traditional composting route. “If you know what you’re doing, a traditional composting process will yield a much better end product,” Whiton says. “This is because of a greater diversity of inputs, a greater diversity of microorganisms involved and more time for them to do their job. These countertop devices are like training wheels on a bike: You probably won’t fall over, but you’re not going to win any medals either.”

That said, if you don’t have the ability or desire to compost another way, both the Lomi Bloom and the Vitamix FoodCycler Eco 5 are solid alternatives. “In any case, it is better than having that food waste hauled off to a landfill where it will produce methane and take those nutrients out of the food system completely,” Whiton says.

If you want a heavy-duty grinder that can handle tougher waste, a bigger bucket that accommodates a larger volume or the simplest device, the Vitamix is likely your best bet — especially if you have space to keep a bulkier machine on your counter or out of sight. It’s also worth noting that Vitamix has a long-standing reputation as a reliable company, and the FoodCycler Eco 5 comes with a three-year warranty (compared to Lomi’s one-year). But if the actual look of the device matters to you or you want the freedom of breaking down a larger variety of nonfood waste, the Lomi is a great overall buy. Plus, the brand offers a 30-day, “no questions asked” free trial, with free return shipping — a pretty major benefit if you’re on the fence about this whole countertop composting thing.

Pros

• Spacious capacity

• Neutralizes odors

• Easy to use

Cons

• Lengthy cycles

• Bulky

About the Eco 5 FoodCycler

Credit: Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau / Vitamix

The Eco 5 FoodCycler comes with a spacious 5-liter capacity.

• Dimensions: 13.5 x 10.9 x 13.8 inches
• Weight: 30 lbs
• Capacity: 5 liters
• Processing Time: 4 to 9 hours
• Color(s): White or slate
• Electrical Ratings: 120V
• Wattage: 500
• Warranty: 3 years

The Eco 5 FoodCycler is a countertop food recycling appliance. While a lot of people call these gadgets “kitchen composters,” I think it’s important to note that they don’t actually compost your food scraps.

True composting requires food and organic matter to decompose, and this process takes time—it can’t be done in a few hours. Instead, the FoodCycler dries out and shreds up food waste, reducing its volume by up to 90 percent. The resulting material looks a lot like soil, and because it’s high in nutrients, it can be added to your garden to feed the plants.

What can you put into the FoodCycler? The brand provides a full list of acceptable materials, but the highlights include all types of fruits and vegetables, meats, grains, cheese, eggs and shells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, and even pet food.

In terms of things you shouldn’t put into the FoodCycler, you’ll want to avoid anything hard, such as fruit pits, bones, nuts, and even gum or candy. The brand also recommends including a mixture of different foods in each cycler, avoiding high concentrations of a single food.

What we like

It’s significantly larger than the previous model

Credit: Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau

Although both have a similar footprint, the updated FoodCycler model can fit double the food scraps compared to its predecessor.

One of the first things I noticed about the Eco 5 is that its bucket (which is where you put food scraps) is much larger than the previous model’s. In fact, it’s double the size!

The old model has a 2.5-liter bucket that fills up very quickly, especially if you’re making a meal that includes a lot of vegetables. When I make chicken noodle soup, for example, I often completely fill up the FC-50’s bucket with all the onion, celery, carrot, and potato scraps, meaning I have to run the machine more frequently.

By comparison, the new Eco 5 has a 5-liter bucket, and I was able to fit four days' worth of scraps in it—including egg shells, used coffee filters, leftover kale, and other miscellaneous vegetable remnants—with room to spare. (I could have waited a few more days to fill the bucket more, but I wanted to try it out!)

The bucket is really spacious and can easily hold several days' worth of scraps, making it perfect for people who cook a lot.

It reduces food waste to a fraction of its original size

Credit: Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau

The before-and-after showed a drastic decrease in waste volume.

When I put the bucket full of food scraps into the Eco 5 FoodCycler, it was roughly two-thirds of the way full. I started up the machine—which is as easy as pressing the digital power button—and the next day, I opened it up to a much emptier bucket. In a matter of hours, several days' worth of food scraps were reduced down to just three-quarters cup of material. (Yes, I measured.)

The material that came out of the FoodCycler somewhat resembles dirt, but I could see flakes of egg shells and even small pieces of coffee filters mixed in. Overall, I was impressed at how much the waste was reduced, and I mixed the material into my garden before planting some seasonal flowers.

It uses carbon pellets to neutralize odors

Credit: Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau

We love that the Eco 5 uses a refillable carbon pellet canister to neutralize odors.

To neutralize odors, the original FC-50 FoodCycler uses carbon filters that come in little plastic tubes, and they’re designed to be thrown away after a few months of use. As you might expect, a lot of people criticized the brand for including a disposable—not even recyclable—component in a machine that’s designed to help you be more eco-friendly.

It seems like the brand took note of this criticism, as they redesigned the odor-control mechanism for the Eco 5. The new model comes with a refillable filter canister, and you simply fill it up with the included bag of carbon pellets. When the pellets need to be replaced, you can pour them out and refill the canister with new ones.

The brand doesn’t specify what to do with the used pellets, but because they’re biodegradable, many people suggest grinding it up and adding it into your garden soil, too.

What we don’t like

It might be too big for some people

Credit: Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau

You'll definitely need to carve out kitchen space for this hefty appliance.

While the large 5-liter bucket may be a selling point for some people, I can also see how it might be too big for certain households.

After a few days, food scraps get smelly and moldy, and they can attract fruit flies. I try to run the FoodCycler at least every four or five days to avoid this. And with the Eco 5, sometimes the bucket was only one-third full.

The user’s manual says the machine works better if the bucket is full, and if you’re someone who doesn’t cook very often, I think the larger bucket might end up being more of a burden than a selling point.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the size of the FoodCycler itself. There’s no denying this appliance is quite large, and if you have a small kitchen, it will take up quite a bit of room. However, the Eco 5 isn’t that much larger than the FC-50, so this could be an issue regardless of which model you choose.

The cycles take a long time

The first time I ran the Eco 5, I started the cycle around 2 p.m. I figured it would be done before I went to bed around 10 p.m., as the FC-50 generally only takes four to six hours per cycle. However, the Eco 5 was still running when I headed up to bed, and it still had two of its “cycle progression” marks to go.

I’m not sure how much additional time it required to complete the cycle, but I was definitely surprised that it took more than eight hours.

In terms of its noise level, the appliance isn’t loud, but you can hear it running—it’s a low humming sound, as well as the occasional scrape as it shreds up the contents.

If the noise bothers you, I’d recommend starting the cycle before you leave for work or go to bed to minimize disruptions. On subsequent cycles, I simply started them after dinner, and the machine was done by the morning.

Master the kitchen.

Sign up for Chef’s Course newsletter for exclusive recipes from top chefs and the tips and tools to nail them.

Thanks for signing up.

You're all set to get the latest from Reviewed. Tell us a bit more about you so we can get to know each other better.

Thank You!

We added you to the list. We'll be in touch soon.

Should you buy the Vitamix Eco 5 FoodCycler?

Yes! It’s worth the splurge if you want to reduce food waste.

Credit: Vitamix

When it comes to easily reducing large volumes of food waste, it doesn't get better than the Eco 5 FoodCycler.

I was a fan of the original Vitamix FC-50 FoodCycler, and after a few weeks of testing, the Eco 5 seems to be a larger, more thoughtfully designed version of the original.

The Eco 5 is easy to use with a huge capacity that allows you to go longer between cycles. And while the price tag is high, I think it’s a worthwhile investment if you want to reduce food waste. It’s a great alternative for people who can’t create a traditional compost pile—such as city dwellers—as well as anyone who just doesn’t want to deal with a smelly bin full of decomposing produce. I live in the country, yet I’d much rather use the FoodCycler than tend a traditional compost pile!

Just keep in mind that you do need to create a fair bit of food waste to fill up this machine. If you don’t cook that often, you might be better off with the original version, which has a smaller capacity and, subsequently, shorter cycle times.

Vitamix Eco 5 FoodCycler

The Vitamix Eco 5 FoodCycler has spacious capacity, neutralizes odors, and is easy to use.

$600 at Amazon

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Meet the tester

Camryn Rabideau

Contributor

@CamrynWrites

Camryn Rabideau is a full-time freelance writer and product tester with eight years of experience. She's been lucky enough to test hundreds of products firsthand, and her specialties include bedding and pet products, which often require help from her two dogs, three cats, and flock of rambunctious chickens.

See all of Camryn Rabideau's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email