I have owned one for about two years and overall find it very useful. I have found out lately that it tends to get a hard residue coating on the basket that proves very difficult to remove without soaking overnight. Other people have also mentioned this. I have discovered a simple solution by adding dry old white bread to the mixture it removes the caked on residue.
I’ve found with higher liquid foods, you can run the cycle again and it will do fine. I composted very ripe watermelon oooozing with fluid as an experiment. There was literally standing fluid. It took 3 full cycles but the end result was an amazing dark, rich dirt. The rind will compost, btw, but they turn into basically chips like bark wood mulch.
Basically your concerns can be addressed by the newly release model "Foodcycler Maestro / Pro / FC-100." It determines how long the processing should be based on the humidity sensor measurement. And of course, the grinding granularity is finer than ever. For the previous model, it is recommended to remove or filter out the residual water beforehand.
Thanks for such a lucid explanation of this product,Nan!I'm quite happy with my outdoor composters in So. Ontario.Our winters are like your winters,too.I think this product is most suitable for apt. or condo dwellers,who may have no access to a yard,or maybe even no Green Bin Program where they live.Also people who live in bear country,that's kind of self-explanatory.
I’ve had the same problem. It became so bad I had to return. It. They sent me another one and hopefully I’ll have better luck with this one. Other than the caking, it worked fine. I now use my outdoor composter more.
Hi, Nan. The Vitamix website notes that you should diversify your food scraps for the best results. So, instead of loading it with only tomatoes, you should add the tomatoes with scraps that are not as wet and sticky. Vitamix also recommends that you coat the bucket with cooking spray or oil prior to loading the scraps. I am considering buying one, but I'm on the fence due to the price, potential odors, and lack of convenience. If I have to scrape the bucket after following their instructions, it would not be worth it for me. If you get a chance to try the Vitamix recommendations I mentioned, please let me know if it changed your impression. Thank you!
I have and honestly, it's not the most convenient. I totally understand about tomatoes, but I only have the food scraps I have at that time... I haven't tried oil, but overall I really don't think it's worth the cost. I wish there were a better solution on the market!
Why do you care if your garbage grinder is clean as long as the residue doesn't stop the blade? The heat has already killed all the potential mold. It sounds to me like you've been trying to grind fruit that has a lot of sugar content or starchy veggies like potatoes. Both of those items will cause the sugars to burn and adhere strongly to the bucket's surface. I usually solve this by spraying a bit of Goo Gone (or any citrus oil, really) on the residue when loading the next cycle and it tends to make the burnt carbon brittle enough to fall into blade once it heats up.
I have owned one for about two years and overall find it very useful. I have found out lately that it tends to get a hard residue coating on the basket that proves very difficult to remove without soaking overnight. Other people have also mentioned this. I have discovered a simple solution by adding dry old white bread to the mixture it removes the caked on residue.
My garden bed will be so blessed with this food cycle. My neighbor bought me this for Christmas …
I’ve found with higher liquid foods, you can run the cycle again and it will do fine. I composted very ripe watermelon oooozing with fluid as an experiment. There was literally standing fluid. It took 3 full cycles but the end result was an amazing dark, rich dirt. The rind will compost, btw, but they turn into basically chips like bark wood mulch.
Basically your concerns can be addressed by the newly release model "Foodcycler Maestro / Pro / FC-100."
It determines how long the processing should be based on the humidity sensor measurement.
And of course, the grinding granularity is finer than ever.
For the previous model, it is recommended to remove or filter out the residual water beforehand.
Thanks for such a lucid explanation of this product,Nan!I'm quite happy with my outdoor composters in So. Ontario.Our winters are like your winters,too.I think this product is most suitable for apt. or condo dwellers,who may have no access to a yard,or maybe even no Green Bin Program where they live.Also people who live in bear country,that's kind of self-explanatory.
I’ve had the same problem. It became so bad I had to return. It. They sent me another one and hopefully I’ll have better luck with this one. Other than the caking, it worked fine. I now use my outdoor composter more.
the big new one is amazing! it has metal blades etc.
Hi, Nan. The Vitamix website notes that you should diversify your food scraps for the best results. So, instead of loading it with only tomatoes, you should add the tomatoes with scraps that are not as wet and sticky. Vitamix also recommends that you coat the bucket with cooking spray or oil prior to loading the scraps.
I am considering buying one, but I'm on the fence due to the price, potential odors, and lack of convenience. If I have to scrape the bucket after following their instructions, it would not be worth it for me. If you get a chance to try the Vitamix recommendations I mentioned, please let me know if it changed your impression. Thank you!
I have and honestly, it's not the most convenient. I totally understand about tomatoes, but I only have the food scraps I have at that time... I haven't tried oil, but overall I really don't think it's worth the cost. I wish there were a better solution on the market!
@@NanLovesFood Thank you for replying. Happy Friday! 😀
Why do you care if your garbage grinder is clean as long as the residue doesn't stop the blade? The heat has already killed all the potential mold. It sounds to me like you've been trying to grind fruit that has a lot of sugar content or starchy veggies like potatoes. Both of those items will cause the sugars to burn and adhere strongly to the bucket's surface. I usually solve this by spraying a bit of Goo Gone (or any citrus oil, really) on the residue when loading the next cycle and it tends to make the burnt carbon brittle enough to fall into blade once it heats up.
Hey good luck 😍
They call it food recycler not composter for a reason
What you purchased is an overpriced food dehydrator/blender.