Summary
Overall, Lomi is an excellent food composter that makes composting a joy! It’s faster than much of the competition, quieter than you’d expect, and very easy to use. One downside is that it can be a bit finicky about the food it can work with and it isn’t the biggest among its class, but Lomi remains the best compost machine in the market today.
OVERALL
9.2/10
Pros
- Breaks down food waste faster than most of the competition.
- Capable of breaking down certain types of bioplastics.
- One-button activation makes it incredibly easy to use.
- Bucket is dishwasher-safe and easy to clean.
Cons
- Has limitations on some food scrap
We’re back with an updated review of the Lomi Countertop Kitchen Composter. There’s been a lot of buzz about this product and we thought we should bring you a bigger and better review with our updated thoughts on the product. Lomi has been available to purchase for the past few months with units starting to arrive in customers’ kitchens and they’re now adding their own thoughts.
So this Lomi review is not just our thoughts on the composter but also the reviews from real customers who have used the product daily.
You can skip to each of their reviews below:
- Lindsay Coulter’s: A Review of the Lomi by Pela!
- Maria Dot’z: Trying out the Lomi Composter
The Lomi Composter is at the forefront of the composting world and championing the kitchen composter revolution. Going green has become increasingly popular in recent years and lots of companies are finding new and innovative ways for consumers to join in on the movement.
Pela has its sights set on a future filled with eco-friendly products and they’ve come up with a creative way to not only dispose of your food scraps but turn them into something useful as well. Lomi is a next-generation composter that sits comfortably on your kitchen counter, taking in all manner of food waste and turning it into grade-A plant soil without a whiff of that trash smell.
Pela’s little device isn’t the only compost machine out there, many of which end up being terribly underwhelming. In this Lomi review, we’re going to take an in-depth look at how the compost machine does its job and whether or not it’s really capable of making good on its lofty promises.
Don’t have the time to get through the entire review? Just click any of the links below and we’ll take you right to that section:
- Lomi Composter Overview
- Does Lomi Actually Work?
- What do Customers Have to Say about Lomi:
- Lindsay Coulter’s: A Review of the Lomi by Pela!
- Maria Dot’z: Trying out the Lomi Composter
- Features
- Three Different Composting Modes
- Eco-Friendly Build
- Good Capacity, Dishwasher-Safe Bucket
- Odour Neutralizing Filters
- Quiet Processing
- Specs
- Build Quality & Design
- Final Thoughts
Lomi Composter Overview
Since its inception, Pela has been a company that continuously strives towards a waste-free future. It started its journey by developing a deep catalogue of compostable smartphone and tablet cases, along with some smartwatch bands and other eco-friendly accessories. With the Lomi, they’ve taken a more active approach towards a greener tomorrow by empowering people with the ability to regularly get rid of food waste while making quality soil in the process.
By taking inspiration from the way earthworms break down organic materials and making significant improvements upon the process, Lomi is able to complete the composting cycle quickly, quietly, and without the nauseating stench. The best part? It’s able to accomplish this with little more than the push of a button and it can effectively cut your waste footprint by up to half! It isn’t the cheapest machine in the composting space, as it sits at a cool $499 plus some extra recurring expenses, but a lot of its rivals sport a similar or more expensive price tag.
Does Lomi Actually Work?
Yes, Lomi absolutely works! Lomi actually released a very thorough video showing exactly how it works and the types of results you can expect. Further down in this review you’ll also see a customer’s detailed experience with Lomi in her own home.
What do Customers Have to Say about Lomi:
Let’s take a look at what other people think about the Lomi Composter starting with some YouTubers in the kitchen/eco space:
Lindsay Coulter’s: A Review of the Lomi by Pela!
Lindsay loved the Lomi with the only downsides being the cost, and two the instructions weren’t great. Overall she loved it, so check out her video below!
Maria Dot’z: Trying out the Lomi Composter
Maria is in love with the entire concept and purchased the Lomi using her own money. Again, the only downside is the cost. She was impressed with the versatility, its the ability to compost without bad smells and the reduction in overall volume. Watch her comprehensive video below:
Features
Three Different Composting Modes
Lomi gives you a bit more flexibility when it comes to composting compared to some of the other products out there. The Zera Food Recycler and Oklin GG-02, for example, usually take a full day to turn your scraps into usable compost or soil, whereas this machine gives you three modes to choose from depending on the speed and soil nutrition level you’re looking for.
- Eco-Express Mode: If you’re in a rush to take care of your food waste, then this is the mode to go with. In just four hours, give or take, Lomi can lessen the volume of your straps by up to 80%.
- Grow Mode: This mode is if you’re looking to create compost with a higher nutritional content for your outdoor or indoor plants. It takes approximately 20 hours to accomplish this, which is still shorter than a lot of the competition in the market.
- Lomi Approved Mode: This is one of the highlight features that sets Lomi apart from its rivals. Unlike other machines in the composting space, Lomi is capable of breaking down specific bioplastics with the help of smart sensors. These sensors control the heat, grinding, and moisture involved in the process, breaking down bioplastics at a molecular level. By utilizing this method, the device is able to degrade the materials at a much faster rate compared to a more run-of-the-mill composting setup, and the end-product can be used in your garden just like with food waste.
Eco-Friendly Build
It goes without saying that there’s no way Pela would design a machine meant to help the environment without building it out of eco-friendly material. The device is mostly made out of recyclable plastics, with the bucket and other interior parts being crafted out of various kinds of metal. While the developers initially wanted the whole thing to be created out of bioplastics, they had to stick to rigid safety protocols to ensure that Lomi is completely safe for home use.
Good Capacity, Dishwasher-Safe Bucket
Lomi boasts a decent-sized 2L bucket that’s more than big enough to handle a meal’s worth of food scraps, even for larger families. In addition to its impressive capacity, the bucket is made out of stainless steel and is totally dishwasher safe, making it a breeze to clean out once you’re done composting.
Odour Neutralizing Filters
If you’re wondering how this little box can neutralize the putrid smell that’s often associated with composting, it does so through the use of charcoal-activated carbon filters that absorb odour-causing molecules in the air. The device also features a nifty indicator light that tells you when you need to swap out the filter and, as an added bonus, the old ones can still serve as fertilizer for your plants.
Quiet Processing
You’d expect that a device that works primarily by heating and grinding things continuously would be quite loud, but that’s actually not the case with Lomi. Its noise level generally sits between 40dB – 50dB, which is about the same as a low-profile dishwasher, the humming of a refrigerator, or fairly quiet conversation.
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Specs
| Dimensions | Width: 16 inchesHeight: 12 inchesDiameter: 13 inches |
| Process | Breaks down wasteCreates compostDecomposes bioplastics |
| Max Capacity | 3 liters of waste |
| Noise Level | 40dB – 50dB |
| Power Consumption | Less than 1kW/h on Express Mode and less on the Eco Mode |
| Voltage | USA and Canada: 110VEU: 220-240V with type-C plugAustralia: 220-240V plug |
Since a composter machine can run for more than 20 hours, some might be worried about the noise it will make. But with the Lomi, you won’t have a problem. It produces less sound than most household appliances, so you can sleep soundly while it does its magic. It is quieter than a microwave, washing machine, and dishwasher. As a plus, Lomi is energy-efficient. It consumes approximately less than 1/5th of the energy of an EnergyStar-certified refrigerator.
But what’s really different about Lomi compared to other kitchen composters is its process. It features new technology and a pending patent where, unlike others, it doesn’t just dehydrate your food. It does 3 things – breaks down the food waste, create the compost, and decompose the bioplastics. As a result, it creates nutrient-rich compost, which you can give back to the earth.
Build Quality & Design
Compared to most compost machines that look like a fancy cube or high-end trash can, Lomi sports a sleek all-white design with some tasteful curves thrown in. It can easily be mistaken for a top-of-the-line air purifier and would look right at home in a wide variety of kitchen designs. There’s a single button in the middle of the device that’s used for powering it up and it’s surrounded by multiple indicator lights that show you the mode you’re using and the process the machine is currently on, whether it’s drying, mixing, or cooling.
As for the build quality, Lomi is made out of high-grade recyclable plastic that’s built to easily withstand the constant heating, grinding, and cooling for years to come. The bucket that holds all your scraps is crafted out of dense stainless steel, further adding to the device’s overall sturdiness while also allowing you to throw it in a dishwasher for easing cleaning.
Final Thoughts
Lomi is the perfect kitchen addition for people who are looking to live a greener lifestyle or if you’re simply after a better way to get rid of your daily food waste. Its stylish minimalist aesthetic will suit a wide range of kitchen designs and its one-button mechanism ensures that it couldn’t be easier to use. It has three distinct modes to choose from, including a bioplastic compost mode that already puts the machine ahead of the curve, and it’s quiet, quick, and easy on the nose.
Lomi would have benefited from a larger bucket and it’s quite picky as far as kitchen scraps go. You’ll also need to swap the carbon filters every now and then, so that’s an added cost on top of your initial purchase. But, at the end of the day, these are fairly forgivable missteps in an otherwise exceptional compost machine. If you’re looking for a good way to kickstart your green goals, Lomi might just be the way to go.
