Reencle vs Lomi : Which food composter should you buy

Comparing Reencle and Lomi Composters and Which is Right for You.

The contribution of food waste to the climate crisis is substantial. In North America alone, 50% of waste sent to landfills consists of food waste. However, a solution to this issue has arrived: electric composters. With electric composters, household food waste becomes easier to reduce. Furthermore, it produces the nutrient-rich soil needed for your plants! The big question now is which composter should you purchase? This article will explore two different companies you may be looking at for a composter: Lomi, and Reencle.

How do They Compare?

Reencle and Lomi accomplish the same functions as a composter would: converting food waste to soil. However, price, features, size, quality, and other facts vary between the two products. Both Reencle and Lomi cut waste reduction by 90%. Other shared features include warranties, carbon filters, and similar weights. Size, energy efficiency, cycle length, review rates, certifications, return policies, and modes also differ from each other. However, these differences don’t entirely define which composter is right for you, as you are the one who should decide. Let's take a look at each composter individually.

Product	Lomi	Reencle
Type	Dehydrator	Microorganism composter
Waste Reduction	90% waste volume reduction	90% waste volume reduction
Odor control	Carbon filter	Carbon filter, with 2 filters
Warranty	3 year extended warranty -> Need to check warranty cost	1 year warranty
Capacity	2.2 Ibs	2.2 Ibs
Price	$499	$459 ($489 including delivery cost)
Maintenance cost	Filter costs $220 per year Microorganism pods $139.8 per year	Filter costs $25 per year microorganism is semi-permanent (don’t have to be replaced every year)
Size	16*13*12	12*13*18.4
Energy Efficiency	0.6kWh per cycle, $100 per year	1.25kWh per day (24 hours) 0.052kw (per hour) $24 per year
Short Cycle length	3-5 hours	Can decompose food waste continuously
Reviews	4.7 stars, 2,500+ reviews	Over 16,000 reviews in Korea, 4.8 stars 8/10 from wired.com (Lomi : 7/10 from wired.com), Korean shopping mall https://brand.naver.com/reencle
Money-back Guarantee	2 week risk-free trial	No risk-free trial
Multiple modes	3 modes of operation	1. Purify 2. Dry 3. Automatic opening system
B Corp & Climate Neutral	Proudly certified	1. CE, ETL, Kmark (highest quality standard) 2. Given the Korean Design Award

 

Lomi: Is This Product for me?

Lomi is a small, dehydration-type of composter. Within 3-16 hours, your food scraps go from dirt to fertilizer to feed your plants. However, keep in mind that because it’s a dehydration-type composter, this fertilizer will be high in salt.

For the price of $499, you’ll have a product with multiple modes of operation, short cycle length, and a 14-day money-back guarantee trial. Lomi is Climate Neutral certified, and is capable of breaking down Lomi approved bioplastics. The review ratings of Lomi are relatively high at 4.7 star ratings. However, the composter’s carbon filter also needs replacing, meaning having to spend an additional $220 a year on replacement filters. Family size also plays a role, as Lomi may not be big enough for larger households. While it has the ability to break down bones, Lomi approved bioplastics, and paper products, it doesn’t remain silent while doing so. The maintenance costs also add up. Lomi costs $100 a year and takes up 1000w per hour to run. As it runs on an average 8 hour cycle, that’s about 8000w in a day's use. Additionally, having to continuously clean the bucket can also amount in costs. The microorganism pod(Lomi Pod) also requires repurchasing when it is expended, similarly to the filters, adding another $119(360 cycles) to the expense on maintenance for Lomi. Furthermore, the byproduct of the compost doesn’t end up being real compost. California Department of Resources Recycling and Recover (CalRecycle) explains quite clearly that “Dried food waste is not compost. Compost is a stable product that is the result of a complex chemical-biological degradation process.” Perhaps, the biggest drawback from the compost created by dehydrator type composter is exposure to potential rehydration issues. When this kind of compost consisting of dehydrated food scraps are applied to plants or gardens, it can reabsorb water and moisture. At some point this rehydrated pulp food scraps can grow mold, attract rodents, generate odors, and cause other potential health and safety issues.

Pros	Cons
ㆍCan break down bones  ㆍ14-day money-back guarantee trial	ㆍHigh maintenance costs   - In a year, users need to spend $359.6.   (Filter : $219.8, Lomi pods : $139.8)    - electricity costs about $100 per year ㆍDoes not make real compost ㆍBucket needs to be cleaned continuously ㆍIs not quiet

 

Reencle: Is This Product for me?

When it comes to Reencle’s composter, it also uses three modes of silent operation. Its price ranges from $459-$489. This product is CE and ETL certified, and uses ReencleMicrobe™ to break down food waste. The byproduct of Reencle’s composter is a low salinity fertilizer that promotes healthy growth for your plants. ReencleMicrobe doesn’t need replacing, and can be reused cycle after cycle. Food waste can be added at the consumer’s convenience as it can take in waste while it runs. Its touchless motion foot scanner allows the lid to pop open itself, providing additional convenience to the user. Moreover, food waste continuously decomposes in the composter, so you can leave it on all day while going about your buisness! While the product doesn’t feature a risk-free trial, it comes with a one-year warranty plan, so you can send it back within a year if an issue arises with the composter. Reencle’s odor system has 3 layers of filtration to eliminate stink. Odor-causing bacteria are difficult to grow due to the internal temperature of the bin. The temperature inside of the bin is 113℉-131℉, curbing growth of bad bacteria like Salmonella. Moreover, ReencleMicrobe™ is the dominant microbe inside of the bin, thus preventing excessive growth of bad bacteria. Reencle has low maintenance cost. For example, the electricity cost of Reencle is only $24 per year. The electricity costs much less than a dehydrator, which can consume $100 per year. The carbon filter also requires replacement, but two extra filters for your first two replacements come with your purchase. Its review ratings give it a 4.8 out of 5 stars and has been awarded as a high quality product. Reencle’s maintenance cost is significantly lower than that of a dehydrator. Reencle only costs around 2$ per month and filters don’t need purchasing as often as Lomi’s filters.  

Pros

Cons

ㆍLow maintenance cost     - replace filter once a year     - low electricity cost ($24) per year     - microorganism is semi-permanent     - don’t need to buy microorganism pods ㆍHigh-quality product, achieved the highest qualification certificate in Korea and the Korean Design award 2022 (Compete among Samsung and LG products) ㆍOver 1 million users have used Reencle. The rating is 4.8 out of 5. ㆍ Reencle’s warranty does not require any money from customers  ㆍCan add food waste while it’s running  ㆍCan break down pure bio-plastics. ㆍMake real compost ㆍTouchless openning sensor ㆍDon’t have to continuously clean bucket ㆍDon’t have to remove the end product any time  ㆍThree-layer filtering system ㆍPatented microorganism  ㆍVery quiet (only 28 dB)

ㆍCannot break down bones   (bones are normal waste not food waste) ㆍSince this is completely new technology, people need time to understand products.

     

So Which Composter is Better?

When it comes to the pros and cons of both products, the Reencle Composter seems to be the better deal compared to Lomi. Its efficiency, and convenience to the consumer provide a significant say in what is given for its price. The byproduct of the composter is also healthier for your plants as it produces freshly organic, low salinity fertilizer. Moreover, having a less noisy composter that runs throughout the day will create less annoyance to deal with when working or doing other activities around the house. Starting with Reencle, you can begin a journey of contribution to sustainability and a healthy environment.