In that 2008 thread I mentioned I was thinking about a door mounted waste bin. I've been using the one below for about 2 years and I absolutely love it. It's a lot roomier than a drawer would be, is easy to access, there are no lids I need to physically take off, and it's off of the counter. My pet peeve with my previous bins was always what to do with the sometimes yucky lid when I wanted to use both hands to transfer scraps. I hated putting it down on the counter. After 25 years of composting, I can't imagine a better solution for my kitchen. When I'm dealing with a lot of food scraps (i.e when peeling and seeding multiple squashes), I leave the door open during prep.

The first TKO person I ever knew, a business friend, redid her kitchen 20 years ago. It was completely dyi (including her dh making the cabinets from various species of wood found on their property) and she thought of every detail. They were avid organic gardeners and composting was huge for them. They put in a counter top system. When I visited a year later, I noticed they had abandoned it (so it was just a plugged up hole in their counter.) I never asked why and I lost touch many years ago.

btw, there is no real weight on the door. The can is actually mounted to the inside of the cabinet and a bracket attaches to the door to pivot the can out with the door. The lid automatically comes off when the door is swung open with the can. I haven't noticed any odor problems even though we don't empty the can every day and there is no charcoal filter.

We tried the cheaper all plastic one at first, but the mounting hardware wasn't as strong as the white one and the can started sagging.

The white one is heavier duty. Both versions are made by Rev-a-Shelf and both have inner pails that come out (with handle) to make emptying easy. It also comes in stainless steel.

some ideas appeal, some not. some are good to implement. some not.

as an idea, a slender garbage chute is the idea that works best, for us. But, we haven't implemented it. Not yet. Maybe never will. For us, every part of it would have to be undermounted. Not flush mount (routered out, grooved out), and not top mounted. We've seen the Franke and Blanco products in showrooms. Maybe they are bought by and sold to some people somewhere, but I've never heard of anyone ever buying one. ( I talk to many salespeople. ) There is no big innovation in the concept of a garbage chute. Anyone can get their hands on a tube, made of plastic or steel. The tube is the chute. The tube could be more rectangular than round. Even so, it's still a no-brainer, not worth a lot of money. Story over. End of file.

We have put a food service long shallow tray into the drawer that is set under the edge of our pull-out cutting board. Had planned to have a dedicated drawer for this, but at some point in the shop's design process, it became a part of a larger drawer. I use this tray when I'm chopping, but then pull it out and scrape or dump the contents into a lidded compost bucket under the prep sink at a later moment. We have a second lidded compost bucket under the double sink--is used primarily for coffee grounds and tea leaves and dustpans of doghair. I set the lids next to the compost buckets when they're unlidded. We get fruitfly problems if we leave compost uncovered too long.

We also have the option of dumping waste from cutting board into the double trash, which could be used for lotsa compost if we were doing a big project.

"Story over. End of file. -davidro1"

But wait! Garbage chutes need soap and water cleaning at least every time you dump out the garbage. If you're talking a fixed chute, that gets even trickier (ickier) to keep clean.

Here's a thing from Gardener's Supply Company for $12.95 that might suit some, but I still have issues with cleaning it. The narrowness that makes it useful under the sink also means sticking your arm down into a narrow opening half way to your elbow:

{{gwi:1916102}}

They also have an assortment of cute little counter top cans and pails, but I still prefer our extra stainless steel dog's dinner dish. It doesn't sit around too long with zucchini ends or whatever before someone walks it out to the compost, and then it can go in the dishwasher or get washed with the hand wash without having contaminate your whole arm. For times when there will be a lot of garbage, like on tomato canning day, I just get out a large bowl. FYI-I'm not actually a germophobe, but garbage containers stored in the kitchen just need to stay clean.

Sorry this doesn't help you much, Kashmi, but the cleanliness thing would always be first on my mind.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardener's Supply Co. kitchen compost bins

Thank you, everyone, for the good comments.

Zelmar: Thank you for the update to your earlier post. I had wondered if you had gone ahead with the cool mechanism that presents the can sans lid.

In our case, our "cutting board" is also the counter top (a big 30 x 36 Boos Block). Which is why we've been using a bowl that we can bring to the counter/cutting board.

Florantha: Your compost drawer is such a clever idea and the execution is brilliant. That just might work. Do you end up with a lot of "over-spill" from juicy stuff not making it directly into the trays?

Davidro1: Like Suzannes1, I'm concerned about keeping a garbage/compost chute clean, given all the sticky wet ingredients that end up in a compost bowl (see annotated pix below of today's lovely haul).

From Kitchen Reno

Suzannes1: Like you, we've just been using a large bowl. It is simple, and as you say, easy to clean. But, as you can see from the pix below of the bowl sitting on the cooktop, it's a space hog. If there's a way to recess something in the countertop (that I could pull out, go dump in the compost each day, wash out and then replace, that would be ideal. If it had a top so we could reclaim the surface space when we wanted, even better.

From Kitchen Reno

The search continues!

Thanks for updating this discussion.

I agree the key constraint is cleaning, with all the wet and sticky stuff going into the compost, which is why any chute wants to be as short and accessible as possible. The commercial options in the first message cleverly eliminate the chute altogether. The standard slot or hole in the counter into a drawer below keeps the chute short, but still ups the cleaning chore because stuff could splash on the underside of the counter from the bin below.

So:

1. Bowl on the counter: easiest to clean, cheapest to implement, inspires you to empty it regularly, but a space hog.

2. Bowl sunk in counter with flush lid: still easy to clean, but getting much capacity means a significant interruption in the countertop.

3. Slot or hole to under-the-counter drawer with removable bin: efficient on space (the drawer can be long and narrow), but more work to implement and clean.

4. Pull-out drawer (Florantha's solution): Does not mess with the countertop and still pretty easy to clean. If I did this (I'm inspired now), I would think about using a 2/3 steam table pan (6" x 12.88" x 13.88", with the long side parallel to the counter's edge) as the removable insert in the drawer. That size should deal with spils as you scrape stuff over the counter edge, and capacity is 3.5 gallons. It assumes you have a wide enough drawer, and leaves open the question of what to do with the rest of the drawer.

Here is a link that might be useful: steam table pans

Suzanne--my cab and floor would be a mess with that tiny narrow bin!

Kashmi--there was a kitchen reveal several months ago of a stunning kitchen in Seattle that used the Blanco bin. I wish I could remember the poster's name. I think it started with J. I'll search around for it. I've never seen the poster post since the reveal thread, but maybe their email is still active and you could contact them.

Kashmi..

Timely post..

I was just searching for prices on the Blanco solon compost pail. With anything in the undercabinet, I am worried about drips and spills.. (think melon juice, tomato juice etc.. Also I find that if the compost bowl is not right on the counter, rest to the family sometimes just uses trash.. I would like to be able to scrape the veggie trash into the pail inset.. The chute idea is intriguing but wouldn't that also be a hole in the countertop?

Florantha --> can you post a pic of your set up.. sounds really clever

I would worry about a drawer... stinking. There isn't any ventilation. *shrug*

I don't have a compost catch in the counter, so sorry I can't comment on the original question. The idea scares me off since it's so... permanent. (What if the item you are using needs to be replaced and they don't make them anymore?)

After lots of research, I just use a ceramic vase/pitcher I already had. It doesn't help if the goal is less clutter, but I do have the ability to just put it under the sink when not in use. If it's out, at least it is pretty to me.

BTW, I found that if I put my coffee & grounds in the compost daily, fruit flies don't seem attracted to it. Also, it just smells like coffee. :)

{{gwi:1916105}}

Lolauren--What a clever idea! I might be stealing that one! I considered an in-counter compost, but to make the most sense it would have to be in the island where I'll be prepping. I didn't want it on display like that.

Here's the finished kitchen I mentioned above. It's worth a look by anyone who hasn't seen the kitchen yet even if you aren't interested in the compost bin. It's jaw-dropping!

Here is a link that might be useful: Seattle kitchen with in-counter compost

I love the compost in a drawer approach & have seen it work well with the SS pan without a lid (with lid it got stinky too quickly).
I've been using an old soup pot, and keeping it in the freezer. No smell!

No matter what you're using, you want to be taking the compost out daily. True, if it's not incorporated into your daily routine there's more danger of forgetting it when it's out of sight in a drawer.

There are occasions, though, when I chop a lot of veg and have to empty the compost bowl into the worm bin out back two or three times. (And my bowl is twice the size of the inset pan in that elegant Seattle kitchen). So there's something to be said for a really big pan. The other advantage of a pull-out pan is being able to just sweep/scrape stuff off the counter into the pan, including little crumbs and flour and whatnot.

RE narrow shallow food service tray for temp compost....Thanks for your interest, folks. Haven't done a photo. Don't have a method to move photos out of the camera right now--household entropy problem. I'll post in time but don't wait for it.

Our tray runs from the front to the back of the right side of the drawer and the pull-out board overlaps it by about 2 inches and of course the lip of the countertop also overlaps it. This board is very near the range. Vegetables move from garden or refrig onto the end of the peninsula, into the prep sink, then onto a towel on the peninsula. Then I can cut off waste and chop as necessary. They then move to the range. Works very efficiently. Remember--I do much of the chopping while sitting so I have my knees under the board and the compost tray. It's wonderful to not need to interrupt the work to offload the pile of discards by standing and moving to the compost bin.

About oversplash...Once in a while the items in the drawer that share the space with our tray need to be washed but it's not a big deal. I usually move things to the tray thoughtfully and if the tray is full to top there, I pull out the drawer farther in order to open up new receiving space farther down the tray.

We've become so used to the tray that we use it for almost all compost at the peninsula. Currently we swoosh our cherry stems and pits from countertop into it--one handed so you can keep your other hand free for that sandwich or whatever. So easy to pull out the drawer and close again. Biggest problem is the possibility of leaving juicy stuff in the tray too long. I do NOT want things molding or breeding flies in the drawer so I empty it when I have two free hands.

This set-up is wonderful for processing garden produce for freezing or dehydrating.

Sounds like a lot of us are looking for the best way to deal with kitchen scraps destined for the compost pile. Maybe there's a business opportunity here for someone.

Lolauren: What Breezygirl said. That's a gorgeous pitcher. What a brilliant idea to use something pleasing to look at (instead of our silly lopsided bowl). And, yes, coffee grounds are compost gold.

Breezygirl: Thank you for finding that Seattle kitchen. As you say, it's an inspiration in many ways. The poster did have a "send me an email" link. I've done that and will report back if there is a response.

Colin3: You've summarized the options so well. Like you, I'm worried that the inserts would be too small. What I do like about the big kludgy bowl is that it holds a lot and I can readily mix in shredded paper before heading to the compost pile. That would not be so easy (I don't think) with a recessed cylinder.

Florantha: does your drawer look something like one of these below -- though I realize you said yours only takes up about half of the width of the drawer? (I hope neither person minds my copying the pix to this thread. If so, I do apologize in advance.)

Here's Celticmoon's from the 2008 thread

From Kitchen Reno

And here's Jugo's from the 2010 thread

From Kitchen Reno

Our work flow with veggies and fruit is quite similar to yours, which is why we were thinking about being able to sweep cuttings into a hole in the butcher block counter top.

Since the butcher block sits on top of a wire rack (as you can sort of tell from the pix below), I wonder if we could fit two tracks on the underside of the butcher block and then slide the bowl in and out on those -- with the bowl's outside lip sliding on the tracks. There wouldn't be a lid on the bowl, but since it gets emptied every day, that might not matter. Hmm. You've really been an inspiration.

From Kitchen Reno

Last question: is it possible to be TCO (totally compost obsessed) as well as TKO?!

mine is this ceramic canister which i empty almost every day and put lid and bottom in dishwasher to clean
Usually I keep a degradeable bag in it but lately I am trying without

From backsplash

For those "concerned about keeping a garbage/compost chute clean" I'll point out that it's big not microscopic, and you would clean it as you would clean anything else. Plus, you could have it installed as a removable part instead of as a fixed glued in place part. Not rocket science. Not a big deal. Not an obstacle.

In fact, you don't need a chute, as things fall down with gravity anyway. More about this later.

--

Today I have not yet drilled or cut any holes in my countertop, not even for a faucet. I am considering my options. I've been drawing sketches and investigating faucets, and taking my time. I will move when I'm ready. One day the compromises I undertake may be described and posted in this forum.

Today for garbage, recyclables and compostables I have bins in a drawer, like aliris' above. For a drawer to open, I have to step back 5" to 6" and pull on the drawer handle. Or stand to one side a little bit and pull the drawer open a little bit. Similar to the garbage pullout concept, except a smaller obstacle in your way than a 30"h panel. The bins are nog big; I don't hang on to stuff. Any top drawer can hold the bins. (One could get medium-large size bins and have more space. YMMV.)

It is such an improvement! It seems so much cleaner and easier than the olde 20th century cabinet door that I had to open almost all the way, even when the garbage pail lid automatically opened with the cabinet door. How could I have ever thought that That was a smart system? Back then I had no alternative model in my mind. What I had was deemed good enough, or great.

You slide stuff over and gravity takes over. It falls off the counter overhang. The advantage "is being able to just sweep/scrape stuff off the counter into the pan, including little crumbs and flour and whatnot." The closer the better. No need to put the garbage bin on the lowest level. Better when it's high, as it's easier to get stuff to hit the mark. Plus, you gain space. With a humungous garbage container in a 30"High pullout, you can't have anything else between it and the counter. With several smaller containers, you use part of a drawer to collect gunk, recycling, composting and so on. And you do not hold it for a week; within 48 hours you remove it to its permanent "fate".

--

Slide stuff over and gravity takes over, stuff falling off the counter overhang.... This was the olde 20th century cabinet door method too. The garbage pail lid automatically opened with the cabinet door. A chute that is undermounted keeps this advantage.

A counter mounted bin loses it.

With a rim, gross stuff gets caught.
"... given all the sticky wet ingredients that end up in a compost bowl..."
Given all the gunk that goes into the garbage.
Gross stuff dribbles around the rim and even down the wrong side (outside) of the container. Extra cleaning and care. YMMV.

An undermounted chute involves fewer operations of the body and hands, compared to a drawer. This is its appeal. Slide stuff over to the hole, let stuff fall into the hole, and not suffer the consequences of rims on top of the counter.

Model this:
A Counter Hole.
A Bin in a Drawer Positioned Under Said Hole.
Without Any Chute !
There is No Need for a Chute.
Then, nobody needs to worry about cleaning the chute device.
A Bin can be bought that fits the space high enough and wide enough.
The Bin Is In A Drawer, So The Bin Is Real Close To the Underside of the Counter.
You open the drawer to get the bin, whenever you want.
Yet another advantage to full-opening drawers.
I believe I've not seen any recommendation for this.
Full extension drawers are relatively new.
People still think "big is better".
Designers plan for large holding containers for large amounts of garbage.

Seeing Aliris19 images emboldened me to express these thoughts. Her images show someone who had original ideas and implemented them. A little container, wow what a new concept!

Hth

Aliris19, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We were already considering carving out a niche for the trash can (as per an earlier Apartment Therapy link that showed J. Chang's kitchen).

From Kitchen Reno

Your idea sees that one and raises it. (Even she has room for a little compost bin shelf above her garbage can!) PLUS, it has the advantage of providing space for the salad spinner. Like you, in the summer ours always seems to be sitting on the counter drying.

P.S. I've been following your kitchen ever since plllog pointed me to your piano-shaped island/peninsula. You have a really beautiful kitchen. I hope the seam issue gets resolved soon and satisfactorily. If nothing else, your experience has taught some of the rest of us what to question in advance.

Davidol1: Yep, I can envision exactly what you are describing. A very clever idea. You are quite right that "simply a counter hole" avoids the edge issues, both aesthetically and practically.
BUT, gunk from anything juicy still is going to stick to the sides of that hole on the way into the bin below.
Not that that's unique. Right now when sweeping stuff from the butcher block counter into the bowl, juice flows onto the counter edges. But, it's easily wiped up there. I guess if the hole were large enough, one could still wipe the edges and underside the counter hole.

Aliris19's approach really seems to satisfy a number of criteria.
It keeps the compost bin handy.
It keeps it in sight/in mind (as a reminder not to toss scraps in the trash).
AND, it keeps it off the surface areas -- thereby avoiding the space hog problem as well as the issue of it looking so very lovely.

Our counter tops will never be clear. Life it just easier when what you need and use every day is at hand. BUT, one also needs to use that surface for other things: cookies, bread, pizza. Thus solutions like Aliris19's satisfy both the function and form criteria. Again, thank you!

I emailed a couple of GardenWeb folks who had installed in-counter compost systems, asking if they used their "system" regularly and whether they liked it. As a follow-up to the online discussion, I thought I should report their responses, just in case someone else was intrigued by this option. Here's the first report back.

Q: If you had it to do all over again, would you still locate a "compost scrap keeper" in your counter top/butcher block?

A: Absolutely! I have done it for 20 years and wouldn't change a thing. (This person uses a steam table pot w/ a lid and found a garbage pail insert with a handle that was the right size to give her something to pull in and out of the holder.)

When I hear back from the second person, I'll report that, too.

Hey David & Kashmi, you're making me feel better: tough day here!

OK, David: I am in agreement with others worried about hidden chutes and grubbiness. Just because there's no chute doesn't mean stuff doesn't get stuck to the side of whatever intermediary is between the coutertop and the bucket itself: there must be something.

Which leads me to another thing I am liking about having my plastic, square, moveable buckets. Because they're so easy to clean, and move to wherever I'm prepping, and the edges are sharp-ish, I can actually scrape a knife edge along the compost bucket. I don't need to use my finger! I wouldn't have done this before because *ick* - that compost bucket is pretty suspicious germ-wise. Not so much anymore; sometimes I put it in the dishwasher, though better yet is that I can scrub the thing with hot water and soap. Former incarnations of compost containers in our household never really lent themselves to this for one reason or another: ceramic, fragility, prettiness, awkward size, gew-gaws attached to lid, holes, whatever... By being so out-there, this plastic bucket is just exactly what you see - no hidden germs. No pretentious wackiness preventing a good scrub. Not scary.

I didn't post a picture of the pullout bin in context. I think David noted, though, so maybe it was clear-enough. The pullout is small; it fits underneath my sink cabinet. Had to fight with the KD on that - that's why I was doing so much measuring there. The sink false front was 10", I have 37" high counters with 3.5" toekicks so that left a 22" pullout when all was said and done. the garbage cans fit inside that with room enough above for the smaller compost bucket. I don't have a garbage disposal.

David - I'd worry about making everything line up with the system you describe. If I understand you, there's a hole in the counter underneath which is a drawer into which you set a container that catches the scraps tossed through the hole. What about splattery scraps? Those will get on the sides of the drawer? What's the drawer to be made of? You'll want to remove it occasionally and wash it - if it's big, what a pain?! If it's not big, then cf splatter-worries. And what about splatter up underneath the countertop. Plus, what about fruitflies and the like? They'll be there, hiding up underneath ... ick.

Which reminds me of another advantage I really love with my system (sorry if I mentioned this already). I can catch the fruit flies!!! Usually those suckers just scatter when they see me coming. These food service containers have a flat, easily snapped-down lid and since all is plastic, fast movements aren't a worry. I really don't know why they don't see me coming and scoot as they usually do (I once saw a program that explained fruitflies have about 300-degree vision explaining why it's so hard to catch them) -- maybe because they're down inside of the bucket? Dunno why really, but it's suddenly very easy to gently come up on the container with top in hand and gently set it into place trapping them inside. Walk outside: all gone!

You won't be able to do this with stuff in a drawer.

Kashmi - I love your point about keeping the bin in sight so you remember to dump it. So true.

David, I completely agree about keeping trash bins small. For 16 years my trash bucket was one of those small approx 8" square facsimiles of a larger plastic milk crate sitting on top of my breadbox. I'd dump it several times a day sometimes. But we never generate more than a square foot of trash per week anyway. Between recycling and compost trash doesn't really happen (I should say, between recycling, compost and all the mounds of stuff I neglect to give away that no one would want anyway, that's how "used up" it all is).

Kashmi - thanks for the kind words of encouragement. They really sunk home on a day like today! I really appreciate it. If there's some lemonade to be made, it makes the acid an awful lot easier to bear.

Aliris, i am intrigued by your system. Where did you find those square food service buckets? Thanks for your detailed descriptions.
thanks

Okay, you twisted my arm. I've bought a new card reader for my camera and I'm posting some temp photos which will be deleted soon. I'm making supper here--chicken to work over (fat globs and other scraps go into trash), sad looking salad greens and peas (too hot outdoors and the lettuce has bolted), herbs to chop, veg and onion ready to be cut up. I usually sit at stool but DH stands here.

Compost tray runs along side of blue drawer organizer (repurposed container we got with Alaskan shrimp in it). Remember--our top drawers were made shallow because of pull-out board. If I had it to do over, I'd make them just a big deeper by shortening the drawers and bins below--to prevent items from jamming drawers.

I am grateful for 90 degree countertop edge because I can brush things into the trash or the pan so reliably and it cuts down the cleanup.

If I did not have the pull-out board, I'd put the pan parallel to the countertop, as suggested above. Makes good sense. We used to put a big bowl or dishpan on a stool below the edge of our chopping surface when we needed to work over lots of veg or apples for freezing--same idea.

I can put this pan into my top drawer under baking area pullout board also--can receive excess flour sprinkled on the countertop or the breadboard or dough scraps. You could do the same in any drawer next to a baking surface.

I've extended the drawer far enough for you to see the pan within; usually we don't pull it out very far unless the front of the pan is already full or unless we're working with sloppy things like tomatoes. I put my eggshells into the pan when making breakfast--the drawer glides out so easily! I try to remember to crush them in my fist as I do this so the composting begins sooner and the shells get mixed with other items sooner.

The compost bin is an Ikea item which I think has been discontinued; you buy taller ones now with the same footprint. This one has built-in handles. The boot below it allows me to roll it out with one hand. Lid is not tight and can be opened with one hand.

The long compost tray is a bit awkward to handle when it's full and needs to be emptied--in an earlier moment in the evolution of the kitchen I used a different skinny pan and it was perfect to sling around, but it held a lot less. I'm used to this one now so it doesn't matter but at first I dumped it on the floor a few times when using one hand, aargh! The lesson is...don't put off emptying it when you're cleaning up the kitchen.

Oh Florantha -- *thank you*! You've written about your system before but for some reason I couldn't picture it - this is worth a thousand words of course. As they say.

Another straight-edge counter lover. I wonder whether they're preferable for us composters - basically it's a question of whether you value sweeping over aesthetics, I think.

And about crushing those eggs -- my worms love to nestle inside the eggshells and make little baby worms in there. No doubt they'd find another equally gem�tlich home if the eggs weren't available, but I like to keep a few whole for their comfort.

scrappy -- those food service buckets are available from any restaurant supply house. Or here: food storage containers. They make them in all sizes and clouded or clear. I believe different sizes have different colored lids but YMMV on that one. It's possible their prices have increased but I'm guessing instead this is just a high price; look around. Note that the lids are sold separately, at the restaurant stores I've seen at least. Could be that retail it comes as a package. But IMO it's nice that they come separately; occasionally the edge cracks on the lids and then you can just replace them only.

I prefer the cloudy ones usually, certainly for compost! ;) Some grains want the "shading" the cloudiness provides. The large 18 qt ones hold #25 of flour. I use a 3.5 qt and 2 qt one for compost. But as they come in different heights you could adjust them to your shelves ... or drawers! But I think you'd want a long one if you're setting up something like Florantha's; these are square.

Note, BTW, these lids are not air-tight. But if you're using grains/flour in them, tossing in a single bay leaf keeps them bug free - airtight isn't necessary.

thank you aliris! These look like wonderful storage containers in general. Do you know if the same size containers stack? I can see how useful these would be all over the kitchen and esp for compost.

Aliris19; where are these stainless steel buckets from?

efs - sorry, I'm not understanding ... oh, you mean the ss garbage and recycling buckets? They're RevAShelf gold-ss hybrids ;) pull out ss garbage bins. Before you freak out about the price, know that they're available for a lot less elsewhere, though still outrageously overpriced. The ss buckets come with the pullout contraption. I have to admit they are ridiculously nice. I cannot imagine why perfect garbage cans can't be had for less money, but then I'd never used a perfect garbage can before shelling out for these. Still, it just doesn't seem like rocket science to produce one of these, for way less money.

scrappy - yes, the containers stack. If you look closely at the lids you'll see there's a ridge around the outside of it and the bucket itself "steps inward" half way down its height so the smaller footprint at the bottom sets inside the ridged part of the top. Hope that makes sense. The lids are color coded by size I think. So as it happens, the two that I use for compost are of different size, but because one is shorter than the other; the perimeter is the same. So they stack; both use "green" lids. My huge bucket uses a blue lid ... same setup with the large bins too, there are smaller large bins, if you follow, that stack.

Again, one drawback is the bins aren't airtight. But ... I once was assured by a CS rep at King Arthur Flour that they recommend these for storing flour anyway; the bay leaves will keep buggies at bay (so to speak - hey, could that be the etymology of that phrase???).

For me, I find the plastic a little less aesthetic than glass, so I prefer even juice jars for storing pulses and the like. For nuts and seeds I really want *airtight*, I don't want to use bay leaves in something that oily. You can get the plastic containers in clear, though, which would help. For better or worse, there is a volume scale very prominently displayed on the buckets' sides.

Florantha: Thank you so much for going the extra mile to take and post pix. Your descriptions had been very detailed, and I thought I had a good idea of what things looked like, but the imagination just didn't do your system justice. The pix are wonderful, as others have said. I can really "see" how and why you like your cutting/sweeping/compost area.

Aliris19: Thank you, too, for the continued good detail. I've been plopping 25# sacks of flour in big plastic garbage bags and moving about 10# at a time to a plastic keeper from Sam's Club. Now there's no option but to get some of those Cambros!

Thanks to breezygirl, I got in touch with another person who's been using an in-counter system: the Blanco Solon. She reports being very pleased with it, saying, "It is just the right size for us." If there is a lot of vegetable prep going on, it has to be emptied more than once a day, but at other times, she can go two or three days between emptying.

She's also very happy with the quality of the unit.

I have something similar to florantha. I loved celtic moon's compost drawer, but didn't want to have such small drawers underneath. The steam table pan sits in the top drawer of the prep counter with the knives. The drawer is shallow at 2.75" interior. I used to have a small bowl on the counter for compost and I didn't like it - too small and I hate things sitting on the counter.

So I open the drawer, get a knife and chop on the wood counter, open the drawer and throw the veg stuff in. If I'm chopping a lot, I put the pan on the counter. If I have a lot of crumbs, it's easy to put the pan under the lip of the countertop and brush them in. Small amount of crumbs can be brushed into the pan w/o removing it.

The pan is emptied every day (or more if needed), washed with hot soapy water, dries on the sink rack and is replaced in the drawer. It's super convenient, no smell or flies.

I measured different pans to get a size that was big enough for daily use, but not so big that it wouldn't get emptied regularly. It's approx. 7 x 12 x 2.25 in.

After a lot of discussion on this topic, we actually decided to buy the Solon composter and plan to flush inset it. I just ordered it off eBay and will report back once it is in use.

Do you use your Solon inset composter?