FoodCycler by Vitamix Eco 5 Unboxing and Initial Review

[@WorldComposting]

Looking to purchase this item you can buy it from www.vitamix.com or if you prefer Amazon here is a link amzn.to/3Zbcxnp (Referral Link)

[@NanasWorms]

I can really see this taking your composting to the next level! I am now checking my kitchen for counter space…! ~ Sandra

[@WorldComposting]

I already have plans to use this for items that I typically throw away such as chicken bones, onions, and tomatoes!

[@NanasWorms]

It's a bit pricey, unfortunately. I'm going to wait to see if it goes on sale at Thanksgiving or Boxing Day. ~ Sandra

[@ota7548]

@@NanasWorms the older version (FC-30, FC-50) can be had for drastically less money; most I've seen is about $279, which is still quite a bit of money; but boy does the allure of a faster turnaround for compost sure tempt me so!

[@NanasWorms]

@@ota7548 Thank you! That's more in the ballpark of what I was hoping for this unit. I can bucket list something that price for Christmas and my birthday! ~ Sandra

[@Chaoitcme]

@@WorldComposting Throw away? Doesn't the city where you live not have curb side compost pickup?

[@renatobautista563]

I just got FC-50 for my small worm farm. It's perfect to raise the bin temperature up to 80 deg F. during wintet time.

[@MichelleMonstera]

I have the Airthereal composter and I've put crab shells and shrimp shells into the composter. They always advertise that it doesn't smell, but you definitely smell something after the compost is "done" processing. It's not horrible, but you definitely notice it

[@WorldComposting]

This does have a slight odor but it isn't bad more of a fermenting smell or soil after it rains. My son who has a very sensitive nose didn't have any issues with it. But I haven't tried any shells yet. I'm not sure when I'll be getting some crabs but I might have to buy a few just to test it out!

[@MikeTrieu]

Yeah, any kind of shellfish will always have an odor, even when dessicated. That's why I throw those crushed shells into my aerobic digester where the microbes can metabolize those odorous compounds into something that smells more akin to dirt.

[@eprohoda]

Howdy?! World! unreal. 😯

[@WorldComposting]

Howdy to you!

[@evelynknight5627]

Ooooh! I am so happy to see a worm farmer that's got their hands on one of these bad boys and reviewed it! I've toyed with the idea of getting one some day, but with its high price point and possibly limited usefulness when you're already working with worms/compost, it's hard to justify... But with all the cool kid worm farmers now dehydrating and grinding scraps to add as a dry feed, my interest is reinvigorated! I wanna see how it fairs with corn cob, avocado pit and shell, a stone fruit pit, and maybe pumpkin seeds. 🙏 We go through so much corn that I've taken to throwing the cobs into my Ninja blender and pulverizing it... But it's totally scary doing it that way. 😰 Very happy for you, and can't wait to see more updates about this gadget!

[@WorldComposting]

I'll be testing it with corn soon. I have put in peach pits, pistachio shells, mango seeds, and chicken bones. I'll be getting pumpkins for Halloween soon so I'll throw in the guts to test it out! As far as pricing they are a bit high but as I have less time to work on my bins I do feel a bit guilty that I'm not taking as good care of all the worms. I'm hoping this will help breakdown the material so it also doesn't attract as many bugs.

[@hp7033]

We put avocado pits in ours all the time and no problem. I have no doubt corn cobs would also be fine.

[@WorldComposting]

@@hp7033So far I've had almost no issues with corn cobs, mango seeds, chicken bones, peach pits, lobster shells, etc. The only issues I've had is when adding lots of celery, artichoke leaves, or other fibrous materials. So far I'm highly impressed and will be doing a final review but was hoping i would need need to replace the charcoal filter material which still hasn't happened.

[@MikeTrieu]

​@@WorldCompostingGood to hear it handles chicken bones as well as the FC-50. I was worried the thinner blades might get damaged by anything harder than vegetable matter. I do like the finer grind size on the Eco 5. Maybe I'll donate my FC-50 to my brother's family and get this instead. Seems like a better unit all around.

[@dnawormcastings]

Great review I always was interested how it works 👍

[@WorldComposting]

Glad it was helpful! This one works a bit differently I think than some of the others it looks a little bit more robust inside as well.

[@lauragoodrum5946]

I need the paperwork that came with it, what you can put in it. and how to work it

[@WorldComposting]

I can't post the full manual but if you see my other videos this is an add food push button type system. I have put in lobster shells, corn cobs, peach, plum, and avocado pits without issue. It does have some difficulty with very stringy foods if added in bulk such as asparagus, celery, artichokes, or edamame. But I learned to just add them in slowly. Another item I add that was previously being thrown away was meat, chicken bones and fish skin. These items can cause issues in a compost system but now are ground up and added to my yard. Hope that helps if you have other questions ask away!

[@mllokie9075]

Nice if you do corn cobs let me know how that goes and how small does it need to be cut

[@WorldComposting]

I have some corn cobs that I'll be testing. Already tested it with a peach pit, mango seed, chicken bones, and pistachio shells and no issues.

[@rickzane6433]

@@WorldComposting I put a whole chicken carcass, no problem. This unit is a beast. Will test corn and crab shells too.

[@MikeTrieu]

If it's anything like its FC-50 predecessor, it should be able to handle corn cobs that are only cut in half with minimal jamming. I anticipate that the increased number of blades will to a better job of slicing through the cob than the FC-50's single, blunt blade.

[@WorldComposting]

Can confirm it has zero issues with corn and even lobster shells!!

[@MichelleMonstera]

Gosh now I'm excited to see how the worms handle the Vitamix compost! Does that make me a worm nerd 🤪

[@ViacheslavKuzmin]

It’s fantastic))💪🏻.

[@WorldComposting]

I'm really impressed with it and because it is working so well I'm starting to neglect my worms. It is just that much faster.

[@ota7548]

I'd be interested to see how well it does in the long term with durability, and how serviceable it is. Would it be easy to disassemble and user clean? Or is it a done deal once the motor starts crapping out; who knows!

[@WorldComposting]

Vitamix is a well known company that manufacturers blenders that are known to last a long time so I'm sure the motor will last quite a while. As far as servicing the charcoal seems easy enough and I can pull apart the top filter as well. The question is the container with the blades. I have been running the Eco 5 twice a day to see if it builds up with anything as I have a ton of food scraps that were building up faster than I could add them to my worm bins!

[@MichelleMonstera]

I'm curious to see how the Vitamix does with seafood: lobster tails, shrimp shells, etc, and how if the compost smells at all. Also, wondering about dairy products, specifically milk based products like cheese.

[@WorldComposting]

I'm hoping to test it out with shrimp tails soon. We are debating on getting lobster or crabs and testing it out. So far the only smell has been that of a soup type smell but nothing bad. Hmm never thought to try cheese but I have some I can throw in and see how it does!

[@jodyfarrand8885]

I have a Vitamix FoodCycler 5 and have been using it for a couple of months now. I'm quite happy with the result of the "compost". However I have issues with the bucket sticking in the unit after cycles are complete where I cannot get teh bucket out of the unit. I'm afraid the bucket handle wi break. Have you experienced the same issue? If so,how did you resolve it?

[@WorldComposting]

Yes I have had that issue. I have found it typically happens with stringy foods such as celery, artichokes, or asparagus. When this happens typically I will turn the unit to do a cycle have it start then open it and see if I can remove the bucket. To mitigate this if I have a lot of stringy food I'll put in half in one cycle then do another cycle after to cut back on how much it binds up. Or I add in a lot of shells such as peanut, egg, or avocado. I have found these tend to help create more fluffy output in general. Peanut shells work really well and I keep a container of shells ready to go although I know not many people eat them.

[@patricianepa2474]

Do you have to mix it with potting soil

[@MichelleMonstera]

I didn't know that this model had a refillable carbon filter! Definitely one of the things that sets them apart.

[@WorldComposting]

This is one the things I was looking for. Having a plastic container you throw out every few months seems very wasteful and if it is pure carbon it can be dumped into your yard and is beneficial!

[@Vermicompost]

Great review!! I like that you can buy your own carbon to refill it when needed! I agree...into the worm bins it goes!!🪱🪱🪱

[@WorldComposting]

I'm building up quite a stockpile of dried out material to start adding. As far as the carbon they do recommend buying from them I'm thinking it might be a dust thing as I buy lots of carbon for my fish tanks and I need to rinse it really well to prevent the dust from entering the tank.

[@Vermicompost]

@@WorldComposting I was thinking about fish tank carbon as well!

[@MikeTrieu]

Eh, fish tank carbon is great for filtering stuff from water, but it's terrible for air filtration purposes. I don't know why Vitamix continues to use this stuff. You're much better off buying coconut husk activated carbon granules. They have much more internal surface area, so you should theoretically be able to go much longer between medium changes.

[@juancarlosgalang1864]

Why do they use carbon fiber

[@MikeTrieu]

Not carbon fiber. Activated carbon. It's to adsorb odors so you don't smell the food waste as it "cooks".

[@Debbie-Keller]

Wow!! 400 bucks!!! Ouch