Why I Love My Reencle: Composting Made Simple in the Homestead Kitchen
For years, composting was one of those necessary but exhausting homestead chores. Wheelbarrow loads to the pile, turning it seasonally, waiting months for it to break down, and then screening it before I could even use it in the garden. I’ve often asked myself: how much is my time worth?
That’s why the Reencle has completely changed the way I think about composting. It sits right in my pantry, quietly working every single day, and produces real compost I can use directly in my garden beds.
🌱 How I Use the Reencle
I keep mine in the pantry near the kitchen so I can add food scraps daily. It runs continuously, using live microbes to break everything down. The process is odor-free (truly!) and requires almost no effort on my part. Instead of hauling buckets outside, I just drop scraps in and let the Reencle do its work.
🍎 What You Can Put in the Reencle
One of the best parts of this system is its flexibility. You can compost:
Fruit and vegetable scraps
Grains, rice, and bread
Coffee grounds and tea leaves
Meat, fish, and small bones
Dairy scraps
Basically, all the things you’d normally hesitate to throw in a backyard compost pile because they attract pests are safe to put in here.
🚫 What You Shouldn’t Put In
There are just a few things to avoid, like:
Large bones (they won’t break down properly)
Big amounts of oil or grease
Non-food items like plastic
Other than that, the Reencle is surprisingly forgiving compared to other composting systems. Shredded mail and paper are great to add in!
🌿 How to Cure the Compost & Use It in the Garden
When the Reencle’s bin fills up, there are two ways you can use the compost:
1. Traditional Curing
You can scoop some out and let it cure for about 3–4 weeks. This step allows the compost to stabilize and finish breaking down, turning into a rich soil amendment that’s easy to work into beds or potting mixes.
2. Direct Application as Biocrust
My personal hypothesis—and one I’ve been experimenting with—is using Reencle compost directly in the garden to form a kind of biocrust. Think of it like a living mulch:
It creates a natural border between soil and plant, which I believe helps deter pests.
It acts as a slow-release fertilizer, feeding crops steadily over time.
It helps with moisture retention, keeping soil damp longer in hot weather.
The key to success with this method: remember that microbes like it wet. Watering the compost in after spreading encourages those microbes to thrive and support your soil and plants.
🔎 Why It’s Different from Other Electric Composters
I’ve tried or researched the other popular countertop composters like Lomi and Mill, and here’s what sets Reencle apart:
Reencle uses live microbes to actually compost food scraps.
Lomi and Mill dehydrate scraps—leaving you with dry, shredded food that looks like compost but isn’t broken down. Plants can’t absorb it right away, and if you toss it outside it just attracts wildlife.
No waiting, no flipping, no odors: Reencle just works quietly in the background every day.
The end product is true compost, rich in nutrients and immediately usable in the soil.
This makes Reencle not just a convenience, but a real soil-building tool.
✨ Final Thoughts
For anyone who’s ever felt burned out on homesteading chores (and I’ve been there!), simplifying your systems is essential. Composting doesn’t have to mean hauling, turning, and screening piles anymore.
The Reencle has made composting one of the easiest parts of my day—and the payoff in my garden has been incredible.