Utopia Kitchen Countertop Compost Bin 1.3 Gallon, Stainless Steel, Silver

Why it's worth it

A 1.3-gallon stainless bin with charcoal filters in the lid, sized to sit on a counter or tuck under the sink. It's the piece that makes composting realistic in an apartment, because it handles the part people actually dread — the smell.

Composting fails at the collection step, not the composting step. If scraps stink after two days, the bin stops getting used and the coffee grounds go back in the trash. The charcoal filters here are the reason owners report going three, four, five days between trips to an outdoor pile or a municipal drop-off without noticing anything.

Stainless was the right call over plastic. Plastic bins absorb the smell of what's been in them, so eventually the bin itself is the problem no matter how often you empty it. Steel doesn't stain, scratch or hold odor, and it wipes out with warm soapy water. Owners report bins in daily use for the better part of a year with no rust and no loosening hinges.

From our review of 10 reusable kitchen swaps for cutting plastic waste, by Julian Croft, Appliances Specialist

What we like

• +Composting fails at the collection step, not the composting step
• +Stainless was the right call over plastic
• +The 1.3-gallon size is a deliberate compromise

What to know

• –The lid isn't airtight, and several owners describe it as a touch loose compared with bins they've had before
• –Filters are a consumable