Saw a post saying bokashi bins stink too much for apartments - true or false?

I overheard a guy at the hardware store in Denver telling his friend that bokashi composting is nasty for small spaces because it ferments and smells like pickles mixed with garbage. But I've been using one under my kitchen sink for 6 months and the smell is barely there if you drain the liquid regularly. Has anyone else had problems with bokashi odor in a small apartment, or is it a user error thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade321mo ago

Wait, are you saying some people actually think bokashi smells like garbage? Mine smells like sour pickles and yeast, yeah, but only if I let the liquid sit in the bottom for too long. I've been running mine in a 500 sq ft studio in Chicago for about a year now, and honestly the trick is just draining that spigot every 3-4 days. My wife was super worried about it at first, but now she doesn't even notice it unless I'm actively dumping in leftover salad. User error all the way, in my experience.

wesleypatel1mo ago

Right, because who doesn't love the smell of a pickle-and-yeast brewery in their living room? I tried explaining that to my roommate once and he just gave me this look like I was describing a new cologne. Honestly, if you treat it like a science experiment and not a compost heap, it's fine, but people just love to blame the bucket.

evannelson1mo ago

Nah, some of those buckets just smell like sour milk and regret no matter what you do.