So far, I have been very impressed. The HotBin has "eaten" 4 refills of mainly green waste (weed, potato haulms, grass) this week. Each time the level had dropped down to about a quarter full - (about 50 L) I refilled the HotBin to the top. Which means the HotBin has consumed approx. about 600 ish L of waste, by volume, reducing this material down to coarse mulch ish consistency, now sitting in the bottom of the HotBin. In a week.
Even if I removed this partially composted coarse material from the bottom of the HotBin and left it to continue to compost down in the open (or in another bin!) , the HotBin would still have dealt with a staggering amount of material in a week compared with a conventional composting bin - so on throughput of material alone I am impressed.
Whenever I open the lid, there is steam and heat!
As long as there is a fresh charge of waste to work on The HotBin has kept at a steady 55 - 60 C - it usually takes 3 days for the temperature to drop to less than 40 C - by which time the HotBin needs a refill.
The Dalek, by comparison, has about 100 L of waste remaining in the bottom of the composter from the original 330 L of material I put into it a week ago. The temperature has dropped from a hot 65 C, 4 days ago, to a steady 30 C. This is really good work for a Dalek composter - I am impressed! But it is time for me to refill the Dalek, so it can heat up and get going again.
I am going to transfer the partially composted material from the Hotbin into another, empty, Dalek composter - so I can continue to see exactly how much material the HotBin can eat in a week.
I am enjoying this! But then, I am Compostwoman...
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