More of us than ever before are making our own garden compost. There is a huge array of compost bins to help us and lots of indoor kitchen compost bins and crocks. Make sure you know what you are getting.

Lots of products labelled Kitchen Compost Bin are not actually composters at all. They are merely containers to hold your kitchen scraps until you dare venture outside to the garden compost bin with them. These Kitchen Compost Crocks can be extremely handy to have a receptacle for kitchen waste close to hand. Many are really rather stylish and so give you that little bit of encouragement to continue garden composting as they become a lovely feature on your counter-top. Many come with carbon filters which prevent food odours escaping into your kitchen so it does not matter if you do not empty them as regularly as you could. For these reasons a crock can be a very worthwhile investment. But, it is very misleading of stores to label them kitchen compost bins as these are something altogether different.

Kitchen composters on the other hand allow you to actually make your compost indoors. They come with an enzyme starter which promotes fermentation of food stuffs in a very short space of time. Originally from Japan there are now a wide range of similar products manufactured worldwide. The tend not to be so pretty as the crocks, but they are more of a practical solution for composting kitchen scraps.

Food is piled up inside these composters for a few weeks, then sealed and allowed to ferment for a further few weeks. The result is an almost 'pickled' batch of kitchen waste which is then safe to bury in the garden or put into a garden compost bin without attracting vermin. The real benefits of the kitchen compost bin are for those with limited space and a desire to compost all their food waste. Meat, fish, dairy and processed foods can all be safely composted in this way and all under the kitchen sink.

Because the bins need to be left for a few weeks to allow full fermentation, anyone hoping to utilise the kitchen composting system should have at least two bins. One for filling and one fermenting. Each bin has a tap at its base to draw off excess moisture produced as the waste decomposes. This liquid makes a very rich liquid plant food, good for garden and indoor plants alike.

Of course Kitchen Crocks can be any container you like the look of. Just make sure the lid fits well to prevent insects entering or odours escaping. Remember plastic absorbs smells so counter-top crocks are better made of ceramic, stainless steel or stoneware. A plastic bin with a well fitting lid is good under the sink but it will never be any good for anything else in future!

Kitchen Compost Bins can also be made yourself. Just make sure to find a good quality, sturdy plastic bin with a very well fitting lid as the fermentation process requires no air to enter. Add your own plastic tap as used for water barrels since they're very cheap and require no plumbing skills. If making your own, it is probably best to buy your first 'starter' which should be specifically for kitchen fermentation composting systems. That way you will see how the process works when carried out correctly. In future you can make your own starter with newspapers and yogurt.

For more information about kitchen compost bins and garden composters visit the Garden Composter site.