Homemade Bokashi (Kitchen composter)

Laser cut 1/8 inch acrylic support trayBokashi is a Japanese name referring to intensive composting. This Bokashi bucket was made from a Target brand generic cat litter container, a $5 Coleman igloo spout, and some laser cut 1/8 inch acrylic left over from a picture frame. Similar units sell for over $60, and since we were going to buy the cat litter and acrylic anyways, building our own saved quite a bit of money that my wife promptly spent on 3 containers of special Bokashi starter mix. (I argued that we should just throw in some moldy cheese that we also had laying around.)

The  acrylic support tray holds the solid compost above the level of the spout, allowing liquid by-products to collect at the bottom of the composter. The liquid can be used as a powerful plant food.  I designed it to rest on the pre-existing plastic strengthening tabs in the bottom of the cat litter container, plus two acrylic supports in the middle. I have included my design here in Corel Draw and SVG files.

Of course, not everybody has easy access to a laser cutter, but you could cut out the bottom sheet using a jigsaw and drill the drain holes by hand quite easily. I have also included an 8.5 x 11 PDF with just the correct outline for the bottom that you can print, cut out, and use as a cutting guide. You'll have to make the stands yourself, the correct height is 88mm or 3.153 inches.

Installing a Coleman igloo spout is a simple matter of drilling the appropriately sized hole, pushing the spout through, and then screwing on the retaining nut and gasket. 

I'll leave you with a picture of the finished product assembled:

Tray installed

7 thoughts on “Homemade Bokashi (Kitchen composter)

  1. Pingback: Al’s Bokashi Blog - A DIY bokashi bucket

  2. Hi Jay,

    It has been almost 3 months since you [and your wife] started using bokashi for composting.

    How is your bucket system working?

    Is the bokashi meeting your expectations?

    Let me know….

    Al

  3. Hi Jay, thanks for the help on the bokashi bucket.

    Have you been making your own bokashi, or buying the finished product?

    I see compost guy is trying to make his own mix.

  4. Kevin:
    My wife purchased it on Ebay. I believe some companies (possibly even Coleman) sell replacement spouts. (You could also buy an ice tea container which has one already attached at a thrift store and harvest it.)
    Jay

  5. Pingback: Bargain Babe» From waste to wallet: the value of food

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